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Windows Live and Privacy
An anonymous reader writes "Today as we were biking around our neighborhood in a small city we saw a strange vehicle slowly driving around. It appeared to be an SUV, bristling with cameras mounted on the roof, and pointing just about every possible direction. The first time we saw it, all we could see was that it had a sign on the side, something about Windows. The second time we saw it, we stared at it so hard that the driver stopped and we had a chance to ask him what it was all about. He said he was driving around, filming streets, and that there were people doing this all over the world, and getting data from the air too. It was going to be available on the Web. I asked him if this was Microsoft's answer to Google Earth, and he indicated that it was. There seems to be very little about this on the Web, and I found no mention of Microsoft's collection of this sort of detailed street level data. The Windows site appears to be http://preview.local.live.com/, although since I use a Mac it didn't work properly. I'm not sure I want my neighborhood viewable on the Web from ground level. And are they going to edit all the people out? I don't see how they could."
quick....uninstall...UNINSTALL!!!
"And are they going to edit all the people out? I don't see how they could." Why couldn't they? It's amazing the things they can do with computers these days, you know...
They don't need to edit anyone out. Just check your Windows EULA - it's in there right after the section concerning rights to your immortal soul.
Beep beep.
The government doesn't want you to know this, but here's the secret:
When you're outside... people can see you.
Stupid me...(sound of hand slapping forehead)... when I saw them, I thought it was maybe the FBI in disguise, you know, tracking terrorists or something... stupid me.
Lost in space at an early age. Survived the vacuum. Now rebuilding castle in air.
Stay inside.
"Kittens give Morbo gas!"
was a time when only people who were near you could talk to you too. isn't modern technology great?
How we know is more important than what we know.
So, when do sightseeing blogs start to pop up, pointing out the rare frame where somebody is caught sunbathing nude?
Procrastination -- because good things come to those who wait.
Say honey, how come Dave's truck is parked in our driveway?
Once I was a four stone apology. Now I am two separate gorillas.
So do you suffer from Repetitive Brain Injury or what?
No, he probably just forgot a comma.
"People, as in the people near you, you can also see."
Note the comma after the first instance of 'you'.
The wii is the revolution, comrade!
if they come through my neighborhood, I'm gonna moon em so they have to edit me out :P I don't want people all around the world looking at me getting the mail shirtless (yes I am that lazy despite it being 9 degrees out), my neighbors think that's weird enough. They actually can't film in your town AT ALL without a permit for that sort of thing so call the cops on em.
Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
They better be careful what streets they drive down or they may get a shot of multiple full moons with little penguins painted on them...
I used Google Maps to plan a route the other day. It allowed me to find the easiest entry point through fencing around a "site", encountering the least amount of resistance. Additionally, it was much easier to find the perfect place to park my vehicle, to minimize exertion on return, and ensure a quick getaway.
Once inside, I was able to use the detailed satellite imagery to find the items on my itinerary of highest value. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of what I was after was outdoors, in the open. It also ensured a quick and safe exit when I was all through.
As a result, this trip to the Zoo (what did you think I was talking about?) was a lot easier than it could have been without Google Maps.
As far as nefarious uses of Google Maps and things like it? I just don't see it.
I was going to say that you can't talk to people near you in public because they have those little buzzing transducers (the ones wired to iPods) up against their ears.
Or, they're busy talking on their cellphone.
Heh. Actually did visit the WTC. I most remember the rude bitch who served me at the cafeteria. We flew out a day later, arrived in London and the next morning the WTC fell down. I remember thinking "man, I hope the cafeteria was open."
How we know is more important than what we know.
So if I see a truck driving around taking pictures I will try to look as sexy as I can. So if you see the fat computer nerd trying to look sexy in the next beta of this thing - that was me.
If you require a picture of all the available turns, then may I recommend looking through the glass area, which is carefully placed at the front of your cabin area in all our recent vehicles? This also has the value-added features of showing you where other vehicles and pedestrians are in real time, and of showing the junction layout in use today and not five years ago, both of which may assist your navigation. :-)
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.