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A Guardian Angel In Your Cell Phone

Posted by kdawson on from the all-watched-over-by-machines-of-loving-grace dept.

theodp writes "Bill Gates and Ray Ozzie are listed as inventors of the Guardian Angel, which is described in a most unusual Microsoft patent application that should intrigue privacy advocates. In addition to protecting you from possibly diseased people, by detecting body temperatures, the Guardian Angel's 'monitoring component can take note of the number of conversations occurring in a room (and more specifically, a breakdown of the types of people in the room accompanied by a warning for dangerous persons, based on sex offender registration, FBI most wanted, etc.).' The versatile Guardian Angel, Microsoft notes, can also recommend restaurants, advise you on the appropriateness of your jokes, detect that your heartbeat has stopped, display targeted ads on billboards, and block spam."

3 of 215 comments (clear)

  1. Wait, what? by evanbd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It displays targetted ads on billboards *and* blocks spam? Aren't those mutually exclusive?

    1. Re:Wait, what? by kunwon1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't think you can blame people for buying a product that they found out about through spamvertisement, if it's something they wanted. What are you supposed to do? Look at the message and say "Gee actually I was thinking about buying one of those, that one looks perfect, but since they spamvertised it to me, I refuse to buy it." Sounds a little childish and stubborn.
      Sounds a little like voting with your wallet.
      --
      Specialization is for insects. -Heinlein
  2. Re:WTF? by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Insightful

    [It can] detect that your heartbeat has stopped

    Oh thanks. And am I going to be conscious when it tells me that? Talk about BSOD!

    Nobody is going to be walking around with freakin' defibrillator pads on their chest and a Microsoft Guardian Angel in their pocket.

    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]