Cell Phones Tracking Nightlife Activity

Roland Piquepaille writes "A Columbia University computer science professor has co-founded a New York-based company named Sense Networks to sell tracking software to other companies. It is also distributing a free version of this software, named Citysense, which shows on your cell phone where the wild things are happening in your own town. Citysense 'uses advanced machine learning techniques to number crunch vast amounts of data emanating from thousands of cell-phones, GPS-equipped cabs and other data devices to paint live pictures of where people are gathering.' Citysense is available today in San Francisco, before being soon deployed in Chicago and five other U.S. cities."

Comments

cool...

[hugecabbage]

now I'll know quickly which places to avoid.

Re:Don't crash their party

[Yvan256]

If a cellphone company ever tracks the cellphones of slashdotters they'll think we're dead.

"Hey Jim, that guy has been sitting in the basement for the last 48 hours!"

"Nah, he's still alive. Starcraft II came out three days ago."

Re:Don't crash their party

[iluvcapra]

What's funny is the moment I read this I immediately went to starcraft2.com to see if you were telling the truth.

But alas, it was only a joke.

My thoughts exactly

[GameboyRMH]

I'm always struggling to find unpopulated, desolate areas for many of my hobbies. Being able to find an area with no people around would be very useful. The problem is that you run into the conundrum of whether to go to the non-obvious or obvious empty areas. Which one would someone looking for an empty area go to, in order to avoid others seeking the same thing?

Re:Don't crash their party

[stormguard2099]

I assume you mean Chippendales not Chip and Dale.

There's a difference?!?! Oh God! Must cancel my son's birthday party ASAP.