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Sonar Software Detects Laptop User Presence
Steve Tarzia writes "A research group at Northwestern University and University of Michigan has released open-source display power-management software that uses a new user presence detection technique. The goal is to shut off the display immediately when the user leaves the computer rather than using slow and error-prone mouse/keyboard activity timeouts. Surprisingly, the mic and speakers of many laptop computers are sensitive to ultrasonic frequencies. Those frequencies can be used to silently probe the laptop's physical environment. This software is based on research published at the UbiComp2009 conference. A Windows binary and source code for Windows and Linux are available for download."
"We can't use that laptop here, this is bat country!"
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
I, too, often find myself looking at a screen for extended periods of time without touching the mouse or keyboard, while I, ah... read the articles. Nothing ruins a good article more than having the screen saver start up right as you are about to finish.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
I'm just asleep, you insensitive clod! (or does it detect snoring?)
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
The solution to this, and ALL life's problems is to uninstall pulse audio.
I, too, often find myself looking at a screen for extended periods of time without touching the mouse or keyboard, while I, ah... read the articles. Nothing ruins a good article more than having the screen saver start up right as you are about to finish.
That's funny, the exact same thing happens to me when I'm watching porn.
"Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
I use an HP Pavillion dv6, but I'd prefer something with a touchscreen.
Thanks for asking!
The land shall stone them with the bread of his son.
Also, how does a 5 minute delay from a regular inactivity time out differ from this so much that this tech is all of the sudden dangerous. It seems to me like people can be monitored via IM just as easy right now as if this was being widely used, just with a tad bit more 'false present' status existing.
Because 5 minutes is the maximum amount of time I can be outside before I get scared of the big ball of fire in the sky and have to run back in. If the crooks think I'm home that whole time, I'll always be safe.
The enemies of Democracy are
My God. There's porn on the Internet now?
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton