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New Sensors Will Scoop Up "Big Data" On Chicago
Graculus writes with news about a plan to install sensors to collect environmental data and count people in Chicago. Chicago plans to install sensors in light poles to observe air quality, light intensity, sound volume, heat, precipitation, and wind. The sensors will also count people by observing cell phone traffic. The curled metal fixtures set to go up on a handful of Michigan Avenue light poles later this summer may look like delicate pieces of sculpture, but researchers say they'll provide a big step forward in the way Chicago understands itself by observing the city's people and surroundings. Some experts caution that efforts like the one launching here to collect data from people and their surroundings pose concerns of a Big Brother intrusion into personal privacy. In particular, sensors collecting cell phone data make privacy proponents nervous. But computer scientist Charlie Catlett said the planners have taken precautions to design their sensors to observe mobile devices and count contact with the signal rather than record the digital address of every device.
Scifi pop culture is NOT a guide. Cmon.
When will Slashdot install sensors to detect duplicate news?
/* Lobster Stick To Magnet!*/
But computer scientist Charlie Catlett said the planners have taken precautions to design their sensors to observe mobile devices and count contact with the signal rather than record the digital address of every device.
That may be how it is designed now, but without (actually enforced) laws about the data collected and the legal uses thereof, tracking phone addresses and individuals is only a firmware update away.
Silence is a state of mime.
But computer scientist Charlie Catlett said the planners have taken precautions to design their sensors to observe mobile devices and count contact with the signal rather than record the digital address of every device.
Right, because the software cant be adjusted at a later point to collect that data. And thats not including the fact that it may be a lie to begin with
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
I'm sure gather heat and wind information is the top priority of citizens who live in the murder capital of America.
I don't understand, if the devices are affixed to poles, how will they be able to leave chemtrails around? I'm still wearing my tin foil hat just in case.
... totally anonymous ?
How do you know that city employees are lying ? Their lips are moving :-\
and do they ensure that data won't be aggregated (i.e. Cellphone xxx-yyy-zzzz is anonymized at EVERY tower using a different encryption me key so that they can't look at the city and correlate that Cellphone xxx-yyy-zzzz was here, and here, and here, etc... ?
UPS Sucks
From what I'm reading about these sensors, a lot of the things they track are already tracked by the NOAA, which is funded with federal taxpayer dollars. It might be different if the NOAA was chipping in funding for this (to get a better understanding of local weather patterns or just more accurate readings for the area) but it seems like the City of Chicago is funding this themselves, and there's no word on whether the data will be shared with the NOAA.
Something tells me that the City of Chicago will try to sell the data to one of the services that piggybacks off the NOAA but charges for their analysis - AccuWeather or one of its competitors.
Does anyone still have this extension installed? ... The article headline was "New Sensors Will Scoop Up "Big Poop" On Chicago"... Amazing.
...And that's how CToS starts.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
Until you get to the cell phone counting.
MIT has "I track body motion by how it disturbs cell signals" technology. Look it up.
They are talking about literally the ability to track everyone all the time without implanting a chip.
"It is all fun and games until" this system tracks mouth motion of two dirty chicago politicians - and that data can be used against them.
Obama was never involved in the Chicago city government. But don't let facts stand in your way.
I have a IMO a propounding question. Why is this stuff just done with no voter imput? Wither its a government project or a private one, I thing we should demand public input and maybe even voter approval or disapproval.........And has any privacy agencies tried this method? Just seem to me they shouldn't be using government equipment "poles" "Right of ways".or government property.
Jack of all trades,master of none
after all, every person in the cemetary has a right to vote!
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Just imagine that instead of Dem. Mayor Rahm Emanuel dropping these around the city of Chicago it was former President Bush - would this still sound like a good idea?
Why does this seem like a good idea under Mayor Emanuel?
Ken
Voters.
But then they aren't having any more trouble counting them then Slashdot does counting article dupes.
Have gnu, will travel.
I do not own a mobile phone. Today I understood I am going to become invisible to the government in the upcoming years.