The more concerned Americans become with terror, the more freedom we give the government to infringe on our civil liberties. Just this week, President Obama implemented the Cyber Intelligence Sharing Protection Act, or CISPA, via executive order although it was killed in the Senate last year after major public opposition. Now new technological breakthroughs may be on the market soon, operating without personal knowledge. The first is what the Defense Department calls “Smart mobility Identity” and the second is a TV service designed to watch you while you’re watching it created by Intel.
Recently, the Defense Department awarded a $3 million research contract to California-based AOptix to examine its “Smart Mobile Identity” biometric identification package. The goal of the project is to provide the Defense Department with technology that will convert a commercially available Smartphone into a device that scans and transmits data from someone’s eyes, face, thumbs and voice.
According to the company’s website, “AOptix was founded in 2000 by two scientists who invented a new form of curvature adaptive optics — sophisticated, highly specialized mirrors that change shape thousands of times per second to compensate for atmospheric scintillation.”
Smart Mobile Identity is described as “a new class of biometrics-based hardware and software products” that will change all that we currently know about verification. The hardware will connect to a phone to enable it to acquire biometric data and will weigh under a pound.
Also this week, Intel has confirmed it will be selling a set-top box direct to the public later this year that will stream TV service and watch you while you’re watching it. Not without controversy, the camera will serve to identify the faces staring at the telescreen. In theory it is supposed to assist them in providing personalized options to its users, but it will more than likely become another form of invading one’s privacy.
