I was actually going to blog about the Rolling Stones being censored at the Superbowl but Pat beat me to it so I won’t copy him (like he does me) but I will add to it with another little story I read the other day.
‘An Ohio company has embedded silicon chips in two of its employees - the first known case in which US workers have been “tagged” electronically as a way of identifying them. CityWatcher.com, a private video surveillance company, said it was testing the technology as a way of controlling access to a room where it holds security video footage for government agencies and the police.Embedding slivers of silicon in workers is likely to add to the controversy over RFID technology, widely seen as one of the next big growth industries. RFID chips – inexpensive radio transmitters that give off a unique identifying signal – have been implanted in pets or attached to goods so they can be tracked in transit.The technology’s defenders say it is acceptable as long as it is not compulsory. But critics say any implanted device could be used to track the “wearer” without their knowledge.VeriChip – the US company that made the devices and claims to have the only chips that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration – said the implants were designed primarily for medical purposes. So far around 70 people in the US have had the implants, the company said.’
I guess the above linked with the Stones story and the recent story about Google being tailor made for the heavily censored Chinese internet makes you think what is around the next corner? I’m not going to get all political here, America is still a country of freedom and opportunity and although China is communist I’ve been there, I like the place and the reforms are evident, people didn’t look miserable and everywhere seemed to be quite modern, though I accept this was southern China and not the more remote places so don’t quote me as being an expert.
Then I guess we can turn to the i.d card in this country, I’m not sure if I’m for or against it, I know a lot of other countries have had i.d cards for some years now. I do know in this country we tend to make a big deal of things, like the new licensing laws which seem to have settled down a scant few months after the laws came into effect, it will be the same with the smoking ones, trust me!
Technology is a good thing but I guess when you read what I would call semi sinister stories it really does make you think where it’s all going, are yesterdays films like Logans Run going to be the future?
‘An Ohio company has embedded silicon chips in two of its employees - the first known case in which US workers have been “tagged” electronically as a way of identifying them. CityWatcher.com, a private video surveillance company, said it was testing the technology as a way of controlling access to a room where it holds security video footage for government agencies and the police.Embedding slivers of silicon in workers is likely to add to the controversy over RFID technology, widely seen as one of the next big growth industries. RFID chips – inexpensive radio transmitters that give off a unique identifying signal – have been implanted in pets or attached to goods so they can be tracked in transit.The technology’s defenders say it is acceptable as long as it is not compulsory. But critics say any implanted device could be used to track the “wearer” without their knowledge.VeriChip – the US company that made the devices and claims to have the only chips that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration – said the implants were designed primarily for medical purposes. So far around 70 people in the US have had the implants, the company said.’
I guess the above linked with the Stones story and the recent story about Google being tailor made for the heavily censored Chinese internet makes you think what is around the next corner? I’m not going to get all political here, America is still a country of freedom and opportunity and although China is communist I’ve been there, I like the place and the reforms are evident, people didn’t look miserable and everywhere seemed to be quite modern, though I accept this was southern China and not the more remote places so don’t quote me as being an expert.
Then I guess we can turn to the i.d card in this country, I’m not sure if I’m for or against it, I know a lot of other countries have had i.d cards for some years now. I do know in this country we tend to make a big deal of things, like the new licensing laws which seem to have settled down a scant few months after the laws came into effect, it will be the same with the smoking ones, trust me!
Technology is a good thing but I guess when you read what I would call semi sinister stories it really does make you think where it’s all going, are yesterdays films like Logans Run going to be the future?
No comments:
Post a Comment