Big Bro Google.

[esoter1c]

LINK

Google developing eavesdropping software

Audio 'fingerprint' for content-relevant ads

By Faultline → More by this author
Published Sunday 3rd September 2006 08:02 GMT

Comment The first thing that came out of our mouths when we heard that Google is working on a system that listens to what's on your TV playing in the background, and then serves you relevant adverts, was "that's cool, but dangerous".


The idea appeared in Technology Review citing Peter Norvig, director of research at Google, who says these ideas will show up eventually in real Google products - sooner rather than later.


The idea is to use the existing PC microphone to listen to whatever is heard in the background, be it music, your phone going off or the TV turned down. The PC then identifies it, using fingerprinting, and then shows you relevant content, whether that's adverts or search results, or a chat room on the subject.


And, of course, we wouldn’t put it past Google to store that information away, along with the search terms it keeps that you've used, and the web pages you have visited, to help it create a personalised profile that feeds you just the right kind of adverts/content. And given that it is trying to develop alternative approaches to TV advertising, it could go the extra step and help send "content relevant" advertising to your TV as well.


We suspect that such a world would be rather eerie, with a constant feeling of déjÃ* vu every time anyone watched TV.


Technology Review said Google talked about this software in Europe last June, and that it breaks sound into a five-second snippets to pick out audio from a TV, reducing the snippet to a digital "fingerprint", which it matches on an internet server.


Given the furore caused when AOL released searches on the internet, there might be more than a few civil liberties activists less than happy for Google to put this idea into practice. Also, given that Google provides the software link between its search software and the microphone, it's a small step to making the same link to any webcams attached to the PC.


Pretty soon the security industry is going to find a way to hijack the Google feed and use it for full on espionage.


Google says that its fingerprinting technology makes it impossible for the company (or anyone else) to eavesdrop on other sounds in the room, such as personal conversations, because the conversion to a fingerprint is made on the PC, and a fingerprint can't be reversed, as it's only an identity.


But we should think that "spyware" might take on an extra meaning if someone less scrupulous decided on a similar piece of software.


The Google program converts sound into graphs, weeds out background noise, and reduces the graphs to key features that can then be translated into just four bytes of information, so that the fingerprints for an entire year of television programming would add up to no more than a few gigabytes, the company said.


Meanwhile, in an unconnected announcement this week, Google said it has signed a multi-year agreement with online auction giant eBay, to provide text-based advertising outside the US.


The companies also plan to launch a "click-to-call" advertising function on eBay using Skype and Google Talk.


Copyright © 2006, Faultline
Faultline is published by Rethink Research, a London-based publishing and consulting firm. This weekly newsletter is an assessment of the impact of the week's events in the world of digital media. Faultline is where media meets technology. Subscription details here.




FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT !111!!!!!!! :064:

[sNyx]

I say bring it on!

The personal computer has not even started to get picked apart by the online evils that spend each and every waking moment scheming for the next sneak attack. I love it. I fuels my love and passion for the personal computer and the world wide web. Why? Much like survival of the fittest, your connected to the internet 100% of your time, figure it out. Don't bitch and complain about advancement and development, complain about how your too lazy to keep up or in the least stay alert. You don't have to be Bill Gates to know how to protect yourself. Smarten up, get a book or tune into that fat nerd on channel 6. Learn something!

[BongMan]

didn't read it all but wouldn't you have to have a mic turned on???

[sNyx]

Originally Posted by BongMan

didn't read it all but wouldn't you have to have a mic turned on???

*ring
G: Yo Dell, IBM, whhhhhatttsssuuuuupppp
D/I: (Oh fuck).. Err, Hey Google whats up
G: Three way call, this is costing me a fortune, haha, let me be quick. I need you guys to up your internal mics on all the machines you ship out
D/I: Oh yah? Why
G: Becuase im fucken Google ya twats, you like traffic?
D/I: Okay Google, but you still owe us one for that slut in Mexico
G: I know I know, I told everyone about it
*click

[esoter1c]

Mics are on by default.

Most peepo dunno how to turn it off.

I'm sure if it is "off", it's not.

If they are tellin you bout this shit publicly, they been doin it for years.

That's why I always have my choons cranked.

All those fuxx will hear is my Otto Von Schirach tellin em to drink goat sperm.

[ground zero]

capitalism = enslavement. but at least i have a lot of nice shit.

[esoter1c]

Originally Posted by ground zero

capitalism = enslavement. but at least i have a lot of nice shit.

Or does a lot of nice shit have you ?

[ground zero]

Originally Posted by 3507321C

Or does a lot of nice shit have you ?

that's deep.

[esoter1c]

Originally Posted by ground zero

that's deep.

I muddy my waters to appear deep, but I am merely a puddle. :285:

[Webber]

i hate pop ups and ads, this will not be helping my situation

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by ground zero

capitalism = enslavement. but at least i have a lot of nice shit.

sorry, but what a fucking dumb thing to say.people like you just make me go wow....you all are fucking done for.

dumb shit.

sorry/ end hate rant now.

but seriously, wake the fuck up or your in for a misreable life.

[ground zero]

Originally Posted by Revolver

sorry, but what a fucking dumb thing to say.people like you just make me go wow....you all are fucking done for.

dumb shit.

sorry/ end hate rant now.

but seriously, wake the fuck up or your in for a misreable life.

looks like the satire was lost on you.

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by ground zero

looks like the satire was lost on you.

LMFAO......whoops! sorry guy.

thanks for understanding.

nonetheless if someone who actually beleived that said it, my comments stand firmly.

[crookedking]

that's some T3 shit right there.

[ground zero]

Originally Posted by Revolver

LMFAO......whoops! sorry guy.

thanks for understanding.

nonetheless if someone who actually beleived that said it, my comments stand firmly.

don't patronize me. i'm quite aware of the world and how it's changing for the worst. there's a huge deal of control happening in society. capitalism is by far the most effective form of control out there. so my comment was a bit tongue in cheek. whatever, i know what i'm getting into when i open up this years ikea catalogue. so many people are plugged in and don't even realise it. i for one don't give two shits. don't come at me like your the messiah of esoteric knowledge either, cause the internet is filled with all sort of that stuff. 1 post or 1 million hits or one Alex Jones documentary on a web page isn't going to change the world. The revolution will not take up that much bandwidth.

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by ground zero

don't patronize me. i'm quite aware of the world and how it's changing for the worst. there's a huge deal of control happening in society. capitalism is by far the most effective form of control out there. so my comment was a bit tongue in cheek. whatever, i know what i'm getting into when i open up this years ikea catalogue. so many people are plugged in and don't even realise it. i for one don't give two shits. don't come at me like your the messiah of esoteric knowledge either, cause the internet is filled with all sort of that stuff. 1 post or 1 million hits or one Alex Jones documentary on a web page isn't going to change the world. The revolution will not take up that much bandwidth.

are you kidding me?, i just apologized to you. your right the satire was lost on me. then i said that if anyone really said that and meant it i would say the same thing.

who said anything about comming at you or patronizing you?

wow, looks like you have some issues.

[crookedking]

Originally Posted by ground zero

don't patronize me. i'm quite aware of the world and how it's changing for the worst. there's a huge deal of control happening in society. capitalism is by far the most effective form of control out there. so my comment was a bit tongue in cheek. whatever, i know what i'm getting into when i open up this years ikea catalogue. so many people are plugged in and don't even realise it. i for one don't give two shits. don't come at me like your the messiah of esoteric knowledge either, cause the internet is filled with all sort of that stuff. 1 post or 1 million hits or one Alex Jones documentary on a web page isn't going to change the world. The revolution will not take up that much bandwidth.

do you always accept apologies so gracefully?

edit-damn! i was outposted.

[ground zero]

Originally Posted by Revolver

are you kidding me?, i just apologized to you. your right the satire was lost on me. then i said that if anyone really said that and meant it i would say the same thing.

who said anything about comming at you or patronizing you?

wow, looks like you have some issues.

nevermind the issues.

[esoter1c]

:285: