A decade ago, in the Dreamworks movie “Minority Report,” billboards spoke directly to the characters in the movie and even knew their names.

In just weeks, that science fiction plot will become reality as some businesses in Central Florida will know who you are when you walk through their door.

It’s thanks to enhanced facial recognition technology.

It’s not unusual to see surveillance cameras. They’re inside businesses, outside of homes, even on the streets. In public places, people are comfortable with knowing those cameras are there for safety, but this new technology allows cameras to not just see what people do, but know who they are.

Shops and malls across the country are already taking this a step further.

There are now billboards, made by Immersive Labs in Manhattan, and kiosks that cater ads to your age and demographic.

For example, if a woman was to walk up to a mall directory, a camera inside would take a photo.  It will recognize her gender, age and race and instantly provide an ad for the appropriate products. So, if the shopper is a 30-year-old woman, she might see adds for makeup, shoes and clothing.

Industry expert Rafe Needleman believes it’s just a matter of time before stores not only to recognize you, but track your spending habits.

CONTINUED at Click Orlando. Video at link.

*Taken from the Telegraph.

The US Department of Homeland Security has begun testing crime predicting technology that is drawing comparisons to the science fiction film Minority Report.

CONTINUED..

Growing up, that asshole James Cameron had me scared to death of Skynet. Then again, he also had me scared of alien xenomorphs but Skynet seemed like a more plausible threat from my dark bedroom. With the thoughts of a T-800 bursting through my wall at night, I developed a fear towards robots. Granted, I also thought robots and technology in general were super cool but I knew that there was a chance, that used the wrong way, technology could become evil. The film ‘Real Genius’ further solidified that for me, when I saw how the United States military and a douchebag professor exploited the minds of super intelligent students to build a death ray. Thank god for movies!

Now, today, we have all this new technology being implemented by branches of the government who I don’t wholeheartedly trust. They’ve never been the most ethical institution, referring to the government of course, and they’ve abused their power many times. Now having these new technologies will only make it easier for our growing police state to expand their tyranny and intrusion into our lives. Most, if not all of this, violates the Constitution. Then again, the government has gotten to the point where nearly all of what they do violates the Constitution. Guys like Obama hate that damn document. Bush and Cheney shitted all over it too. And now the people (many of them anyway), scarred to death by the terror propaganda, have willing thrown their Constitutional rights away in exchange for safety. The government has succeeded in making the masses submit. Now that they have publicly backed approval for their tyrannical tactics, Big Sister (changed from Big Brother due to Janet Napolitano’s leadership) is going to pull no punches in their attack on our liberty.

I’ve covered some of these devices with entire blogs dedicated to them but I want to give a run down on all the new stuff that the government is implementing, so you, the reader, can see how widespread this techno tyranny has become.

A quick recap of the things I’ve covered in the past:

The first thing that has a lot of people in an uproar is the full body scanners. I wrote about them here, and for a real in-depth analysis of their tyranny, check that article out. Another big thing that people are pissed off about is the red light cameras. I exposed their tyranny and the fact that it is a big money making scam that actually puts you in danger. Check that article out here. I even discussed Twitter and their new allegiance with the National Archives and how that relationship could be incredibly intrusive to you personally and how it could actually be a dangerous marriage. Check that one out here. Now, on to the rest of them.

Facebook’s Places and iPhone/smart phones’ LBS:

Now, in relation to the Twitter tyranny, I’d like to point out that Facebook is also implementing some techno tyranny, which shouldn’t be surprising. Facebook’s new “Places” feature allows you, or someone else (red flag), log in to their site and “place” where you are in the world at any given moment. To start, this is said to be “voluntary” and you can block others from using the “Places” feature on you. However, just because it is voluntary, doesn’t mean that it isn’t tracking you to some degree. What could the government or Facebook do with this information? Facebook could see where you go, what you do and sell that info to advertisers. The government could use that info to recognize patterns in your behavior and decipher where you’ll most likely be and at what time. Apple has a similar feature on their iPhone, as do most smart phones, called LBS (location-based service). I implore you to turn it off. Even if the government doesn’t use this for tyranny, if the world knows your location or your daily patterns, you could come home to an empty house, just sayin’.

Internet Control:

I’ve posted several stories about the government’s desire to control the Internet (here, here and here). Senator Joe Lieberman and the Obama-Clinton Axis of Evil have been trying to put the death grip on the web due to what they claim is a possible “cyber terrorist” threat. Sounds like a digital boogeyman to me. Anyway, Obama wants a kill-switch so he can shut the whole damn thing down whenever he pleases. Not only is this kill-switch idea being heavily thrown around but another form of Internet tyranny is also at the forefront. Now, local governments (and probably soon the federal government) are trying to tax bloggers. To use a free web service and to freely express your free speech is no longer free. Now freedom comes at a cost to your wallet. So how long before they can charge you for your other rights? Also, be aware that the government is now calling for the infiltration of conspiracy websites. Wait.. I’ve written about conspiracies! Shit.. this could be considered “conspiracy”! Oh my god! They could be typing this! They’re controlling my hands! ARGH!

Google Earth and Spy Satellites:

It has been widely publicized recently that local government agencies (and probably state and federal) have been using Google Earth to spy on citizens’ homes. A report on that can be found here. What these local governments are doing is looking for pools and decks and other things that people have built without getting permits and paying the proper taxes on. This is a violation against American citizens’ constitutional rights. People, at the local level, are fighting against this tyranny but with the cat being out of the bag on their violations, they will most likely still have to pay the price, even though the information was acquired illegally by the government. But hell, fuck Google Earth. The government is using spy satellites on citizens now too. For more on that, click here.

Blimps & Drones:

Big Sister has recently unveiled that she is using blimps and drones on the U.S.-Mexican border in an effort to help solve the immigration issue. I’m not sure how they will solve anything or even deter illegals from bumrushing the border but whatever. Unless they are equipped with missiles, gun turrets or GPS tracking devices that can be shot into the illegal aliens, I don’t see how they can really do anything. “Oh look, we got a high def image of his face!” Good, now go try and find him amidst a sea of other illegals in the lower 48 states. The blimps and drones aren’t being used for anything other than trying to get the public used to them. Why, you ask? So the government can use them against us, just like Google Earth and the spy satellites. It doesn’t take much to add it up. I mean, where would they be most effective? Taking pictures of border crashers or taking pictures of you and your possibly illegal activities? You can look into it more yourself, starting with this article here.

Big Sister GPS Tracking:

Now Big Sister can track your every move. The DEA and other government agencies can now, unconstitutionally, sneak onto your property, without a warrant, and put a GPS tracker on your vehicle. This blatant violation of the 4th Amendment is attack on privacy and foreshadows the Orwellian world that is blossoming all around us. People have a right to their property and your driveway is a part of your home, by law. So what is cause enough for the government to track your every move? Now that Ron Paul supporters, people with Gadsden flag bumper stickers and muslim looking or Mexican looking people are on some local government’s lists of potential terrorists, who’s to say who’s safe from the government’s attack on liberty. For more on this, I posted a news story about it here.

Mobile X-Ray Scanners:

Another blatant slap in the face of the 4th Amendment, are the new mobile x-ray scanners that the government wants to use to peer into your vehicles to spot anything that could be terror or drug related. Sorry Big Sis but unwarranted search and seizures are illegal, not that you care or anything though. Not only are these devices an evil tool of tyranny but they are dangerous. They emit radiation powerful enough that the guys in the vans using them will probably bake like a Hungry Man XL dinner while the people in direct shot of the beam, may be cooked as well. It doesn’t take a lot of radiation to develop cancer and since they plan to use these on crowds at sporting events (and probably protests), we could all be chicken nuggets, with a side of corn and a brownie in the very near future. For more on this, I posted a news story here.

Pre-Crime Technology:

Just like in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Minority Report’, the government is on the verge of introducing pre-crime technology. Authorities in Washington D.C. are already experimenting with this technology to solve crimes before they happen. Well, unless you’re Marty McFly and own a time traveling DeLorean, I don’t really see how you can peer into the future. There are endless variables to take into account and just because someone is a candidate to commit a crime and in a position to do so, doesn’t mean that that person will. The human mind is tricky and there is no way to determine what someone is actually thinking. Using countless databases and complicated algorithms may give the police a good tip but to truly predict a crime is another thing. Don’t cops have psychics anyway? So why implement this useless crime solving tool too? So, what if they do predict the crime? Then what? Do they arrest the person beforehand, unconstitutionally, or do they just wait for the crime to be committed anyway and then arrest them, thus rendering this whole stupid process pointless? Word to the wise, don’t get pissed at your girlfriend if you’re a reformed criminal out of jail because you may be arrested for murder, even though you feel better after a cigarette and a stroll. For more on this techno idiocy, there’s a story I posted here.

Iris Scanners:

So, not only are full body scanners coming to every airport (and probably mall) near you but so are the brand new iris scanners. Reported just a few days ago (here), the iris scanners are going to be used to take a scan of your eyeball so that you can be properly identified. It is like a fingerprint but more accurate and able to be used instantly, on a whim. Now that fingerprints are catching a bad wrap because they are unreliable, contrary to what you’ve been led to believe, Big Sis wants her badge wearing minions to adopt this new method for identifying individuals out of the masses. Except, now that this technology is easy to use and supposedly able to register who you are instantaneously, they will push it into airports and convince the public that it is a necessary measure to identify terrorists and to keep the public safe. C’mon, it’s just another form of making the masses submit even further. Considering the fact that fingerprints were portrayed as “infallible” for a century or so, who the fuck’s to say that these things aren’t another half-assed device used for “solving” crime.

Conclusion:

The point of all this isn’t to scare the shit out of you. Many of you are already scared, which is why half this shit exists and is widely accepted. I just want you to be aware of all these things that are being used or that are on the horizon. Seeing all this listed and explained, to a degree, in one place, should at least piss you off somewhat. There is so much though and this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you add up all these variables, where does it lead? Does it lead to a place where you feel safe? Or does it lead to a place where you feel violated? Most of you fear turtles are too overwhelmed and dependent on the government to care but for those of you who value your freedom, you need to start paying attention. Technology is on the side of the tyrants. The Constitution is on the side of the people. Well, at least for now anyway.

*Taken from InfoWars. Written by Steve Watson.

Law enforcement agencies in Washington D.C. have begun to use technology that they say can predict when crimes will be committed and who will commit them, before they actually happen.

The Minority Report like pre-crime software has been developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Previous incarnations of the software, already being used in Baltimore and Philadelphia were limited to predictions of murders by and among parolees and offenders on probation.

According to a report by ABC News, however, the latest version, to be implemented in Washington D.C., can predict other future crimes as well.

“When a person goes on probation or parole they are supervised by an officer. The question that officer has to answer is ‘what level of supervision do you provide?’” Berk told ABC News, intimating that the program could have a bearing on the length of sentences and/or bail amounts.

The technology sifts through a database of thousands of crimes and uses algorithms and different variables, such as geographical location, criminal records and ages of previous offenders, to come up with predictions of where, when, and how a crime could possibly be committed and by who.

The program operates without any direct evidence that a crime will be committed, it simply takes datasets and computes possibilities.

“People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future,” Berk also states, “But what really matters is what that person did as a young individual. If they committed armed robbery at age 14 that’s a good predictor. If they committed the same crime at age 30, that doesn’t predict very much.”

Critics have urged that the program encourages categorizing individuals on a risk scale via computer mathematics, rather than on real life, and that monitoring those people based on such a premise is antithetic to a justice system founded on the premise of the presumption of innocence.

Other police departments and law agencies across the country have begun to look into and use similar predictive technologies. The Memphis Police Department, for example uses a program called Operation Blue CRUSH, which uses predictive analytics developed by IBM.

Other forms of pre-crime technology in use or under development include surveillance cameras that can predict when a crime is about to occur and alert police, and even neurological brain scanners that can read people’s intentions before they act, thus detecting whether or not a person has “hostile intent”.

It is not too far fetched to imagine all these forms of the technology being used together in the future by law enforcement bodies.

The British government has previously debated introducing pre-crime laws in the name of fighting terrorism. The idea was that suspects would be put on trial using MI5 or MI6 intelligence of an expected terror attack. This would be enough to convict if found to be true “on the balance of probabilities”, rather than “beyond reasonable doubt”.

The government even has plans to collect lifelong records on all residents starting at the age of five, in order to screen for those who might be more likely to commit crimes in the future.

Another disturbing possibility for such technology comes in the form of a financial alliance of sorts between Internet search engine giant Google and the investment arm of the CIA and the wider U.S. intelligence network.

Google and In-Q-Tel have recently injected a sum of up to $10 million each into a company called Recorded Future, which uses analytics to scour Twitter accounts, blogs and websites for all sorts of information, which is used to “assemble actual real-time dossiers on people.”

The company describes its analytics as “the ultimate tool for open-source intelligence” and says it can also “predict the future”.

Recorded Future takes in vast amounts of personal information such as employment changes, personal education and family relations. Promotional material also shows categories covering pretty much everything else, including entertainment, music and movie releases, as well as other innocuous things like patent filings and product recalls.

Those detached from any kind of moral reality will say “If you’ve got nothing to hide then what is the problem with being scanned for pre-crime? If it keeps us all safe from murderers, rapists and terrorists I’m all for it”.

How far towards a literal technological big brother police state will we slip before people wake up to the fact?