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Comment by nkassis | Hacker News Reader

I'm waiting for journalists to walk around with google glass type device to do this on the fly. Bonus it could record what they see and hear for later use.

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I always think the future of journalism will be something like in Garth Ennis's 'Transmetropolitan' where there are camera (drones) everywhere, watching everything and an escalating tension (and maybe technical arms race) between those hiding / burying the signal and those trying to bring them to light. Consider this a recommendation for anyone looking for a inspiring (though somewhat adult) tale of near-ish future sci-fi.

Warren Ellis.

I'll one-up that with Jacek Dukaj's "Black Oceans" - cameras everywhere; you're free to turn them off if you need some privacy, but if anything happens to you while outside the view of the surveillance network, good luck with your insurance claim.

The internet seems to think this is only available in Polish. Any idea if there is a good translation out there?

I can't wait to live in that future, glasses that let you know if you bumped into anyone famous

I get the excitement, but this sounds like a terrifying future for famous people.

Also for anyone with anti-establishment or anti-Amazon opinions... Millions of feeds uploaded and analyzed by their servers, far away from all regulation. What could go wrong eh?

It sounds like a fun* game of, "Fool the facial recognition!" And it's not just famous people, it's also "undesirables." So you could recognize people on the sex offender lists or any number of other crimes. You could also have real life "gaydar."

*: fun here is used somewhat sarcastically

Cars sounded like a terrifying future for stagecoach drivers.

also sounds like a terrifying future for child kidnappers or fugitives or anyone on some wanted list.

whether they deserve to be on that wanted list or not

I mean right now we have cameras everywhere but they’re not all HD so the govt can’t run facial recognition reliably plus they need access to all the cameras. But when people voluntarily put facial recognition devices on their own selves, en masse? Wow.

Sounds like something Google or Amazon could benefit from practically giving away.

Am I right that sex offender registers are public in the US? And they sometimes include people convicted of very minor crimes?

Yep, definitely a Black Mirror episode in the making.

you are correct

Just reminding me of someones name would be nice... I'm pretty bad at that.

It’s only impressive to remember someone’s name now since we don’t have it being projected to us. Once that happens then it’s as impressive as remembering someone’s birthday now that we have facebook.

Insert that one black mirror episode.

OT, but I feel like this is the HN equivalent of an "evergreen tweet"

obligatory xkcd #<insert number>

Surely removing your need to do that will help, instead of focusing on it as a personal improvement goal!

Just watch Anon on Netflix...

They aren't that famous if you don't recognize them after bumping into them.

Fame is all about context though. I'm reminded of a specific incident when Kanye was leaving a taxi in France, and bumped into some woman. They had a short conversation and she walked away. Paparazzi asked her if she knew who he was, she said "no," they said "that's Kanye West!" She said "who's Kanye West?"

Similarly, I wouldn't recognize the president of Brazil. Or the senators of Idaho... Or the governor of new York...

Well, what's wrong with that? Knowing I walked passed the governor of new york doesn't even register. What should I feel?

Influential is probably a better word.

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