Life Recorders May Be This Century’s Wrist Watch
techcrunch.com
techcrunch.com
Though I think that box is ugly and impractical, I'll wait for artificial eyes or systems tapping the optic nerve.
For one, in many states it is illegal to record a conversation without the consent of all parties. (In most states it is illegal to record a conversation without the consent of at least one party to it.)
You'd literally bump into people at the supermarket and say "My, what a beautiful child you have and BY THE WAY I'm wearing a discrete wire please don't talk unless you want it recorded."
You might be recording images & audio without the rights to do so.
I wonder if you could prosecute a person with photographic memory for the very same thing: "recording" images and audio without the rights to do it.
However, there is also part of copyright that involves "fixing" a work in a medium so that it can be reproduced. With the rather vague caveat of unless it's for "transitory duration".
There is even debate on if a RAM buffer constitutes infringement. If I recall some lectures on this Sony ran into this problem when they started offering RAM buffering on their CD Discman devices (although the issue goes right back).
However, this recently got challenged with a series of decisions that went the other way - RAM buffers were fine - These decisions had more of a focus on the "economic value" that can be derived from a copy... It also accepted the fact that the practice is widespread and essential in most electronic devices.
So in light of the later trend... You're probably ok.
Also, think of all the time you will waste analysing that you have indeed wasted time. It will mean you just end up wasting even more time ;)
For society it should bring in huge reductions in crime as well as many types of deceptive behaviour. Combined with reputation management people would have a bigger incentive to do good.
Society will probably need to adjust to a few 'minority' behaviours somewhat analogous to homosexuality. Those who had recognisably harmful conditions would be able to identify them and have access to help.
I'm sure there will also be some problems, but they will be dwarfed by the benefits. Data is power.
just reads like the novel 'The prometheus deception'. The worst part of this post is that Arrington makes it sound as if it is a great idea, and very much needed.
If use of these was as widespread as say twitter, then there's countless things I'd be interested in, imagine you could sit in at houses of parliament when "Xyz" law was passed 4 years later.
I'd even consider broadcasting everything live most of the time.. but not 100% of the time.
I think the realism of this device depends on the stage of your life and work, too. For example, within the context of a start-up, I'd definitely not want the photo of every person I meet broadcast to the world. However, within the context of blogging and being an online personna, if that was my full-time job (and who knows, it may get to that later on), this device would be great.
Also - it has to encrypt data with private key, and public key will be safe in home, so nobody can see your whole life when you will lost this thing, or sbd will steal it.
About crime prevention etc - there should be button that starts sending all data to police without encrypting it in real time.
I would buy one.
Also, has anyone read Halting State by Charles Stross? In that book life recorders are commonly used by, for example, the local police force in their day-to-day investigations.
They didn't tag the people -- they tagged the cops. I'd be 150% in favor of that -- the camera preserves all the evidence impartially, regardless of whether it shows the cop in the right or in the wrong, and the minority of bad apples would probably clean up their act a bit if they knew they were being watched by something they could not intimidate or cajole into silence. Plus as a public servant, while they are on the clock, cops have zero expectation of privacy.
If I had my druthers I'd give them to everyone with a badge and make their use compulsory 100% of the time when in uniform, with a 5 minute time-out button for bathroom breaks which, if you punch in the middle of a traffic stop, means you lose your badge.
See the book for how it would revolutionize policing. The cops could use simple voice commands to produce authenticated timestamps for, e.g, arrests and collecting evidence. It would greatly simplify arrest reports and the like. It would make a HUGE portion of criminal cases even more open and shut than they already are -- "Look, we've got you on video swinging your fist at a cop. Please guilty to the possession charge and resisting arrest, or you'll be convicted of assault."
Thank you for that summary - much more understandable than what they say at Amazon. I think I might even own the book already but gave up on reading it. Perhaps with your info I can gibe it another shot.
Not sure if I'd like the privacy issues resulting from that though.
Speaking of, has anyone ever filmed themselves to see how they interact in social situations?
Not directly, but enough to know that Me + Spice Girls + Bourbon != Positive Social Interaction
Consider generation two, when loggers have monitoring of e.g. blood pressure and pulse -- and automatic notification of ambulances.
I want one, too. (No, I don't drink much!)
Your own personal NSA.