This Is Just Outrageous!!!

From The Times of London:

"Microsoft is developing Big Brother-style software capable of remotely monitoring a worker’s productivity, physical wellbeing and competence."

"The Times has seen a patent application filed by the company for a computer system that links workers to their computers via wireless sensors that measure their metabolism. The system would allow managers to monitor employees’ performance by measuring their heart rate, body temperature, movement, facial expression and blood pressure. Unions said they fear that employees could be dismissed on the basis of a computer’s assessment of their physiological state."

Unbelievable.

More: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3193480.ece

 

Resistance is futile

Seriously though, creating it, and patenting it is one thing (Well, two). It will be interesting to see if any organization actually adopts it.

 

That will put a bite into the cash flow Prozac is generating!

 

Maybe MS just wants a large patent portfolio. It also seems like there other applications such as in medicine. The monitoring workers could just be journalistic spin.

 

I see your point ...but I don't know. While this could be used in the medical field, it seems geared towards monitoring workers in the performance of their jobs.
"The system could also “automatically detect frustration or stress in the user” and “offer and provide assistance accordingly”.

The medical field already has very sophisticated tech to monitor people. Then again, if this technology is further developed, it could provide a cheaper, more accessible alternative to basic diagnostics, who knows. A whole new field for Microsoft? I guess it's too early to tell what exactly this will be used for, and by whom.

 

Just wait till Microsoft add bio-feedback to this....

BSOD = Blue Stroke of Death.

 

Personally i would much rather see microsoft sharpening up efforts in the ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE arena than bio-feedback routines. But whereever they can grab another market you can betcha they'll go in any direction where they can entice hefty greenback returns.

They are pretty persistent in their PR campaigns, whatever flavor (creation) you know, if they say it can be done and they can show off some first impressions, then since their the Big Cheese, everyone including big industries will take the bait.

 

The day is coming when there will be a Star Trek type of thing that will scan people, read their problem and fix it just by sweeping it over their body a few times or in a few treatments.

Kind of like that Quantum QXCI machine my wife treated with for a medical problem. It took quite a few sessions, but the problem was fixed. It also got rid of cholesterol and high blood pressure problems for me - without ever having to resort to medicine.

 

That already exists. It's called a Taser.

 

LOL