STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Monday, 9 April 2012

[Demeter]

58. CIA Home Invasion: Smart TVs and the 'Internet of Things'

http://www.activistpost.com/2012/04/cia-home-invasion-smart-tvs-and.html

GIVE ME A DUMB HOUSE THAT KNOWS HOW TO KEEP CONFIDENTIALITY


Recently, CIA Director David Petraeus made headlines with a speech given at the summit for In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital firm. In this talk, Petraeus discussed the emerging “internet of things” and the implications it will have for increased levels of surveillance. Petraeus explained that, because of the rise of gadgets which are connected and controlled by apps, intelligence agencies will no longer need to place spy devices inside your home – you will do it for them.

MY NEIGHBOR IS ALREADY UP IN ARMS ABOUT SMART METERS FOR ELECTRICITY--WITH THE CALIM THAT BY ANALYZING THE POWER DEMANDS, THE ELECTRIC COMPANY CAN FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE USING A VIBRATOR....CALIFORNIANS, THEY ARE THE YEAST IN THE BREAD OF LIFE...

In conjunction with a recent unveiling of a new low-powered computer chip by ARM, one of the world’s largest chip companies, the fact is virtually every piece of electronic equipment (including appliances) can be controlled via apps and Internet-based systems. It is for this reason that Petraeus stated that the CIA will be able to read these devices via the Internet and even radio waves outside of the home.

Petraeus further stated,

‘Transformational’ is an overused word, but I do believe it properly applies to these technologies.

Particularly to their effect on clandestine tradecraft. Items of interest will be located, identified, monitored, and remotely controlled through technologies such as radio-frequency identification, sensor networks, tiny embedded servers, and energy harvesters – all connected to the next-generation internet using abundant, low-cost, and high-power computing.


He also added, “the latter now going to cloud computing, in many areas greater and greater supercomputing, and, ultimately heading to quantum computing.”

Of course, it is well-known that the CIA or any other government agency is admitting to such a level of capability, the truth is that this technology has been available for many years, even tested and perfected long before the first hints were given to the general public. But perhaps just as alarming as Petraeus’ statements is the recent announcement regarding the new models of Samsung televisions currently being rolled out on the market. Indeed, if these new products are not a full blast initiation into the world of George Orwell’s 1984, then they are, at the very least, half way there.

This is because Samsung’s new line of LED HDTV’s will now include built-in, internally wired HD cameras, face tracking and speech recognition capabilities, and twin microphones. In the 2012 8000-series plasmas, the cameras and microphones are built directly into the screen bezel. The 7500 – 8000ES-series TV’s, however, will have the cameras permanently attached to the top of the set. Obviously, the new TV’s, with their ability to access the Internet, will be connected to Samsung’s own software, but the sets will also be compatible with “third party apps” in much the same manner as the appliances mentioned above by Petraeus. These TV’s, via the built-in camera and face recognition software, locate and record the faces of viewers while storing this information within the software for future use. The idea is that the software, after logging the different faces into the program, can then “personalize the experience” for the individual viewers. The TV’s also come equipped with the ability to listen and respond to voice commands. Naturally, the built-in microphones must be active in order to use this feature.

It should also be noted that these features, unlike the add-on accessories that have come with television sets up to this point, cannot be removed simply by unplugging a device by its cord or USB cable. Again, the devices are built-in as part of the system itself. As Gary Merson of HD GURU writes, these new “features” bring with them some important privacy concerns. What concerns us is the integration of both an active camera and microphone. A Samsung representative tells us you can deactivate the voice feature; however this is done via software, not a hard switch like the one you use to turn a room light on or off...

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Brandon Turbeville is an author out of Mullins, South Carolina. He has a Bachelor's Degree from Francis Marion University and is the author of three books, Codex Alimentarius -- The End of Health Freedom, 7 Real Conspiracies, and Five Sense Solutions. Turbeville has published over one hundred articles dealing with a wide variety of subjects including health, economics, government corruption, and civil liberties. Brandon Turbeville is available for podcast, radio, and TV interviews. Please contact us at activistpost (at) gmail.com.