CHAPTER 5 Input/Output: Computers in Action
SuperScan at the Super Bowl Fans attending the 2001 Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, where the subjects of a surveillance system called FaceTrac from Graphco Technologies, Inc. The Tampa Police Department used the biometric identification system to help identify criminals and terrorists. The police used hidden cameras to take pictures of the fans. The images were then transmitted to a central system where facial characteristics were digitized so that they could be compared to the digital patterns of criminals and terrorists in a database. The system is accurate even when people disguise their faces with beards or sunglasses. Nineteen potential troublemakers were identified, however no arrests were made. This surveillance was a test to see if facial biometric identification techniques could be used in this and other similar circumstances. The police have been under fire by the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations concerned that this type of surveillance is an invasion of privacy.
iPIX® Movies The iPIX browser plugin is giving the Internet a new look. This plugin lets you view an image from every direction. You can look up, down, and all around by simply pointing where you wish to view. You can also zoom in and out. The only way to fully understand this plugin is to view an iPIX movie. Companies are using them to sell their products and services. Travel companies can give you a panoramic view of a travel destination. Colleges, including Duke, Tennessee, and Maryland use these "bubble" or "360" images to make their Web site stand out when prospective students visit. You can even view what the models see during a Sports Illustrated swimsuit shoot.
Internet Access Update Now, three out of every five U.S. citizens has access to the Internet either at home or work. This is a sharp rise from 56% three months earlier. However, this is far from universal access, a stated goal of the U.S. government and a desire for all who participate in e-commerce. Internet penetration is expected to explode with the spread of broadband availability and applications, such as video-on-demand, that take full advantage of the high-speed lines.