The View From Above: In Hard Focus Round-up (July 29, 2011)
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 5:05PM Augmented Reality Keeps You Entertained and Educated on the Road: Toyota’s European research division is working on a way to turn car windows into an interactive monitor and lens for the world beyond. Wired’s GeekDad discusses how passengers will be able to draw on windows, translate road signs, or access a variety of information layered onto the landscape. Check out the video above to see the possibilities of what they’re calling “Window to the World.”
Microsoft is Keeping Track of Your Computer’s Location, Not Holding Back on Sharing (For Now): CNet reported today that Microsoft has been collecting the locations of your Wi-Fi enabled devices – which is not unusual considering similar actions by Google and Skyhook Wireless – yet is doing little to hide this data from the public.
Location tracking works by determining Wi-Fi points of access for laptops, desktop computers and cell phones and is used to enhance location-based services, search results and map locations. While acceptable for these very reasons, the accessibility of this data could be a violation of privacy and a danger if used for the wrong reasons. At the moment, Microsoft provides no way for users to opt out of including their Wi-Fi addresses in Microsoft’s Live.com database, however perhaps pressure from media, or even fellow location tracker Google, will convince Microsoft to regulate access.
In-Store Tablets Telling You What to Buy: Via DesignBoom and Ubergizmo, SK Telecom is creating a new way for customers to get the digital experience in-stores through its use of tablets built into shopping carts. With this pilot program in Shanghai’s Lotus Supermarket, shoppers can synchronize their phones to the tablets, which will then deliver coupons on-the-spot and act like a “personalized smart shopping service” that will take into account shopping history and location.
