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Lady_Satine
Title: Head of Lexian R&D
Joined: Oct 15 2005
Location: Metro area, Georgia
Posts: 7287
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from http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/07/microsoft-files-patent-for-device-that-enforces-licenses-through/
Microsoft has filed a patent for a system that could potentially use a camera to determine whether you're breaking its content-viewing rules or not. US Patent Application 20120278904 describes the ability to use a Kinect-like camera-enabled device for "continuously monitoring a number of users at a display device during the performance of [some] content," which basically means the camera would watch the faces of anyone watching a display showing licensed content (like a movie or a game), and then track those faces to see if the viewers had appropriately licensed it.
The patent lists a number of options for determining the validity of the possible viewers, including counting their number (as in, making sure only three people were able to see a movie), or actually identifying specific users (to make sure Julie isn't watching a movie that Mark was only licensed to see). The patent itself doesn't specifically mention Kinect, but it does mention the idea of a "gaming and media system" as well as "mobile devices" with the same capability.
Obviously, such a system would have some weaknesses (could you use a picture or a sculpture to spoof the camera?), and the patent states at the end that this is just one possible implementation of a setup like this. But Microsoft is apparently thinking about using Kinect's ability to recognize you for more than just throwing around spells and playing games. In the future, that camera may be used to figure out whether you're following the rules or not.
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Any incentive to keep the Kinect plugged in will die the moment this tries to be executed.
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 "Life is a waste of time. Time is a waste of life. Get wasted all the time, and you'll have the time of your life!" |
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Beach Bum
Joined: Dec 08 2010
Location: At the pants party.
Posts: 1777
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Well this makes me glad to not own a Kinect, but I can't imagine them actually going through with it unless they wanted to kill sales of those products. Not even sure how you'd decide who has license to see the movie. I'm assuming it is mostly talking about digital movies, because I'd think it would be hard to say you didn't have license if you were holding a physical DVD in your hand even if you just borrowed it from someone.
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Cactus
Joined: Oct 05 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 104
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This is why I hate journalism, the article is obviously bullshit, but people believe it anyway. 
I read the patant application, and my first thought was not "Oh no, Microsoft is going to spy on me with Kinect!" because I am a rational human being.
It's worth remebering that Microsoft patants random shit all the time just so other people can't.
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username
Title: owner of a lonely heart
Joined: Jul 06 2007
Location: phoenix, az usa
Posts: 16135
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| Cactus wrote: |
This is why I hate journalism, the article is obviously bullshit, but people believe it anyway.
I read the patant application, and my first thought was not "Oh no, Microsoft is going to spy on me with Kinect!" because I am a rational human being.
It's worth remebering that Microsoft patants random shit all the time just so other people can't. |
^ this
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| Klimbatize wrote: |
| I'll eat a turkey sandwich while blowing my load |
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Alowishus
Joined: Aug 04 2009
Posts: 2515
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Yeah okay it's a bit weird.
I'd approve of this only if looked into the room saw you were playing an underage game and immediately banned you.
A quick way to weed the little kids out of FPS games.
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Preng
Title: All right, that's cool!
Joined: Jan 11 2010
Location: Accounting Dept.
Posts: 1690
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Guys, the real Big Brother threat are those Furby toys from yesteryear. They're still recording everything we do.
They know.
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The Opponent
Title: Forum Battle WINNER
Joined: Feb 24 2010
Location: The Danger Zone
Posts: 3495
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I thought this was to be used to enforce content ratings, not content licenses, as in to stop playback of mature content when Kinect registers that a minor entered the room.
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I'm not a bad enough dude, but I am an edgy little shit. I'll do what I can. |
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Blackout
Title: Captain Oblivious
Joined: Sep 01 2007
Location: That Rainy State
Posts: 10376
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The road to hell is paved with good intentions, stuff like this has way too much poteintal for abuse in my opinion.
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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
Posts: 24886
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If Microsoft actually does this, I think we should stage a massive Jerk-In in protest. What's a Jerk-In? It's when everyone jerks off in front of their cameras as much as possible. That'll teach them. Or arouse them. Or both.
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Vert1
Joined: Aug 28 2011
Posts: 537
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Mayor Bloomberberg and the rest of the tyrants of good will be watching gamers in New York to make sure they aren't sipping large sodas. They will soon be fining gamers for sitting while playing videogames as standing is more healthy.
They'll never be satisfied till the world is free of all vice and thus all pleasure and meaning.
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Cactus
Joined: Oct 05 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 104
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Clearly no one has read the patent application. This is all pie in the sky stuff.
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Blackout
Title: Captain Oblivious
Joined: Sep 01 2007
Location: That Rainy State
Posts: 10376
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| Syd Lexia wrote: |
| If Microsoft actually does this, I think we should stage a massive Jerk-In in protest. What's a Jerk-In? It's when everyone jerks off in front of their cameras as much as possible. That'll teach them. Or arouse them. Or both. |
Isn't that basically what chat roulette is?  I know we all assume they're creepy pervos. but what if they're just already engaged in protest of the surveillance society as it currently operates? WHAT IF THEY'RE PIONEERS!
Ok probably not.
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Captain_Pollution
Title: Hugh
Joined: Sep 23 2007
Posts: 1591
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| The-Excel wrote: |
| I thought this was to be used to enforce content ratings, not content licenses, as in to stop playback of mature content when Kinect registers that a minor entered the room. |
The Kinect ID'ing you if you don't look 35 is a pretty fresh and exciting thought.
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<Drew_Linky> Well, I've eaten vegetables all of once in my life.
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Cameron
Title: :O � O:
Joined: Feb 01 2008
Location: St. Louis, MO
Posts: 4637
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| Captain_Pollution wrote: |
| The-Excel wrote: |
| I thought this was to be used to enforce content ratings, not content licenses, as in to stop playback of mature content when Kinect registers that a minor entered the room. |
The Kinect ID'ing you if you don't look 35 is a pretty fresh and exciting thought. |
Wow, good call. How would it even properly determine who was a minor and who wasn't?
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Blackout
Title: Captain Oblivious
Joined: Sep 01 2007
Location: That Rainy State
Posts: 10376
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| Cameron wrote: |
| Captain_Pollution wrote: |
| The-Excel wrote: |
| I thought this was to be used to enforce content ratings, not content licenses, as in to stop playback of mature content when Kinect registers that a minor entered the room. |
The Kinect ID'ing you if you don't look 35 is a pretty fresh and exciting thought. |
Wow, good call. How would it even properly determine who was a minor and who wasn't? |
MANDATORY OBAMA CARE RFID MARK OF THE BEAST CHIPS, ALL THE DOTS ARE CONNECTING FOR ME! I'M THROWING ALL MY GAMES AWAY AND BUGGING OUT TO LIVE IN THE WOODS, EATING BARK, NOT WIPING, AND PLAYING GOOD WHOLESOME POGS FOR ENTERTAINMENT!
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Syd Lexia
Site Admin
Title: Pop Culture Junkie
Joined: Jul 30 2005
Location: Wakefield, MA
Posts: 24886
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Kinect can't even "see" black people. How's it going to do age ID?
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@om*d
Title: Dorakyura
Joined: Jul 10 2010
Location: Castlevania
Posts: 4226
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| Blackout wrote: |
| Cameron wrote: |
| Captain_Pollution wrote: |
| The-Excel wrote: |
| I thought this was to be used to enforce content ratings, not content licenses, as in to stop playback of mature content when Kinect registers that a minor entered the room. |
The Kinect ID'ing you if you don't look 35 is a pretty fresh and exciting thought. |
Wow, good call. How would it even properly determine who was a minor and who wasn't? |
MANDATORY OBAMA CARE RFID MARK OF THE BEAST CHIPS, ALL THE DOTS ARE CONNECTING FOR ME! I'M THROWING ALL MY GAMES AWAY AND BUGGING OUT TO LIVE IN THE WOODS, EATING BARK, NOT WIPING, AND PLAYING GOOD WHOLESOME POGS FOR ENTERTAINMENT! |
I'll join you in the woods. I still have pogs in storage. If we use them as currency in the new world I will be very rich.
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