Friday, January 18, 2008

Time to be aware of Microsoft?

Are you an employee having a hard time with your employer? WARNING! You’ve been watched. Microsoft is on the process of developing a spy kind of software, which is capable of remotely monitoring a worker’s productivity, physical wellbeing and competence using wireless sensors connected to their computers. As they say, it’s a Big Brother style software.

The system is designed to monitor employees’ performance by measuring their heart rate, body temperature, movement, facial expression and blood pressure.

As TIMES ONLINE say, Microsoft has submitted a patent application in the US for a “unique monitoring system” that could link workers to their computers. Wireless sensors could read “heart rate, galvanic skin response, EMG, brain signals, respiration rate, body temperature, movement facial movements, facial expressions and blood pressure”, the application states.

The system could also “automatically detect frustration or stress in the user” and “offer and provide assistance accordingly”. Physical changes to an employee would be matched to an individual psychological profile based on a worker’s weight, age and health. If the system picked up an increase in heart rate or facial expressions suggestive of stress or frustration, it would tell management that he needed help.
HHHMMMM… Wanna be your own boss?

Source: TIMES ONLINE (Alexi Mostrous and David Brown)

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

There is something in the Air

To be honest, I’m in love with apple (not the fruit), and apple products. Even though I don’t use a mac, I’m a proud owner of an iPhone, which is extremely rare in Sri Lanka, and an iPod. Apart from developing quality and solid products, I love the way Steve Jobs do his presentations. Especially the iPhone keynotes.



Apple Inc., acquired the Medal of Honor for producing the worlds thinnest laptop, the “Macbook Air” which was introduced in Macworld 2008. The other exciting feature of this product is, it comes with a multi-touch mouse pad. This awesome product is priced at US$ 1799.