Monday, April 11, 2011

Uneasy about Google Streetview? Soon thermal imaging can catch you in the act


It's one thing to get an odd photo taken by the Google Streetview bus. It's another to have an entire city photographed using thermal imaging. Because, who knows, you could be doing something where body heat is disproportionately below the waste for that time of day, or growing something that just gets really hot. Springfield and Hamilton residents will soon find themselves in this conundrum, but Bostonians can relax for a little while thanks to the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts.

The camera system, deployed by Sagewell, is intended to find hot spots to determine where excess energy is being expended, which in turn could help curb energy usage and save money. The problem is we don't necessarily want all of our homes completely visible, even if it's just a blob of reds and blues. The last thing I need is Predator stalking me during the day to watch me typing away.

[CBS Boston] (image from Time.com)