Everything is changing from the way we used to know it, and it all comes down to technological advancement. When it comes to technology we are always hearing about the newest innovations and inventions that boast about their unique features to entice us. However, everything is not as it seems. Despite technology paving the way for businesses to connect in ways they couldn't before, there is a much darker side to technology that many people are unaware of. Here are a couple of spooky technology facts and inventions to haunt your Halloween.
Your eyes but better:
Tech giant Samsung was granted a patent for contact lenses that can record and take a picture simply by blinking. These contact lenses work by wirelessly connecting to a smartphone, allowing users to access all the information they would have on their phones. However, like any piece of technology, these contact lenses can be hacked, allowing hackers to access not only your sensitive data but also go one step further. It provides much more invasive access to your environment, including the people you interact with and the places you frequently visit.
This also gives Samsung the ability to go beyond just collecting your behaviour on the internet, but also provides them with an understanding of how people behave in their day-to-day lives, which is a very hard piece of data to collect. This valuable data can then be sold to other businesses.
The real-life black mirror episode - China's Social Credit System:
If you've ever watched Black Mirror, you've probably seen the episode where your evaluation is based on the ratings made by other people. This rating determined a variety of factors, including the ability to keep a job, rent an apartment, and even board a flight. China's social credit system operates in a very similar manner to report on the 'trustworthiness' of individuals, corporations, and governmental entities throughout the country. The credit system's goal is to help people make better everyday decisions, including fully informed business decisions. The credit score is used to determine whether someone can be trusted. If your credit score is low, you will be penalised or blacklisted.
Robots know how to lie:
According to a study conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology, robots are already learning to tell lies in ways that we will never discover. Even if they aren’t initially programmed to do so, they eventually evolve to tell lies.
The TV that detects your every movement:
Verizon, a cable company in the United States, has a patent for a smart TV that can detect your movements. The TV monitors what is going on in the room and displays advertisements based on what it detects and hears. For example, if you're discussing purchasing a specific type of chocolate, an advertisement for that specific type of chocolate may appear. The smart TV is equipped with a variety of sensors that detect your mood and tailor content to it.
Your phone is dirtier than a public toilet handle:
This may not be the scariest thing on the list but is the dirtiest. An average iPhone contains approximately 18 times more bacteria than a typical public toilet handle. Your phone is one of the dirtiest things you come into contact with on a daily basis. So, the next time you put your phone next to your face to answer a call, you may want to put it on loudspeaker.
Selling your DNA:
While discovering your genetic ancestors may sound appealing, you should read the fine print before handing over your DNA. When you send your genetic sample to be analysed, you are giving companies like ancentry.com and 23andme.com permission to sell data derived from your genes to third parties. This allows third parties to do whatever they want with your DNA, including conduct experiments.
