Date sent: Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:36:41 -0800 From: Lauren Weinstein <lau...@vortex.com>
> http://j.mp/AoVBlL (CBS Seattle) > > "Microsoft has been granted a patent for its "avoid ghetto" feature for > GPS devices. A GPS device is used to find shortcuts and avoid > traffic, but Microsoft's patent states that a route can be plotted for > pedestrians to avoid an "unsafe neighborhood or being in an open area > that is subject to harsh temperatures." a) How is this substantively different from "avoid congestion"? b) Do you have to enter your own socio-ethnic-economic background? So that, if you are [ethnic generally seen as immigrant and/or lower economic status] you can avoid [high rent neighbourhood with lots of trigger-happy rent-a-guards on patrol]. c) OK, we probably still have time to patent "avoid unsightly surroundings" (we can use StreetView), and "avoid unbalanced ex-girlfriend." We can probably get people to agree to tie in their personal financial details in order to add "avoid people you owe money to." (And then we can make a bulk deal with the phishing fraudsters, and finally make a killing!) d) Should we be trying to avoid a "patent ghetto"? ====================== (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer) rsl...@vcn.bc.ca sl...@victoria.tc.ca rsl...@computercrime.org There are some Perl programs that look like nothing so much as line noise. - Margaret Fleck victoria.tc.ca/techrev/rms.htm http://www.infosecbc.org/links http://blogs.securiteam.com/index.php/archives/author/p1/ http://twitter.com/rslade _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
