Re: Comcast set-top boxes with cameras?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: Benson Schliesser [bensons () queuefull net]
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 2:07 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: Re: [IP] Comcast set-top boxes with cameras?

Dave-

Paul Ferguson's blog has a response to the newteevee article, claiming
to be from Comcast's Frank Eliason, which I've quoted below.

Personally I think their response makes sense. Given how emotions are
running against Comcast these days due to the "network management"
issue, people are apparently willing to believe the worst even when it
defies reason. Comcast may manage how bandwidth is allocated (or not)
to different applications on their network, but that doesn't mean that
they're completely out of touch with the norms of society.

-Benson

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=12194760&postID=770408737408249683

The newteevee.com article "Comcast Cameras to Start Watching You"
portrayed some assumptions that require correction and clarification.
I want to be clear that in no way are we exploring any camera devices
that would monitor customer behavior.

To gather information for this article, the blogger picked up on a
conversation between Gerard Kunkel and another person at a recent
conference. They were discussing the various input devices offered by
a variety of vendors that Comcast is reviewing.

The camera-based gesture recognition device is in no way designed to -
or capable of - monitoring your living room. These technologies are
designed to allow simple navigation on a television set just as the
Wii remote uses a camera to manage its much heralded gesture-based
interactivity.

We are constantly exploring new technologies that better serve our
customers. The goal is simple - a better user experience that allows
the consumer to get ever increasing value out of their Comcast
products.

As with any new technology, we carefully consider the consumer
benefits. In fact, we do an enormous amount of consumer testing in
advance of making a product decision such as this. We're confident
that a new technology like gesture-based navigation will be fully
explored with consumers to understand the product's feature benefits -
and of course, the value to the consumer.

Frank Eliason
Comcast Executive Offices





On 3/22/08, David Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
>  ________________________________________
>  From: Steven M. Bellovin [smb () cs columbia edu]
>  Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 11:38 AM
>  To: David Farber
>  Subject: Comcast set-top boxes with cameras?
>
>  For IP, if you wish.
>
>  http://newteevee.com/2008/03/18/comcast-cameras-to-start-watching-you/
>  relates that Comcast is experimenting with cameras that will notice who
>  is watching, and will tailor content and ads appropriately.
>
>  The mind boggles.  I don't think I need to say any more...
>
>
>                 --Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb
>
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