I've had a few links about this sent to me, but I haven't figured out how to blog about it. So I'll just chuck up a link and summarise... :-)
Here's an article about it called A Quantum Leap in Bike Mechanics.
MIT is teaming up with the City of Copenhagen to develop The Smart Biking Project, based out of the SENSEable City Laboratory, an MIT research group focused on technology and cities, part of MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning.
Using a Facebook application called "I Crossed Your Path," cyclists will be able to make connections with each other by exchanging information - online or through a smartphone - about which routes they took that day. The program, which formally gets underway in 2009, will work through a smart tag that functions a lot like RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. The tag, which they expect to be the size of a USB flash drive, can be installed under a bike seat, inside the frame, or on a headlight.
"MIT's smart tags will have low power consumption, low bandwidth, and will be affordable at under $30 per tag," said Christine Outram, project leader and a graduate student in the Master of Science in Architecture Studies program.
"If I ride past a particular point, and a friend from Facebook or another social networking site rides past, I can get a little ping on my bike, or a text message on my cellphone, or a message that will appear on my social networking site," Outram said.
9 thinking out louds:
Who needs a Big Brother, people that want to use facebook will have a similar total supervision system installed soon enough, willingly.
Think people, think!!!
Sorry, but this had me giggling into my coffee...
"If I ride past a particular point, and a friend from Facebook or another social networking site rides past, I can get a little ping on my bike, or a text message on my cellphone, or a message that will appear on my social networking site," Outram said.
Or, he could just say 'hello'...
Or, he could just say 'hello'...
that is just such an analog attitude. you freak!
- fred
on a more serious note. It's not clear to me how data is transfered. Maybe it's because they describe it as the size of usb.
If I for $30 could track my bike the next time some asshole stole it, that would be amazing.
- fred
The idea--like the application for the iPhone using GPS--is to tell you when your friends are nearby and you don't see them. If you're in the cafe facing the wall and they ride by you'll see a ping and therefore know to turn around. It serves a different purpose than the analog.
As for the Big Brother question. There is a big difference between totally optional opt-in programs and one you're required to do. At my local bike coop I sign in using my name. Someday someone will be able to track where I was at that time because of that. I post on this forum under a username that is mine and someone could track me. This is very different than government tracking even if government could someday use this information. The key is having lows allowing a maximum term for data retention and strict laws and enforcement about who can access the data. Sure this raises privacy concerns but don't conflate this with people being willing to accept big brother unless you're willing to do the same with anyone who uses a driver's license, passport, credit card, cell phone, internet.
i was actually standing outside your window while you wrote that...
If I want you to know where I am, I'll let you know. All that tracking is icky and makes me want to take a psychic shower. Of course, saying that, I should also disclose that I can not fathom having a Facebook page to display my private life. Also, I wish I had a manual typewriter. I may be a bit behind the times.
yes, you're getting old... but more importantly... what was the word verification?!
word verification- 'matorth'
...and now, children, gather round and hear the epic tale of 'Matorth and His Mighty Tire Irons'...
and from this post- 'crogimpe' (crow-gimpee)
a little known Scottish sprite responsible for the drunken Scottish propensity for the 'spree' (cattle stealing)
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