Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Xray vision?
GPS is a great technology for tracking things and, indeed, is in widespread use these days. It is, however, subject to some irritating limitations. GPS signals get confused by groups of tall buildings. And are hard to read inside buildings.
A new technology, developed by one of the original architects of the GPS satellites, relies on television signals to overcome both of those limitations. TV signals penetrate buildings – obviously or we wouldn’t have enjoyed the nighttime soaps for the past 40 years – and can create a much more consistent picture of where a suitably equipped device has traveled. The target device for the new technology – cell phones.
The surveillance possibilities of this sort of device haven’t been lost on the government. One of the investors in Rosum, the company developing this technology, is In-Q-Tel, the investment arm of the CIA.
A new technology, developed by one of the original architects of the GPS satellites, relies on television signals to overcome both of those limitations. TV signals penetrate buildings – obviously or we wouldn’t have enjoyed the nighttime soaps for the past 40 years – and can create a much more consistent picture of where a suitably equipped device has traveled. The target device for the new technology – cell phones.
The surveillance possibilities of this sort of device haven’t been lost on the government. One of the investors in Rosum, the company developing this technology, is In-Q-Tel, the investment arm of the CIA.
# posted by AmandaWelsh @ 10:42 AM 
