The latest startup, two year old Euclid Elements wants to provide real world info to brick and mortar stores akin to the analytics available for websites (who visited, for how long, what did they buy....). How? By putting in a sensor that captures unique wi-fi-based info from pedestrians. The phone must have wi-fi and it must be on for you to be tracked. But, don't be afraid, all the data is anonymized and you can opt out on the company website. (I opt out by not turning on wi-fi, done!)
The data, including how many people passed by, how many came in, for how long can help partners, like launch partner Philz Coffee, determine tactics to draw in people or sell food to those wh are staying for 45 minutes around say, lunch time... Launched in 2009 with $500,000, the company just got in first round funding of $5.8 million, which was led by New Enterprise Associates with Triple Point Capital and Harrison Metal.
- C|net
by Adena Schutzberg on 11/04 at 03:00 AM |
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Staten Island, NY is testing a tracking system for abusers that not only informs the police when those being tracked travel into areas prohibited (home areas, school ares, etc. of the victim) but also notifies the victim.
That's the first I've heard of that type of notification; I am most familiar with systems that let officials know.
- CBS NYC
by Adena Schutzberg on 11/02 at 04:21 AM |
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In a suit filed in Seattle federal court, two plaintiffs claim that their phone’s AccuWeather app is transmitting precise data about their location at regular intervals and whenever they tap to check the weather. They say the app, which is built into the phone, can’t be disabled and that phone maker HTC is sharing the location data with advertisers that want to target users with customized ads. The plaintiffs also say HTC is failing to encrypt the data that transmits their location.
The suit is against both HTC and AccuWeather. Neither offered comment.
- MocoNews
by Adena Schutzberg on 11/02 at 03:00 AM |
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HipGeo lets users record their world with the app then share their trips and stories with its "HipGeo Player" that provides a dynamic recap of places, routes and photos in animated displays.
That's from the press release. The big differentiator? Collects data passively and can sent it to various social networks to specifically selected groups using minimal batter power. I'm not digging the name...
- press release
Foursquare is rolling out a new privacy setting this week that enables the user to designate a Foursquare locale as a private residence by selecting “Home” as the venue’s primary category. That way it's only visible to friends, not everyone. And, you can edit or delete the "home" entry. As Mashable notes, and this was my first thought: a bit late, eh?
- Mashable
OnStar’s latest T&C has some very unsettling updates to it, which include selling your personal GPS location information, speed, safety belt usage, and other information to third parties, including law enforcement. To add insult to a slap in the face, the company insists they will continue collecting and selling this personal information even after you cancel your service, unless you specifically shut down the data connection to the vehicle after canceling.
- John Zdziarski's Domain via @timoreilly
by Adena Schutzberg on 09/22 at 03:00 AM |
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The proposed class action, filed in a Seattle federal court yesterday, argues Microsoft intentionally designed the camera software on Windows Phone 7 to ignore default "don't track me" settings. The suit cites Microsoft letters to Congress claiming it does not track without consent.
- Reuters via @jeffharrison
by Adena Schutzberg on 09/01 at 04:46 AM |
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