Iris Scan Technology Sees Me Through My Eyes

They say that truth is stranger than fiction.  If you’ve been to a sci-fi movie in the last few years, you might hope they are wrong.  In the movies there are robots that reprogram themselves AND other robots.  Technology that allows people to scan your iris as easy as flashing a light your direction and then can access you spending (and living) history has been used in more than one plot in some shape or fashion.  The scariest thing for me is that iris scan technology (and all the strings that come with it) is close to being a reality in our regular lives.

Iris scans are becoming a part of the present, not just an idea of the future. Schools are using them to guarantee that the right kids are going with the right people.  There is even talk of iris scans for voting machines.

This may be a very sufficient way of identifying people, but it’s still a bit creepy.  I’m not sure I want some machine scanning my brain (or even just part of it).  For that matter, I don’t want a universal program for keeping up with what I do and how I do it – but I digress.

There has to be an easier and less invasive way to protect our children and to advance technology.  Iris scans need to stay in the movies and not become a part of every day life.

 

Surveillance Can Be a Good Thing

When my youngest son was just three months old, some one broke into our home while I was out running errands.  They thieves took some guns that were handed down to my husband, the change jar, the television, the vacuum cleaner, the baby swing, and the baby’s cradle.  It was alarming to come home and find the door wide open and the furniture tossed around.  That day, my husband determined he would find a way to protect our home.

Our first alarm was basic - it sounded if someone entered while the alarm was set or glass was broken.  As the years have passed and the kids have grown (and technology has improved) we have realized that we need more surveillance to keep our family, our home, and our property secure.

Putting surveillance cameras up all around our property is something that is not monetarily feasible at this moment.  It is possible to put up surveillance at the end of our quarter mile drive way and to have a bell sound when someone pulls in.  We’ll continue to have the traditional burglar alarm, with the addition of fire and carbon monoxide. 

It can be scary to think of how much surveillance is going on in the world today.  If you have ever had your home broken into, then the idea may just be one that brings you comfort instead.

 

 

I Am Being Watched

Being paranoid is not in my nature, but I know I’m being watched. Every time I go to the grocery store, there are cameras eyeing me from those dome contraptions in the ceiling. Every time I enter a convenience store or mega mart, somebody is filming my every move. Although terrorism can be partially to blame, there has to be more to the story.

Technology may hold some of the blame. The gadgets get smaller and easier to hide - it has to be used. But the retail industry holds some responsibility. Companies have grown tired of watching their profits walk out the door. Their demands for monitoring are part of what is fueling the technological developments.

All the blame can’t go to the retail industry or to the ingenious technicians coming up with all the new gadgets. Society has not only accepted the invasion, but they seem to be embracing it with open arms. Part of it is frustration out of having to pay higher prices to cover the losses being suffered by retailers. Most of it is fear of what has happened in the past and what could potentially happen in the future.

It seems that being watched will not only have to be an accepted part of my life, but that the invasion will continue to expand. You have wonder when the people will rise up and finally say “it is enough.”

RFID and Technology Makes Parenting Easier

It seems that parents have to go to greater lengths every year to protect their children.  In generations past, a simple warning would usually be sufficient.  As time has passed, and predators have become savvier in the hunt, parents have had to increase their ingenuity with the use of RFID tags, surveillance, and GPS locators.

I want my children to have some of the freedom that I had as a child.  I and my siblings and the neighborhood kids roamed free - for the most part.  We went to the local drug store (which also had a deli) to get candy and ice cream - all without parental supervision.  Usually the only time our parent’s could locate us precisely was around meal time when we would storm into one house or another expecting to be fed.

With all the news reports about missing children, it’s no wonder that parents today are paranoid.  Some of it is hype - a recent news article showed that statistically a child was more likely to be struck by lightning than taken by a stranger - but I still bring my children in when I hear thunder.

It would be nice to go back to the carefree days of my youth, but I do live in reality.  I appreciate what technology is doing to help curb the concerns of today’s parents.