17 cameras to monitor taxi drivers

Source: Shanghai Daily

The taxi watchdog is to install surveillance cameras at 17 city locations to crack down on drivers who break the rules by refusing to take passengers.

Local cabbies have been known to reject passengers taking short journeys or on congested routes because it would affect their income.

The watchdog is also fixing LED lamps to some 47,000 local taxis which will indicate whether the taxi is available, out of service, or on its way to a booking.

The lamps will be controlled by taxi management and the driver won't be able to change their status.

If there is a complaint, the management will be able to review the car's service state and quickly determine whether the driver is breaking the rules or not.

Shanghai Traffic Law Enforcement Team said there would also be increased undercover patrols at the 17 sites where a quarter of the city's daily 2 million taxi rides begin.

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Cameras in taxis? Not sure if this protects the taxi driver or the customer. I don't know. When you brings cameras into it, common sense usually goes out the window. Will the camera have sound? Sometimes customers are rude and the driver shouldn't take them. Or they just want to go a couple of blocks? Is there a minimum distance? A minimum fare? Not sure I'd get into a taxi with a camera.

Google to reshoot street views of Japanese cities: Peeping Toms Mourn

HEY! Whatcha lookin' at?

Source: LA Times

Google said Wednesday it will reshoot all images in Japan for its Street View online service that provides 360-degree panoramic images of urban areas.

The service has triggered privacy complaints around the world, including most recently in Greece, where it was banned Tuesday.

The photos currently on the Web site were taken by cameras mounted on a stick attached to a car roof. Google Japan said it would lower the cameras after many residents complained they were high enough to look over fences around their homes, company product manager Keiichi Kawai said in a statement.

Others have previously complained that images on the service recorded vehicle license plates and laundry hanging in backyards. Rights groups have also demanded Google suspend the service.

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Is there a point when technology trumps privacy? Japan is so congested, I'm surprised they can put a camera anywhere without infrining on somebody's rights.

Are we all becoming voyeurs?

Source: Asiaone

The couple seems to be enjoying their daytime making out in the pool. They thought that everyone would be busy at work or school, and that no one would be around to catch them in the act.

Eight in 10 fear being filmed in public

After a slew of explicit videos on the Internet filmed in places ranging from playgrounds, to condo pools, eight out of 10 couples interviewed said that they would think twice before being affectionate in public.

The speed at which his posts have spread is mind-boggling on one hand, and yet so predictable - because it is simply human nature.

So the question is:

Do we really want to see amateurish videos and badly taken photos of normal, naked people in unsavoury positions?