Comcast Is Reportedly Developing a Device That Would Track Your Bathroom Habits

[DamianTV]

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/19/05...athroom-habits

Comcast is reportedly working on a device designed to closely monitor a user's health. "The device will monitor people's basic health metrics using ambient sensors, with a focus on whether someone is making frequent trips to the bathroom or spending more time than usual in bed," reports CNBC. "Comcast is also building tools for detecting falls, which are common and potentially fatal for seniors." The Verge reports:

Many products on the market today already have the motion sensors, cameras, and other hardware that allow for what Comcast seems to be envisioning -- but not even Amazon or Google have directly sought to keep such a close eye on their customers' personal health with their respective Echo and Home devices. Comcast itself already offers home security services, and the company's much-touted X1 voice remote for its Xfinity cable platform has helped Comcast make advancements in recognizing and processing voice commands.

According to CNBC, Comcast's device won't offer functionality like controlling smart home devices, nor will it have the ability to search for answers to a person's questions on the internet. But it will reportedly "have a personality like Alexa" and be able to place calls to emergency services. In an email to The Verge, a Comcast spokesperson said the company's upcoming device "is NOT a smart speaker" and "is purpose-built to be a sensor that detects motion." It's said that Comcast aims to offer the device and a companion health tracking service to "at-risk people, including seniors and people with disabilities." The company is also in discussions with hospitals about potentially "using the device to ensure that patients don't end up back in the hospital after they've been discharged."

Lincoln Six Echo, please report to Health and Human Livestock Management, your sodium levels have been found to be unacceptably high.

John Spartan, you have been fined one credit for violation of the verbal morality code for saying the word "$#@!" in reference to taking a $#@! when you are unable to figure out what the $#@! the three sea shells are for.

Do you really let Big Brother in your bathroom? Free Drug Test, EVERY time you piss!

[Fox McCloud]

There's nothing wrong with stuff like this, so long as it's voluntary. When the government is involved and it's mandatory? Sure, that's problematic.

Having more granular data on your own health, habits, and what you're doing when, to develop a higher resolution picture of your health? This is only going to help doctors and patients spot problems easier and discover more accurate solutions to health troubles.

Technology can be used for good or bad; just because something can be used poorly doesn't mean it should be vilified.

I doubt very many people here would be suggesting we ban guns just because the government can also use them.

[nikcers]

There's nothing wrong with stuff like this, so long as it's voluntary. When the government is involved and it's mandatory? Sure, that's problematic.

Having more granular data on your own health, habits, and what you're doing when, to develop a higher resolution picture of your health? This is only going to help doctors and patients spot problems easier and discover more accurate solutions to health troubles.

Technology can be used for good or bad; just because something can be used poorly doesn't mean it should be vilified.

I doubt very many people here would be suggesting we ban guns just because the government can also use them.

The government is in control of the ISPS, so theres that.

[Swordsmyth]

There's nothing wrong with stuff like this, so long as it's voluntary. When the government is involved and it's mandatory? Sure, that's problematic.

Having more granular data on your own health, habits, and what you're doing when, to develop a higher resolution picture of your health? This is only going to help doctors and patients spot problems easier and discover more accurate solutions to health troubles.

Technology can be used for good or bad; just because something can be used poorly doesn't mean it should be vilified.

I doubt very many people here would be suggesting we ban guns just because the government can also use them.

It's a problem if anyone but you and your doctor get the data.

[DamianTV]

There's nothing wrong with stuff like this, so long as it's voluntary. When the government is involved and it's mandatory? Sure, that's problematic.

Having more granular data on your own health, habits, and what you're doing when, to develop a higher resolution picture of your health? This is only going to help doctors and patients spot problems easier and discover more accurate solutions to health troubles.

Technology can be used for good or bad; just because something can be used poorly doesn't mean it should be vilified.

I doubt very many people here would be suggesting we ban guns just because the government can also use them.

If its so "voluntary", such as all the apps on a persons cell, how come its so impossible to turn of "share everything with everyone"? It used to be said that "The Devil is in the details" but with everything spying on everyone, that phrase needs an update. Im thinking this: "The Devil is in the Defaults". Seriously, you should NOT EVER have to use a $#@!ing app to log in to your Toilet Acct on your $#@!ing cell phone to set the Default Toilet Settings to NOT TRANSMIT a god damn mother $#@!ing thing to ANYONE. EVER. Or... how about $#@! a Bunch Of Internet Of Trash devices?

Here is the problem. People are being systematically acclimated with having every thing about them made public and recorded forever. That means you can NEVER obey, even for the people that would choose to do so because the Standards that they have set forth for the model of "Good Citizen" is never made available to the public. Thus, people are gonna end up getting killed for thinking the wrong things, quite literally. Are you a Jew? Then YES, you DO have something to hide. Its no one elses business if you are Jewish because making that information available, quite literally to everyone by default subjects a person to condemnation by an oppressive government.

[DamianTV]

It's a problem if anyone but you and your doctor get the data.

But but but it would be good for the economy because then Insurance Companies have a new plethora of excuses to not pay, which stimulates the economy!

(by making the rich richer AND Broken Window Fallacy)

[Working Poor]

I think I will start going in the woods...

[nikcers]

I think I will start going in the woods...

Nowifistan sounds better and better every day.

[ATruepatriot]

I think I will start going in the woods...

We are very soon...

[Fox McCloud]

It's a problem if anyone but you and your doctor get the data.

Not if you or I voluntarily agree to it.

And again, as long as the devices aren't mandated.

[Swordsmyth]

Not if you or I voluntarily agree to it.

And again, as long as the devices aren't mandated.

Something may be legal without being good or intelligent.

[Fox McCloud]

Something may be legal without being good or intelligent.

healthcare provider: "Ahh yes, based on your urine profile, we noticed that your blood sugar levels have suddenly spiked and the frequency of your bathroom visits has dramatically increased, you're showing signs of diabetes; would you like advice?"

Insurance company: "your urine profile consistently shows above average results; as such, we can verify that you're in a lower risk group that most our customers, as such we're offering you far lower premiums"

The anti-technology bend of some libertarians absolutely astonishes me. Yes, the state can and does use and abuse technology. Yes, it's a cause for concern and should absolutely be halted in its tracks, but the ability for things to be tracked, so long as you agree to it, and for that data to be used in completely useful ways, is great. That's the market-place at work helping illuminate things that weren't previously known and to people make better decisions about the world around them.

[Swordsmyth]

healthcare provider: "Ahh yes, based on your urine profile, we noticed that your blood sugar levels have suddenly spiked and the frequency of your bathroom visits has dramatically increased, you're showing signs of diabetes; would you like advice?"

Insurance company: "your urine profile consistently shows above average results; as such, we can verify that you're in a lower risk group that most our customers, as such we're offering you far lower premiums"

The anti-technology bend of some libertarians absolutely astonishes me. Yes, the state can and does use and abuse technology. Yes, it's a cause for concern and should absolutely be halted in its tracks, but the ability for things to be tracked, so long as you agree to it, and for that data to be used in completely useful ways, is great. That's the market-place at work helping illuminate things that weren't previously known and to people make better decisions about the world around them.

The state is not the only entity that can abuse your rights, the new frontier in tyranny is hybridized "private" entities that use force and/or economic blackmail to tyrannize individuals and society in league with government actions that give them monopolistic power.

I am not a Luddite, technology has vastly improved our lives but just as surely as it is good for our standard of living it is also always a threat to liberty.
Before metallurgy there were no chains, before telegraphy it was far easier for regions to rebel against centralized authority, before computer technology mass surveilance simply wasn't possible in the same way it is now.
I could go on and on, even technologies that had some benefit for liberty like firearms have actually increased the power of the state overall, one man with a gun can control one hundred without one.

[nikcers]

healthcare provider: "Ahh yes, based on your urine profile, we noticed that your blood sugar levels have suddenly spiked and the frequency of your bathroom visits has dramatically increased, you're showing signs of diabetes; would you like advice?"

Insurance company: "your urine profile consistently shows above average results; as such, we can verify that you're in a lower risk group that most our customers, as such we're offering you far lower premiums"

The anti-technology bend of some libertarians absolutely astonishes me. Yes, the state can and does use and abuse technology. Yes, it's a cause for concern and should absolutely be halted in its tracks, but the ability for things to be tracked, so long as you agree to it, and for that data to be used in completely useful ways, is great. That's the market-place at work helping illuminate things that weren't previously known and to people make better decisions about the world around them.

It's someones job to collect the presidents poop because they could study it and use it against us, but your right, it shouldn't matter if they have all of our medical information because the government would never use information that they gather against us. Those internet companies are just an arm of the government, their rates are decided by military contracts and the government threatens to take away the contract and give it to your competitor if you don't do their bididng, this is how the prices are determined in all of ther markets, its why there is no internet competition, not because of people afraid of technology but because the government owns the ISPS and they take care of their cronies.

[DamianTV]

healthcare provider: "Ahh yes, based on your urine profile, we noticed that your blood sugar levels have suddenly spiked and the frequency of your bathroom visits has dramatically increased, you're showing signs of diabetes; would you like advice?"

Insurance company: "your urine profile consistently shows above average results; as such, we can verify that you're in a lower risk group that most our customers, as such we're offering you far lower premiums"

The anti-technology bend of some libertarians absolutely astonishes me. Yes, the state can and does use and abuse technology. Yes, it's a cause for concern and should absolutely be halted in its tracks, but the ability for things to be tracked, so long as you agree to it, and for that data to be used in completely useful ways, is great. That's the market-place at work helping illuminate things that weren't previously known and to people make better decisions about the world around them.

We are not anti-technology, we are anti-surveillance.

Try starting a revolution against tyranny without Privacy, aint ever gonna happen. Thats what those in power want, is to keep their power forever. If that means brainwashing everyone, they are ok with that. "Aint gonna take my guns. Over my dead body." Thing is, the Elite respond to such threats with the counterstatement of "Your terms are acceptable".

You can NOT have Freedom without Privacy. That includes ANY group that uses their numbers to exert force upon a smaller group or individual, be that group a Government, Ad company, or Extortion Racket like Insurance has become.

[nikcers]

We are not anti-technology, we are anti-surveillance.

Try starting a revolution against tyranny without Privacy, aint ever gonna happen. Thats what those in power want, is to keep their power forever. If that means brainwashing everyone, they are ok with that. "Aint gonna take my guns. Over my dead body." Thing is, the Elite respond to such threats with the counterstatement of "Your terms are acceptable".

You can NOT have Freedom without Privacy. That includes ANY group that uses their numbers to exert force upon a smaller group or individual, be that group a Government, Ad company, or Extortion Racket like Insurance has become.

ISP: Want to buy some dick pills?

[DamianTV]

ISP: Want to buy some dick pills?

Dick pills or as Joe Rogan says it, BIG Dick Pills?

[Stratovarious]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to DamianTV again.

[Stratovarious]

Google Cages are coming, not just something I made up, coming' if we
don't stand against Globalist totalitarians.

[ATruepatriot]

Not if you or I voluntarily agree to it.

And again, as long as the devices aren't mandated.

The problem is... Once society allows the door to open and accepts something like this as ok, it does eventually become mandatory in the service contract to even get service, or lawmakers take advantage of it and make it a mandatory. Like the wise Barney Fife said... Nip it in the bud I tell ya! nip... it... in... the... bud...

[Swordsmyth]

Google Cages are coming, not just something I made up, coming' if we
don't stand against Globalist totalitarians.

And their sidekicks, Globalist libertarians.