China to Deploy World’s Largest People Tracking Network

Originally published at Lemmingworks. You can comment here or there.

Slashdot | China to Deploy World’s Largest People Tracking Network:

“News.com reports that China is building the largest and most sophisticated people-tracking network in the world, all to track citizens in the city of Shenzhen. This network utilizes 20,000 intelligent digital cameras and RFID cards to keep track of the 12.4 million people living in the Southern port city. The key to the system is the new residency cards fitted with powerful computer chips. ‘Data on the chip will include not just the citizen’s name and address but also work history, educational background, religion, ethnicity, police record, medical insurance status and landlord’s phone number. Even personal reproductive history will be included, for enforcement of China’s controversial “one child” policy. Plans are being studied to add credit histories, subway travel payments and small purchases charged to the card.’ While I lived in Shenzhen, there indeed were (and still are) plenty of crimes. One of my friend who lived at the 20th floor of a condo building in a nice neighborhood saw an intruder in the middle of one night while he was sleeping. Still, this will clearly raise the fear of human rights abuses. And … ‘ one of the most startling aspects of this plan is that this project is mostly made possible by an American company with solid venture fundings.’”

It is just a matter of time. Of course since RFIDs can be hacked, it will not do much for serious crime, just keep track on people. I’ll file this in the “Well if you haven’t done anything wrong what are you worried about” department.

Of course “airmiles” points cards do a pretty good job of keeping track of where you’re shopping… and that’s where you are and when you’re there.

just pave the earth now, ok?

Originally published at Lemmingworks. You can comment here or there.

Ecogeek has an article that says walking is less energy efficient than driving… which cracks me up. There is a notion of total cost accounting that looks for the hidden costs in an activity. This silly article Walking to the shops ‘damages planet more than going by car’ from the London Times takes the simple sensationalist approach that if you take the most energy inefficient way humans get energy, beef, vs the most reductionist energy use in cars, gasoline…

“Driving a typical UK car for 3 miles [4.8km] adds about 0.9 kg [2lb] of CO2 to the atmosphere,” he said, a calculation based on the Government’s official fuel emission figures. “If you walked instead, it would use about 180 calories. You’d need about 100g of beef to replace those calories, resulting in 3.6kg of emissions, or four times as much as driving.

See what I mean? Read the rest of it. Of course it is all ‘true’. And it reminds me that it is not important what answers you find, but rather what questions you ask.

Head of Chinese toy company kills self following recall, export ban

Originally published at Lemmingworks. You can comment here or there.

From CBC: Head of Chinese toy company kills self following recall, export ban

The head of a Chinese toy manufacturing company whose products were the target of a massive recall in the U.S. because they contained lead-tainted paint has committed suicide.

Zhang Shuhong, who ran the Lee Der Industrial Co. Ltd., was found hanged in his warehouse Monday morning.

His death comes days after the Chinese government announced a temporary ban on exports by the company.

Earlier this month, Mattel subsidiary Fisher-Price said it was recalling 967,000 toys — including the popular Big Bird, Elmo, Dora and Diego characters — because their paint contained excessive amounts of lead. The Fisher-Price recall involved 83 types of plastic preschool toys made by the Chinese vendor and sold in the United States between May and August.