Slightly OT, but explain to me again why this is legal:
> "We often seek patents for technology we never implement, and patents should not be taken as an indication of future plans,” said a Facebook spokesperson.
So can I just apply for a patent for that impossibly strong rope needed for space elevators and if anything should ever figure out how to build it, I can sue them?
(Though in this particular case, yes please, Facebook, by all means please get the patent and don't build it and make sure no one else can build it either)
Well you might not get the patent because you'd have to describe how to build it and then it would be apparent you could not so you would not get the patent.
But by that logic, woudn't Facebook have to reveal, in detail, the analysis pipeline they plan (or actually don't plan) to use to detect your emotions and link them to the content shown? They didn't do that, did they?
(The example is kind of absurd as that technology is pretty horrible, but reports about pre-emptive patents seem to crop up with some regularity)
It has to be doable. A sentiment analysis pipeline is doable and has been done in other contexts. The patent has to describe to someone skilled in the state of the art how to build the thing you want to patent. That's the whole point. You don't have to build it or sell whatever prototype you did build or use it but it has to be possible.
Sticking a piece of black masking tape over webcams on my devices is pretty much a reflex reaction for me these days. EFF also sells a nice set of stickers for this exact purpose:
I think I have never actually used the front facing camera on my smartphone. Video conference calls on my laptop are so few and far between that removing and replacing a small bit of sticky tape is really not much of an inconvenience.
> The patent also details a new text-messaging platform that would detect how hard you type, and use that information to attempt to work out how you feel.
Unrelated, but are there any phone keyboards that interpret a hard press as uppercase and a soft press as lowercase?
Zuckerberg's been trying to highlight this webcam privacy issue for quite some time. I believe this may be his way of republicizing it while putting pressure (via patent) on those who may be using it.
Even a broken clock gives the exact time twice a day.
As a professional community, we have uterly failed at giving a flying fuck about anything other than quarterly revenue (aka. upholding a basic ethical standard). But now, we can at least be hopeful that the biggest and meanest shark in town is going to sue into oblivion any other party that tries to spy on its customers; and over pattent infringement, nonetheless.
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[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 64.9 ms ] thread> "We often seek patents for technology we never implement, and patents should not be taken as an indication of future plans,” said a Facebook spokesperson.
So can I just apply for a patent for that impossibly strong rope needed for space elevators and if anything should ever figure out how to build it, I can sue them?
(Though in this particular case, yes please, Facebook, by all means please get the patent and don't build it and make sure no one else can build it either)
wow
So, basically, WhatsApp story all over again(0)?
0. "No, dear EC, we won't and can't link WhatsApp and Facebook accounts". Few years later: "Oops".
They needed to engineer a mechanism to do so.
From a purely literal perspective they were honest.
(The example is kind of absurd as that technology is pretty horrible, but reports about pre-emptive patents seem to crop up with some regularity)
https://supporters.eff.org/shop/laptop-camera-cover-set
I think I have never actually used the front facing camera on my smartphone. Video conference calls on my laptop are so few and far between that removing and replacing a small bit of sticky tape is really not much of an inconvenience.
Unrelated, but are there any phone keyboards that interpret a hard press as uppercase and a soft press as lowercase?
(Relative to your average tap force)
[1] https://i.imgur.com/QaKmKHi.jpg
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14462785
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14393991
This story has no value.
As a professional community, we have uterly failed at giving a flying fuck about anything other than quarterly revenue (aka. upholding a basic ethical standard). But now, we can at least be hopeful that the biggest and meanest shark in town is going to sue into oblivion any other party that tries to spy on its customers; and over pattent infringement, nonetheless.