Jump to content

Walmart gains patent to eavesdrop on shoppers and employees in stores


pipedreams
 Share

Recommended Posts

"Walmart this week was awarded a US patent for a new listening system for its stores that could raise serious privacy concerns from its shoppers and workers.

"Additionally, the sound sensors can capture audio of conversations between guests and an employee stationed at the terminal," the patent states. "The system can process the audio of the conversation to determine whether the employee stationed at the terminal is greeting guests."

The new concept hasn't been implemented in Walmart stores and Walmart didn't say whether it ever will be."

https://www.cnet.com/news/walmart-gains-patent-to-eavesdrop-on-shoppers-and-employees-in-stores/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0g&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_content=5bcc25204b738500011c105a&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, janice6 said:

My comments in stores primarily reflect my disappointment with the stock and selection.  They are welcome to listen to all my reflections on their business model.  

 

Sounds familiar. I tend to add the occasional '*******' for people blocking an entire isle.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think many of us will live long enough to see a world similar to what was portrayed in the science fiction movie with Tom Cruise, "Minority Report", where scanners on doors of stores and other places read your retina pattern and determine who you are. We may not get to retina scans but facial recognition is already in widespread use and before long you might walk into a store and a voice will greet you by name, and ask you if you liked your take out Chinese food last night, and are you still considering that new holster you were looking at online, and whether or not you might want to look at xxxx in the store you just entered, or something very similar. And between facial recognition, license plate scanning, and tracking via cell phone towers, the government will know pretty much everyplace you have been, who you talked to, and maybe even what you said. Privacy will become a relic of the past, and when a gun ban is made the law, they will know exactly where to come to get your guns. Maybe right now, before its too late, a buried water proof case with at least a bug out gun and ammo is the right strategy. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you paranoid souls only knew how much spyware was out there already... I have no doubt my bride has secretly installed spy software on my phone to track my whereabouts, collect texts and Internet browsing etc. She knows things she couldn't possibly know otherwise. What used to be gossip is now high tech surveillance. Best to just keep your nose clean. Walmart listening to what I'd like to do to the pawg in isle 14 is the least of my concerns. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The really funny part about this, is that If Walmart actually listens to the customers, every criticism will be redefined by the store executives to be the fault of the customers, not the store.

If a business is poorly run and/or poorly managed, it is because those in positions of authority are doing what they don't know, and nothing will be interpreted in any other form than as a criticism of their management techniques.  Therefore it is the customer that will be wrong, not the management.

Those companies that need management improvements, are usually the least receptive to any suggestions for improvement that they did not come up with themselves.

If this initial story is true, I seriously doubt that anything will come about from it.  It takes a strong leader to respond positively to constructive criticism and I believe that's rare in the retail business.

I see this as much adieu about nothing.  Or at most, a means of monitoring employees!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, SevenSixtyTwo said:

If you paranoid souls only knew how much spyware was out there already... I have no doubt my bride has secretly installed spy software on my phone to track my whereabouts, collect texts and Internet browsing etc. She knows things she couldn't possibly know otherwise. What used to be gossip is now high tech surveillance. Best to just keep your nose clean. Walmart listening to what I'd like to do to the pawg in isle 14 is the least of my concerns. 

 

Our iPhones are synced up with our iPads and the daughters Itouch and iPad. One text, we all text.

one instagram we all instagram. 

One text received, all texts received.

pictures taken, everybody gets it on the cloud

 

the wife and I don’t worry about it, were faithful to an extreme.

if you have a kid over the age of 10, i recommend it highly.

 

.

Edited by Dric902
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not worth worrying about.  I spent 12 years in K-Mart, when it was climbing, then becoming the #1 retailer in the world.  The background noise, stuff going into carts, kids screaming, etc would fill terabytes of disks daily.  And the computing power needed in each store, to say nothing of the cables, mics, and other hardware involved would destroy any profit margin the company had.  And their profit margin is very low to begin with.  

And it does actually have a use.  Not all stores are open 24/7.  And using something like this could cover likely entrances for break-ins during that time.  Motion sensors don’t work, because there are always birds in the building.  

1 hour ago, UHLAWPUP said:

My only worry is being charged with homicide because I bored someone to death.

My life just isn’t that interesting.

And trust me, multiply UHLAWPUP by all the customers that go in those stores, and we won’t have space in the graveyards.  

Hawk 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/21/2018 at 5:52 PM, janice6 said:

The really funny part about this, is that If Walmart actually listens to the customers, every criticism will be redefined by the store executives to be the fault of the customers, not the store.

If a business is poorly run and/or poorly managed, it is because those in positions of authority are doing what they don't know, and nothing will be interpreted in any other form than as a criticism of their management techniques.  Therefore it is the customer that will be wrong, not the management.

Those companies that need management improvements, are usually the least receptive to any suggestions for improvement that they did not come up with themselves.

If this initial story is true, I seriously doubt that anything will come about from it.  It takes a strong leader to respond positively to constructive criticism and I believe that's rare in the retail business.

I see this as much adieu about nothing.  Or at most, a means of monitoring employees!

 

I think that is it, the useless **** executive want a way to measure their metrics they think matter.  Meanwhile, like you said the store is not stock and insulated cups are in 4 separate locations.  Try to use WalMarts new website, it is an unusable pile of **** with an Ellen degenrate slide show. 

 

America is suffering from terrible executive management.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Please Donate To TBS

    Please donate to TBS.
    Your support is needed and it is greatly appreciated.
×
×
  • Create New...