There
are two facets to technology – one that aids crime and the other that helps fight
it, says a tech fan.
AD: Hi, you said that you were going to invite
your nephew over this month. What happened?
BC: No, he's away on some work, but his auto
reply offered me the complete details of his whereabouts, how long he would be
away, his mobile number – right down to the fact that he would be locked up in
day-long meetings...
AD: That’s typically how any auto reply
mail would read...
BC: What if the information falls into the wrong
hands – someone could break in and...
AD: Oh, c’mon, all this fuss over…
BC: Today’s professionals are forever
travelling - and if you know their name and the organization they are working
for, finding out their official mail id isn’t exactly rocket science. Once you send
them a mail, an auto response would reveal all the details you would want to
know. Imagine, someone could actually be outside the apartment, sending a mail from
their mobile phone to find out if the person is in town...
AD: You are paranoid, but I agree with you
on one point - technology is making crime more daring and more difficult to
solve.
BC: If you’re referring to cybercrime...
AD: Not just that. I'm also talking about the
steps taken by criminals to stay undetected, like using online telephonic and
chat services, and encryption technology...
BC: The scary part is that these gizmos,
apps and software are commonplace and can be bought or downloaded from anywhere...
AD: That's right. Apparently, the US is
pioneering predictive technology, like the Omega Group’s CrimeView Dashboard,
to identify and prevent crime from occurring in a particular place.
BC: How does this work?
AD: Information fed into the system helps create
a snapshot of the activities in the area. If anything suspicious is detected,
the security gets beefed up in that area.
BC: But can it work in large cities and in
remote areas? How can they be constantly monitored?
AD: As always, you are underestimating technology
– if a burglar can be caught through his DNA samples, then...
BC: How did they get his sample?
AD: That was the easy part - he left it
behind when he cut himself in the place of crime...
BC: And as they say in the crime novels,
the trail of blood led straight back to him. While technology is being used by
the law and the lawless, shouldn't the common man have access to it to save
himself?
AD: He sure should, and Life360 can help him
in this task...
BC: What is it?
AD: It's an app for families to keep track
of one another, in terms of their location. It also helps them stay in touch
with one another, thereby ensuring everyone's safety.
BC: So each member of the family carries a
mobile phone with this app - and technology provides the safety net.
AD: Right! The app sends alerts when a
family member is moving from one place to another, and also offers useful
information, like the location of the nearest police station or hospital...
BC: Sounds reassuring, especially in these
testing times...
AD: But technology has moved beyond DNA
tests - right now, scientists are experimenting with biometric techniques that
study a person's feet and the way he walks, to help identify him.
BC: This will put the law in a win-win
situation.
AD: How?
BC: If the criminals take to their heels,
the law can catch them using this technology – and if they don’t move, they’ll
get caught anyway.
Brilliant very nice.
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