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Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by ortusdux on Sunday August 07, 2022 @05:38PM (#32380170)
WLAN sensing. Off the shelf mesh wifi systems are capable of sensing people reliably. This includes qty, position, motion, & gestures.

Here is the IEEE spec due for approval in a year or two: https://www.ieee802.org/11/Reports/tgbf_update.htm

I have mixed feelings on the tech. The home security implications are amazing, and things like automatic fall detection for the elderly would be a literal lifesaver. Small business could gain great insight into customer behavior.

On the other hand, it's just creepy. How do you prevent the next apartment over from spying through your walls? Is the hotel wifi going to recognize and catalog physical activity between two people?

Anyway, Plume already makes a home security system that utilizes the tech.

https://support.plume.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043364893

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by icco on Monday August 08, 2022 @11:12PM (#32393886)
Most big retailers use this tech already to track how customers walk through their stores.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264822934_Mining_of... https://www.aislelabs.com/blog/2022/04/04/combining-camera-a...

There's lots of other examples, this was just a quick google search.

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by purecoolnesss on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @07:00AM (#32410071)
I remember interviewing for shopping centre chain (mall). They had this in 2018 already. It had an accuracy of +/- 1m but they had ways to normalise it to the layout of the store. Didn't require them to even be on the network just have their wifi on.

They not only used it to price their storefronts but also they also could tell their renters which parts of the store had higher traffic. Meaning they would know what sells better, where people go from which section. It's literally web analytics but irl.

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by ortusdux on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @10:02AM (#32412102)
This specific tech - WLAN sensing - tracks the signal disruptions caused by the water in our bodies. This makes it quite different than all previous techs that require the target to have a broadcasting device or other ping-able tracker. Reportedly, even pets are easily identifiable.
Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by dirkg on Tuesday August 09, 2022 @06:03PM (#32404994)
I had no idea about this and the implications are truly terrifying and amazing.

Its not just wifi at home the entire world is now a big mesh network. So theoretically it means literally everything everywhere which has wifi coverage can now be tracked with amazing accuracy. Quite possibly the most scary/invasive tech.

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by fullstackchris on Tuesday August 09, 2022 @11:34PM (#32407600)
meh, the FBI, CIA, and all big tech already know you are at home... does it really matter if they know you are on the couch or at your dining room table?
Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by Phileosopher on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @07:29AM (#32410234)
It may give a means to triangulate _what_ you're doing while on the couch or at the dining room table.

"Nothing to hide" may be true, until someone passes an immoral law.

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by alexpotato on Monday August 08, 2022 @10:41AM (#32385971)
> On the other hand, it's just creepy. How do you prevent the next apartment over from spying through your walls? Is the hotel wifi going to recognize and catalog physical activity between two people?

I would imagine you just take the "country/private club" model and extend it out.

e.g. a private club enforces limits on who can access the club and you get more "privacy" since the other people in the club also had to pass through those limits.

In this case, the club/hotel/builder of your house can say "the walls are all Faraday rated so that you get audio, visual and EM privacy when you stay here"

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by viggity on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @11:35AM (#32413746)
I can't imagine most people are going to put up with their cellphones not working in exchange for the privacy
Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by rewq4321 on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @05:48PM (#32418872)
Not the person you're replying to, but if you're willing to do that to your walls, you're probably willing to pay for an external antenna and internal transmitter
Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by huevosabio on Tuesday August 09, 2022 @08:26PM (#32406461)
Well, this is something I completely did not expect and now I am going down the rabbit hole of how this works...

Thanks!

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by roey2009 on Monday August 08, 2022 @08:28PM (#32392779)
Welp, welcome to the surveillance state, everyone!
Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by nailer on Wednesday August 10, 2022 @07:33AM (#32410267)
What is qty? Quantity of people? Quality of signal? Something else?
Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by rolandog on Tuesday August 09, 2022 @05:16PM (#32404447)
> This includes qty, position, motion, & gestures.

Wow. That's terrifying.

Re:Ask HN: What's the next big thing that few people are tal... by le-hu on Friday August 19, 2022 @01:38PM (#32523945)
oh my god