Researchers from the Institute for Information Industry in Taiwan have developed a vending machine that recommends purchases based on people's faces. The machine builds a profile after checking characteristics such as complexion and hair color, said researcher Tsai Chi-hang. Those clues help the machine guess a shopper's gender, approximate age and other things that might be helpful in promoting a suitable product. Consumers' choices will be collected and stored by software connected to the Internet through fixed or wireless networks, which will help retailers to analyze consumers' preferences. The machine can also automatically detect any electronic devices the consumer might be carrying, such as smartphones, e-readers or tablets, enabling easy access for downloading e-books, music or films offered by the machine. More here : http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?ID=201101130034&Type=aECO
I think this type of technology is intrusive and annoying. I don't want a company to tell me what I want to buy. How do you all feel about that?
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