Jump to content
Sledgstone

Retail Stores Are Tracking You Using Your Smartphone

Recommended Posts

http://lifehacker.com/how-retail-stores-track-you-using-your-smartphone-and-827512308
 



 

Nordstrom’s experiment is part of a movement by retailers to gather data about in-store shoppers’ behavior and moods, using video surveillance and signals from their cellphones and apps to learn information as varied as their sex, how many minutes they spend in the candy aisle and how long they look at merchandise before buying it.

All sorts of retailers — including national chains, like Family Dollar, Cabela’s and Mothercare, a British company, and specialty stores like Benetton and Warby Parker — are testing these technologies and using them to decide on matters like changing store layouts and offering customized coupons.

 

 

Basically as long as you have WIFI turned on, your phone will recognize WIFI networks in the area. Even if you do not connect to any WIFI networks, those networks can see your phone and just like your phone can recognize a network is in the area... But these networks will record your MAC address and can then determine your position in the store, watch where you are going and know everything you are looking at as long as you are within range of it.

 

Turn your WIFI off when you are not using it.



This post has been promoted to an article

gallery_1_23_1357354444_270.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites


If not for employee tracking, stores could do something else.. They could extend their WIFI networks out to their parking lots and into streets, then get RFID chips embedded into the packaging of more expensive items. The system could then auto alert an employee when a HD TV leaves the store, where it went to in the parking lot and then what direction it drove away in. Then the security could look at the parking lot security camera, rewind the footage and have a license plate to report to the police.


gallery_1_23_1357354444_270.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That would actually be one of the best things retail stores could do to help eliminate shrinkage. I know my store would benefit from something like this since we lose a lot of merchandise during the night since we're so short staffed (hell the other night a customer stole over $1000 worth of jewelry). Plus the fact that Wal-Mart doesn't allow us to stop the shoplifters before they get out of the store this could help management alert the cops faster and give more details. Honestly I'm surprised this hasn't been looked into yet.


large.bloodborn.gif.63e152c6830b8c58a589

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Similar Content

    • By Sledgstone
      http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57526994-94/android-users-outraged-over-motorolas-broken-promise/
      Next phone I buy will be an HTC or a Samsung. I will never buy a Motorola phone again. I specifically bought this phone because it was on sale, it had basically the same specs as the samsung galaxy at the time and it was guaranteed to be upgraded to the latest android operating system.
      I never got that upgraded operating system. Android 2.3 is so outdated, that numerous apps are not even available for it. I cannot even run Google Chrome.. wtf. No Vine, no Time Warner app, etc. Numerous basic features on all phones are not available to me because I bought this phone with the belief that I'd only use the old operating system for another month or so. I remember when my brother's Nexus got upgraded to android 4.1, he was talking about how it was like a brand new phone again.. I was looking forward to this upgrade for so long.. and then my hopes were crushed.
      Say no to Motorola. Don't even bother buying their crap, because its completely unsupported.
    • By Sledgstone
      Here is a video of Samsung's flexible screen tech from 2 years ago. Samsung, Sony and LG will all have flexible screens soon. This video was made before LG's flexible battery tech. Because there were no flexible batteries, there had to be a solid piece of the phone. Now the entire thing can be potentially flexible.
       

       
      With how thin the screens can be, it might only be a matter of time before we have tablets that are the size of a standard 12 inch ruler that have screens that can be pulled / rolled out into full size.
       
      Source:  Dailymail
       
       
      The next interesting part is gesture control. All hands free control using ultrasound.
       
       

       
      Combine these two techs and we'll have the next gen cell phones, tablets, laptops, TVs of the future.
       
      Source: Bitrebels
       
       
      The flexible screen tech got me thinking.. they could make clothing out of those screens. Imagine a camouflage suit made out of this display technology. With the proper use of numerous mini cameras the screens could display your surroundings all over the suit and blend you completely into any location.
       
      Also, with screens that thin.. once they make them bigger and higher resolution, future TVs could be sold rolled up. Apply some double sided tape to your wall, unroll the tv and stick the screen in place. And with gesture control, we wouldn't need a camera built into the TV for smart app features.
    • By Sledgstone
      http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/07/15/201490397/How-Hackers-Tapped-Into-My-Verizon-Cellphone-For-250
       
       
       
      I originally heard this story back in July and I figured I'd post a topic about it. Cellphone companies have to ensure that people can use their service in their homes, but many newer homes have great roofing insulation.. so good that it blocks RF signals aka cellphone service as a side effect. So the cellphone companies made a product called a femtocell to give people in blackout areas or low signal areas full cellphone service. My brother had one of these when he was using Sprint. It connected to his high speed internet and he got a much better signal. These femtocells can be bought in electronic stores and online.. The range on these are small.. If someone is going to spy on you, it'll most likely be a neighbor in an apartment building where more people could be affected. Your phone will not show any roaming bars or give you any notification that you are on a femtocell (some might give you a double dial tone but only when making a call, not receiving one).. the phone will look like its on a regular connection and you will never know if someone is reading all your texts or recording your calls.
       
      Now think about how easily the police or NSA can listen in..
×
×
  • Create New...