While eye-tracking technology is certainly not new, both Google and Microsoft have taken the next evolutionary step in invasive marketing techniques. Both behemoths are using their hardware to track where your eyes are going in advertisements!
Years ago, when I was a young lad of twenty-something, I took part in one of those Mall Marketing Surveys. What it entailed was I was put in a booth and asked to watch a commercial, or set of commercials. One was a standing display of luggage accoutrements and another was of a couple playing at a beach. I was told that the hardware/software would be tracking my eye movements and where my gaze stayed during the commercials. It was cool and kind of skin-crawlingly creepy at the same time. It could see where I was looking!
Now Google has taken it one step further. Brad Reed over at bgr.com said: ” Marketing Land reports that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has approved a Google patent filing for so-called “pay-per-gaze” technology that will help marketing firms track users’ emotional responses to advertisements.” How does that sit with all you Google Glass users?
I remember thinking that with Microsoft’s xbox one/kinect and other hardware-with-a-camera, that this would be going on: hardware that watches you back. Brad Reed brings us from bgr.com the following as well: ” PerPolygon, Microsoft filed a patent application back in 2011 that detailed how Kinect could watch viewers to make sure they’re sitting through commercials and then reward them with special “achievements” for watching a certain number of ads. Polygon says that getting a certain number of achievements might unlock awards that could include digital gifts, avatar enhancements or reward points.”
I’ll stick to hardware that won’t watch me back.
Brick ONeil 