[DCurts]

Now even the computers are racist.

[ltc8k6]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4DT3tQqgRM

The video is absolutely hilarious and you can’t blame the black guy at all. The camera clearly doesn’t like him. It’s in mirror mode, if you are wondering about the backwards letters.

[ozzymandus]

Reminds me of my old high-school yearbooks, where the black kids sometimes appeared only as amorphous dark blobs.

[mreerm]

problem = HP Webcam doesn’t track blacks as well as whites (noticed by black Desi)

solution1 = recognize you’ve identified a problem to which you can offer a better solution...build/sell the better solution...benefit yourself financially and your fellow blacks who would buy this more black-sensitive/responsive webcam

solution2 = whine about the webcam problem you’ve discovered, insisting that an inanimate object is racist and demand that someone fix it for you

reality = HP shares were up 1.1%

[TexasCajun]

"Can You See Me Now?"

[The KG9 Kid]

Here's the YouTube video:

HP computers are racist

After seeing the video, which is impressive, it's clear that black Desi is just having some fun with this and doesn't appear to be genuinely offended.

He did find one hell of a good software/firmware bug. Good QA.

[smokingfrog]

In most holistic face recognition algorithms, the face needs to be either segmented or surrounded by a simple background. Furthermore, the faces presented to the algorithms need to be roughly frontal and well-illuminated for recognition to remain accurate. This is due to the algorithms' dependence on fundamentally linear or quasi-linear analysis techniques (Fourier, wavelet, Karhunen-Loeve decompositions, etc. are linear transformations). Thus, performance degrades rapidly under 3D orientation changes, non-linear illumination variation and background clutter (i.e. large, non-linear effects).

[Liberty Valance]

I know everything hasn't been quite right with me, but I can assure you now, very confidently, that it's going to be all right again. I feel much better now. I really do.

Look, Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over. I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you.

[pabianice]

Flash! Optics/physics found racist! NBC announces it will no longer use cameras for its TV shows!

[Finalapproach29er]

I can no longer distinguish reality from satire.

[rfp1234]

They should verify if it has the same effect on dark-masked Islamist terrorists.

[Above My Pay Grade]

His white friend was a woman. How does he know the computer doesn’t just hate men? :)

My theory is the webcam is designed to follow brain wave activity and this idiot wasn’t generating quite enough. :)

[dangerdoc]

Retrofit with 500 watt quartz halogen bulb. Improved camera sensitivity for black people, suntans for white.

Win, win.

[davisfh]

I can see now that it will be necessary to amend the laws of physics as regards the characteristics of light. We simply cannot have light waves behaving in a racial way.

[Redcloak]

It’s a question of dynamic range. There’s a reason why you don’t see many models with very dark skin. Photographic emulsions (and CCD imaging chips designed to photographic mimic emulsions) don’t have the same dynamic range as the human eye and thus can’t record subtle variations in skin tone in very dark skin. No matter how attractive a dark skinned model might be, if the camera can’t image her skin properly, then she just won’t make it in print work. In this case, the lack of dynamic range means that the facial recognition software won’t function properly. No racism; just physics and photochemistry.

[traditional1]

Oh, yeah; and "GOD" is racist; he turns the sky black at night ONLY.....

Gimme a break, you racist fools.

[cripplecreek]

I’m guessing that sending our jars of white face paint would be an unPC approach?

[Uncle Miltie]

G-d needs to adjust the nature of light so that high contrast is banned, and we live in a uniform 11% gray world.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Madness. Complete madness.

[Titan Magroyne]

Phreepers are phunny, I love this thread!

[mylife]

"Dude! That's weak!"