Posted on 12/22/2009 12:25:36 PM PST by DCurts
Hewlett-Packard is investigating a claim that Webcams built into its PCs are incapable of tracking the facial movements of black individuals and only function properly when Caucasians or people of other lighter-skinned races are in the frame.
The probe was prompted by a YouTube video in which a black man named Desi demonstrates the problem. The camera, which is designed to follow individuals' head movements, fails to track Desi as he moves in and out of the picture.
But when Desi's white co-worker, Wanda, enters the scene the camera follows her. "As soon as my blackness enters the frame, it stopped," says Desi. "Black Desi gets in there, no face recognition anymore buddy," says Desi.
"I'm going on the record and I'm saying it, Hewlett-Packard computers are racist," adds Desi, who says he's using an HP Media Smart PC.
HP officials posted a blog Sunday indicating that the company is taking the claim seriously and investigating if technical issues are behind the problem.
"Everything we do is focused on ensuring that we provide a high-quality experience for all our customers, who are ethnically diverse and work around the world. That's why when issues surface, we take them seriously and work hard to understand the root causes," said HP social media strategist Tony "Frosty" Welch.
The official implied that HP's Web cams may, indeed, have difficult tracking black individuals' faces.
"The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose. We believe the camera might have difficulty 'seeing' contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting," said Welch.
"We are working with our partners to learn more," said Welch.
Beyond a possible political backlash by African Americans, the glitch could also hurt HP sales in some hot emerging markets, such as India, where PC users tend to have skin tones that are darker than those of individuals of European descent.
Still, investors largely shrugged off the news, as HP shares were up 1.1%, to $52.56, in afternoon trading Tuesday.
Especially since this scenario was used in one of the original episodes of “BETTER OFF TED”.
THEIR SOLUTION: Hire a white guy to walk around with every black guy. (creating new jobs!)
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. :)
Retrofit with 500 watt quartz halogen bulb. Improved camera sensitivity for black people, suntans for white.
Win, win.
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.
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.
Good to know if any Soldier go into my Grandmothers living rooom, they will be able to hide.
Good to know if any Soldier go into my Grandmothers living rooom, they will be able to hide.
Gimme a break, you racist fools.
And God makes it hard to find us nakked white people in snowstorms!
I’m guessing that sending our jars of white face paint would be an unPC approach?
G-d needs to adjust the nature of light so that high contrast is banned, and we live in a uniform 11% gray world.
Madness. Complete madness.
What dat battery fo?
Also, I wonder if this camera would follow obama. Maybe half the time?
Phreepers are phunny, I love this thread!
Bwaahhahhaaahaaa!
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