All About Race » Technology http://www.allaboutrace.com Fresh and fearless conversation about race in America. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:34:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 HP Whites Only Face-Tracking Webcam http://www.allaboutrace.com/2009/12/21/hps-whites-only-webcam-face-tracking/ http://www.allaboutrace.com/2009/12/21/hps-whites-only-webcam-face-tracking/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:08:25 +0000 Carmen D. http://www.allaboutrace.com/?p=4032 So it turns out that HP’s face tracking webcams only work with white folks. Bwahahahaha. “Technology is colorblind” in your face. Check it out via Current.com:


Make sure you watch until near the end. Turns out “Black Desi” has a surprise for his wife to boot.

HP responds:

“We are working with our partners to learn more. 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 that the camera might have difficulty “seeing” contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting.”

“Foreground lighting”??!!?? LMAO!!!

Now it’s not like I think HP’s oversight was committed on purpose. I think they just didn’t care.

Also, I do wonder if maybe such a glaring oversight is the result of having no person of color testing the technology? Did HP just think no one would notice? I know black folks are only 12% of the US population but HP does have global clients of color, right?

And so it goes…

Via SharkFu on Twitter

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