> Major Variola (ret)[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992256 > > Airbus, the European jet manufacturer, is planning to build concealed > cameras into the light fittings above the seats in its aircraft. The > idea is to let the crew monitor passengers and spot hijackers before > they strike. The cameras also work in the dark. > [...]
> One plan Airbus is considering, says the firm's cabin security expert > Rolf Gvdecke, involves hiding a tiny camera inside the light fittings > above each passenger seat, surrounded by a ring of infrared LEDs. The > cameras will normally work with ambient light, but switch to infrared > when the cabin is dark. > I would suspect that the engineering for this has been well developed for years - it seems a natural extension of the habit of some national carriers (Air France is the one usually pointed out, but one suspects they are not alone) of wiring first class seats for sound, for purposes of industrial espionage. Extending the capabilities to all classes, and to video (need to read those negotiating postions on lap top screens, after all) seems a natural step. Once again, terrorism is used as the justification for the further removal of the right of privacy. Peter Trei
