How much do 'they' know?

Shrews

I watched Barbarella for the first time in ages last night. Had a shit day at work, needed something easy on the eye, fun and light hearted.

A few minutes ago I google searched BBC news on the phone, and in the search up popped this:

 
Now, fair enough, it could be a complete coincidence, but given there's likely thousands of films I've watched over the years, then it's a huge one!

Then I thought maybe I had seen this advert before and my subconcious had influenced the choice from my DVD collection. But no, I have had a selection of maybe half a dozen films close to my TV ready to watch for some time, including some Biblical epics as it's that time of year.

So, coincidence? Or is there something more sinister at work?!

(for the record I have not google searched Barbarella, Jane Fonda, Duran Duran, Orgasmatrons or anything else associated with the film in recent days, weeks, or months). 

RaymondLin

Is your DVD player plugged into the network?

monquixote

I would expect the most likely explanation is that you had already seen a similar article on a news feed without registering but it triggered you to want to watch Barbarella.

Kittyfrisk

I tend to favour coincidence or as @monquixote  suggested.
Unlikely, but do you possibly have an internet connected 'smart' TV?
https://uk.pcmag.com/dvd/126704/how-to-stop-smart-tvs-from-snooping-on-you

Shrews

No internet connection to the TV, it's 15 years old now and before the SMART era.

@monquixote

I did think that, but Barbarella was already on my DVD short list to watch (taken out of the storage unit and waiting by the TV with a few others). This advert was apparently 2 days old, but the DVD has been at the side of the TV for maybe 2 weeks, if not longer. 

I have noticed that I did look up the Mick Jagger film 'Performance' maybe a week ago, and one of the co-stars is the woman who played the 'pretty-pretty' great tyrant. But that's the only link I can think of that has any relevance and surely not, seeing as she'd only a co-starring role in both movies. 

Winny_Pooh

Microsoft Vaccine innit sheeple

Emp_Fab

Have you accidentally bumped into this man recently ?

Fingers657

I’ve never heard anyone male female or not sure that has a voice anywhere near Jane Fonda’s .
It’s quite unique and wonderful.
Shes one actor I would love to have dinner with.

snowblind

If you had your phone nearby (assuming it is a smartphone of some sort) while you were watching the film then the sound from the film will have been picked up, analysed, identified and the information tagged and fed into the data lakes.

It is what smartphones are for. And I know apple/google et al all swear blind that they don't record sound and they anonymize any data they collect ya-da-ya-da-ya-da but if you consider that phones have voice control so that means they are listening pretty much constantly. This is even before you have installed whatever "helpful" apps that seem to need access rights to your entire life. Why does an egg timer app need access to photos, contacts, audio control etc etc etc?

You can have fun with this stuff. Sit around with some mates, phones on the table and discuss something random like maybe ironing board covers or extreme skiing. Ideally make the topic of conversation something off-base from your normal interests. Wait a while then watch what happens to your ad feeds. If anyone has the amazon app on their phone then it won't take long.

George Orwell might have been ahead of his time imagining all this stuff but he only guessed the half of it. He thought of governments spying on their populations. He didn't really think of corporations doing it. We're all just product.

Kurtis

Shrews said:

No internet connection to the TV, it's 15 years old now and before the SMART era.

@monquixote

I did think that, but Barbarella was already on my DVD short list to watch (taken out of the storage unit and waiting by the TV with a few others). This advert was apparently 2 days old, but the DVD has been at the side of the TV for maybe 2 weeks, if not longer. 

I have noticed that I did look up the Mick Jagger film 'Performance' maybe a week ago, and one of the co-stars is the woman who played the 'pretty-pretty' great tyrant. But that's the only link I can think of that has any relevance and surely not, seeing as she'd only a co-starring role in both movies. 

It does seem a bit of a coincidence that you chose to watch it just when people are discussing a remake. 

monquixote

snowblind said:

If you had your phone nearby (assuming it is a smartphone of some sort) while you were watching the film then the sound from the film will have been picked up, analysed, identified and the information tagged and fed into the data lakes.

It is what smartphones are for. And I know apple/google et al all swear blind that they don't record sound and they anonymize any data they collect ya-da-ya-da-ya-da but if you consider that phones have voice control so that means they are listening pretty much constantly. This is even before you have installed whatever "helpful" apps that seem to need access rights to your entire life. Why does an egg timer app need access to photos, contacts, audio control etc etc etc?

You can have fun with this stuff. Sit around with some mates, phones on the table and discuss something random like maybe ironing board covers or extreme skiing. Ideally make the topic of conversation something off-base from your normal interests. Wait a while then watch what happens to your ad feeds. If anyone has the amazon app on their phone then it won't take long.

George Orwell might have been ahead of his time imagining all this stuff but he only guessed the half of it. He thought of governments spying on their populations. He didn't really think of corporations doing it. We're all just product.

I am certain that this doesn't happen.

Reason one You can tell when the audio subsystem of a phone is running and it drains the battery significantly.

Reason two. Thousands of people work at these companies and have access to the source code. Anyone doing this would be found out very quickly and sued for billions.

Emp_Fab

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

monquixote

Emp_Fab said:

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

I would expect that is true but the NSA aren't interested in what DVDs you are watching.

EricTheWeary

I saw one of my cousins yesterday for the first time in forty years. Just making chit chat and he explained how the government is using my credit card to track my movements and he only uses cash. Maybe leave it another forty years. 

[not that I’d care if they were “quick Rishi, Eric is buying more liquorice all sorts from the CoOp”] 

A Barberella remake sounds awful. It’s very kitsch and of it’s time and that’s the appeal of it really. 

Philly_Q

Sydney Sweeney as Barbarella...?

Emp_Fab

monquixote said:

Emp_Fab said:

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

I would expect that is true but the NSA aren't interested in what DVDs you are watching.

Depends on the DVDs doesn't it?

I mean "How to make a bomb, Vol 1 & 2" might raise concerns.  Especially the director's cut with the blooper reel.

robgilmo

Emp_Fab said:

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

You dont even need to do that, the police for instance can track a phone without doing this, they need reason to, but it can be done.

Kittyfrisk

robgilmo said:

Emp_Fab said:

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

You dont even need to do that, the police for instance can track a phone without doing this, they need reason to, but it can be done.

Isn't this just triangulation using base stations?

robgilmo

Kittyfrisk said:

robgilmo said:

Emp_Fab said:

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

You dont even need to do that, the police for instance can track a phone without doing this, they need reason to, but it can be done.

Isn't this just triangulation using base stations?

Not sure, I do know the phone only has to be switched on though, it doesnt actually have to be calling anyone.

Kittyfrisk

robgilmo said:

Kittyfrisk said:

robgilmo said:

Emp_Fab said:

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

You dont even need to do that, the police for instance can track a phone without doing this, they need reason to, but it can be done.

Isn't this just triangulation using base stations?

Not sure, I do know the phone only has to be switched on though, it doesnt actually have to be calling anyone.

Yep, the phone is constantly communicating with transmission stations when switched on.
I used to like that FM radios made 'dot to dot to dot to dot' tones before you received a call on older non smart mobiles 

robgilmo

Kittyfrisk said:

robgilmo said:

Kittyfrisk said:

robgilmo said:

Emp_Fab said:

For the record, it absolutely is possible to inject code into a phone remotely.  Code that can convertly activate the mic & cameras and read the GPS data.  It's only done in certain scenarios and isn't what we're talking about here but it most definitely happens.

You dont even need to do that, the police for instance can track a phone without doing this, they need reason to, but it can be done.

Isn't this just triangulation using base stations?

Not sure, I do know the phone only has to be switched on though, it doesnt actually have to be calling anyone.

Yep, the phone is constantly communicating with transmission stations when switched on.
I used to like that FM radios made 'dot to dot to dot to dot' tones before you received a call on older non smart mobiles 

Its quite scary because if your phone is at the scene of a crime it could easily be ascertained that you were too. A bit like finding a terrorists passport at the scene of a terror attack.