Eyes on You

I've been fascinated lately with how easily we dismiss our privacy these days. Take how casually we accept being video-taped dozens of times a day on public web cams for instance. How many patrons at the ElboRoom in Ft. Lauderdale realize or even care that they are being watched right now?

That's not to say that I don't love being able to see the beach there or in Maui in real time. For a traveler like me, being able to see London, or New York or Amsterdam or Brazil is priceless but it comes at a cost that we don't really think about paying.

Earthcam is just one company offering hundreds of sites of public surveillance. The possible viewers are endless and it's not much of stretch to imagine this kind of network being used to track individuals. I wonder for instance how many people at the Anchorage Alaska DMV or on this street in Miami realize they are being watched by thousands of strangers on the internet?

The same satellite technology that brings us the convenience of cell phones and GPS systems in our cars, leaves us increasingly vulnerable to unreasonable scrutiny for political reasons. Just something to think about.

And speaking of public scrutiny, check out the Loftcube Project. These guys from Berlin came up with a great concept -- kind of a portable penthouse, but the view cuts both ways. Talk about living in glass houses... Go through the whole menu. It's well worth a walk through. I especially loved the swivel showerhead that also watered the plants.