It was your Christmas present to yourself; you are buying it this year; or waiting on the next best thing – slick and slim, Smart TVs are invading our living rooms. But this time they might be watching us.
Smart Numbers
US firm Strategy Analytics reports that there are now 104 million Smart TVs installed worldwide. In the States household penetration of Smart TVs has exceeded 20%; but China with its growing middle class is catching up fast; whereas Japan can boast an installed base of more than 21 million units – making it the largest market.
Think of Smart TVs as ginormous smart phones – they enable us to browse the internet, post updates to social networks, purchase movies and music, connect to other devices and push media. In other words it was only a matter of time before somebody decided to hack them.
Smart Hacking
Just under a month ago Malta-based startup ReVuln said it had discovered a vulnerability that allows hackers to remotely retrieve sensitive information and monitor one of the most popular models of Smart TVs.
Here’s what ReVuln specialists were able to access:
- TV settings and channel lists
- SecureStorage accounts
- Widgets and their configurations
- History of USB movies
- ID
- Firmware
- Whole partitions
- USB drives attached to the TV
Access to USB drives means access to sensitive documents, such as usernames, passwords, financial documents or material that should remain private. Smart tellies were commonly, but wrongly, thought to be immune from malware and hacking attacks. However these findings make information security a potential concern.
Smart & Spooky
With increasing numbers of consumer electronics devices being equipped with sensors, cameras and microphones the technology using facial recognition, audio analysis and monitoring is just around the corner.
Under a month ago the U.S. cable provider Verizon has applied to patent a set-top box technology that can observe what’s going on in the room and show viewers adverts based on what it detects. According to the company’s U.S. Patent Application 20120304206 the box can detect when people are ‘cuddling’ and then show ‘a commercial for a romantic getaway vacation, a commercial for a contraceptive, or an ad for flowers’.
So will we end up living in the “Minority Report” type of society? Or will we be able to outsmart the technology we are creating? What are your thoughts?
In the meantime watch Michael Saylor, CEO and founder of business intelligence company, Microstrategy, talk about Smart TV as the next best thing:
By Vlad andrianov, ADMA
