ADS THAT WATCH YOU -REVOLUTION IN ADVERTISING!

So u think that those ads in shopping malls , plazas,grocery stores are just there to be seen by people?think again cause smart ads use sensors to tailor content according to the viewer(you and me) gender,ethicity and approximate age are going to be the norm in the near future and is already being implemented for limited use for now.This may resemble the Tom Cruise starrer 'Minority Report' but its a proof of one's dream coming to life.Call it face reading, face counting, gaze tracking or, more generally, face-based audience measurement -the future looks bright.

Miniature cameras can now be embedded in the screen or hidden around it, tracking who looks at the screen and for how long.According to the makers of the tracking systems ,the software can determine the viewer's gender, approximate age range and, in some cases, ethnicity — and can change the ads accordingly.The manufacturers say their systems can accurately determine gender 85 to 90 percent of the time, while accuracy for the other measures continues to be refined.

According to Vicki Rabenou, the chief measurement officer of Tampa, Fla.-based TruMedia Technologies Inc., one of the leaders in developing the technology, "This is proactive merchandising,You're targeting people with smart ads."This technology could mean that cosmetic ads for women,bike ads for men and game ads for children.But even if the ad screen is not changing,the ability to recognize the age group and gender of the viewer is a valid statistical tracking tool that may aid advertisers in reaching out more effectively to their targetted audience.

But crossing the line of privacy is a major bone of contention againt this technology.People who may feel offended that their privacy is being breached or being analysed foe their ethnicity and gender without their permissions could see this technology getting dragged around the court rooms before it becomes widely used.But supporters of this technology may argue that only facial features like cheekbones, fullness of lips and the gap between the eyebrows is taken into consideration, people should have little worries.