// November 29th, 2004 // 1 Comment » // General
It appears as though some people are quite literally taking the use of camera-phones too far.
An article on IOL, reports that “…pupils at a boys-only Pietermaritzburg high school had a field day ogling camera-phone pictures taken up a teacher’s skirt, by a fellow pupil. According to media reports, the teacher in question is reportedly not amused and is pressing charges of crimen injuria against the boy who took the pictures.
While gyms were among the first to ban the use of camera phones a few years ago, strip clubs have also followed suit. More recently, Durban designer Dax Martin hosted a lingerie show during which scores of men were seen randomly taking happy snaps of the scantily-clad models.
Soap opera star Hlubi Mboya, who plays the role of Nandipha in Isidingo, says she hasn’t had any particularly bad experiences with the cellphone paparazzi. However, kwaito star Mandoza hasn’t been so lucky and says camera phones are a pet hate.”
But now it seems that there is something celebrities can do to fend off the paparazzi and emerge from their dark glasses.
The TimesOnline reports that by wearing a specially designed electronic badge that jams electronic cameras, they will be able to prevent photographers from taking unwanted pictures.
The “privacy protection system†being developed by Hewlett-Packard will allow the publicity-shy to transmit an infrared signal to any nearby compatible camera. Once activated, the camera’s software will automatically blur beyond recognition the face of anybody wearing the badge.
On the flipside there are stars who cannot get photographed enough and Nokia has stepped up to the challenge.
Nokia has therefore been developing a new Global Positioning System with which phonecam users will be able to invite paparazzi to take their picture. By clicking a “celebrity mode†button the camera sends out a Wi-Fi signal inviting anyone near by with a compatible camera to take a photograph.
To top it all off, Hewlett-Packard is developing a camera activated by a brooch or a clipped-on earring which can take a picture of someone without their knowledge.
The earring contains an accelerometer that detects a flick of the head and sends a wireless trigger signal to the camera to take a picture.
Interestingly, the movie,
Paparazzi, will hit our shores soon and deals with some of these issues. At least the trailer looks promising.
