Bars Installing Facial Detection Cameras Inside Venues

SceneTap, an Austin-based nightlife start-up, recently launched its facial detection software at 25 bars in San Francisco. Using a free iPhone or Android App, an individual can get a snapshot of the San Francisco bar scene, including male-to-female ratio, average age, and crowd size — all in real time.

The way it works, according to SceneTap is that bars place special facial detection cameras inside their venues, which pick up on facial characteristics to determine the approximate age and gender of the bar crowd. All your personal information remains anonymous, and nothing about you or your face is stored long-term.

Venue owners will have access to this aggregated demographic information, and over time they can use it to measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts.

SceneTap is already up and running in a half-dozen other cities, and to date, the company’s cameras have tracked more than 8.5 million people in bars and restaurants in these cities.

 

U.S. Ambassador to Israel: America “Ready” to Strike Iran if Necessary

According to Washington’s envoy to Israel, the U.S. has plans in place to attack Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, if necessary.

In a speech to the Israel Bar Association, Dan Shapiro said the U.S. hopes it will not have to resort to military force.

“But that doesn’t mean that option is not fully available. Not just available, but it’s ready,” he said. “The necessary planning has been done to ensure that it’s ready.”

Iran remains steadfast in it’s position that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, like energy production. The U.S. and Israel suspect Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.

The Obama White House continues to push diplomacy and economic sanctions as the way to go to stop Iran from obtaining Nukes.

Israel, while saying it would prefer a diplomatic solution, has expressed skepticism and says time is running out for effective military action.

President Obama has assured Israel that the U.S. is prepared to take military action if necessary, but Shapiro’s comments were the most explicit sign yet that preparations have been made.

In his speech, Shapiro acknowledged that time is running out.

“We do believe there is time. Some time, not an unlimited amount of time,” Shapiro said. “But at a certain point, we may have to make a judgment that the diplomacy will not work.”

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany are preparing for a May 23 meeting with Iran in Baghdad. Shortly after the meeting, the U.N. atomic agency is to release its latest report card on Iran’s nuclear efforts.

In Tehran on Thursday, top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili warned against Western pressure at next week’s talks, which are a follow-up to negotiations in Istanbul last month that all sides described as positive.

“Cooperation is what we can talk about in Baghdad,” Jalili said in comments broadcast on Iranian state TV. “Some say time is running out for the talks,” he added. “I say time for the (West’s) pressure strategy is running out.”

Israel’s military chief told the Associated Press last month that other countries as well as Israel have readied their armed forces for a potential strike against Iran’s nuclear sites.

Kentucky Man Buys Out Entire Kmart Store, Donates To Charity

In an unbelievable act of generosity a local business owner in Clark County, Kentucky took his hard-earned money and bought an amazing amount of clothing and supplies to help the less fortunate there.

Rankin Paynter was buying items in a Clark County K-Mart that was being closed down when he wondered to himself where all the unsold items were going. A clerk told him power buyers take it all, so he decided to be one, the final one.

Six hours and four cash registers later, Paynter had bought a couple hundred thousand dollars worth of merchandise, all of which he donated to Clark County Community Services.

“What I see is people coming in my store, needy people sell their stuff,” said Paynter, who owns a jewelry exchange business in Winchester. “It’s bad nowadays. I just told (the clerk) lets just give it away to charity.”