Back in early January, I told you about a vending machine that refused to dispense pudding samples if it discerned that a child was standing in front of it. Now, courtesy of TechCrunch, comes word of a digital billboard that via "facial recognition software with an HD camera" will only display a promotional clip if it decides that a female is looking at it, with claimed 90% accuracy.
Why the distinction? The non-profit who came up with the idea is Plan UK, which raises funds for educating girls in third-world countries. And "men and boys are denied the choice to view the full content in order to highlight the fact that women and girls across the world are denied choices and opportunities on a daily basis due to poverty and discrimination."
I don't comment on 'em, folks. I just quote 'em. And I focus on the technical achievement, not on the underlying agenda.
Followup: Courtesy of Engadget, here's a video demonstration of how the digital billboard works (or, depending on your gender, doesn't work):
