Harry Potter “Whereabouts Clock” trialled by Microsoft
JK Rowling would be proud. Microsoft has completed trials of a Harry Potter-style tracking device that can monitor the movements of family members through their mobile phones.
The software giant’s Whereabouts Clock features a screen that shows the approximate location of an individual – such as “school”, “work” or “gym”. Microsoft has just finished field trials of the system, which was installed in the homes of several families living near the company’s research laboratories in Cambridge. It is now looking at how to market the product.
The Microsoft device works by identifying which cell of a mobile phone network a family member is in at any given time. When users set up the Whereabouts Clock they have to give each cell a name, such as “work” or “school”, by downloading software onto their phone. The device recognises their location each time they enter that cell.
Users who wish to conceal their location can switch off the application. If they want to provide more precise information, they can text a message that will appear on the clock face.
Source: The Times Online
JK Rowling was born in the town of Yate, South Gloucestershire in 1965. She is the most successful literary author of all time and her world-famous Harry Potter series has so far sold a staggering 400,000,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into over sixty five different languages.
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Posted: May 17th, 2009
Author: Floresiensis
Categories: JK Rowling
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