Wixos builds out bus route Wi-Fi: Apparently a company called Wixos built a Wi-Fi network along some major bus routes in Paris. It was to be free until January 1, 2004, but the company decided instead to contract with Wi-Fi operators to start selling subscription services to users this month.
The more interesting application for the network is in how the bus system will use it. The buses are equipped with cameras that automatically take pictures of cars that are illegally driving in the bus lane. The photograph will be sent automatically via Wi-Fi to bus headquarters, where the system automatically produces a statement of the violation. The bus system has gone so far as to use watermarking on the images so they can prove to police that they didn’t alter the photos. Talk about Big Brother.
I used babelfish to translate the story that was written in French, so it’s possible some of my translation is a bit off. [via Eddy]