Ready for the future of boozy nights out? A US-based start-up is working hard to ensure that you never have to go to a disappointingly-barren bar ever again, with scarily Orwellian methods. Here’s how to scope out a scene before you even get there.
SceneTap is a start-up company based out of Austin, which has since set up in the more bustling San Francisco bar scene. It’s sealed a deal with 25 bars in the city – happening places with names like ‘Fluid Ultra Lounge’ and ‘Kozy Kar Bar’ – to install a series of terrifying face-detecting cameras.
Download the free iOS or Android app, and you’ll be able to assess ahead of time whether it’s worth going in. How? The cameras scan the room, picking out faces and attributing tags to them.
Kinect for desktop: the future of face-detection
On the app, you’ll get a real-time readout of the amount of people inside, the average age and, crucially, the male-to-female ratio. This is all done without the pub-goers permission, which makes it all seem like a bit like an unrequited version of Grindr.
The system is set to go live this Friday. How long before scanning the bar ahead of time becomes the norm? The bars are being sold the idea on the promise of receiving detailed analytics of their venue’s demographic, which means it’s likely to spread, but it might take the spontaneity out of your nights on the town.
Via SFWeekly
