GeekChic: 25 March 2012
Only in this digital era would soldiers newly dispatched to a military base in the desert want to take photographs to post online.
I guess the pictures would impress their friends, not to mention the women who go for men in uniform... but on one occasion in 2007, it turned out to be a disastrous act.
The location of a US army base in Iraq was leaked because of a photograph posted online. It led to several helicopters being bombed.
All this, thanks to geotagging. It exists because new cameras, smartphones, tablets and laptops are fitted with GPS devices. The technology adds the location to any activity on the device, such as updates to social media or if you take a photograph.
For this reason, among others, cellphones are obviously banned in high-risk military zones. But a US official recently imposed the restriction on soldiers who are on routine missions too.
Geotagging is the reason some functions on social networks even exist, such as Facebook Places, which lets users "check-in" at locations. For instance, if you checked in at a coffee store, the GPS would pick it up and tell you that today is Free Muffin Day.
Geotag your holiday snap outside the Eiffel Tower while you are there, and it could tell you that 1572 others have been there that day and what tourist sites are nearby. If you linked a restaurant, it could give you the opportunity to add a review.
The geotagging app Highlight tells you when someone who also has the app is nearby. The fellow Highlight user's profile shows up on your phone or tablet and tells you what you have in common with the person, or matches people you may be interested in professionally and personally.
Suddenly it sounds as if geotagging is a handy tool for psychopathic chainsaw murderers. Another important thing about geotagging though - it is really easy to turn off until you actually need it.
COOL TO HAVE
Here is something to consider when next you are choosing home gadgets and appliances. Energy-eaters will now get an energy usage rating to help consumers choose products that reduce consumption. The energy-efficient labelling is voluntary for now, but expect to find a colourful grading sticker that will tell you the product's average annual energy consumption, water consumption if it applies, noise levels and more.
LAST BYTE
How desperate can a snack attack get? Apparently so bad that the Japanese have created a vending machine that works with a hand crank for times when junk-food lovers face blackouts. The Sanden group, which has more than five million vending machines in Japan, say it takes just 70 cranks to power up the machine enough to dispense seven items. And the best part is that the bicep workout could counter those calories.
- Shanthini is @ShantzN on Twitter