Unlikely most security systems, this one runs down criminals with uh, smoke and lights. And now it’s going to be used to patrol RFID-tagged Japanese school kids. There’s probably a witty comment I should add about hall monitors, cops patrolling U.S. schools and/or the influence of anime, but I can’t think of it right now.
Speaking of automating menial jobs, I used a self-checkout terminal for the first time in Wall Mart of all places. The minimum wage will soon add two more victims to the list of obsolete jobs that began with elevator operators and movie ushers: the checkout clerk and grocery bagger.
