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Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

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Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#21

Post by ctoth »

michaelvoz wrote: post #19
ctoth wrote: post #17

So many people talking about what a good idea this is, or how it has already been done or ... Absolutely nobody talking about ... if we really, as consumers, want to be tracked everywhere all the time always. Do you just assume that there's no way to stop it so might as well nerd out over it? This is ... So weird, considering how HN usually treats privacy. I hope this company, and every company trying to track me bot…

When you enter a private business, they have every right to track you as they wish.

So why don't they send a person to follow me around, noting down specifics like what clothing I look at and how many seconds I take to poop? Because this would be creepy

But since they're doing it with invisible technology that most people don't know about, it's okay, right?

Wrong.

Furthermore, just as when the government does it, there is a qualitative, not merely quantitative difference between individualized data collection and total aggregation. It's legal for the cops to tail a suspect. IT's not legal for the cops to put a tracking device on everybody's car just in case.

And finally, a business may legally be able to track me in their own store, but where is my assurance that those data are not shared with other businesses, ones that I may not have entered?

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#22

Post by thatguyagain »

michaelvoz wrote: post #19
ctoth wrote: post #17

So many people talking about what a good idea this is, or how it has already been done or ... Absolutely nobody talking about ... if we really, as consumers, want to be tracked everywhere all the time always. Do you just assume that there's no way to stop it so might as well nerd out over it? This is ... So weird, considering how HN usually treats privacy. I hope this company, and every company trying to track me bot…

When you enter a private business, they have every right to track you as they wish.

Why?

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#23

Post by rapnie »

michaelvoz wrote: post #19
ctoth wrote: post #17

So many people talking about what a good idea this is, or how it has already been done or ... Absolutely nobody talking about ... if we really, as consumers, want to be tracked everywhere all the time always. Do you just assume that there's no way to stop it so might as well nerd out over it? This is ... So weird, considering how HN usually treats privacy. I hope this company, and every company trying to track me bot…

When you enter a private business, they have every right to track you as they wish.

Well.. if they notified me upon entry exactly how I would be tracked, I wouldn't even enter. But they don't do that, do they?

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#24

Post by rapnie »

reaperducer wrote: post #11
aresant wrote: post #5

There are DOZENS of companies after this space with solutions ranging from point-of-sale, to beacons (facebook was aggressively rolling into this space, have heard less after privacy missteps), to WIFI range tracking, to some combo of the above. Aura is a "smack self on forehead" level of ingenuity / execution - I love it, think you guys are on to something big. Look at the institutional market too - literally an ana…

There are DOZENS of companies after this space with solutions ranging from point-of-sale, to beacons (facebook was aggressively rolling into this space, have heard less after privacy missteps), to WIFI range tracking, to some combo of the above To add to your point, Walgreens is already using facial recognition to profile customers. https://www.wsj.com/articles/walgreens-tests-digital-cooler-...

Thanks. Have to avoid them from now on.

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#25

Post by Robin_Message »

jblok wrote: post #7
bilifuduo wrote: post #4

This is cool! There was a very similar startup, Prayas Analytics, that also went through YC (in 2015) and ended up shutting down: https://medium.com/@pranshum/10-lessons-on-3-years-with-pray... Curious to hear your thoughts on what's different this time around?

Interesting questions - we haven't actually come across them before so I'm just going on what I learnt from that blog post, and I may not have the greatest appreciation for their specifics. - Our strategy is to not start with large grocery retailers for the exact reasons they mention. They're slow to implement new tech and slow to change things in stores. Our primary target is mid to large-size speciality retailers,…

Meta: I'm fascinated you've gotten as far as launching without anyone at YC mentioning a company doing something so similar three years ago. Seems like a failure on YC's part; maybe they thought there was nothing to learn from the other company but still seems surprising.

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#26

Post by ctoth »

ctoth wrote: post #17

So many people talking about what a good idea this is, or how it has already been done or ... Absolutely nobody talking about ... if we really, as consumers, want to be tracked everywhere all the time always. Do you just assume that there's no way to stop it so might as well nerd out over it? This is ... So weird, considering how HN usually treats privacy. I hope this company, and every company trying to track me bot…

I am sorry for crapping on something you guys have doubtlessly worked hard on, it's a shitty thing to do.

I'm just still kind of curious why anyone thought this would be a good look though? Like, the writing has been on the wall since before GDPR. The anti-facebook backlash alone has gotten more and more shrill over the last 9 months.

And you seriously thought that now is the time to launch a product that brings this same dehumanizing technology to the real world?

We've known for 15+ years that anonymized data ... isn't, from AOL search, from Netflix, from ... And so you include that as part of your pitch?

Nothing about why we should trust you, just it's totally anonymous, we promise.

And I realize this is being marketed to lizard people in suits who view humans as numbers to be optimized, but just, why is this even within the possibility space of new companies at this point?

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#27

Post by conanbatt »

michaelvoz wrote: post #19
ctoth wrote: post #17

So many people talking about what a good idea this is, or how it has already been done or ... Absolutely nobody talking about ... if we really, as consumers, want to be tracked everywhere all the time always. Do you just assume that there's no way to stop it so might as well nerd out over it? This is ... So weird, considering how HN usually treats privacy. I hope this company, and every company trying to track me bot…

When you enter a private business, they have every right to track you as they wish.

Michaelvoz is right, the expectation of privacy does not exist any more. Thats why I carry signal jammers to every bathroom out there!

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#28

Post by conanbatt »

I gotta be honest, this doesn't look to great to me. Most stores, mid-to-low grocery stores, dont even track inventory completely automatically, let alone something as sophisticated at this.

How are you going to beat amazon that has expertise and actual stores to try this? Where is the tech break-through going to happen without that instantaneous feedback loop?

But going back to the first point..have you talked to target stores? I can't imagine them wanting to sign up on something that has very undefined value, potentially large backlash. They have much bigger problems on their day to day.

Re: Launch HN: Aura Vision (YC W19) – Google Analytics for Physical Stores

#30

Post by ctoth »

ctoth wrote: post #17

So many people talking about what a good idea this is, or how it has already been done or ... Absolutely nobody talking about ... if we really, as consumers, want to be tracked everywhere all the time always. Do you just assume that there's no way to stop it so might as well nerd out over it? This is ... So weird, considering how HN usually treats privacy. I hope this company, and every company trying to track me bot…

>We don’t rely on facial recognition, instead taking in visual cues from all features across the body.

This is somehow better? No, it just lets you add the misleading marketing point that you don't use facial recognition. Get it guys? IT's not facial, because it's seeing ... the whole body!

What the actual heck?

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