When a well-intentioned product falls into the wrong hands.
Coastal Securitas, the Hollywood-based, high-end security firm to the stars, commissioned Ideal Creations from Dallas to create an infrared filter that could be affixed over existing security camera systems to provide ‘night vision’.
While in beta-testing, the engineers from Ideal Creations discovered that not only could they see a pretend intruder, they were able to see if the intruder was carrying a concealed weapon under their clothes. It didn’t dawn on them until testing with female pretend intruders that they were actually able to see the bodies underneath the clothes.
The Ideal Creations engineers, harkening back to the ‘X-ray Specks’ of their youth, realized another use for the infrared filter. They manufactured the filter so that it can be placed over the camera on a smartphone and allow you to see through lightweight fabric. This may have just been another go-nowhere gadget until the online video/photo-sharing mobile app Instagram, decided to add the x-ray vision filter to its already impressive list of digital filters.
Instagram, owned by Facebook since 2012, is launching the x-ray vision filter so users will now be able to upload a photo of choice and ultimately, see what’s underneath the surface.
When Instagram senior product developer, Phillip McKrakken, saw the x-ray vision filter, he immediately bought one and went through his Facebook friends pics with renewed interest. McKrakken said, “I initially thought it would be awesome to see which of my friends had tattoos. Then, I saw some unexpected piercings. I knew immediately that Instagram needed this filter.”
McKrakken continued, “Having the filter on your phone is overtly, well, creepy. I get it. But, if you are taking pictures and then apply the x-ray vision filter later, it’s not much different than Photoshop.” McKrakken believes the new filter will revolutionize on-line dating. “It will be the must-have filter to see if that person is really who they say they are in their profile.” He is currently testing the x-ray vision filter on Match.com, eHarmony, Zoosk, PlentyOfFish, DateHookup, Christian Mingle, Chemistry, SpeedDate and (of course) Tinder. McKrakken continues, “The results have been amazing. I feel like I’ve gone on a lot of first dates without having to learn about people’s annoying habits or having them ask me what I do for a living.”
The filter is available for download today at instagram.com/x-rayfilter/download.
And if you really clicked on the filter, you have been had! April Fools from your friends at Weise Communications.
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