Wired reports on the latest creation by Kyle McDonald, together with Brian House, called Conversnitch. Using a device they created for under $100, which can be hidden in lampshades or light bulbs, they record conversations and then post snippets to Twitter. “What does it mean to deploy one of these in a library, a public square, someone’s bedroom?” asks House. “What kind of power relationship does it set up? And what does this stream of tweets mean if it’s not set up by an artist but by the U.S. government?” Meanwhile, surveillance attitudes have taken the stage in London in a new play called Privacy. Written by James Graham, the play includes representations of Britain’s foreign minister, a civil liberties advocate and one of the journalists who helped break the Edward Snowden leaks. The play runs through May 31.
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