Remember how I said cancer kills?

Apparently, the Japanese schoolgirl demographic didn't truly get the message. In order to combat underaged smoking in Japan, Fujitaka Co has moved toward implementing digital cameras in cigeratte vending machines to determine the approximate age of potential buyers. Factors such as wrinkles around the eyes, bone structure and even skin sags are taken into account. The machine is only accurate 90% of the time. The makers plead you not to take offence. Minors with uh em... ripened features (general droopiness, general lack of interest, dullness of eyes etc.) and grown men who look like children are asked for their driver's license.

Ouch.

That being said, I suspect that a new fashion trend shall arise among the Harajuku girls: self inflicted crow's feet and Tom Selleck inspired moustaches. I hope that it doesn't come to that. It would completely ruin the song. But there's an even easier way to fool the system. It's deceptively simple too!



Step 1:

Print out an image of a random old dude. Off the top of my head, I think that someone should try a Tom Selleck portrait. I really think that his face can pull it off.

Step 2:

Hold the image neatly in front of the camera.



Yes. A Japanese reporter for Sankei Sports has shown that the digital cameras on one of many Fujitaka Co cigarette vendors cannot differentiate human from poorly printed image. Now that's insulting. Fujitaka is working on other security measures to ensure such an incident does not transpire again. "A more advanced system will make sure that each face belongs to a human."  I'm curious. What system? No word as of yet. But I would think that some sort of motion detection system should be implemented to analyze movement, therby confirming the presence of an actual human face.  A voice detection system could also be used to help deduce a customer's age. Seriously, I think that Fujitaka Co is taking far too long in brainstorming for new ideas. See my ideas? That took like 5 seconds.