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Enjoying Technology's Conveniences But Not Escaping Its Watchful Eyes
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She logs on to Top Producer, Web-based software for real estate agents that allows Bernard to retrieve notes on her clients wherever she has access to the Internet. She can look up clients' birthdays and home-buying anniversaries, lending a personal touch to her service.
The trend toward Web-based computing means that reams of data Bernard and others used to keep in notebooks are now stored on servers owned by private companies, where the data is potentially vulnerable to hackers and potentially accessible to government authorities.
11:05 a.m.
She dials Domino's for pizza.
Domino's tracks her name, phone number, address, and size and type of pizza ordered. Unless a store decides otherwise, the data are held forever. That way, Domino's can provide more personalized service -- "Hi, Ms. Bernard, would you like your regular -- mushroom and sausage?"
Domino's, which hopes to have a national database of customers soon, says it does not share or sell customer information. But companies that specialize in providing unlisted and cellphone numbers, among other records, often buy phone numbers from pizza delivery services, according to Merlin Information Services, a data broker.
12:30 p.m.
Bernard gets back in her car, a 2003 Mercedes-Benz with navigation and roadside emergency service. She turns the key in the ignition, activating a Global Positioning System device that uses satellites to pinpoint her location and is constantly sending out signals.
GPS technology allows her to map out a route and find streets and landmarks, restaurants and hotels. She can use a CD, which displays on a dashboard screen, or push a button and connect to a roadside-assistance call center run by the Texas telematics firm ATX, which can guide her if she's lost or call her a tow truck.
GPS can generate a record of her travels, though ATX says it does not keep such location records now. The company stores emergency call records -- location, time, nature of call -- for billing and other purposes.
12:35 p.m.
Bernard pulls up to a tollbooth on the Dulles Toll Road. A Smart Tag on her front license plate communicates with a sensor and pays her toll. A light flashes green.
