He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
— Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Next step: Most TV’s are now Interwebitube enabled, so route this data on who’s sitting in front of what TV to, say, the FBI. To keep us safe from terrorists, of course. Crazy? Who’d imagine 10 years ago body scanners in airports or schools watching kids via their computers. On the other hand, you’ve got nothing to hide, right? RIGHT???

The next time you fall asleep in front of the TV, someone, or rather something, could be watching you – and all in the name of saving energy.

Sony last year launched a new addition to its Bravia range of TVs, which features facial recognition technology similar to that found in the electronics giants’ most advanced cameras. As a result, the TV is able to “watch” you and can turn the picture off if you nod off in front of Match of the Day, saving the energy used by the backlight.

The Bravia WE5 also features a heat and motion sensor that similarly allows the system to turn off the picture if it is left playing to an empty room, and an ambient light sensor that reduces the output from the TV’s backlight depending on the brightness of the room.