PPM Can Detect Encoded Audio Through Socks
by Leslie Stimson, 08.14.2008
And finally, some techie PPM tidbits to round out the latest from Arbitron.
The PPM meter can detect home and out-of-home listening. But whether the meter exposure is in-car, at the mall or at work is a level of granularity not provided at the moment.
Arbitron can tell if the meter was in motion or not, plus whether it was set down, if the battery failed or the unit was re-charged. If the meter does not move for 20 minutes, it goes into sleep mode silently, with no beep. It’s still recording listening in that mode, according to Arbitron.
One of the consultants asked about the meter: “The fashion police have been telling guys to get their cell phones off their belt. So where else can a guy wear it?”
The answer: On a lanyard, or a badge from work, in pockets or even clipped to the inside of their socks — as some construction workers do.
Many women carry the meter in their purse.
Arbitron says the PPM is calibrated to hear sounds that the human ear can detect, so it can still detect encoded signals through fabrics.