Braille for the mouth could help deaf people hear
The one thing that every technologist shares is the desire to solve a problem, and there are several as-yet unsolved issues that relate to disability. It’s not all bad news, however, since in the last few months we’ve seen inventions that help the blind get around, paraplegics play soccer and stroke victims to communicate. Now, researchers at Colorado State University has developed a way that could help the large proportion of people who aren’t able to have a cochlear implant regain a form of hearing.
Rather than attempting to fix the issue, the team has gone the route of sensory substitution, which is to swap out one sense for another. The most common example of this is when blind people feel braille rather than reading text, since the solution here isn’t to cure their blindness, but to find a way around it. Similarly, instead of hearing audible signals, the new device would be an electrode-filled retainer that presses against the roof of your mouth. The retainer would be connected to a Bluetooth microphone, and so when someone spoke, these sounds would be translated into a series of vibrations, which you could then read by pressing your tongue to the roof of your month. All a person would then have to do is learn to decode these vibrations, which is apparently easier to do than some people would believe.
The project is the brainchild of professor John Williams, who stumbled across the problem during a self-described mid-life crisis. The engineer had successfully developed electric propulsion systems for spacecraft, and was struggling to find a new challenge. Unfortunately, a lifetime of sticking his head into vacuum chambers caused him to develop tinnitus, which is what prompted him to begin investigating cochlear implants. It wasn’t long after that he decided to build something of this own design.
There’s still a long way to go, of course, before this technology could be used in the real world. That’s why Williams has enlisted the help of neuroscientist Leslie Stone-Roy to help map the tongue to find the best locations for the vibrating electrodes. Still, the technology is promising enough that it’ll be spun out as a start-up, Sapien LLC, so expect a long line of stories full of “speaking in tongues” puns to be heading right around the corner.
Filed under: Wearables, Science
Via: The Telegraph
Source: Colorado State
YouTube is one of the best ways to watch Tuesday’s State of the Union address
A quick reminder that the president’s State of the Union address is Tuesday night (9 p.m. EST). And for those who indulge in such political exercises (and it really should be all of us), YouTube has become one of my favorite ways to watch the events. No tickers. No talking heads. (Other than the one on the screen. Zing.) Just the president of the United States, 435 of his closest friends (give or take a few extras), and me.
Plus, easy mobile access, Chromecast streaming, and direct viewing on a Nexus Player.
We’ll have the direct feed further on down in this post, or you can snag it from the White House YouTube channel.
New Verizon video explains their Antenna Chamber
While T-Mobile and Sprint have been engaged in a heated battle to change the market for cellular service in the U.S., AT&T and Verizon have been slower to adopt any of the changes their smaller rivals are pushing. In particular, Verizon appears to be content for now to rely on a strategy of offering quality for the additional expense and trouble their subscribers deal with to stay with them. To help justify their value, Verizon is back with a new video this month, following up a video released in December showing the Verizon device testing lab at work, that shows a little bit about how they test the connectivity of their devices.
The video focuses on the Antenna Chamber that is part of their Wireless Testing Lab. The Antenna Chamber is used to run a variety of simulations to help Verizon engineers identify issues that may impede a call or data connection. In the video, Verizon employees explain why their test platform spins and the purpose of all the spikes on the wall. The end result that Verizon seeks is successful call and data connections that leave a positive customer experience with their subscribers.
You can check out the video below to see some of the steps that Verizon takes to keep call and data connections at a high quality level.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: New Verizon video explains their Antenna Chamber
Motorola updating long list of apps
Motorola is in the process of updating a long list of apps for their devices. Most of the updated apps have not yet surfaced on Google Play, but APK files are available for download and install. Early feedback suggests users are having the most success installing the updates on Motorola Moto X 2014 devices, though some of them will install on other Motorola smartphones. Details are still sparse regarding the changes to the apps, but it looks like Motorola is prepping them for Android Lollipop including a dose of Material Design. Reports indicate some of these updated apps are included in some Lollipop soak tests that are underway.
The apps that have been updated thus far include:
- Moto Voice (7.0.13.1)
- Moto (2.2.8)
- Motorola Gallery (304100)
- Motorola Camera (5.0.7.1)
- Motorola Help (1.4.32)
- Motorola Update Services (7.0.1)
- Motorola Contextual Services (5.18.063)
- Motorola Migrate (1.6.0.30)
- Assist (2.6.1)
If you have a Motorola smartphone, you can hit the source link to access the APK files. As indicated, compatibility with Motorola devices seems to vary, so do not be surprised if you install one and cannot get it to work.
source: APKMirror
Come comment on this article: Motorola updating long list of apps
Xiaomi growth is impressive, but not expected to hit U.S. or Europe for a few years
When Hugo Barra left Google to join Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, many people saw that as a sign that the company might be the next big thing to sweep the globe in the smartphone industry. To some extent, that has proven to be true. Xiaomi has quickly risen to become the third largest smartphone manufacturer. That achievement has been accomplished on the back of their sales success in China and India. With some impressive devices, many are hoping Xiaomi will expand to other markets sooner rather than later, but in a recent interview with the BBC, Barra says not so fast.
Barra did confirm that Xiaomi has some ambitious, or as he puts it “insane,” plans to expand their global footprint. However, despite rumors flying during CES 2015, Barra says it will still be a few years until the company expands to European markets or the U.S. According to Barra, the market saturation and demands from consumers in those markets present some challenges for Xiaomi compared to some of the markets they are working on like India, Brazil, Russia, Turkey and Mexico.
Do you think Xiaomi will eventually succeed in European and North American markets if they take their time or will they miss a window of opportunity? Would you consider buying a Xiaomi smartphone if they were generally available in the U.S.?
source: BBC
Come comment on this article: Xiaomi growth is impressive, but not expected to hit U.S. or Europe for a few years
Magzter unveils all-you-can-read magazine subscription service
If you’re tired of shelling out a ton of money each month on your favorite magazines, Magzter may have the solution for you. The company just launched its “Magzter Gold” subscription service, which offers up a Netflix-esque all-you-can-read approach to digital magazines via its Android app. Similarly, the company also unveiled a lite version of Magzter Gold that allows you to peruse your choice of 5 titles for a slightly cheaper $5 per month.
Microsoft debating Android app support for Windows Phones
Windows 10 will unify Microsoft’s PC and mobile platforms with a single operating system and app store. However, with Windows accounting for roughly only 2.7 percent of the smartphone market, Microsoft needs a plan to win back consumer support in a big way.
According to a former Microsoft employee, the biggest priority for Microsoft this time around is to “stop the leakage” and prevent Android and iOS users from completely abandoning Microsoft’s operating system. Apparently, this has led Microsoft to discuss whether or not Android apps should be allowed to run on Windows Phones.
The benefit for Microsoft is clear, customers will be free to pick up a Windows powered phone while retaining access to their favourite Android apps. Not to mention that Microsoft’s mobile ecosystem would be instantly fleshed out with a huge range of popular applications. Uber didn’t release its app for Windows Phone until July last year and Snapchat still doesn’t run on Windows Phone, for example. However, such a move may disincentivize developers from designing Windows apps in the future, as they would not be backwards compatible with other operating systems. This would weaken Window’s position as an operating system further down the line.
Microsoft’s recent move to open up its Office Mobile software and unifying the code base across other operating systems is being seen by some as a sign that the company is prepared to relinquish its reliance on its OS in favour of providing competitive services with the likes of Google. Microsoft is also under threat from Apple’s and Google’s moves into the enterprise space, so there’s a clear need to begin competing more aggressively against the big mobile players in software as well as the OS space.
Software looks to be a key part of Microsoft’s Windows 10 strategy , with enhanced security options, data syncing and office features all expected to make an appearance. Windows 10 will be an important release for Microsoft’s mobile plans, but it remains to be seen whether or not the company will go so far as to open up its platform to its major competitors.
Humble Mobile Bundle 10 released with LYNE, Sorcery! 2 and many more
We’re big fans of Humble Bundle here at Android Authority, and it looks like the newest Bundle has just been announced. Humble Mobile Bundle 10 brings popular titles to your Android device for a cheap price tag, and there are a few really great games being offered this time around. There are only six games so far in this Bundle, though we’re sure that more will be added in the coming days once more users donate. Here are the games you can get for the pay-what-you-want pricing structure:
- Buddy & Me
- LYNE
- Doodle Kingdom
If you pay more than the average price (currently $3.71), you can get a hold of these games:
- Sorcery! 2
- King of Dragon Pass
- OTTTD
Before you donate to Humble Bundle, remember: you can choose whether your money goes straight to the developers or to two different charities (World Land Trust and Extra Life). This is a great way to get some awesome games at rock-bottom prices while giving your money to a good cause. Head to the Humble Bundle link below to take advantage of the deal!
Remember to check back to see what new titles are added in the coming days. Do you see anything you’d like to download?
Google said to be investing major dollars in SpaceX project
According to a report from The Information, Google is considering a large investment in SpaceX. For those that don’t know, it’s a privately funded company led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk that’s set on making advancements in space travel. However instead of investing in the space travel portion of the SpaceX project, Google is apparently looking at helping to “support the development of SpaceX satellites that could beam low-cost Internet around the globel to billions who don’t have it.” As the report says:
Google is close to investing in rocket maker SpaceX, according to several people familiar with the talks, creating a formidable alliance in Silicon Valley’s accelerating Internet space race… The price and terms Google and SpaceX are discussing couldn’t be learned although one person familiar with them said Google has agreed to value SpaceX north of $10 billion and that the size of the total round, which includes other investors, is very large.
Musk hosted a SpaceX event in Seattle earlier in the week to announce the company’s goal to launch communication satellites into space to help increase Internet speed, creating access to over three billion people who don’t have reliable high-speed Internet access. This will be done by launching satellites much lower than traditional communication satellites. Apparently, according to Musk, the “speed of light is 40 percent faster in the vacuum of space than it is for fiber.”
The project would work two-fold as the Internet service could possibly serve as a global communications network for when the company eventually enables the colonization of Mars. It’s also possible that this new Internet network could be the eventual next step of Project Loon.
source: The Information
via: 9to5 Google
Come comment on this article: Google said to be investing major dollars in SpaceX project
It’s not just you: Xbox Live is currently experiencing issues
If you’re having a little trouble with Xbox Live this evening, then you’re not alone. According to the Xbox Live status page, it began experiencing problems a short time ago with a couple of different services.
AIVAnet 