Doctors will help end hearing loss by 3D printing tiny prosthetic ear bones

We’ve covered some pretty smart hearing aids before at Digital Trends, but the work being done by researchers at Baltimore’s University of Maryland School of Medicine is something else entirely. Rather than creating an external hearing aid or even an in-ear cochlear implant, they are using 3D printing to fabricate the tiny bones in the middle ear to help restore hearing in instances when these bones have become damaged.

“Conductive hearing loss occurs when the continuous chain of three tiny middle ear bones — the ossicles — is disrupted, by trauma, disease, or infection,” Dr. Jeffrey Hirsch, assistant professor of radiology at the university, told Digital Trends. “If you think of the bones as three connected links of a chain, the middle link or the incus bone is most commonly affected. A well-established procedure called ossiculoplasty or ossicular reconstruction uses a prefabricated prosthesis that is felt to have suboptimal success rates. Our work involves fabrication of a custom-designed prosthesis that would be a snap-fit replacement to restore the missing middle link of the chain. The hope is that a better fit will improve the success rate of surgery to restore conductive hearing loss.”

As Hirsch notes, ossiculoplasty as a surgical procedure goes way back. There are reports of it having been practiced since 1901. However, current methods can restore hearing levels of less than 20 decibels in just half to three-quarters of cases. Several things might account for this less-than-perfect success rate, but the hope is that using 3D printing to create submillimeter-accurate custom prosthesis could greatly help.

In the team’s study, they used three cadaver middle ears, in which the middle link bone was removed. Using CT imaging of each middle ear section, they then designed and printed a custom prosthesis to bridge the gap created by the missing bone.

“We asked four different surgeons to match the custom-designed prosthesis to the parent native middle ear without any prior knowledge of which prosthesis goes in which native middle ear,” Hirsch said. “Each surgeon was able to correctly match the prosthesis to its native parent middle ear. The chances of that occurring randomly are one in 1,296. We felt this shows our methods to produce a 3D-printed prosthesis captured small, yet meaningful, variances in middle ear anatomy that were detectable by otologic surgeons.”

Next, the team hopes to investigate different biocompatible materials to see how well a 3D-printed prosthesis is able to conduct sound. It may be a while before this work hits prime time, but when it does, the results could be transformative. A paper describing the work was published in the journal 3D Printing in Medicine.

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A new weekly podcast offers an inside look at Microsoft Research

For a company as big as Microsoft, keeping the public informed of interesting projects and research can be a real challenge. That is why it announced a new podcast dedicated to the latest developments being made in fields like artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

The Microsoft Research podcast is hosted by Gretchen Huizinga, a former adjunct university professor who has performed research into the impact of digital media and technology as part of an ongoing Ph.D. study, according to OnMSFT. In its intro, she describes the weekly program as “a show that brings you closer to the cutting edge of technology research, and the scientists behind it.”

The first episode featured Dr. Jaime Teevan, who works at Microsoft Research as well as with the University of Washington. She detailed her work looking into productivity, including some interesting insights into methods of getting more done in a day that might see somewhat counter-productive.

This week’s episode looks at artificial intelligence with Dr. Eric Horvitz, who has been working with Microsoft Research for a quarter of a century. “Let me start with my work, my goals,” says Horvitz as the interview gets underway. “It’s to understand what the heck is going on with minds.”

Microsoft Research is currently comprised of more than 1,000 computer scientists, physicists, engineers, and mathematicians working all around the world, including Turing Award winners and MacArthur Fellows among its ranks. With that in mind, there should be no shortage of intriguing subject matters as the podcast continues on.

Over the past year, we have seen Microsoft introduce several new podcasts with the intention of shining a light on different areas of its various activities across the tech landscape. The Windows Insider podcast looks at the company’s preview program that gives users a chance to get the inside track on new updates, while .future provides a more general look at upcoming technology and the impact that it might have on tomorrow’s world.

The Microsoft Research podcast is available via RSS, email,  or iTunes, and on Android devices by following this link. New episodes are released every Monday.

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New spacesuit design boasts ‘auto home’ button for astronauts adrift in the void

Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov performed the first human extravehicular activity EVA or simply spacewalk in 1965 during the Soviet Union’s Voskhod 2 orbital mission. In the ensuing half-century since, there have been more than 200 successful EVAs. Nonetheless, when simply anchored and tethered to a tin can, there is plenty of room for error and only a few protocols in place if an astronaut were to become more or less “lost in space.” Thankfully, an engineering team is creating a fail-safe “return home” feature to automatically transport untethered astronauts back to the spacecraft.

NASA tries its damnedest to mitigate and manage Murphy’s Law — nonetheless as the saying goes: Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. While astronauts undergo thousands of hours of training to prepare for potentially deadly malfunctions that could arise during launch and orbit, all bets are off in the unforgiving vacuum of space. In 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano nearly drowned when his helmet began to inexplicably fill with water during a routine spacewalk. Per the report, Parmitano’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth began to slowly fill with water inhibiting his vision and ability to breathe. Fortunately, Parmitano remained calm and resorted to his training, tracking back to the airlock using only touch and memory.

However, training can only go so far and current U.S. spacesuits are equipped with a small jetpack, SAFER, for such a potentially deadly scenario. This “lifejacket” relies on a very limited amount of fuel and if the astronaut has lost consciousness, there is no way to remotely control this system. Researchers at the engineering firm Draper recently applied for a patent on a space suit with a “self-return feature” to automatically taxi an adrift astronaut back to the station. (Fun Fact: NASA actually uses the term “overboard” for such an event.) But how does it work exactly?

Seeing as GPS isn’t an option for such a situation, the suits could use a suite of sensors and a star-tracking program to determine an astronauts location and proximity to the spacecraft. Based on the theoretical design, a series of built-in thrusters would then autonomously navigate the spacefarer to a specific location on the ship. Ideally, this system could have both a direct manual system in place as well a remote system, allowing other members of the crew (in orbit or on at mission command here on Earth) to retrieve team members. This spacesuit could also provide directional cues inside the helmet and even relay step-by-step directional audio instructions if vision is impaired. Draper has plans for a more advanced entirely autonomous system with triggers in place to instinctively initiate this “return home” sequence.

Again, this is just a patent for the time being and while research and development are underway, our stalwart spacefarers won’t be donning such space swag anytime soon. Currently, if an astronaut were to become untethered, the once-in-a-lifetime views would be pretty spectacular prior to the whole potential death by re-entry portion of events. The astronaut would have roughly eight hours or so of breathable oxygen in tow, allowing them to take in roughly five sunrises and sunsets while drifting above our Pale Blue Dot as an artificial human satellite of sorts.

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Smart mouthpiece reinvents the toothbrush, enables 3-second teeth cleaning

Maybe folks had two minutes to brush their teeth back in your grandparents’ day, but here in the hectic world of 2017 we like things to be a little bit more instantaneous than that. Having covered a 10-second motorized toothbrush back in July, now a new Kickstarter campaign promises to more than halve that number — with a so-called Unico “smartbrush mouthpiece” its creators claim will clean your gnashers in just three seconds flat.

The science fiction-like device is a mouthpiece boasting a large number of tiny brushes, alongside a micropump system which distributes toothpaste. Put it into your mouth and the idea is that it cleans every tooth simultaneously, saving you the indignity of having to move a toothbrush around your mouth to polish your pearly whites one at a time. You can even control the brush speed from your smartphone, via a connected app.

“In our opinion, in the toothbrush industry there has been no real innovation for decades,” inventor Nicola Nichele told Digital Trends. “If you think of electric toothbrushes, for example, you can easily realize that these are only slightly changed from time to time with different types of bristles or slightly different shapes, but there has never been real innovation in terms of time and advantages. We believe that in many areas there are big improvements we can make to make people’s lives easier. We hope this will be only the first of many innovative projects that will help all people to change their habits for the better.”

Once you’ve brushed your teeth with the Unico smartbrush, simply put it back into its dock and it will be automatically rid of bacteria using the cleaning powers of ultraviolet light. Fully recharged and restored, it will be ready for your next three-second clean. Or so it claims.

The concept looks all kinds of intriguing, but it may be worth waiting to see whether this one lives up to the hype before parting with your hard-earned cash. It is currently hoovering up funds on Kickstarter, however, where it has raised close to $960,000 with just days remaining on the campaign. If you would like to pledge money for a pre-order, you can do so for a starting price of 99 euros ($117). Its creators say that shipping will take place in February 2018.

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Target gives shoppers a new way to pay with ‘Wallet,’ its mobile payment system

Last year, Target confirmed it would launch its own mobile payment solution in 2017. With only a few weeks left in the year, the retailer officially launched Wallet — available in the Target app for iOS and Android.

To use the new feature, you need to add a Target REDcard — its store-branded card that offers savings perks. Target’s REDcard can either link to your bank account as a debit card, or you can sign up for a credit card instead.

With Wallet, customers can check out in-store using their smartphone while also applying Cartwheel digital coupons or discounts after scanning their barcode. Shoppers will also receive five percent back by using the Target REDcard, which can be pre-uploaded to the app.

Once you have the app open, you scan the barcode of the specific item you want to purchase. You then have the option to add the item to your list and save the offer from Cartwheel. After you’re done shopping, you can present your Wallet barcode at the register to check out.

According to Target, using the new Wallet feature proved to be up to four times faster than checking out with other payment methods. Customers will be able to soon use Target GiftCards with the new feature as well.

The rollout of Wallet isn’t the first of its kind for retailers — Walmart launched Walmart Pay in 2015 and is currently available in all of its stores nationwide. All you have to do is install the Walmart app to use while shopping, and then scan the QR code that appears on the debit card reader at checkout when you’re ready. You then receive an electronic receipt when the payment goes through.

Both Target and Walmart are retailers who are part of CurrentC — a group of retailers with their own mobile payment solution. This means the retailers have decided not to opt-in to Apple Pay or Android Pay, and are instead trying to encourage customers to use its own apps while shopping.

Currently, Wallet is only open to those who have the Target REDcard, but the feature will roll out to non-cardholders soon. Customers will eventually be able to store and redeem Target GiftCards in the future as well.

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The best Dell XPS 13 cases, sleeves, and bags for every occasion

As one of the most beloved laptops here at Digital Trends, the Dell XPS 13 is a piece of kit we prefer to treat with some reverence. That means making sure it’s comfortable and well protected during transit, which in turn means wrapping it in something it and we can be proud of.

It’s easy to just pick up an all-purpose laptop bag, but since it’s so popular, there are plenty of Dell XPS 13-specific cases and sleeves to choose from. To help you pick the right one, this is our collection of the best cases we could find regardless of where you’re going and what you’re doing.

Amazon Basics 13.3-inch laptop sleeve ($11)

Although not designed explicitly with the Dell XPS 13 in mind, the Amazon Basics 13.3-inch laptop sleeve will give your favorite laptop a safe and scratch-proof way to travel. What it lacks in features it makes up for in color options and pricing. It’s hard to beat that $11 price tag.

The form-fitting sleeve is available in a choice of five different colors and a number of sizing options. Although the 13.3-inch version will be your best bet for an XPS 13, there are other sizes available should you wish to buy more than one to cater to other laptops too. The whole thing is enclosed with a zipper mechanism, so gives you quick and easy access and keeps your laptop stored safely away while in transit.

Buy one now on:

Amazon

Clear iPearl mCover Hard Shell Case ($20)

If you’re looking for a hard shell to protect the already rather sturdy XPS 13, then the Clear iPearl mCover is a great choice. Available in a wide variety of colors, its tough exterior is shatterproof and comes with its own Dell logo so you can still let everyone know where your brand loyalty lies.

This case also has built in extender feet, which lets you change the angle of the laptop for easier typing and cooling, the latter of which is bolstered by a vented underside to maintain low temperatures during extended use.

The shell itself attaches to the case with a snap-on/snap-off system so is easily removable. However, it should be noted that because these cases fit exactly to the XPS 13’s dimensions, it will only fit certain models. Make sure to double check you are ordering the correct version before doing so.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Nevissbags semi-hard case ($23)

For something in between a rigid shell and a cloth carry-case, the Nevissbags semi-hard case is a great way to protect your XPS 13 on the go. It combines a protective outer shell — in a “Titanium” color scheme — with a microfiber cloth interior to prevent scratches and reduce impact damage from drops. It also has a safety band system inside to keep your laptop in place during transit.

Better yet, this case comes complete with a mesh pocket which lets you carry paperwork, headphones or other accessories with you on the go. We wouldn’t recommend putting anything too bulky in there though.

Do bear in mind, however, that the various models of this case are designed for specific XPS 13 releases, so double check you’re buying the right one before going ahead with the purchase.

Buy one now on:

Amazon

Dell Premier Sleeve 13 ($50)

If you would prefer to go with a sleeve endorsed and sold by the manufacturer of the laptop itself, then Dell’s own Premier Sleeve 13 might be the way to go. Built specifically to house the XPS 13 2-in-1, this sleeve is surprisingly sturdy, with tight stitching and structured sides to protect the interior, whilst remaining flexible enough to avoid the laptop rattling around inside.

The side has a dedicated pen holder so you won’t lose track of the little stylus accessory and the whole sleeve is lightweight, making it easy to transport. With a rubberized design, it can take a few knocks and wear too, without marking.

This design doesn’t have a carry strap so may need to be put into another bag for complete portability, but at $50, it’s quite affordable and will keep your XPS 13 looking good for the foreseeable future.

Buy one now from:

Dell

Dell executive leather carrying case ($80)

Made from a premium leather with some nylon accents, this bag is designed for laptops up to 13-inches, so is a bit of a snug fit for the XPS 13. However, that means it won’t move around much at all in transit and there is a separate compartment for documents and accessories if needed.

The interior is compact, but well cushioned so that scratches are a thing of the past with this laptop case. It features an ergonomic shoulder strap for easy carrying, though there is also a briefcase-like handle for those who prefer keeping a firm grip on their laptop.

This is a flexible carry case though, so it won’t do much to protect from drop damage like the best smartphone cases.

Buy one now from:

Dell

Tomtoc 13 360 degree laptop shoulder bag ($30)

Tomtoc has some of the most well-reviewed laptop bags on Amazon and with good reason. The 11.6-13-inch 360 protective bag is a perfect fit for Dell XPS 13 owners as it combines a sturdy exterior with a cushioned interior.

There are a few patented technologies at play in the design, but they boil down to some additional padding at key points most notably the corners and bottom of the casing. That should mean you can put down the bag without fear of damaging the laptop inside. It also provides some protection against drop damage. The soft material on the inside wards off scratching too.

Along with the main compartment for the XPS 13 itself, this bag also comes with two side pockets which have enough space to fit all manner of accessories, including a laptop charger if needed. All compartments are sealed with sturdy zips and the bag can be worn on the shoulder using the comfortable carry strap, or carried by the sturdy handle.

Buy one now on:

Amazon

Peak Design Everyday Messenger Bag 13″ ($220)

Although far beyond the basic necessities of a laptop case, the Peak Design Everday Messenger Bag is a perfect companion for the XPS 13. It’s a stylish carry case that doubles as a standard messenger bag when not filled with all of that convertible laptop goodness.

Features wise, it comes with specially designed flex-fold dividers on the interior to help segregate your important items from one another and allows you to pack in any other items you might want to carry with you. It has a strong and sturdy strap that’s also comfortable on the move and has a magnetic clasp system to keep the bag locked up tight. It’s water resistant too, so you don’t need to fret if you get caught in a light shower.

Yes, this is a pretty expensive way to haul around your well-priced laptop, but this messenger bag ticks so many boxes, it deserves to make the list.

Buy one now at:

Amazon

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Keep your gadgets powered up with this discounted Anker charging gear

A phone without power is no good to anyone!

We’ve all been there before, your workday gets a little longer, then some friends want to go out for drinks, and the next thing you know your phone is at 10% and you don’t know how you’ll request your Uber home, right? Well, Anker is looking to alleviate some of that pain by offering up a variety of its awesome charging gear for even less. Whether you need a new charging hub for your home or office, or a cable to pack in your bag, this sale has you covered.

• Anker Powerline+ USB C to A 2.0 Cable 6ft (2-pack) – $9.99 with coupon CMCM5555 (Was $11.99)
• Anker Powerline+ Lightning Cable 6ft With pouch – $13.49 (Was $16.99)
• Anker 60W 10-Port USB Wall Charger – $27.99 with coupon ANKER339 (Was $39.99)
• Anker 40W 4-Port USB Wall Charger – $18.19 with coupon ANKER219 (Was $27.99)
• Anker 60W 6-Port USB Wall Charger – $20.99 (Was $27.99)
• Anker 12W USB Car Charger with Lightning Cable – $11.97 (Was $14.99)

Be sure to grab the correct coupon code for the item you are interested in buying. Anker also has a few Bluetooth speakers on sale, as well as its completely wireless headphones, so don’t miss out on any of the deals.

Android December 2017 security bulletin now live, updates coming Dec 5

No functional changes this time around.

December is now upon us, and while that means snow, Christmas, and hot cocoa for some parts of the world, it also means a new security update for Android. Google officially released the December 2017 security bulletin on December 4, but this one’s not nearly as intensive as last month’s.

November’s security bulletin was the first one that introduced functional updates as part of a monthly security patch with the new Pixel/Nexus bulletin, but there aren’t any functional changes to be found this time around.

The 12-5 patch will start rolling out to Pixel and Nexus devices starting tomorrow, December 5, while the 12-1 patch will be used for other gadgets.

If you’re interested in reading the full details for this month’s bulletin, you can find the Android Security Bulletin here and the Pixel/Nexus one here.

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Wireless Charging 201: What Modern Dad (and family) is using!

How wireless charging brought my family — or at least our phones — just a little bit closer.

This is the second of a series of three videos sponsored by the Wireless Power Consortium (which really does have one of the coolest names in the business). Previously, we took a high-level look at wireless charging. Coming up next: wireless charging on the go.

Wireless charging is (yet another) one of those things that I’ve been able to do for a long time, but something that my family had never gotten to use. Just another one of Dad’s crazy nerd things. We’ve come a long way in the past seven or so years — when I can first recall plopping a phone down on a charger, without having to plug anything into my device first. For one, we’ve settled on a standard — Qi. That’s a big deal, and it’s something we’d all been waiting to be sussed out. And we now have more phones with wireless charging than ever before. Samsung’s all over it. LG’s latest do it. And finally the iPhone 8 and iPhone X have adopted Qi charging.

Read more on Qi charging at the Wireless Power Consortium!

And there are more (and better) charging pads than ever before. We can charge faster. We can hide them away inside furniture, or at least make them look far less industrial than in years past. And because my entire family can now take advantage of wireless charging, I’ve strategically stashed a few chargers throughout the home.

The biggest change for us is that phones no longer live in our bedrooms overnight. No more soft glow right next to my head. No more notifications. No more buzzing.

Instead, we’ve got a dedicated wireless charging area for our phones out in the living room. It works great. It looks pretty darn good, too, and it gets rid of that kind of stressful tension you get when your phone is right next to your pillow. (If you haven’t tried moving your phone away from where you sleep, I highly recommend it.)

And we’ve also got convenience charging in the kitchen, making it easy to stay topped off while making our way through a recipe.

Here’s what we’re using in our house. If you’ve got something we should take a look at, let us know in the comments!

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What I’m using

Target Wallet is yet another mobile payment service to keep track of

Joking aside, this is a pretty nice setup for Target shoppers.

Services like Android and Samsung Pay are likely what you use the most for paying with your phone at stores, gas stations, and more, but then you have things like Walmart Pay that are proprietary ways of using your phone to pay for things at specific stores.

Target just released its own proprietary payment service in the form of Wallet, and although having to keep track of yet another mobile payment solution might sound like a hassle, Wallet actually looks like a pretty good gig for avid Target shoppers.

Wallet is available within the main Target app, but unlike something such as Walmart Pay, you can only add a Target REDcard as a payment method. Target’s REDcard is available as either a credit card or debit card that’s linked up to your bank account, and the big draw to it is that you get a 5% discount whenever you use it at Target.

Wallet also ties into Cartwheel (Target’s digital coupon clipping service), so when you scan your barcode at checkout, you can pay and have your coupons apply in one single action. You can’t currently add gift cards to Wallet, but Target says this functionality is coming soon.

Target Wallet is available to use starting today on Android and iOS.

If you shop at Target, does this sound like something you’d be interested in?

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