Apple has long treated its own tap-and-go Apple Pay platform like a prized fruit tree in a verdant garden, where only they could dictate who gets to nibble on its succulent delights. Now a new suit from an experienced anti-big tech firm is looking to take a rather ravenous bite out of Apple over its miserly attitude…
The House committee investigating the violent insurrection subpoenaed the texts last Friday.
Torrential rains poured over New York City yesterday, flooding streets, highways, and subway stations.
After Game of Thrones wrapped in 2019 after eight years of massive success, HBO was eager to find the next epic fantasy drama that could take on the mantle. HBO had never pursued spinoff series before, but according to a new account on the Hollywood Reporter, it was willing to take the risk in order to create a …
Researchers at Cornell University have developed an earphone that uses sonar to detect the wearer’s facial expression to create an avatar of their face. The so-called “earable” system is called EarIO.
It works by bouncing sound off the wearer’s cheeks — the audio is emitted from speakers on each side of the earphone. A microphone captures the echoes, which change as the face moves and the wearer speaks. The system then uses a deep learning algorithm to turn the echoes into a replica of the person’s expression. EarIO can transmit the facial movements to a mobile device in real time and the avatar can be used in video calls.
Camera-based devices that track face movements are “large, heavy and energy-hungry, which is a big issue for wearables,” said Cheng Zhang, principal investigator of the Smart Computer Interfaces for Future Interactions Lab, who co-authored a paper on EarIO. “Also importantly, they capture a lot of private information.” A sonar-based approach can bolster privacy, affordability, comfort and battery life, he said.
In initial testing, the team found the device works while wearers are sitting and walking, and factors like background chatter, wind and ambient road noise don’t impact the acoustic signaling. However, the high sensitivity of the sensing method can cause some issues. “It’s good, because it’s able to track very subtle movements, but it’s also bad because when something changes in the environment, or when your head moves slightly, we also capture that,” said co-author Ruidong Zhang, an information science doctoral student. The researchers hope to mitigate such disruptions in future models.
EarIO has some limitations as things stand. The device runs for around three hours on a single charge despite being far more energy efficient than a camera-based system the team previously used. The researchers hope to improve the battery life in the future. They also aim to make EarIO a plug-and-play device but it currently needs 32 minutes of facial data training before the first use.
With the release of a redesigned MacBook Air M2, there is only one good reason to purchase the MacBook Pro 13: active cooling. As we’ve recently learned, Apple wasn’t exaggerating when it justified the existence of the MacBook Pro by claiming the MacBook Air isn’t designed for sustained performance, particularly when…
“Please continue to root for both of us, because you never know what life will bring,” Handler wrote.
Most wireless earbuds that offer noise cancelling also use the microphones for an ambient sound mode for when users want to hear the world around them. JBL’s new Tune Flex takes a different approach, with buds that can switch between an open or sealed design, naturally blocking or allowing ambient sounds to get…
Ford just increased prices for the Maverick pickup as demand seems to have far outrun supply on some models. Buyers will still need patience, regardless.
Travel this summer has been hectic. We’ve seen flights being delayed for hours or just plain canceled, airlines and airports have reduced the number of flights because of packed airports and planes, and to add to it, there’s now a greater chance your luggage will be mishandled or lost.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
