There’s a great deal of activity in the fields of speech recognition and the “internet of things,” but one natural application of the two has gone relatively unpursued: helping the deaf and hard of hearing take part in everyday conversations. SpeakSee aims to do this (after crowdfunding, naturally) with a clever hardware design that minimizes… Continue reading SpeakSee makes it simple for a deaf person to join a group conversation
Category: Gadgets
This simple robot offers more cowbell
Fellas, you’re gonna want that cowbell. And what better way to get that cowbell than with an automatic cowbell-playing robot that uses simple components to create a musical experience like no other. The system, built over at Adafruit, includes a simple Arduino controller, a potentiometer to control the speed of the cowbell hammer, and a… Continue reading This simple robot offers more cowbell
Apple’s new Mac ads show that even Grimes uses dongles
Apple has launched a new advertising campaign for the Mac called “behind the Mac”. In this campaign, the company is sharing user stories of people using Mac for work, creative projects and accessibility reasons. The Mac is a versatile platform. People use it for boring tasks, such as checking emails and browsing the web. But… Continue reading Apple’s new Mac ads show that even Grimes uses dongles
Purdue’s PHADE technology lets cameras ‘talk’ to you
It’s become almost second nature to accept that cameras everywhere — from streets, to museums and shops — are watching you, but now they may be able to communicate with you, as well. New technology from Purdue University computer science researchers has made this dystopian prospect a reality in a new paper published today. But,… Continue reading Purdue’s PHADE technology lets cameras ‘talk’ to you
Samsung announces a push for renewable energy
Samsung has announced that it will use 100 percent renewable energy for all its factories and offices in the U.S., Europe and China. This is the first time Samsung has announced a public commitment for renewable energy. Greenpeace and environmental activists have been calling out Samsung for months as many tech companies have already started… Continue reading Samsung announces a push for renewable energy
Juul tightens up social media to focus on former smokers switching to e-cigs
Juul Labs, the company behind the ever-popular Juul e-cig, has today announced a new policy around social media. This comes in the midst of Juul’s effort to get FDA approval, which has been made more arduous by the fact that the FDA has cracked down on Juul after learning how popular the device is with… Continue reading Juul tightens up social media to focus on former smokers switching to e-cigs
AssistENT offers an anti-snoring device you stick in your nose
If you sleep next to someone who snores you know that the endless horking and honking isn’t very fun… and it makes the snorer’s life even worse. Some students and doctors in Baltimore, Maryland, however, have created something that acts like an internal breathing strip to help you breathe better and snore less. Called assistENT,… Continue reading AssistENT offers an anti-snoring device you stick in your nose
Back Market raises $48 million for its refurbished device marketplace
If you’ve tried selling your old smartphone on a refurbishment website, chances are you ended up with a dozen browser tabs comparing prices. French startup Back Market is taking advantage of this fragmented industry to create a marketplace and aggregate all refurbishers on a single online platform. The startup just raised $48 million (€41 million).… Continue reading Back Market raises $48 million for its refurbished device marketplace
Ring’s $199 security system will finally ship next month
Way back in October of last year, Ring announced “Ring Protect” — a modular, no contract, DIY home security system. After a few delays, a bit of legal drama and Ring being acquired for a billion dollars by Amazon, the alarm is finally about to ship — albeit with a slightly different (better!) name. Ring… Continue reading Ring’s $199 security system will finally ship next month
Build your own L3-37 droid complete with voice interaction
Robot maker Patrick Stefanski has created a 3D-printed – and animated – model of L3-37, the droid in the recent Solo movie. L3-37 is one of the funnest – and woke – droids in recent memory and this recreation is fun and ingenious. Stefanski used Alexa voice controls to let the robot head respond to… Continue reading Build your own L3-37 droid complete with voice interaction