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RealThing Ai launches smartphone for visually impaired

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RealThing Ai has launched its latest fully voice accessible smartphone: the RealSAM Pocket V4, completely designed for those with sight loss.

Released today in the United Kingdom and previewing in the United States, RealSAM Pocket V4 delivers on significant innovations from its V3 2021 release.

The newest developments are cleverly crafted to meet the daily frustrations that visually impaired people face, including the ease of accessing choices when shopping, challenges in being independently mobile and a need for a reliable solution to read text in confidential situations, such as banking and healthcare. [Read more…] about RealThing Ai launches smartphone for visually impaired

Taif University using ClearOne Beamforming microphone arrays to improve distance learning

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Driven by a variety of market forces, distance learning is becoming more and more of a mainstay at institutions of higher education around the world, including Taif University in Saudi Arabia, which recently completed a major upgrade of its audio capabilities in partnership with Smart Cities Technologies (SCT) and ClearOne, a global market leader enabling conferencing, collaboration, and network streaming solutions.

“When it comes to distance learning at a Taif, instructors use video conferencing in the lecture halls to collaborate with the undergraduate and graduate student population of Taif University’s women’s campus,” explained Moath M Yousef, senior audiovisual pre-sales and product manager of SCT. “And university staff members were facing many problems with the audio, mainly echo and disconnection issues.”

In addition, according to Yousef, classes with many students found it very difficult to constantly move the microphone between participants for the far end of the room to clearly hear questions and discussions. In fact, these video collaboration classes often required dedicated supervisors to be present to move the microphones between participants to ensure that classes would run smoothly. [Read more…] about Taif University using ClearOne Beamforming microphone arrays to improve distance learning

High-energy shape memory polymer could enable robots to ‘flex their muscles’

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A high-energy shape memory polymer could someday enable robots to “flex their muscles”, according its developers.

When stretched or deformed, shape memory polymers return to their original shapes after heat or light is applied.

These materials show great promise for soft robotics, smart biomedical devices and deployable space structures, but until now they haven’t been able to store enough energy. [Read more…] about High-energy shape memory polymer could enable robots to ‘flex their muscles’

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Exotic matter is in our sights

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Physicists have created a new way to observe details about the structure and composition of materials that improves upon previous methods.

Conventional spectroscopy changes the frequency of light shining on a sample over time to reveal details about them.

The new technique, Rabi-oscillation spectroscopy, does not need to explore a wide frequency range so can operate much more quickly. This method could be used to interrogate our best theories of matter in order to form a better understanding of the material universe. [Read more…] about Exotic matter is in our sights

Flexible, wearable X-ray detector doesn’t require heavy metals

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X-ray imaging is a fast and painless way for doctors to see inside a person. But radiation detectors, which go under the body part being imaged, are rigid panels that contain harmful heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium.

Now, researchers in ACS’ Nano Letters report a proof-of-concept wearable X-ray detector prepared from nontoxic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) layered between flexible plastic and gold electrodes for high-sensitivity sensing and imaging.

Most X-ray detectors are integrated into big, immobile instruments, such as computerized tomography (known as CT) and mammography equipment, or are stiff, like the sharp-edged bitewing detectors used in dental offices. [Read more…] about Flexible, wearable X-ray detector doesn’t require heavy metals

Estonian company Auve Tech launches ‘world’s first’ autonomous hydrogen vehicle

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What has been described as “the world’s first autonomous hydrogen vehicle” has now been officially launched.

Created by the Estonian enterprise Auve Tech in cooperation with University of Tartu researchers, the vehicle was presented to the public for the first time in Tartu, a city in eastern Estonia. The first passenger on the hydrogen vehicle was the President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid.

The hydrogen shuttle, which at the beginning of June successfully drove its first test kilometers and was authorised by the Estonian Road Administration for public traffic, was completed thanks to the collaboration that started in February 2020. [Read more…] about Estonian company Auve Tech launches ‘world’s first’ autonomous hydrogen vehicle

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    Science & Technology News aims to be one of the top and most trusted information providers in the sector. We publish stories ranging from technological advancements here on Earth and up to what is beyond in the realms of the unknown galaxies – and everything in between. This news website is…
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Best laptop for high school students in 2021

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Distance learning seems to stay here, even part-time, and a good laptop is important for finishing the school year. This list highlights the perfect laptop for high school students who need reliable, daily performance and long battery life, but it’s the size that fits in an average backpack and costs less than $1,000.

When buying a student laptop, we recommend that you buy it directly from the manufacturer or from a reputable and familiar retailer with the best price and return or exchange policy. If you’re shopping with a third-party seller on a site like Amazon or Walmart, make sure your laptop ships and sells on that site. For more specific shopping help, Buy tips for getting the best cheap laptops..

Read again: Best laptops in stock for less than $500 in 2021 from HP, Lenovo, Acer and more [Read more…] about Best laptop for high school students in 2021

Development of a novel technology to check body temperature with smartphone camera

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Thermal-imaging sensors that detect and capture images of the heat signatures of human bodies and other objects have recently sprung into use in thermostats to check facial temperatures in a contactless attempt to screen for COVID-19 at several building entrances.

Under these circumstances, the smartphone industry is actively considering the incorporation of such sensors as portable features to create the add-on function of measuring temperature in real time.

Additionally, the application of such technology to autonomous vehicles may facilitate safer autonomous driving. [Read more…] about Development of a novel technology to check body temperature with smartphone camera

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SuperBIT: A low-cost balloon-borne telescope to rival Hubble

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Durham, Toronto and Princeton Universities have teamed up with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency to build a new kind of astronomical telescope. SuperBIT flies above 99.5% of the Earth’s atmosphere, carried by a helium balloon the size of a football stadium.

The telescope will make its operational debut next April and when deployed should obtain high-resolution images rivalling those of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Mohamed Shaaban, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, will describe SuperBIT in his talk today (Wednesday 21 July) at the online RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2021). [Read more…] about SuperBIT: A low-cost balloon-borne telescope to rival Hubble

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New algorithm flies drones faster than human racing pilots

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To be useful, drones need to be quick. Because of their limited battery life they must complete whatever task they have – searching for survivors on a disaster site, inspecting a building, delivering cargo – in the shortest possible time.

And they may have to do it by going through a series of waypoints like windows, rooms, or specific locations to inspect, adopting the best trajectory and the right acceleration or deceleration at each segment. [Read more…] about New algorithm flies drones faster than human racing pilots