Saturday 11 April 2015

Limited Access State for Inadvertent Inputs



Patent

Google Inc. – Patent Application – Limited Access State for Inadvertent Inputs



It has been reported by a New Reporter-Staff News Editor at Politics & Government Week, from Washington D.C. VerticalNews journalist report that a patent application filed on October 28 2013, by inventor Mittal, Sanjev Kumar from Bangalore had been made available online on February 12, 2015 and the patent assignee is said to be Google Inc.

The news editor gained the quote from the background information provided by the inventors – Computing devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers etc. can generally perform various functions like executing applications stored thereon and outputting information like documents, emails, pictures etc.; for display. Some of the computing devices could include limited access state which could prevent an unauthorized user from accessing and viewing applications as well as information that could be stored at the computing device resulting in effectively locking the computing device.

These computing devices helps the user to provide a specific input for instance the passcode, pattern or biometric information in order to unlock the computing device to gain access to the information or application which could be stored in the device. The locking techniques does provide some kind of security ensuring that only users knowing the specific input needed to unlock the computing device could access the application and information that is stored in the computing device.

Computing Devices Constructed to Execute Action 

Some of the computing devices are constructed to execute an action in response to receiving greater than a threshold number of ineffective unlock efforts, for instance, the computing device could prevent extra unlocking efforts for a predetermined amount of time.

In such instances, the device could delete some or even all information that may be stored in the computing device in response to the attempts made of unsuccessful unlock which could be greater than a threshold number and in some other instances, information could be unintentionally deleted from the device.

As an enhancement to the background information to the patent application, VerticalNews correspondents also gained the summary information of the inventor for the patent application and in one instance; the disclosure was directed to a system which included receiving by a computing device functioning in a first limited access state which was an indication of a first input.

Procedure Focussed on Managing Access State

Procedures of this disclosure are focussed on managing access states of computing device and in some applications, it could operate in a first limited access state for instance a first locked state.

At the time of operating in the first limited access state, the computing device could be arranged to compare received user input to certain input which may be needed for transition of the computing device in operating in an access state – an unlocked state.

Receptive to receiving input from user which does not tend to correspond to the certain user input needed to unlock the computing device, it may switch from operating in the first limited access state to a second limited access state.

For instance, in response to defining that the received user input could most likely not be an attempt to unlock the computing device from first limited access state, the device could be constituted to switch to operating in the second limited access state.

Friday 10 April 2015

Prosthetic Hand Recreates Feeling Of Cotton Bud Touch


Prosthetic_Hand
Prosthetic Hand – Creation of a Sense of Touch

Invention and technology has given rise to a prosthesis which for the first time helps people who have lost a hand due to amputation or accidents,to recognize a natural sense of touch which is often taken for granted. The sensation is so good that a person who had tried the device commented that on leaving the lab, it felt like leaving his hand at the door.

 For ages, researchers had been working on the creation of a sense of touch for those who could have lost their limbs, with intentions that could help them with the control and sense of embodiment of a prosthetic limb. A group of researchers are ahead of the competition with the completion of a successful trial with many others recruiting people for testing the technologies.

Recent developments have enabled people who have lost their limbs to move a prosthesis and grip objects. The ability to distinguish what is touched.is essential in controlling and accepting prosthesis as a part of the body and this was accomplished for the first time by Dustin Tyler, together with his colleagues, at the Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Centre in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cuff of Electrodes – 3 Main Nerves in Residual Area of Limbs

The team found a means of transmitting long term realistic physical sensation like the feel of a cotton wool ball to two individuals who had lost their hands in an industrial accident.

There have been several attempts in creating a sense of touch in recent years by conveying vibration to a person’s residual limb which can equate to pressure on the prosthesis though it proved to be more distracting rather than helpful and has not been adopted.

Attaching electrodes to the inside of residual nerves was also attempted though the tingling sensation produced diminished over a period of time. Something more complex was then attempted by Tyler’s team and two years ago, a cuff of electrodes around the three main nerves in the residual area of the two person’s limbs was implanted which are the nerves that usually transmits sensory information from the hand to the brain.

Each of these cuff comprised of electrodes which could stimulate different parts of the nerve and the wires that were connected with the electrodes to the machine provided a stream of electrical pulses which was connected to the prosthesis used by the individuals. The system was to operate it, wirelessly.

Real Achievement – Prosthetic Limb 

Tyler states that `as soon as they stimulated the nerves in the first subject he immediately informed that for the first time he felt his hand since it was removed’. The team than switched on each electrodes in turn and the individuals felt a tingling sensation as though it was coming from the tip of their prosthetic thumb then the tip of the index finger till the touch sensation moved across the whole of their prosthetic limb.

 Providing a real sense of touch to one who could have lost their limb is a great achievement and doing the same for one who has been paralysed by spinal cord injury could be more challenging wherein a spinal injury could prevent nerves from coordinating with the brain. Hence communication between the brain and prosthetic limb could bypass these nerves.

A team at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2012 had implanted a device in the brain of paralyzed women, from the neck downwards to help her to control the most sophisticated prosthetic arm with the use of her mind.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Hacking Game 'Touchtone' Turned Me into an NSA Spy


Touchtone
Thinking about becoming a NSA spy itself sends out a chill down by spine but after playing TouchTone, I have been eagerly awaiting a chance to get my hands on being a responsible spy. This iOS puzzle game got me hooked up like never before.

I was experiencing thrills of searching of enemies across the state by just scouring across emails and text messages. This is completely different and I experience it in my daily life. As per the statement of co-creator Mike Boxleiter, people might start feeling this entire game very creepy as well as voyeuristic. All they need is to stop for a while and rethink about the game again.

What the game is all about? 

The game starts with a simple training exercise wherein the player has to identify if the chain of email between the potential customer and a bookstore employee should be monitored. At the bottom the game will highlight a transcript indicating if the email has any content indicating potential threats. The player has to identify any kind of threat to national security.

A simple example is the interaction dealing about The Anarchist Cookbook, clearly indicates that there is not much to worry about however any interaction dealing with crafting homemade bombs certainly requires the attention of the player.

Soon after completing the level, I got scolded by my one of the handler who is none other than a Patriot, and he point-out that some students have been emailing about going out to smoke weeds. I had indicated that this mail is not at all threatening.

He stated that from his perspective, and all this was about drug trafficking which required monitoring. According to Boxleiter, most of the people on the Wall Street are more or less criminals. He was not satisfied with my effort and work as I was thinking about all these as a rational human, which is not all like a spy. He stated that our system is so messed up as they are not concerned about people who carry our fraud of millions but focused on people with beards.

This game is about exposing the loopholes in the system which is in use. In simple words we can say that in the world of TouchTone, racial profiling does not exist, which ensures that the spies are searching out for the maximum information possible for anyone known suspects.

The more he added that NSA is about creating connection between different people. In simple words we can say that this game is all about tailing the suspects till he can be put behind the jail. After this the game starts over with another connected suspect.

At the end, TouchTone is a hacking mini-game similar to that off BioShock and Deus Ex. The game is simple consists of 6 x 7 grid with different which are of different colours laser beams meant for directing it to the same-colored targets by means of reflector panels.

Even though the game might look deceptive but can turn out to be slightly exhausting. People might not find this game funny but reflects the normal life of the people. The game requires people to look the concept from a humorous point of view. It is meant for inspiring conversations.

Wednesday 8 April 2015

Livescribe Echo Smartpen


Smartpen
Livescribe Echo Smartpen = Record Audio/Take Notes/Play Back

The Livescribe Echo Smartpen enables the user to record audio at the time of taking notes and then plays back later. One can save as well as share interactive notes to the computer, iPhone or iPad through a micro-USB connection which also recharges the pen.

The memory storage capacity has 400 or 800 hours of recorded audio based on the model which includes an OLED display that makes the navigation of the smartpen app an easy one. We come across several mobile apps and desktop program offering amazing note taking capabilities though nothing can replace handwritten notes.

Typing could be more efficient but the truth is that writing by hand enables a person to learn better, retaining most of the information in the process which can stimulate the brain. Hence most of the students as well as professionals opt for analog notes instead of keyboards and searchable typed words.

 This has given way for the Echo Smartpen by Livescribe which helps in taking traditional ink notes while at the same time makes a digital copy of everything that is written. Moreover it also records everything heard or said as one writes. If one taps a word, the Smartpen can also play back whatever has been recorded while taking those notes.

Installation of Several Applications

A Livescribe smartpen is the size and weight of a big pen i.e. 5/8” x 6 1/8” and has a removable ball point ink cartridge, a microphone for recording audio, a speaker for playback, a small OLED display, internal flash memory that can capture handwritten notes, audio and drawings and an infra-red camera. The person has the option of recording audio besides the handwritten text.

 The recorded audio is kept indexed together with the handwritten text and on tapping on a written work could playback the recorded audio from that part of the recording done. Besides this, it also enables installation of several applications depending on the memory and ships with several applications.

If the user tends to tap on the correct images, it can perform as a calculator, or can also translate words wherein the translator software shipped comprises of 21 words in a small collection of languages. As of September 2010, there does not seem to be any public plans in making a full version of this translator accessible.

Livescribe Desktop Software – Element of Digitized Notes 

The amazing fact of the Echo Smartpen is that it has a capacity that goes well beyond paper and the Livescribe Desktop software has an element of digitized notes. This software can be downloaded at no cost. When the Echo Smartpen is connected to the computer with the provided micro-USB cord, the Livescribe software tends to sync the notes quickly with the associated audio wherein the notes can be viewed, exported, played back as well as organized into new folders.

Notes that are associated with audio tend to appear in green and on clicking on a word could prompt the audio and a real-time playback of note-taking. The interactive notes have been dubbed as `Pencasts’. When the user intends to share the notes with a colleague, it can be uploaded to the cloud account or saved on the computer and Livescribe enables you to export audio recordings, Pencasts, or the written notes with the help of its desktop software. In order to export notes, one could use the Ctrl-click for selection of the notes intending to export and then right click the selection choosing `Send X Page to …’.

To Memorize Terms – Develop Audible Study Sheet

Then the destination needs to be chosen such as Evernote, Google Docs, and Computer etc. Lastly one needs to choose to export the notes as a PDF, Pencast with a special .PDF format, m4a – audio or.PNG.

For quick access to the idependant audio recording one needs to go to the `Audio’ tab at the top and follow the same process for exporting audio files and one can share long lectures with their colleagues. Should the user need to memorize terms, they can develop an audible study sheet with the Echo Smartpen wherein they could start by writing out the terms needed to study on a single sheet and when completed, could record definitions for the respective term, by tapping `Record’ tap the word, say the definition and tap `Stop’.

The same process could be repeated for all the terms. This is a faster option than making flashcards though one might also benefit more from hearing the definitions. Should the user be without a notebook and would like to use the Smartpen as an audio recorder, they can then do that by long pressing the power button and a few seconds thereafter, the pen will beep indicating that recording has started.

In order to stop the recording, one could tap the power button once and the file gets saved. The file can be played back later on tapping the menu button on any given notebook page.

One can go to Main Menu > Paper Replay > Play Session and locate the recording. At the time of playing it back, any notes that are taken will be synced with the recorded audio.

Tuesday 7 April 2015

Pencil Sketches Turn Paper into A Sensor


Pencil
With the growing development in technology, sensors are now becoming very popular and useful and some researchers have invented a simple way to create high sensitive and strong sensors whereinthe requirement is in the form of a simple pencil. Pencil drawing can now be easily turned into sensors which can measure how much something can or is distorted.

A team of researcher from the University of Science and Technology Beijing have studied how plain pencil shapes drawn on paper could be used as an accurate sensor to measure the distortion of objects. The graphite that is deposited by the pencil conducts electricity and its high electrical resistance changes subtly when the object on which it is laid tends to change shape.

New Scientist reports that on drawing a pencil rectangle on paper it conducts electricity though it has quite a high resistance and as it bends, the resistance increase or decreases based on which way it could get distorted, On measuring the resistance, the exact angle of bend is then identified and precisely measuring the changes, the researchers have indicated that they can accurately measure the angle at which a piece of paper is distorted. It was also glued to a human finger in order to detect the articulation of digit in a book to measure how far it was opened and a ruler to measure the bending of the beam.

Sensors Intended for Wearable Technology

The measurement obtained by the paper sensors were almost accurate as the commercially available sensors, the results of which were published in Advanced Functional Materials. This could be used as a hobby at home or in school to introduce the concept of sensing to students and researchers are speculating that graphite could be used to create ad-hoc sensors for robotics as well as wearable technologies which could be used for a short time, removed and easily restored at a minimum cost.

As per Yue Zhang from the University of Science and Technology, Beijing he states that the sensors are intended for use in wearable technology which relies on other components that have not yet been developed and thinks that there are other uses too.

He further comments that they can foresee that alarm systems could be cheaper than the existing ones and that they are making active efforts to find a related company to cooperate. Zhang’s work is built on his earlier work by Jiaxing Huang and colleagues from North-westernUniversity in Evanston, Illinois on same sensors.

Cheap/Handy/Quick- Useful with Limited Resources

According to him, pencil drawn devices are cheap, handy and quick to make and could be useful in conditions where resources could be limited while Huang states that pencil drawing is a very convenient way to deposit materials on paper.

Since it does not use any solvent it sidesteps several issues like toxicity of solvent, stability of ink, evaporation and spreading of ink which could be considered in `wet printing techniques’.Moreover, it could also help in cutting down cost and turn the pencil drawing into a capacitive sensor for Arduino on production of wearable techs.

Huang and Zhang are of the opinion that the technique could be scrambled up to produce these kinds of sensor in factories, though in the meantime they could be utilised for DIY projects or education.