Latest Invention: Lip-Reading Computers Able to Identify Different Languages

One of the llatest inventions created by scientists from the University of East Anglia (UEA) are lip-reading computers that are able to identify different languages.
Scientists managed to come up with lip-reading computers some time earlier but now they created the first computer that can really distinguish different languages. This latest invention could prove to be very useful for people with hearing problems, as well as for law enforcement agencies, and in noisy environments.
The revolutionary research is currently led by Stephen Cox and Jake Newman of UEA's School of Computing Sciences. They will present their latest invention at a major conference that will take place in Taiwan on April 22.
It is worth mentioning that the technology was built up by statistical modeling of the lip movements developed by a team of 23 bilingual and trilingual speakers. The system could distinguish any language with extremely high accuracy. It could identify English, French, German, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian, Polish and Russian, reports the UEA website.
"This is the first scientific confirmation that when people speak different languages, they use different mouth shapes in different sequences," outlined Prof Cox.
"For example, we found frequent 'lip-rounding' among French speakers and more prominent tongue movements among Arabic speakers," he added.
The study was funded by the EPSRC and is a part of a larger project of the University of East Anglia that focuses on automatic lip-reading. Soon scientists will start working on the system closer to an individual's physiology and their way of speaking.

DER2 actroid by kokoro (2006)

designed by kokoro which is part of the sanrio group, DER2 actroid designed by the japanese animatronics company. a seemingly more attractive and younger version of the original actroid, DER2 doesn't have walking capabilities, but her other behaviors are more human-like than before with enhanced facial expressions and speaking abilities that include a comments such as 'please don't touch me, it's sexual harrassment!' most of her responsibilities include reception and emcee duties. and of course, her wardrobe includes hello kitty t-shirts.

the latest japanese robots

l: enon robot by fujitsu interacts with customer and guides them through stores
r: mechadroid type c3 receptionist robot by business design laboratory guides visitors through face recognition

br23c biomimetic robot car’ by nissan has an anti-crash system which is inspired by bumblebees

murata seisaku-kun rides a bicycle and murata seiko-chan rides a unicycle

ifbot by business design laboratory is highly attuned to human emotions and can communicate with a range of its own facial expressionsregular designboom readers will understand our fascination with robots. small, large, scary or just plain weird, robots seem to capture people’s imagination. CEATEC is a japanese tradeshow which is dedicated to home electronics and robots. here are a few of the new bots that were on display

Albert Einstein

Can Y ou Believe It?

There is a crater on the Moon named after Albert Einstein.

Albert Einstein was born in 1879 in Ulm, Germany. He was the first child born to Hermann and Pauline Einstein. Though he attended school as a young boy, he also received instruction at home on Judaism and violin. By the age of twelve he had taught himself geometry. At the age of sixteen he failed an exam in order to qualify to train as an electrical engineer. He remained in school and developed anew plan for his future. Einstein decided to study math and physics so he could become a teacher. Einstein thought he would be good at this because he could think mathematically and abstractly while lacking imagination and practicality. In 1896 he renounced his German citizenship. He was not a citizen of any country until 1901 when he became a citizen of Switzerland. In 1900 he graduated as a teacher of math and physics. His teachers did not think very highly of him though so he had difficulty being recommended for a job at a university. In 1901 he took a job as a temporary high school teacher and married Mileva Maritsch. The couple had two sons prior to divorcing. Einstein later married his cousin Elsa Einstein. From 1902 through 1909, Einstein worked in a patent office in Bern, Switzerland. While working in the patent office he published many papers on theoretical physics. He earned a Ph.D. in 1905.

In 1905 Einstein wrote a paper on what is now known as the special theory of relativity. This paper contained two hypotheses. The first stated that the laws of physics had to have the same form in any frame of reference. The second hypothesis stated that the speed of light was a constant. Later that year Einstein also showed how mass and energy were equivalent. Following an impressive few years of work, Einstein became a lecturer at the University of Bern. In 1909 he finally got a post at a university when he became a faculty member at the University of Zurich. In 1911 Einstein taught at Carl-Ferdinand University in Prague. The following year he returned to Germany to continue his work. In 1916 Einstein published his general theory of relativity. This theory linked gravitation, acceleration and the four dimensional space-time. With this theory he was able to account for the variations in the orbital motions of the planets. He also predicted that starlight in the vicinity of a massive object such as the Sun could be bent. This was confirmed in 1919 during a solar eclipse. This further increased the adulation with which the press viewed Einstein. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his work on the photoelectric effect. This work proposed that light be considered as consisting of particles called photons. Einstein further proposed that the energy the photon contains is proportional to the frequency of the radiation.

Einstein was not only a scientist, but also a social activist and a humanitarian. He spoke out against the German involvement in World War I. In 1920 a demonstration interrupted a lecture given by Einstein in Berlin. There was also growing criticism of his work by certain Germans. Einstein felt the disruptions and criticisms were occurring because he was Jewish. Einstein traveled the world lecturing and raising funds for a planned Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His hectic lifestyle led to a physical collapse in 1928. By 1930 he was once again travelling the world, especially the United States. On one of these visits he was offered a post at Princeton University in New Jersey. Einstein accepted, believing that he would spend seven months of the year in Munich and five months of the year in the United States. In December of 1932 he left for the United States. A month after his departure the Nazis assumed control of Germany. Einstein never returned to Germany. In 1935 Einstein was granted permanent residency in the United States and became a citizen in 1940. In 1944 he hand wrote his 1905 theory on relativity and allowed it to be auctioned. It sold for six million dollars, which he donated to the effort to win World War II. The work resides in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. By 1949 Einstein was in failing health. His health was so bad that when offered the presidency of Israel in 1952 he had to decline it. In 1955, one week prior to his death, he agreed to have his name appear on a manifesto calling for the end to nuclear weapons. He died in April of 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey. Einstein was cremated and his ashes were spread at an undisclosed location.

New Berkline Seating Available at TheaterSeatStore.com

Interiormark, LLC announced that several new models of Berkline home theater seating, including the Berkline 45003, 45030, and 45032, are available at
TheaterSeatStore.com. Berkline brought out these new home theater seating models at the end of April, during the Spring Furniture Market at High Point North Carolina.
These new recliners take Berkline’s already successful models and add some slight design changes.
“Whatever you are looking for, we got it,” commented Peter Goldstein, Vice President of Sales at TheaterSeatStore. Go to the theaterseatstore.com to view this new Berkline home theater seating.

JL Audio Wins EISA Award for 13TW5

JL Audio 13TW5 subwoofer has won the renowned EISA award for its superb design, as well as cutting-edge-technologies. EISA (European Imaging and Sound Association) has declared the JL Audio 13TW5 as a Best Product 2008-2009.

The EISA awards are selected by a panel of judges who represent more than 50 well-known photo, video, audio, home theater, and mobile electronics magazines from more than 20 European countries.

As quoted from the Award Citation of the EISA Jury:

“JL Audio´s many years of experience in high quality subwoofers has directed its development of this extremely shallow subwoofer. By employing many new, patented technologies in the 13TW5-3, JL Audio has managed to create a drive unit that measures just a little over 60 mm thick - and compromises neither sound quality nor sound pressure. By incorporating a huge seven-inch voice coil (built to house the magnet) and advanced materials, this subwoofer can handle up to 1,200 Watts of power. JL Audio even made the 13.5-inch cone fit a normal 12-inch mounting aperture, and it requires only a very shallow 23-litre enclosure. All in all the 13TW5-3 provides a fascinating blend of newest technology, high-tech construction and outstanding sound quality in its class.”

The selected products for EISA award are well reviewed for their unique designs along with highly advanced technology, required features, attractive look, and even their highest value for money. Moreover, the JL Audio 13TW5 subwoofer is just available worldwide.

Harman Kardon HKTS 18 Home Theatre Speaker System

Harman Kardon offers a great alternative home theatre speaker system in the HKTS18. This home theater speaker system combines magnetically shielded two-way satellite and center channel speakers with a 10-inch, 200-watt subwoofer for high-performance sound that complements the design of Harman Kardon receivers and DVD players.


Among the features include:

Line-level Sub/LFE input
Audio-sense or external-trigger on/off
Multicolor LED power indicator
Wall mounts are included just in case you decide to buy this home theater speaker system from Harman Kardon. The price range for this set plays around $400 to $800.