Sunday, April 26, 2015

New Device Delivers Sound Through Tongue to Let Deaf People Hear

While we naturally think that we hear with our ears, it is really the brain that converts sound waves into what we perceive as sound. Our most distinctive organ also has a lot of plasticity, being able to adapt its regions to perform tasks normally not assigned to them. Blind people, for example, often have the part of the brain responsible for vision working to more precisely interpret audio and create a better mental picture of what’s around. This principle is what led researchers at Colorado State University to attempt to use the tongue as a medium for passing sound to the brain in deaf people.

The researchers developed a flat shaped neurostimulator with a bunch of electrodes in a grid at one end. It’s connected wirelessly via Bluetooth to an earpiece that captures sound. The system processes the audio signals received by the earpiece and converts them into electrical pulses that are delivered through the stimulator. The user simply presses his tongue against the electrodes on the mouthpiece and feels tingling or vibration. The idea is that this sensation, really sound interpreted another way, can be translated by the brain into perceived audio if given proper training.

There’s much work to be done to prove the technology and make it practical. Currently, the researchers are mapping out the tongue’s nerves and studying how volunteers respond to the electrical stimulation. They’re trying to figure out whether the device will work uniformly for all people or whether it will need to be individually customized. The researchers hope that this technology will become a new option competing with cochlear implants and that it may help overcome hearing loss for a wide variety of people.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Formula One Pit Crews Embrace 3D Printed Noise Cancelling Earpieces From Minerva Hearing

The sound of a racing motor at full throttle is a singularly powerful noise. While changes in Formula One motors, from V8s to the turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 motors of this season, mean they generate 15,000 RPM, which is 3,000 RPM less than last year, and though the smaller engines have made them significantly quieter, they’re still loud.

Now that scientists are warning people around the world of the dangers of prolonged exposure to high levels of noise, a Welsh company is using 3D printing to create earplugs to prevent hearing damage to everyone from musicians to Formula One mechanics.599468_513770338658254_1536909041_n

As a point of reference, you can tolerate the noise generated as you ride in a car â€" around 85 dB â€" for about 8 hours before hearing damage begins to occur. An average motorcycle generates 95 dB, and you can take about 47 minutes of that, and a loud rock concert can pound out 115 dB.

While the new generation of F1 cars creates some 80 dB of sound, the old V10-based cars pumped out 130 dB. At a level of 128 dB, your hair can actually begin to detect vibration from sound, and at those levels, hearing can be altered in a matter of seconds. A very small hand grenade or bomb can create up to 210 dB.

All this is important as one part of the inner ear, the cochlea, contains some 17,000 small hair cells called stereocilia which float inside cochlear fluid. When sound waves enter the cochlea, the stereocilia move, and that triggers an electrical impulse in the auditory nerve. The nerve passes those electrical impulses to the brain where they’re decoded as “sounds.”

Here’s the problem: once damaged, stereocilila don’t grow back.

Kevin Davies, operations director at Minerva Hearing Protection in Cardiff, Wales, says his company’s custom hearing protection devices built with 3D printing technology have been used for everything from providing protection for the pit crews on the F1 circuit to musicians on stage.

The products are custom molded to an individual’s ear canal to completely eliminate external sounds, and they’re formed in 3D printed hard acrylic. The earplugs feature tiny, built-in acoustic filters which take into account the natural response of the ear.IF

“With Formula cars producing volumes over 100dB under race conditions, multiplied many times over in a busy Grand Prix pit lane, the need for hearing protection as well as safe communication are paramount,” Davies says. “We have been working with the majority of Formula 1 teams over the past three years, and we are really proud to be part of a world that demands the highest standards of engineering technology.”


The devices are made from a soft, medically-approved silicone, and they can also be made from a firmer acrylic material which can be plated in silver, gold, or titanium.

The production process begins with a technician making an impression of a client’s outer ear canal, and then pouring in liquid silicon. The resulting molds are then digitized for input into a 3D printer, and the company says it produces more than 4,000 ear pieces per week. Davies says 3D printing technology has advanced well beyond simply the ability to produce prototypes.

1889080_698346236867329_8772122851610298217_oThe company has produced more than one million 3D printed products at their Cardiff manufacturing center. Minerva was one of the first companies to embrace additive manufacturing as a commercial proposition, and Davies says they acquired their first 3D printer in 2004 “at a cost in excess of $150,000.” They also receivedMHRA approval for medical-grade resin they use to 3D manufacture the ear-pieces.

“Having been one of the first UK producers to take the plunge and switched over entirely to this form of additive manufacturing, we believe we have proven the case for 3D printing as a serious manufacturing process,” Davies says. “It has well and truly arrived as a cost-effective and efficient production technology that brings us many advantages, and has truly stepped out of its technological novelty phase of recent years. We will continue to invest in new and improved 3D systems ensuring our products stay at the leading edge of our field.”


Davies says 3D printing technology has also helped Minerva produce over 8,000 variations of color and materials, and he adds that in-ear monitors and ear plugs are now laser-printed with logos, names, or images according to a customer’s preference.

Additional Information - As we see the advent of 3D printers we will see more and more products that are relatively expensive to produce in small quantities and to see one of the most technologically advanced sports using this shows that it will have a bright future, you can find the original source of the article here

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Lost Copy Of Shakespeare's First Folio Discovered

A lost copy of Shakespeare's First Folio has been discovered in Northern France.

The First Folio is the name commonly given to the 1623 collection entitled Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories Tragedies. The book contains 36 plays, a great many of which had never been published prior to 1623, which makes The First Folio an extremely important document, as it represents the only original source for all subsequent printings/performances of many of Shakespeare's works, such as The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of The Shrew, Twelfth Night and Julius Caesar.

Counting this new addition, there are only 233 first edition copies of this book left in the world, and each have small textual variations that shed new light on Shakespeare's writing style, creative process and (possibly) his personal life.

The book was discovered in the public library of Saint-Omer, a small town near Calais. Prior to this, it had been held in a Jesuit college in the town. It was moved to the library following The French Revolution, which ended in 1799.

In addition to being a major literary event in its own right, the discovery of the book has sparked new debates as to The Bard's religious affiliation.

For over 150 years, some scholars have suggested that Shakespeare had links to secret Catholic sects that were outlawed (and severely punished) in the 16th and early 17th centuries.

Elizabethan England was officially a Protestant country and Catholics were brutally suppressed under this regime. Proponents of this theory cite examples in Shakespeare's writing (in particular King Richard The Second) and the presence of the mysterious William Shakeshafte at the home (and later in the last will and testament) of Alexander Hoghton, a known underground Catholic.

This previously unknown First Folio is thought to have made its way to France in the possession of Edward Scarisbrick, a well-known English Catholic who is believed to have studied at Saint-Omer in the 1630's. Scarisbrick was known to go by the name Nevill â€" and this book is inscribed with the same name.

The Jesuit College that originally owned the book sheltered Catholic exiles and also trained Englishmen who wished to become priests. Today, the institution still exists, although it has been relocated to Lancashire.

Other works of Shakespeare have also been discovered in the Jesuit College at Douai, Northern France.

Of course, this evidence alone merely proves that English exiles enjoyed reading Shakespeare. As Dr. Martin Wiggins, a senior fellow at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-Upon-Avon told The Independent, “He was admired and studied by English Catholics. We already knew that. Now we have more evidence. That doesn't mean that Shakespeare was himself a Catholic sympathiser,”

The book will be put on display in Saint-Omer as part of an exhibition of old English texts, something that is expected to draw tourism from interested parties.

Dr. Wiggins has also suggested that the copy, which has been annotated with stage directions by an unknown party, probably represents the earliest known school production of Shakespeare.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

What Type Of Kenwood Radio Earpiece Should You Use With A Kenwood Radio

Although there are multiple types and designs of Kenwood radios out there, there are only two earpiece connectors compatible with these radios. Kenwood has been able to design their earpiece connectors in such a way that they are compatible with all their vast types of radios. A large percentage of Kenwood radios utilize the 2 pin earpiece connector. Among the most popular radios using the 2 pin earpiece connector include TK3000 and TK3300. The difference between the two-pin connector and the multi pin connector is straightforward. The former features two pins while the latter features multiple pins. However, their performance may not be the same depending on usability and the type of Kenwood radio.



The Two-Pin Earpiece Connector

The earpiece of the Kenwood 2 pin connector is featured by an incredible in-line push-to-talk button (PTT) with an in-built microphone. In addition, it comes with a complete clothing clip and a surveillance acoustic audio tube. This Kenwood earpiece connector can be used with most of the Kenwood radios and it normally sells out at a fair price.

This Kenwood radio earpiece connector is Kevlar reinforced for added security. It also features a secure fit tube connector as well as the lapel clip button. These features integrate themselves easily thus ensuring that the final sound output is of high quality. They are also designed with hi-tech microphones which help in reducing the noise level. Unlike other connectors, its wire PTT (microphone) and acoustic tube are separate. This is meant to reduce the amount of vibrations and echoes produced which would otherwise compromise the sound quality.

When it comes to style, the Kenwood radio earpiece connector is a RoHS compliant connector which has the ‘Over the ear’ FBI style acoustic tube which helps in monitoring sound levels. When you see that the plugs have worn out, there is no reason to worry because these pieces feature replaceable mushroom plugs. This is a changeable earpiece connector which allows you to change the connector to the accessory available. Apart from being compatible with Kenwood two-pin, it also works well other devices such as Motorola 2 pin and Icom 2 pin.

The Multi-Pin Earpiece Connector

The Kenwood multi-pin connected earpiece is a unique and tech savvy type of earpiece. But the earpiece is the same to the 2 pin connected earpiece in other areas. For example, both of them share very important features crucial to the audio type produced. Some of these identical features include an in-line PTT button, the surveillance acoustic tube and the clothing clip. When it comes to its value, it is a little bit pricy than the two-pin version.

The Kenwood Radio Earpieces

The performance andkenwood can be fostered by spending a little bit more on optional features such as the ‘swivel’ ear loop. Also, you can enjoy better use and comfort by including a steel clothing clip that reduces noise. Kenwood composes their earpieces from high quality cables featuring a toughened surface. The durable surface protects the cable from accidental strain and offers exemplary cushion to wear and tear. These pieces are lightweight allowing them to be carried and used in wherever you travel. They have been designed to withstand consistent strains common with all earpieces making it easier to be used in any environment.

Actually, the types of connectors which are compatible with Kenwood radios are limited compared to its counterparts. Nevertheless, the Kenwood two-pin and multi-pin connectors provide an excellent performance in all Kenwood’s radios making other connectors of no importance. But some people would say it is worth trying using other connectors to taste the difference. Kenwood radio earpieces consist of polycarbonate microphones which cushions your ears from unexpected high sound levels. When the acoustic tube gets damaged it can be easily replaced ensuring that communication remains uninterrupted. Also, the button or the controller is strategically placed allowing easier management of communication.

Most of Kenwood 2 way radios may only be connected by the two varieties of connectors. Thankfully, their equipment is among the best and it can hardly be rivaled. If you would want to have a Kenwood radio for your company, it is futile searching other compatible connectors because the aforementioned two works superbly. Many companies have started using Kenwood radio earpieces because of these hi-tech unparalleled features. Remember that, to gain advantage of uninterrupted communication, safe audio output and additional exclusive capabilities you will have to consider a good earpiece connector for your radio.