implant

App helps hearing-impaired sort through aural clutter

Hearing aids and cochlear implants work like complicated miniature microphones to help the deaf and hard-of-hearing pick up the noises around them. Unfortunately, the hum of background noise also tends to be amplified, often creating a confusing melee of sound.

Miriam Furst-Yust, a professor at Tel Aviv University's School of Electrical Engineering, has developed new software called Clearcall that can improve speech recognition by up to 50 percent in hearing aids and cochlear implants, according to a press release put out by the American Friends of Tel Aviv University.

Clearcall was initially developed for cell phones, but the Clearcall-filtered … Read more

The 404 192: Where Sen. McCain canceled his appearance on The 404

When you start out by setting the bar low, you don't need high expectations. We kick off the show with a discussion of Pirates 2, sequel to the highest budget adult film of all time. In other news, MySpace finally enters the music biz, plastic surgeons ban unfeasibly large breasts, and Justin is an albatross.

Dan the Mantern here. Somehow today's banter turned to the topic of haggard Chinese dudes who play supporting roles in action movies. Despite their recognizable faces and remarkable performances, too often these evil henchman and characters used to advance a plot line are stripped of the accolades they so deserve. I'd like to take this opportunity to initiate a new tradition at The 404: The Supporting Actor Hall of Fame.

For the first installment, we'll remember the career of the late Victor Wong. Known for his quirky haircut and lazy eye, Wong's breakthrough role as Egg Shen in Big Trouble in Little China had us reeling. Wong went on to portray The Old Man in Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child, Fighter in Bloodsport, and Grandpa Mori Shintaro in 3 Ninjas, 3 Ninjas Kick Back, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up, and 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain. Unfortunately, we lost this timeless actor in late 2001. Rest in peace, Victor Wong, we miss ya buddy.

EPISODE 192 Download today's podcast … Read more

Bluetooth implants: Why not?

Question: How did the Borg--the not-so-lovable cyborgs in Star Trek--get to be that way?

Answer: it all started with Bluetooth headsets.

I see more and more people walking around with Bluetooth headsets lodged behind their ears every day. Most states are passing hands-free laws for drivers. Even my technophobe wife wants one.

I could be wrong, but I think it's only a matter of time before some enterprising startup comes up with an implantable device.… Read more

RFID implant for a healthier diet

See, we told you. RFID is taking over the world. We can now add diabetic monitoring to the infinite list of RFID applications.

Unlike the chips that are inevitably destined for our brains, however, this implanted device seems to have an indisputably worthy goal. VeriChip's invention is designed to help diabetics--and presumably others with high blood sugar--check their glucose levels without the need to break the skin through traditional testing methods. The implanted chip, which The Wireless Report says can be injected, transmits the glucose levels to scanners without the need for batteries. That sounds even easier to operate … Read more