X

Controlling gadgets with a mere nod

Leslie Katz Former Culture Editor
Leslie Katz led a team that explored the intersection of tech and culture, plus all manner of awe-inspiring science, from space to AI and archaeology. When she's not smithing words, she's probably playing online word games, tending to her garden or referring to herself in the third person.
Credentials
  • Third place film critic, 2021 LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards
See full bio
Leslie Katz
Remember how Barbara Eden of "I Dream of Jeannie" used to change the TV channel with that cute little nod of her head?

Well, that's how the rest of us may be channel surfing and switching iPod tracks one day, Scottish researchers say.

According to a BBC News report, scientists at the University of Glasgow have been developing "audio clouds" to control gadgets using movement and sound (as opposed to the visually based machines of today, which, needless to say, can be a bit tough to navigate on the move).

"We hope to develop interfaces that are truly mobile, allowing users to concentrate on the real world while interacting with their mobile device as naturally as if they were talking to a friend while walking," Stephen Brewster, a professor of human computer interaction, told the BBC.

Put in layman's terms, it may not be long before you can talk into your cell phone headset, play with your PDA and toggle between songs on your MP3 player--all while looking both ways crossing the street.