ViBand: High-Fidelity Bio-Acoustic Sensing Using Commodity Smartwatch Accelerometers

We developed a custom smartwatch kernel that boosts the sampling rate of a smartwatch’s existing accelerometer to 4 kHz. Using this new source of high-fidelity data, we uncovered a wide range of applications. For example, we can use bio-acoustic data to classify hand gestures such as flicks, claps, scratches, and taps, which combine with on-device motion tracking to create a wide range of expressive input modalities. Bio-acoustic sensing can also detect the vibrations of grasped mechanical or motor-powered objects, enabling passive object recognition that can augment everyday experiences with context-aware functionality. Finally, we can generate structured vibrations using a transducer, and show that data can be transmitted through the human body. Overall, our contributions unlock user interface techniques that previously relied on special-purpose and/or cumbersome instrumentation, making such interactions considerably more feasible for inclusion in future consumer devices.

The Route 66 Musical Road - Tijeras, New Mexico

Just east of Albuquerque and near the village of Tijeras, New Mexico, there lies a length of Route 66 that has a series of grooves cut into it (also known as a rumble strip) and if you drive over them at exactly 45 MPH, the sound of your vibrating tires will play a portion of "America the Beautiful"! Apparently, this was a project that the National Geographic Society worked on in conjunction with the New Mexico Department of Transportation for a series they were doing called "Crowd Control" and the purpose of it was to develop a way to encourage drivers to slow down. In this short video, you'll get to see Cindy and I drive over this Musical Road in our Jeep Renegade and you'll get to hear the tune being played.

Magic Trick with Pokemon Cards

A magic trick for Pokemon Go!

Competition: Win Ming of Harlem: Twenty One Storeys in the Air on DVD

Ming of Harlem: Twenty One Storeys in the Air  is released on DVD November 28th 

And to celebrate we have a great competition for you and 3 copies on DVD to give away.

Synopsis:
In October 2003, Antoine Yates was arrested for reckless endangerment following the discovery of his cohabitation in a Harlem high-rise with Ming, a five-hundred-pound tiger and Al, a seven-foot alligator.

This beautifully crafted, haunting documentary explores the story of Yates and combines this with filmic observation of predators in domesticated geographies.

Win This:
Ming of Harlem: Twenty One Storeys in the Air [DVD] [2016]

To enter all you have to do is answer this easy question...


Competition Closed


Terms and conditions
1. Closing date 02-12-16
2. No alternative prize is available
3. When the competition ends as indicated on this page, any and all entries received after this point will not count and emails blacklisted due to not checking this page first.
4. Winners will be chosen randomly and will be informed via email.

Ian Wright gets a big shock!

Footballer Ian Wright gets a big shock as a teacher from his past turns up.

How to Make Boiled Water

Take the next step in your cooking career with this boiled water tutorial.

Action Bronson Eating Spicy Wings

You asked for him, and now he's here: Mr. Wonderful in the Hot Ones studio. The host of Viceland's "F**k That's Delicious" smokes and drinks his way through the Scoville onslaught, tackling questions about everything from on-stage body slams to legendary TV chefs along the way. And don't worry: There's a Big Body Bes cameo, just as you knew there would be.