Read-n-Run: Read Your Tablet While Running
It is almost impossible to read while running on the treadmill, yet many of us wish they could do it. The biggest problem, as you may very well know, is that your bouncing body and head will not be able to keep track of the static text displayed on your tablet.
A group of developers called Weartrons came up with a solution: the Run-n-Read device that allows you to easily read your tablet while running, without any eyestrain.
The device is paired with an e-reader application on your tablet and is specifically deign to track the movement of your head and shoulders. The app then moves the text in sync with your eyes, which basically makes reading while running the same with reading while standing still. To anyone standing still, the text will be shown bouncing, while for the runner, it will look static.
The clip-on device attaches to the collar of your T-shirt or to a headband. To flip the pages of the text they’re reading, wearers have to tap the Run-n-Read: once to turn forward and twice to turn backwards.
What’s even nicer is that this gadget can also act as a fitness tracker and thus help keep your weight in check by measuring the steps you take and the calories you burn in the process.
The Run-n-Read comes with the free app and works on any iOS and Android device to either make the text readable or transmit information about your physical activity and compare it to weekly averages.
The New York based developing team is currently raising funds to improve the product and start mass production. Early backers can get their own Read-n-Run device for $55 on the fundraising site.
This is not the first project of the kind. Purdue University scientists recently came up with a similar system using goggles and an infrared camera. But the Read-n-Run is significantly more user-friendly, as it does not require any goggles.
What do you think of the design? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
[Image via itworld]
The post Read-n-Run: Read Your Tablet While Running appeared first on TechBeat.
via TechBeat http://techbeat.com/2013/09/read-n-run-read-your-tablet-while-running/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=read-n-run-read-your-tablet-while-running
Nymi Turns Heartbeat into Universal Password
Biometric password systems are generally thought to be tighter and harder to break than traditional security codes, but they can still be easily replicated. A Canadian-based biometrics company called Bionym came up with a solution: using a specific biometric that is hard to obtain and mimic, which makes it an ideal choice for password, at least in theory.
And this is how the Nymi wristband, which can practically turn the wearer’s heartbeat into a universal password, came into being. The bracelet not only can provide a secure method of identification, but also has the potential to allow users to control devices through gestures.
The problem with most of the biometric systems in place today, from fingerprint access to retinal scans, is that they are breakable, albeit it is a bit more difficult than with traditional password systems. Our fingerprints, our faces and implicitly our irises are physical features that we leave everywhere and can be easily stolen.
But according to Bionym, the same cannot be said of our heartbeats. Just like fingerprints, a person’s electrocardiogram is unique. And by encoding the EKG into the Nymi bracelet, manufacturers were able to successfully use the biometric as a password.
The Nymi wristband is linked to the wearer and could never be used by another person. According to the company, the system cannot be duplicated or altered. All you have to do to make sure it works properly is to update the EKG regularly and to try to use it when you’re calm and relaxed.
The Nymi works together with a smartphone or another device that runs the accompanying app. Before being used, it has to be set up with samples of the wearer’s heartbeat. And from there on, the EKG data is constantly used to automatically authenticate and confirm your identity to all the devices you want to access. It’s important to note that it works only it is worn and that it will stop its authentication cycle the minute it is taken off.
The bracelet also includes a gyroscope and an accelerometer for gesture control, as Bionym is hoping to eventually use the device to unlock virtually anything, form your home door to your car and your car radio.
The Nymi wristband is expected to be released early next year and will retail for $99. What do you think of the project? Would you use it as a universal password to never have to manually enter a pass code ever again?
[Image via Gizmag]
The post Nymi Turns Heartbeat into Universal Password appeared first on TechBeat.
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Who's actually writing your favorite celebrity's tweets?
via PCWorld http://www.techhive.com/article/2048479/whos-actually-writing-your-favorite-celebritys-tweets-.html#tk.rss_all