Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday, 29 April 2022

As Envisaged : Merging – Morphing – Melding of Senses

 


 

Context :

You can now KISS in the metaverse: New virtual reality headset sends life-like sensations to your lips, teeth and TONGUE    /  Daily Mail  /  29 April 2022

 

Extract :


Now scientists in Pennsylvania have revealed a steamy new technology that makes it possible to 'kiss' someone in the meta-verse by sending life-like sensations to your lips, teeth and tongue.


 

The scientists have modified a virtual reality (VR) headset by fitting it with haptic technology, meaning it simulates touch by applying forces, vibrations and motions. 


It uses a thin array of transducers integrated into the underside of the VR headset that direct ultrasound energy at different parts of the mouth. 


As well as kissing sensations, the tech could be used to drink from a virtual water fountain or take a puff from a cigarette. 


The prototype headset, which is an adapted Oculus Quest 2, has been developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 


Importantly, the modified headset doesn't require any equipment to be put up against or into a user's mouth; instead, the components are rested above the nose. 

  

According to the team, the mouth has been largely overlooked as a haptic target in VR and augmented reality (AR), despite being second in terms of sensitivity behind the fingertips. 


Usually, haptic feedback applies vibrations to a person's hands via controllers, often in video games to match the gameplay (such as feeling a vibration in FIFA when a football strikes the post). 


'Proximity of the mouth to the headset offers a significant opportunity to enable on- and in-mouth haptic effects, without needing to run wires or wear an extra accessory,' the researchers say. 


'We developed a thin, compact, beam forming array of ultrasonic transducers, which can render haptic effects onto the mouth.

 

MY  TAKE  :

 

Ø  2024 ! – V 2.0 of Orwellian 1984 ?.....................   [ 07 July 2017 ]

 

Extract :

And it is happening faster than you think !

  

 “ SOUND WAVES “ ( Audio ) :

 

These got captured / encapsulated and got broadcast / narrow-cast , all over the

World to anyone of your choice , using landlines / mobile phones , in a matter of

seconds

 

 “ LIGHT WAVES “ ( Video ) :

 

These too got captured and transmitted to anyone , anywhere in the World , as

your Selfie Photo / Video , using a lowly smart phone – and again , in matter of

seconds

 

And only yesterday , digital camera maker RED, announced that it’s building the

Hydrogen One, and they’re calling it the world’s first “holographic” phone. It is

expected to have a retina-display screen that can switch from 2D content to

holographic multi-view content, 3D content, and interactive games – without

needing special glasses !

 

I suppose , that would enable you to conduct “ Holographic Conferences “ from

your living room or office !

 

Let us not forget that , ISPs / MSPs and other SERVICE PROVIDERS , are already

storing all of your CONVERSATIONS and your LIFE EVENTS , when you use a

Mobile Phone !

 

 

“ TOUCH WAVES “ ( Feel the SKIN ) :

 

Hepatic devices are already enabling you to feel the skins of friends ( or patients

) , from thousands of miles away

 

“ SMELL – TASTE “  WAVES  :

 

With arrival of Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality , day is not far when , sitting in

your sofa , you can smell / taste that pizza , from across the World

 

But Japanese firm FutureLeap says : this is nothing !

 

It claims it has just the thing for the in-the-mood couch potatoes with a Virtual

Reality System so realistic you’d swear that cyber date just whispered sweet

nothings in your ear !

 

 

 “ BRAIN WAVES “ ( EEG ) :

 

Scientists are attaching a few sensors to your head, capturing your Brain Waves ,

and accurately interpreting these as “ Specific Thoughts / Sentiments “ !

 

It is only a matter of time before the bulky wired headset gets replaced by a

mobile or a wrist band , capable of capturing your “ BRAIN WAVES “ and (

without your explicit permission ) , transmitting any of your thoughts which it

considers “ EVIL “  to a CENTRAL SERVER of the ESTABLISHMENT !

 

And it will do this SURVEILLANCE , 24*7  ! – even when you are asleep !

 

Those who managed to escape the “ 1984 “ of George Orwell , were lucky

 

Those who will be around when 2024 arrives , may not be so lucky !

 


Ø  Nostradamus could have said ?...................  [  08 Nov 2018 ]

 

Extract :

In twenty hundred and twenty four

A Sea of Waves will roar,

Light will follow sound :

And , in Smell and Taste

Earth will abound ,

Brain will hide no more

Your secrets gore  !

 

 

Question :

Can we assume that “ Privacy is dead “ , given that ,


OUTDOOR

     *   Governments around the World are installing millions of CCTV cameras at

          every nook and corner , to protect its citizens against terrorism

             

INDOOR

·       *  Each and every Internet of Things [ IoT ] connected device ( ALEXA / Google

           Home  do not even remotely resemble a camera ) , would capture our videos

           24*7 , and transmit it to the servers of Device Manufacturers / Owners of

           Operating Systems / App Developers / Service Providers ( ISPs / MSPs )

 

How much protection would our proposed DATA  PROTECTION  LAW  provide us  ?


Those needing some proof , may want to look up :

Big Brother is watching us ! And how !  [  09  Feb  2018  ]

     

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@recruitGuru.com  /  30 April 2022


================================================

Added on  17 NOV  2021 :


Your favorite sound as a pleasant picture

 

Can you envision the image by the sound? The answer is Yes! Learning Visual

 Styles from Audio-Visual Associations. This is an experiment in computer

vision to test the extent to which sight and sound are intertwined.


============================================


Added on 02 June 2022 :


Sound of science  (  29 May 2022 )


Extract :

If you have a large set of data and there are patterns hidden in it, finding them could be overwhelming. Of course, computers can do it for you, but scientists are toying with another way — music.  

Suppose you assign a musical note to each data point and play them on an instrument, you can actually hear the data. A trained musical ear can identify patterns or spot an anomaly. 


Your DNA can be your own personal song. 

In a recent report, the Smithsonian says that experts from various fields have “sonified” viruses, hormones, proteins, spider webs and even flames, using a variety of techniques. Some, like Your DNA Song Ltd, have turned their efforts into commercial enterprises.  

Extending the principle, in this data-centric world, any set of data can be converted into a tune or a melody. To a data scientist, this should be, literally, music to the ears. 

Thursday, 28 April 2022

Loudspeaker Politics ? How about Loudspeaker Techniques ?

 


Context :

UP-like Drive to Remove Loudspeakers sought in other States  /  ET  /  29 April 2022


Extract :

21,963 loudspeakers have been removed from religious places and volume

 regulated at over 42,000 other  places in UP

 

 Ahead of Eid, loudspeaker politics rages in States   /  HT  /  29 April 2022

Extract :

On April 19, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath told officials to ensure that loudspeakers at religious places should not cause inconvenience” to others, following a row over Azaan and Hanuman Chalisa recitation on loudspeakers defying the norms.


 

On April 23, the UP home department issued orders for removal of loudspeakers from religious places or using them within the pollution control norms and sought compliance report by April 30.


 

Till Thursday, home department officials said close to 21,963 loudspeakers were removed across the state, and volume control instruments were installed in 42,332 loudspeakers, senior UP government officials said.


 

“The people have done this of their own free will. All religious leaders have also welcomed this order,” UP Police Additional Director General (ADG), Law and Order, Prashant Kumar said on Thursday.


 

 

MY  TAKE  :


 

Ø  For  a PERMANENT / LONG-TERM solution


 

#  Pass a law to prohibit the manufacture of HIGH VOLUME loudspeakers


    I believe UP has prescribed following UPPER LIMITS for Noise Levels :


           @   Residential ……….. 55  db


           @   Commercial…………65  db


            @  Industrial………….. 75  db


 

          Bureau of Indian Standards should lay down SPECIFICATIONS for


          loudspeakers which must apply uniformly across the entire country


          All loudspeaker manufacturers will need to display ISI confirmation on


          their products

 

          

 

        #  All loudspeakers and all Microphones, to be fitted with internet-


            connected SENSORS , capable of measuring and relaying “ Noise


           Levels ( decibels ) “ to Central Noise Pollution Control Rooms in each

 

            city 

            

            Control Room will have a number of large MONITORING SCREENS


            showing location ( GPS ) of each religious place having installed a


            loudspeaker

                      

            

            Screen will display :


            Green Dot……………… for loudspeakers within norms ( less than 74 % of


                                         upper limit )


            Yellow Dot ……………  for “ borderline “ loudspeakers ( between 75 % to


                                         100 % of limit )


            Red Dot…………………  for loudspeakers exceeding limit ( more than 100


                                         % of upper limit )


 

           Without needing any attention or human intervention, in case of those


           loudspeakers which exceed the upper limit ( Red Dot ), a software will


           get activated to cut-off the electric supply to the culprit microphone and


           / or loudspeaker .

 

           

           

           No need for manual monitoring / persuasion / disputes


 

          Considering that Hon Supreme Court has already ordered installations of


         CCTV in all the Police Stations and in the premises of all Investigating


         Agencies, my suggestion will get judicial support

 

          

 

Ø  For a TEMPORARY / SHORT TERM Solution :


 

How about requesting the MIT team to license their NOISE


CANCELLATION technology described below, to Indian Manufacturers ?


 

As soon as these devices become commercially available in India, residents


staying near a Masjid / Temple / Church, will buy these to CANCELL out the


loud noise emanating from those blaring loudspeakers.


 

Having once experienced the BLISS of a QUIET surrounding, device-owners


 may even carry it with them ( strapped to their wrists like a Smart Watch


 or worn as a pendant hanging from a necklace ), whenever they venture


 out on our noisy streets, where loud construction and vehicular noise has


 made our lives miserable and produced untold mental stress


 

State Governments are requested to consider subsidizing the purchase of


 such devices

 

 

 Dear Shri Bhupender Yadavji – Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubeyji


( Ministers for Environment )


 

[ bhupender.yadav@sansad.nic.in  /  mefcc@gov.in ]


[ ashwinikumar.choubey@sansad.nic.in  /  mos.akc@gov.in ]


 

I urge you to consider my suggestion for a Technology Based solution to the


 Noise Pollution problem



 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 29 April 2022

 

 

 

             A novel paper-thin loudspeaker can play music from any surface  /

             Interesting Engineering / 27 April 2022


            Extract :

 

            #   Imagine a paper-thin loudspeaker that can turn any surface into an


                 active audio source. It would be great for parties and other public


                 events.

 

                

           #   Now, MIT engineers have conceived of exactly such a device, according


                to a statement published by  the institution, and it's reported


                to produce sound with minimal distortion while using a fraction of


                the energy required by a traditional loudspeaker.

 

                

          #   “It feels remarkable to take what looks like a slender sheet of paper,


                attach two clips to it, plug it into the headphone port of your computer,


                and start hearing sounds emanating from it


                 It can be used anywhere. One just needs a smidgeon of electrical


                power to run it,” 


                said Vladimir Bulović  bulovic@mit.edu ],

                

                the Fariborz Maseeh Chair in Emerging Technology, leader of the

                Organic and Nanostructured  Electronics Laboratory (ONE Lab),

                director of  MIT.nano and senior author of the paper.

                

         #    The new loudspeaker is the size of a hand and weighs about as much


                as a dime, but don't let that fool you


               It can generate high-quality sound no matter what surface the film is


               bonded to. 

 

         #   What's more, parties and events are not its only applications. The


              loudspeaker could also provide active noise cancellation in


              clamorous environments, such as an airplane cockpit.

 

              

         #   It would achieve this by generating sounds of the same amplitude but


               of opposite phases  resulting in the two sounds cancelling each


               other out

              

              It's also ideal for use on smart devices where battery life and space are


              limited

             

         #   Finally, last but not least, the device could have more creative


              applications that go beyond sound.

 

              It could use ultrasound to detect where a human is standing in a room


              and then shape its sound waves  to follow the person


              It could also be used to create patterns of light for future display


              technologies or be immersed in a liquid to provide a novel method of


              stirring chemicals.

 

              

       #    Its applications are many and varied, each as original as the next one.


             What could you do with this loudspeaker?

             

===================================================


Related  Readings :


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