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Your abilities to speak and swallow are frequently signs of how well you're coping after a stroke , but measuring that is difficult. Microphones frequently can't distinguish between the patient and ambient sounds, and there's the not-so-small problem of making sensors that can hold up to the rigors of life outside of the hospital. Northwestern University may have a better way: its scientists have designed a wearable throat sensor that help diagnose and treat aphasia, a communication disorder typically associated with strokes. The wireless device tracks the vibration of your vocal cords to gauge your recovery and determine whether or not doctors need to intervene. The sensor is not only more accurate than a mic, but considerably more comfortable and durable. A set of "novel materials" help it bend and stretch so that it's not irritating your throat or breaking under stress. Doctors can see how you speak and swallow in real life, not just in the controlled c...

The Wikimedia Foundation launched Wikipedia Zero in 2012 with the hopes of democratizing information through a simple concept: cellular carriers in developing countries would offer access to its crowdsourced knowledge without charging data fees. However, it appears to have run its course. The organization has discontinued Zero with plans to phase it out through 2018. Wikimedia has stopped forming new carrier partnerships, and will let its existing alliances end over time. There has been a "significant drop off" in involvement since 2016, Wikimedia said, and that participation is necessary to keep Zero alive. The outlet cited a few reasons for the shutdown, and not all of them were bad. Low awareness may have been one problem -- people in developing nations aren't as aware of Wikipedia as North Americans and Europeans. There have been successes at improving recognition, but they're coming too late to rescue Zero. On the plus side, mobile data costs have fallen in...

Sorry, folks, you'll have to wait a while longer before SpaceX's satellite internet launch takes place. With hours to go, SpaceX has delayed the liftoff from its February 17th target to 9:17AM Eastern on February 21st. According to the company, the crew at the Vandenberg launchpad needed extra time to run "final checkouts" of the upgraded fairing used to protect the Falcon 9 rocket's payload. The company has been inching toward completely reusable rockets, and it wants to be sure it's making progress on that front. Both the payload and the rocket itself are "healthy," SpaceX said. The rocket is mainly intended to carry a Spanish radar imaging satellite, Paz, but it'll also bring SpaceX's own Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b internet satellites into orbit. If all goes according to plan, they'll help start a constellation of broadband satellites that would provide gigabit internet speeds around the globe. That SpaceX is willing to delay t...

Daimler has been under suspicion of cheating on US emissions tests for quite a while now -- in 2016, a number of customers even sued the automaker, claiming their cars had sneaky software made to trick testers similar to Volkswagen's. Now, according to German newspaper Bild am Sonntag , US authorities investigating the Mercedes maker have discovered that its vehicles are equipped with illegal software to help them pass United States' stringent emission tests. Citing confidential documents, the publication said Daimler's employees doubted their vehicles would be able meet US standards even before Volkswagen's diesel scandal blew up. Internal testing apparently revealed that some Mercedes models emit ten times the country's nitrogen oxide limit. Daimler reportedly developed software with several functions to be able to trick US regulators. One called "Bit 15" was designed to switch off emissions cleaning after 16 miles of driving, while another called ...

Tesla's experiments with smart power grids are headed further North. Canada's Nova Scotia Power recently finished setting up a pilot project that will use a combination of Tesla's Powerwall 2 home batteries and utility-grade Powerpack batteries to create a more reliable wind power system. The Elmsdale-based Intelligent Feeder Project fills gaps in the electrical grid by topping up the Powerpacks whenever a nearby wind turbine system generates excess power, and delivering that stored energy to local homes (including those with Powerwall 2 batteries) when there's an outage or the turbine system falls short. The test run (which is partly backed by Canada's federal government) should go live before the end of February and will last until 2019, although the Powerpacks will remain after everything is over. Whether or not it expands to other locations depends on Nova Scotia Power, of course -- it's watching closely to see how well the Tesla hardware helps both r...

Humanity is going to need a lot of lithium batteries if electric cars are going to take over , and that's a problem when there's only so much lithium available from conventional mines. There may be an oddball solution for that, however: turn the world's oceans into eco-friendly mines. Scientists have outlined a desalination technique that would use metal-organic frameworks (sponge-like structures with very high surface areas) with sub-nanometer pores to catch lithium ions while purifying ocean water. The approach mimics the tendency of cell membranes to selectively dehydrate and carry ions, leaving the lithium behind while producing water you can drink. While the concept of extracting lithium certainly isn't new, this would be much more efficient and environmentally friendly. You don't need to pump water or use harmful (not to mention inefficient) chemicals. Instead of tearing up the landscape to find mineral deposits, battery makers would just have to deploy ...

Despite what it seems, Netflix isn't a dominant force everywhere on the planet. In fact, it's struggling in the Middle East and northern Africa -- Netflix and Amazon combined represent 21 percent of the local subscription video space. The company is determined to get a leg up, however. It just forged its first partnership deal in the region, signing a pact with pay TV provider OSN to make its content available across the area. OSN customers will have access to Netflix through a set-top box launching near the end of the second quarter (around June), and will have the option of paying for Netflix through their existing OSN bills. Yes, Netflix is very familiar with these sorts of deals (just ask Comcast customers ), but this could be more important than most. The Middle East and northern Africa have wildly varying income levels, and viewers frequently want to save money where they can. It's easier to watch Netflix through an box you already have than to buy another devic...

A year ago this past Friday, Mark Zuckerberg published a lengthy post titled “ Building a Global Community .” It offered a comprehensive statement from the Facebook CEO on how he planned to move the company away from its longtime mission of making the world “more open and connected” to instead create “the social infrastructure ... to build a global community.” He identified a number of challenges to realizing his mission, and ranking high among them was the political polarization of his user base. “Social media is a short-form medium where resonant messages get amplified many times,” Zuckerberg wrote. “This rewards simplicity and discourages nuance. At its best, this focuses messages and exposes people to different ideas. At its worst, it... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EAbHdO"

Today's Deal: Save 75% on Men of War: Assault Squad 2 !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Tuesday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2Gpi1Bu"

Eastern Arsenal Ready to "safeguard China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity." China's J-20 stealth fighter is ready to take to the skies, thought it's waiting for new engines. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2GowihU"

By Justin Krajeski This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After researching 28 external solid-state drives and testing the four most promising contenders in 2017, we found that the best portable SSD is the 500 GB Samsung T5 Portable SSD . Samsung's solid-state drives work reliably, and the T5 was consistently speedier than the competition in our benchmark tests. It supports faster USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds, too. Who this is for Portable hard drives are great for travel and for people who frequently transfer large amounts of data between computers. Compared with portable hard drives or desktop external drives, they're much faster, more compact, more durable, and more secure, and run at cooler temperatures, but they're also more expensive. How we picked and tested A great external SSD should be...

It turns out that card issuer Visa is in fact the culprit in an increasingly messy Coinbase customer support nightmare that’s seen multiple users’ cryptocurrency accounts hit with multiple transactions, unauthorized withdrawals, and other unexplained fees. The issue began picking up steam in online crypto communities earlier this month, and Coinbase first responded last week citing a change in how credit card companies classify digital currency transactions. The company at the time said it had identified a solution. Late Friday, Coinbase disclosed on Twitter that it was Visa that was actually reversing multiple weeks’ worth of old transactions under a new so-called merchant category code, or MCC, which is used to classify a business or... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2ofQb3b"

The iPhone X, the most expensive smartphone Apple has ever made, is undeniably an aesthetic marvel, from the chrome-colored rounded corners and the reflective glass rear cover to the elliptical vertical camera module. Regardless of your thoughts on the pesky notch, the phone itself also feels fantastic to hold in your hand. It has certain weighted feel to it unlike past models, giving the gadget the feel of a high-class set of poker chips or an exuberant business card made of excessively heavy stock. The screen, stretching out to all four corners of the bezel-less display, comes to life in a way so equally pleasant and eye-popping that you can understand why user experience designers likely spent weeks, if not months, on that one,... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2ogt3Sa"

It's been a volatile week for us all, what with the stock market's unpredictable undulations, the US Senate's DACA drama, the Olympics hacking and whatever other craziness that's sure to happen between the time I file this post and Sunday morning. It was pretty wild for the tech industry as well. Turns out that Apple's HomePod seemingly secretes wood-marking oils, Sony announced it'll cut the price of its VR headset by a third, and Netflix continued its spending spree, blowing $300 million on the guy who brought us "Glee." Numbers, because how else are you going to count stuff? $40 : YouTube TV is already a solid option for people looking to cut ties with their cable company and it's only getting better. Google announced this week that it's expanding its channel lineup with stations from Turner Broadcasting, NBA TV, MLB TV, and a few others. Only problem is that the $35 service is bumping up $5 come March 13th , but only for new customers s...

I made some strange music choices... don’t judge me Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2BD3AuD"

Mattel's last Kamigami STEM robot was an adorable DIY lady bug . Now, the toy company is aiming for something bigger with its new Jurassic World bots. You'll still have to put them together first, but what you end up with is a complex robo-dino with realistic movement. And, just like before, they'll also help kids bone up on their STEM chops. You'll have two options to choose from with the Jurassic World Kamigami Robots: "Blue" the velociraptor, or the new villainous Indoraptor. It shouldn't be too tough to build them, since you just need to snap together a few plastic pieces. The real innovation is in how they move. Their tails bend and wave naturally, as do their feet. They almost look like tiny dinosaurs scurrying around the floor. You'll be able to control things like their eye color, movement and sounds from the Kamigami Jurassic World mobile app. But more importantly, you can also program them to do your bidding with a simple interface. Lik...

I usually listen to music using a cheap pair of HTC headphones, for a variety of reasons that I’ve discussed before . But recently, I’ve been trying out a few pairs of Bluetooth earbuds as my full-time headphones, part of my duties as a Circuit Breaker writer, and I’ve come to the realization that Bluetooth headphones make me incredibly anxious. The reason is simple. With a wired pair of headphones, there’s a physical tether linking my phone to my ears. So long as there’s music flowing through the cables, I can be safe and secure knowing that my phone is three feet away on the other end, right where I expect it to be. That cord serves as a link, a safety net that makes sure that the most important electronic device I carry around is still... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2odfhAH"

Eventually, you might not need a battery or a conspicuous external power source to keep a device running for years on end. A team at MIT has created a device that produces energy by exploiting the temperature swings that occur between day and night. Known as a thermal resonator, it uses a hybrid of materials that produce both high heat conduction and capacity. A copper or nickel foam at its core is coated with graphene to boost its conductivity, and is infused with a phase-changing material (octadecane) that serves as storage. Effectively, one side of the device is always capturing heat while the other is storing it -- you just have to harvest that energy with conventional techniques. The initial device was relatively tiny, and only produced 1.3 milliwatts of power. That's enough for basic sensors or communication sensors, however, and it's hard to complain too loudly when it's virtually effortless. It could also be changed to produce energy from other temperature cycle...

Electronic skins might not only detect health troubles in the near future, but display them for the world to see. University of Tokyo researchers have developed an e-skin that can measure vital signs like your heartbeat and display them in real time on a skin display . The design blends a breathable nanomesh electrode and stretchable wiring with an array of micro LEDs that can output basic images bending with your body. Others know right away if you need help -- they'd just have to look at your hand (or anywhere else the sensor works) to get an idea of what's wrong. The sensor can pair with a smartphone and transmit its info to the cloud, too. There have been stretchable displays before, but they typically fall apart quickly after exposure to air and the usual stretching and twisting of your skin. The sensor itself lasts for about a week without inflammation, too, and was built using conventional circuit board manufacturing techniques that should keep the cost down. This ...