Tag: Wearable technology news

Students in Sweden have created a concept video for a translation app called “Google Gesture”.

The fictional app, which appeared in the film created by the students at Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm, would be designed to help people understand sign language as it occurs in real time, in other words, it would enable sign language to be translated into speech, which would be made possible when the app is used in conjunction with wearable technology.

Many news reporters were fooled into believing the concept and service were real and from Google.

Although the video concept looks real, it is not, nor does the service exist. Furthermore, Google currently has nothing to do with this wearable tech idea. Several news reporters released apologies and had to make corrections to their original news material that initially stated the service existed and that it was a joint project between Google and the Swedish students, neither of which are true.

Due to the fact that the fictional app was called “Google Gesture” and because the video makes reference to Google Translate and the company’s philosophy in the video, this may have generated confusion and lead to the wrong assumptions.

The innovative sign language wearable technology idea may, one day, break language barriers.

According to the video, “Google Gesture” works with a forearm band that pays close attention to the muscle movements that are made during signing and analyzes the gestures. This is a process known as electromyography. Theoretically speaking, the analysis of these movements would be sent to the app and translated into audible words. The translation would occur in real time. Thus, as the person signs wearing the bands, the corresponding words are spoken out loud via the app.

The video states, “The vast majority of people don’t understand sign language, which means a lot of interesting conversations never take place.” The goal of the concept app is to overcome this problem by enabling sign language to be translated immediately. This would eliminate conversation lulls that typically occur and causes the signing person to wait for the audio to start.

Although “Google Gesture” is not real and is not linked to Google, the company has previously developed software to assist the deaf. For instance, Android’s Google Translate app has a feature that enables users to convert speech into text. It will be interesting to see if the wearable technology idea from the students in Sweden will ever evolve into more than a concept.

Fashion is playing a role in people’s interest in wearable devices

Acclaimed technology firm Intel has claimed that wearable devices are as much about fashion as they are about technology. Wearable technology is beginning to see a great deal of exposure and new devices that offer a wide range of features are finally becoming commercially available. It may be years before these devices become as popular as smartphones and tablets, and their popularity may be intrinsically tied to their appeal as fashion accessories.

Many people are concerned about their fashion choices

Fashion happens to be a serious matter for many people. A large portion of the population spends a great deal of time thinking about what to wear and how their clothing and accessory choices will affect how they are seen. This has been something of a concern for many people for centuries and fashion has often directed the course of technology, especially when it comes to using technology publically. Cell phones initially won favor among consumers because they were both convenient and fashionable to use at the time. Smartphones quickly won popularity because of their more discreet nature and the fact that they served as a sort of status symbol when they were first introduced.

Wearable devices are too cumbersome for most people

Intel notes that many people currently see wearable devices as “geeky” or ugly. People are unwilling to use these devices because many of them are cumbersome in design and do not lend themselves well to people’s fashion tastes. While some of these devices may be very attractive from a technology standpoint, they are not so from a fashion perspective, and that may be the reason why people are not as excited for these devices as tech firms want them to be.

Intel contest aims to reward developers that take fashion into account

Intel has launched its own competition hoping to encourage tech developers to take fashion into more consideration. The company is offering a $500,000 grand prize for those participating in its Build It Development Track. The contest is meant to promote wearable devices that are both environmentally friendly and attractive from a fashion perspective.