Tag: gadgets

Researchers in Japan are now testing a very small computer that can fit into the human ear.

As wearable technology explodes, particularly in the form of smartwatches, researchers in Japan are taking things a step further and are developing a tiny personal computer that a user can wear in his or her ear.

Users would control this device with a click of the tongue or a blink of the eye.

This wearable technology weighs only 17 grams and is completely wireless. It uses Bluetooth to connect with other devices and is equipped with a battery, speaker, microphone, compass, GPS, barometer, and gyro-sensor. Computing in the form of wearables is believed to be the latest thing in tech, but this latest development is easily among the smallest and most hands-free that has made its way to the headlines.

Other forms of wearable technology are notably larger, such as Google Glass, and Samsung Galaxy Gear 2.

This particular wearable technology for the ear is being called the “Earclip-type Wearable PC”, for the moment. It has microchip and data storage, which gives users the ability to load software. This, according to Kazuhiro Taniguchi, an engineer at the Hiroshima City University. The designs for the device are based on the traditional Japanese flower arrangements known as “ikebana”.

Taniguchi explained that the team of mobile developers created the device so that people would be able to think of wearing it in the same way that they would think about wearing earrings. The prototype for the gadget was demonstrated in black and had an overall comparable look to the sports style earbuds that wrap around the ear, or a single ear telephone headset.

The researchers are working to have this wearable technology ready by the holiday shopping season in 2015. At that time, users will be able to connect the device to their mobile devices such as an iPod or other gadgets that allow the user to navigate through various apps. All the user will need to do is change his or her facial expression, such as through a nose wiggle, a tongue movement, a raised brow, or even clenched teeth. Within the device inside the ear, infrared sensors detect the facial movements and respond accordingly.

A list of the “Most Breakable Gadgets” has now been released to show that some of the priciest break the most easily.

An insurance company has now released a list of mobile devices that they feel are the most fragile based on their own testing and data, and what they have found is that the Apple iPad Mini and the Samsung Galaxy S4 are among those that are the easiest to break.

Following some research, the firm came to the conclusion that durability is not Apple’s strong suit.

This is one area where those mobile devices were decidedly not superior to some of the competing brands such as the Google Nexus, Samsung, or Motorola gadgets. That said, even though the iPad Mini was the mobile gadget that was the most breakable, the Samsung Galaxy S4 was a close second, so it shouldn’t be too keen to rub it in, quite yet.

The tests were conducted by SquareTrade Europe to test the durability of top mobile devices.

The research was held based on certain common scenarios that could be experienced by these gadgets throughout their lifetimes. For example, they were dropped onto a concrete floor from a predetermined height, and were dunked into water. According to the SquareTrade managing director, Kevin Gillan, explained that consumers are pouring an increasing amount of money into their portable tech, so it is important to know that the device will be able to hold up to the purchaser’s life, to “get our money’s worth”.

Gillan added that “By putting devices through tests that replicate real life situations, we want to help people make smart choices when it comes to choosing gadgets and ensure they are covered against accidental damage.”

The SquareTrade Most Breakable Gadgets top 10 list actually included four products from Apple, including the iPad Mini at the top of the list, as well as the iPad Air (in third place), the iPhone 5C (in fifth place) and the iPhone 5S (in eighth place). Top competitor, Samsung, had three devices of its own on the list, including the Galaxy S4 (in second place), the Galaxy S3 (in fourth place) and the Galaxy Tab 3 (in seventh place).

To complete this list of fragile mobile devices was the Google Nexus 7 (in sixth place), the Google Nexus 7 2013 (in ninth place), and the Motorola Moto X (in tenth place).