Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo testing DS-powered speech translator

Nintendo and NTT DoCoMo are reportedly teaming up in order to create a voice-to-text system that'll help hearing-impaired children study. Using a modified DSi, speech is converted into text which is then archived in the cloud -- accessible afterward as a learning aid. That way, a teacher can have their words instantly typed up for reading by the students, who can also play interactive games to help them get along. Trials of the system are being held in Tottori and Okinawa Prefectures, with the overall aim of letting them use it as a universal translator outside the classroom. We're worried we'd be too tempted to swap out Tactical Assault during maths class.

Nintendo, NTT DoCoMo testing DS-powered speech translator originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FBI Looking to 'Friend' Terrorists

Social networks are popular with lots of folks, including terrorists. That's why the FBI is looking for a contractor that will design an "early warning system" for it based on monitoring chatter on the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

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Samsung offering personal engraving for Galaxy Note in South Korea

Samsung's Galaxy Note publicity machine continues to churn, with the manufacturer now hoping to win over consumers in its native South Korea a unique personalization option. According to Samsung's official Flickr stream, personalized laser engraving will be available for Korean buyers until Mar. 31 at "Samsung Digital Plaza" locations across the country.

Apple has long offered engraving when buying certain iPod and iPad models as gifts, but Android device manufacturers have until now shown little interest in this kind of customization. However, it seems Samsung's keen to attract the attention of gift buyers, as it promises "a wide variety of fonts" to "reflect your personality".

The promotion runs in South Korea until Mar. 31. There's no indication just yet of whether Samsung intends to offer this promotion elsewhere, though with the Galaxy Note launching in Canada and the U.S. next month, our fingers are firmly crossed.

Source: Samsung on Flickr; via: OLED-Display

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Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU

Who knew a "p" packed so much punch? Just weeks after Lenovo cut loose with a boatload of new machines, the outfit has quietly slipped out an even newer model tailored for gamers. The 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p looks just about like the existing Y470, but swaps out the middling NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M for a far more potent Radeon HD 7690M. (For those wondering -- yep, that's the same chip in HP's new Envy 15.) There's also a 2.2GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, an optional 1TB HDD, JBL speakers and a native 1,366 x 768 screen resolution. The unit tips the scales at 4.85 pounds with a six-cell battery, which is supposedly good for up to four hours of usage (in presumably ideal conditions). Other specs include a Blu-ray Disc drive, a two-megapixel webcam, HDMI out and USB 3.0. For now, at least, it looks as if eager beavers can get one headed their way for as low as $799, but the more specced-out models are reaching well over $1,200.

Continue reading Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU

Lenovo's 14-inch IdeaPad Y470p launches with Radeon HD 7690M GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GetHired Nabs $1.75 Million To Launch Its Video-Centric Recruiting Platform & Job Board

Paper resumes are -- or should be -- going out of style. They rarely give employers a complete profile of a potential hire, they're filled with abbreviated bunches of value-less buzzwords (or in my case, action verbs), and the thought of them makes trees cry. You don't want to make trees cry, do you? No, you don't. So many companies are turning to alternative, technological means to find the right candidates for job openings, some using algorithms, ranking systems, SaaS solutions like Taleo's, and more. In fact, one in six are now finding jobs on social networks.

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Verizon shared data plans show up in employee training materials, still on track?

Verizon said it was working on a shared data solution for 2012, and according to an anonymous tipster, the new packages could be rolling out soon. We've been told that training material for an update to the outfit's internal account management application includes screenshots (one of which you can see above) that show a new section labeled "account level data plans." The new section apparently shows an account level charge for data allowance and a 9.99 charge per line. There's no word on exactly when these backend tweaks might translate into a new family data plan, but if it pans out the way we hope, AT&T's Ralph de la Vega may have to reconsider his oath of silence on Ma Bell's own data sharing plans.

[Thanks, Anon]

Verizon shared data plans show up in employee training materials, still on track? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Plasmonic cloak makes objects invisble, but only in the microwave region of the spectrum

Okay, so we're not up to USS Pegasus levels yet, but for the first time researchers have been able to cloak a three dimensional object. Don't start planning your first trip to the Hogwarts library restricted section just yet though, the breakthrough is only in the microwave region of the EM spectrum. Using a shell of plasmonic materials, it's possible to create a "photo negative" of the object being cloaked in order to make it disappear. The technique is different to the use of metamaterials, which try to bounce light around the object. Instead, plasmonics try to deceive the light as to what's actually there at the time -- but because it has to be tailored to create a "negative image" of the object you're hiding, it's not as flexible, but it could be an important step on the road to that bank heist we've been planning.

Plasmonic cloak makes objects invisble, but only in the microwave region of the spectrum originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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