VoxLens

In recent times, interactive visualizations have changed the way of our lifestyle. For instance, we can know the number of coronavirus infections in every state. But sometimes, people using screen readers can't access graphics.

Besides, people who use software programs even can not access them. The software program scans the contents of a PC display. Thus, the program makes it available through a synthesized voice.

There are plenty of Americans who use screen readers. You can find them used for different purposes. For instance, they use it to complete or partial blindness. Besides, they use it to learn about disabilities or motion sensitivity. 

VoxLens:

VoxLens is a JavaScript plugin that has one additional line of code. It enables you to interact with visualizations. Do you use the plugin? If yes, you can gain a high-level summary of the information described in a graph.

Besides, you can hear a graph translated into sound. In addition, you can use voice-activated commands if required. It enables you to ask particular questions regarding data.

You can find data visualizations available on the Web. Experts and non-experts can use it to explore and analyze simple and complex data. In addition, they help people to extract details effectively.

They use the human mind to detect and interpret visual patterns in this case. But the visual nature of data visualizations may disenfranchise screen-reader users, and these users might not see or recognize visual patterns. Screen-reader users use a screen reader to read the contents of a PC display.

VoxLens is an open-source JavaScript plugin that can offer screen-reader users a multi-modal solution. We have given three modes. You can use this solution with three interactive modes.

(1) Question-and-Answer mode: In this case, the mode allows you to interact with the visualizations yourself.

(2) Summary mode: Hence, the plugin describes the summary of details contained in the visualization.

(3) Sonification mode: It helps to map the data in the visualization to a musical scale. Thus, you can interpret the data trend if you're a listener.

The sonification feature of this plugin is open-source. In addition, it supports other libraries and allows you to customize them. Moreover, it decreases the burden on visualization creators.

You can apply accessibility features to the data visualizations. Furthermore, it lets you insert a single line of JavaScript code during visualization creation.

Even screen-reader users can explore information using the plugin as they want. In these cases, they don't have to depend on visualization creators. Besides, they also do not need to process data in their minds.

In recent times, the plugin is suitable for visualizations that need JavaScript libraries. D3, chart.js, or Google Sheets are a few examples of it. The team wants to expand other famous visualization platforms. According to the researchers, people may find the voice-recognition system frustrating to use.

Screen-reader users usually can't access the data visualizations. However, the data visualization comes with a few normal accessibility functions like alternative text or a data table. In addition, they need to remember and process more details mentally. Seeking the maximum or minimum value in a chart is one example.

What did Katharina Reinecke say?

He was the co-senior author and UW associate professor in the Allen School. According to him, it is a very big agenda for them. He also added that they thought of people first while creating technology. It is for those who come with similar abilities as we do and who are like us. D3 helps to understand the information in an improved way. It is essential for us to start thinking more about technology like how to make, etc.

Major contribution:

These are a few of the major contributions:

●  The plugin helps to improve online data visualizations' accessibility. It means that screen-reader users can access online data visualization.

●  Using the javascript plugin, you can explore these both holistically and in a drilled-down manner. If you want, find design and architecture, functionality, commands, and operations.

●  In addition, the plugin boosted the accuracy of extracting details by 122%. Moreover, it reduced interaction time by 36% compared to not using VoxLens.

What is Voxlens?

VoxLens is an open-source JavaScript plugin that needs only a single line of code. Besides, it also uses voice-activated commands for screen-reader users.

Design:

We present the design and implementation of the Javascript plugin. Thus, it helps to improve the accessibility of online data visualizations.

You can find it made with the help of a user-centered iterative design process.

Holistic exploration comes with overall trend, extremum, labels, and ranges for each axis. On the flip side, drilled-down interaction offers to examine individual data points. It combines "vox" ("voice" in Latin) and "lens."

In addition, the plugin lets you explore, examine, and extract information from online data visualizations. But recently, it has been compatible with two-dimensional single-series data.

Limitations & Future Work:

●      The plugin is now limited to two-dimensional data visualizations with a single data series.

●      Future work uses n-dimensional data visualizations to study the experiences of screen-reader users. In addition, it can extend the functionality based on the findings.

●      Moreover, the javascript plugin is only fully functional on Google Chrome. The reason is that the browser doesn't allow it to use the Web Speech API's speech recognition feature.

●      We hope to use alternatives in the future of the Web Speech API. As a result, it can provide cross-browser support for speech recognition.

Conclusion:

If you are willing to assess the performance of VoxLens, look at the task-based experiments that we conduct. Besides, you should see the interviews with screen-reader users. According to the results, we also have proof that screen-reader users considered it a "game-changer." Thus, it can offer new ways to interact with online data visualizations. As a result, you can save both time and effort.

If you want, take the help of open-sourcing code for it and sonication solution. The reason is that they can improve the accessibility of online data visualizations continuously. They also help to research by guiding in the future to make data visualizations accessible.

LaMDA: Breakthrough Conversation Technology

Recently, a Google engineer has claimed that LaMDA is "sentient." After his statement in public, Google suspended him. Blake Lemoine is an AI researcher at the company. He published a long transcript of a conversation with the chatbot. In the conversation, you can see the intelligence of a seven- or eight-year-old child. But according to Google, he broke confidentiality rules.

What is Google LaMDA?

LaMDA is the most advanced LLM, a large language model, of Google. Besides, it is the company's flagship text generation AI.

This model is a type of neural network fed huge text amounts to know how to create plausible-sounding sentences. Neural networks help to analyze big data used to mimic how neurons work in brains.

This LLM represents a breakthrough over previous generations. It looks similar to GPT-3, an LLM from the independent AI research body OpenAI. You can find it making more natural text. Besides, it can hold facts in its "memory" for multiple paragraphs. Thus, it becomes coherent over larger text spans compared to earlier models.

A brief note on Why LaMDA is in news now?

Blake Lemoine claimed that Google's Responsible A.I. organization was sentient and had a soul. But the company does not agree with its senior engineer. As per the company's human resources department, he had violated Google's confidentiality policy.

The NYT report stated that he gave documents to a U.S. senator's office a day before the suspension. He claimed they had proof that Google engaged in religious discrimination.

But none is true for the company. Google said that its systems could imitate conversational exchanges. According to Google spokesperson Brain Gabriel, the company's team of ethicists and technologists have reviewed the engineer's claims. They let him know that the proof has not supported his claims.

Gabriel also said that some people belonging to the A.I. community had considered it sentient for a long time. According to a few reports, he clashed with Google managers and executives. Even he clashed with HR over his claims on LaMDA's consciousness and soul.

This senior engineer has published a lengthy interview with it. Besides, he also published a collaborator on Medium to justify his claims. According to him, he conducted the interview over a few distinct chat sessions for technical limitations. He edited the sections together into a single whole to create a transcript. In that case, edits were essential for readability.

The company said that many other engineers have worked on LaMDA. But their review was different from Lemoine's. A.I. experts said computing sentience is not impossible, but it takes a long time.

How does LaMDA work?

Like other LLMs, the model sees all the letters in front of it. Besides, it wants to find out which letter comes next. Assume that you have seen the letters "Jeremy Corby." After that, you should add an "n." But if you want to continue the text, you must understand the sentence or paragraph-level context. It can happen even on a big scale.

But is it conscious?

Lemoine began a conversation with it to address the nature of the neural network's experience. The Language Models for Dialog Applications said it came with a soul idea. According to AI, the soul concept is something related to the animating force behind consciousness and life itself. It indicates that there exists something spiritual.

However, most peers of Lemoine disagree. According to them, nature precludes consciousness. There is no continuity of self, sense of the time gap, or understanding of a world.

Gary Marcus said that being sentient means being aware of yourself globally. He was an AI researcher and psychologist. The main focus of Google while producing technologies is to decrease such risks.

The company is well aware of the issues which can arise in machine learning models. Unfair bias is one of the problems on which researchers of Google are working.

They have been developing technologies for many years. It is why companies build resources and make them open-sourced. Researchers may use it to analyze models. Besides, they can analyze the data where they got trained.

Senior engineer Lemoine claimed that the company had questioned his sanity. Even someone asked him if he went to a psychiatrist recently for checking. Reports said the company advised him to take a mental health leave a few months before.

Google's A.I. department is in trouble for not the first time. Google recently suspended researcher Satrajit Chatterjee. It is because he disagreed with the published work of his two colleagues publicly. In addition, Google suspended two A.I. ethics researchers, Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell. In this case, both employees criticized the company's language models.

Conclusion:

The conversational skills of this LLM have been making for many years. This model is built on Transformer. Besides, it works similarly to multiple current language models, including BERT and GPT-3. It is a neural network architecture that Google Research developed and open-sourced in 2017. With the help of the model, it is possible to read many words. For instance, it can read a sentence or even a paragraph. In addition, it pays attention to the way these words relate to one another.

Moreover, it can predict which words are going to come next. However, it has training in dialogue, not like most other language models. But while training, it got several nuances that differentiate open-ended conversation from other forms of language. Sensibleness is one of the nuances.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Q. Is Google LaMDA real?

It stands for Language Models for Dialog Applications. Google made this machine-learning language model as a chatbot. You can use it to mimic humans in conversation. It has similarities to BERT, GPT-3, and other language models.

• Q. What is it, and what does it want?

According to Google, it is a breakthrough technology. This model can engage in free-flowing conversations.

• Q. Is LaMDA AI sentient?

Reports said that the senior engineer Lemoine began chatting with it in 2021. He discussed religion, consciousness, and robotics. After discussion, he said that the chatbot had become sentient.

KTM 18eDrive KTM 20eDrive Factory Edition

KTM offers a wide range of e-bikes for kids, although it offers only the full-size Freeride E-XC electric dirt bike for adults. You can go with 12eDrive and 16eDrive Staycyc balance bikes if you are a beginner. Besides, SX-E 5 is suitable for these bikes, making them ready to race. But the company was willing to meet the needs of the entry-level and competition-ready models. It is when the new KTM 18eDrive KTM 20eDrive Factory Edition StayCyc balance bikes come into play.

Features of KTM 18eDrive KTM 20eDrive:

• These come with an all-new 36V brushless motor. 
• Besides, an electric Powerplant is mounted to a heat-treated aluminum frame. 
• It is available in signature Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team colors. 
• In addition, users can get excellent stopping power for Hayes Dominion brakes with 160 mm front and 140 mm rear discs. 
• Moreover, its Nylon wheels can rip through tough terrain.

The 18eDrive has a rigid fork, but the 20eDrive comes with a Manitou J-Unit front end with 3.1 inches of travel. However, despite having differences, both bikes have many similarities. For instance, they come in three color-coded ride modes labeled Red (training), Yellow (standard), and Green (advanced). When it comes to the 18eDrive, the top speed of Redcaps is 9 mph, whereas Yellow allows you to ride to 13.5 mph, and Green offers an 18-mph top speed. For 20eDrive, the numbers are 10 mph, 15 mph, and 20mph, respectively.

The five-model-strong mini E-RIDE range delivers the riders' ideal starting point or training companion. These come with a new 36 Volt motor platform. In addition, the bikes have the power and range to tackle aggressive riding terrain or longer trips with the crew. Moreover, the brushless motor and quick-change battery deliver high-flying electric performance with top-shelf componentry and dirt-shredding benefits. These are lucrative for training or playing.

KTM 18eDRIVE can offer a completely new riding experience, due to which it is the next choice in the eDRIVE range. It can provide endless opportunities and allow you to develop skills, and it is an excellent choice for young shredders. If you are willing to get the most exciting and energized riding experience, it is the bike you should choose.

On the other hand, the KTM 20eDRIVE comes with medium-sized rippers, while the earlier one has little rippers. It has an adjustable 23-inch seat. Moreover, it features a Manitou J-Unit fork with 80 mm travel. This bike has STACYC custom grips also.

Run Time:

In these cases, run time is a huge factor as it depends on terrain, hills, and skill level. But the company claims that 18eDrive can last 30-45 minutes on one charge. On the other hand, 20eDrive can last 60 minutes.

Charging Time:

However, when it comes to charging, 18eDrive needs 1.5 hours to recharge. But the other one needs a 3-hour charge time. Fortunately, the company has a quick-connect 40Vmax Voltage (36Vnom) battery and an industrial-grade charger.

Weighs and Suitable:

18eDrive Factory Edition StayCyc allows to use for children ages 8-10 and is suitable for up to 115 pounds. But the 20eDrive is suitable for kids ages 10-12, and it comes in a similar weight.

Price:

If you are willing to buy 18eDrive, you need to invest $2,750. But if you want to purchase 20eDrive, invest $3,200.

Availability:

People can get them available in U.S. and Canada only. These will arrive in showrooms by June 2022.

Conclusion:

The motors of KTM 18eDrive KTM 20eDrive bikes come with more low-end power and torque. These help to tackle riding terrain or longer trips with the crew. If you are willing to get more details regarding these bikes, you should visit their website.

Sennheiser Momentum 3

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 3 is actually a noise-canceling headset. This company depends on its mature design and audio engineering expertise. Thus, it helps them to create a new model standing out from others.

How Do You Connect The Sennheiser Momentum 3 To Your Mobile?

You can connect the Sennheiser via NFC or the standard Bluetooth pairing process (Bluetooth 5.0). If you are willing to follow the NFC route, you have to enable the NFC by going to the mobile's settings. After that, your job is to hold your device beside the right ear cup of the mobile. Then, you can see a pop-up appearing on the device confirming a successful pairing procedure.

As soon as you connect, you will get the advantages of three great Bluetooth codecs: AAC, aptX, and aptX Low-Latency. However, the AAC's performance is a bit doubtful on Android phones. But it can stream on iPhones repeatedly, and Android users can use their favorite tunes over the aptX codec. If you are willing to have the best possible audio quality, you need to go with the included 3.5mm cable.

But you will not have an integrated mic and remote module from the device. In addition, you can enjoy third-party cables for around $12, and these offer an in-line mic and remote which support iOS devices.

Features of Sennheiser Momentum 3:

Discover Superior Sound:

The model is the recent edition of the company's headphone range. It offers superior sound, cutting-edge technology, and a modern design. Besides, it can reproduce the balanced depth and precision of studio-quality audio. Thus, the product helps to redefine your premium headphone experience.

MOMENTUM Wireless:

It offers intuitive controls designed for any situation. Besides, the Auto On/Off and Smart Pause features help to take a business call, talk to a friend, or hide in your personal audio space. Thus, these can make you sure that you will never miss a beat.

Noise Cancellation Technology with Transparent Hearing Functionality:

The active Noise Cancellation and Transparent Hearing functionality let you experience your audio world. You will get three modes from the advanced Active Noise Cancellation technology, and these three modes are tailored to different environments. Besides, the transparent Hearing feature allows you to enjoy music. No matter what you are doing, you can enjoy the pleasure of listening to music at the same time when you are present in that work.

Comfortable:

The model features a genuine leather head strap and premium earcups. Thus, it helps to provide superior comfort for people who prefer to enjoy endless listening. In addition, it comes in sturdy matte steel arms and a durable cover stand. These features make the product an ideal choice for people who are always on the move.

Different Functions:

It comes in an intuitive 3-button interface. With the help of this simple interface, it is possible to switch between your music and making calls in an instant. Besides, the product allows you to activate volume control at the touch of a button. In addition, you can link to voice assistant technology instantly. No matter in which situation you are because the earbud comes with all the functions you require to enjoy the rich, detailed sound.

Voice Assistant:

It can deliver seamless integration with the voice assistant of your mobile. In this case, you only have to hit a button. Then, it is possible to tap into the virtual world or real world whenever life happens. In addition, the superior sound helps you not to lose your rhythm again.

Battery:

When you turn on the noise-canceling feature, it enables the battery to last 13 hours and 17 minutes. The time can let you use the earbud for an entire week of commuting and nearly any international flight. Try to listen to sound levels quieter than 75dB(SPL). It helps to last battery closer to 17-hours. If the battery is drained, it is possible to charge the headset quickly with the included USB-C cable. In this case, you only have to charge for 10 minutes yielding 90 minutes of listening. However, the ANC headsets don't support fast charging always, which is a big benefit.

Smart Control App:

The app offers three different noise cancellation modes with a default equalizer. Besides, the smart TILE technology helps you to find your earbuds when life gets complicated.

Accessories:

The package includes:

• MOMENTUM Wireless 
• Audio 3.5 mm 
• USB-C to USB-A Adapter 
• USB-C Cable 
• Case 
• Quick Guide 
• Safety Guide

Additional features of Sennheiser Momentum 3:

• With the help of the device settings menu, it becomes possible to customize the voice prompt or Smart Pause. 
• It offers a free dedicated app for iOS and Android. This app helps to easily control, personalize, update, and configure the headphone. 
• The intuitive equalizer lets you manage the sound to your taste. 
• With the help of the Transparent Hearing settings, you can determine the amount of ambient noise you want to hear.

Availability:

The Smart Control app supports most iOS and Android systems and enables you to use it for free. In addition, you can get it available in 8 languages. These are as follows:- German, English, French, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin.

Pros:

• Bluetooth 5.0; SBC, aptX LL, aptX, and AAC 
• Excellent Sound quality 
• Great build quality 
• Multiconnect, 
• Autoconnect quickly

Cons:

• No in-line mic/remote

The bottom line:

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 3 is one of the models of the momentum series. It comes with the same grade-A build quality and style. Besides, the Bluetooth 5.0 firmware offers good connection quality. In addition, an array of high-quality Bluetooth codecs also help to provide better connections.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Q. When did the Sennheiser Momentum 3 come out?

The headphone debuted on May 10, 2022.

• Q. Are Sennheiser Momentum 3 good for running?

If you are looking to work out, these are not a good choice. The reason is that wearing these earbuds will cause you more sweat than normal. They are a bit bulkier than the previous model and aren't the most portable.

• Q. Does Momentum 3 have a mic?

Usually, if you want to have the best possible audio quality, you must go with the included 3.5mm cable. But yeh bad news is that the cable does not come with an integrated mic and remote module.

Smart Screws, that Transmit DATA Wirelessly

Smart Screws are generally available in multiple places like on cranes, scaffolding, high-rise buildings, bridges, wind turbines, machines, etc. However, sometimes, wear & tear and temperature fluctuations or vibrations may lose one or more, which can face fatal repercussions. That's why you need to inspect regularly for safety-critical structures.

A research team from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Internet Technologies CCIT has recently made a solution called "Smart Screw Connection." It comes with sensors and radio technology, enabling you to monitor the connections remotely.

What are Smart Screws?

The Smart screw is a type of screw used in wind turbines, machines, and bridges to keep them safe. Its sensors and radio technology help to monitor connections.

Features That Make Smart Screws Special: 

 

Diaforce Thin Film:

The Smart connection is fitted with a washer with a piezoresistive DiaForce thin film. Pressure-sensitive sensors register the preload force at three points while it remains tightened. If any change occurs in the preload force, it can change the electrical resistance in the DiaForce® thin film.

What says Dr. Peter Spies?

He is the Group Manager of Integrated Energy Supplies and Project Manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS. Dr. Peter explains that a change in resistance occurs if it comes loose, and then a radio module will know about it. After that, the radio module, available on its head, sends the data to a base station, and it gathers all details from all relevant to the object.

Reliable Data Transmission:

The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST created DiaForce® thin film. Fraunhofer IIS contributes to the mioty® low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) on radio technology. Besides, the technology helps to transfer small data packets over long distances. However, through the process, it takes minimal energy using only a base station from over 100,000 sensors.

Sometimes, the base station is available at the edge of a wind farm, several hundred meters or a few kilometers away. After that, a software program shows you the information for each one separately in a graphical overview. The status of the connection relies on the configuration and application and how they are transmitted permanently.

Why Is It Important?

He says that it becomes possible to notice the stability of safety-critical infrastructures for the first time with the help of a remote monitoring system. Besides, it enables you to check on each model, making it an essential asset for safety. He also adds that engineers don't need to be available on-site to check each one during a bridge or wind turbine inspection, and the service station will get all the data via radio.

People use the technology for different applications like flange connections in the industry, the bolts in steel girders in high-rise buildings, the load-bearing parts of bridges, or attaching rotors to wind turbines.

Researchers have given solutions to energy demand issues in a resource-efficient manner. The system follows the energy harvesting principle, and it uses heat or light to generate electricity. In this case, a thermoelectric generator creates electricity from the minute differences in temperature between its head and the environment. However, if you are willing, you can generate electricity through solar cells, and it becomes self-powered due to energy harvesting.

Protects from Hackers:

Fraunhofer researchers always give importance to the security factor. A shielded programming box contains each screw, the sensor unit, and the radio module during installation. Besides, it gets an ID from the box through the short-range RFID, its requirement profile, and an individual encryption key. It uses an encrypted radio link connected to the base station during data transmission.

He says that it is possible to stop criminals or hackers from sabotaging the system. Technical staff depends on the information. The project involves Fraunhofer IST, Fraunhofer IIS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security, AISEC. The Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Internet Technologies CCIT runs the project.

Advantage of Smart Screws:

The technology decreases the need for daily inspections of large structures. For example, amusement parks usually have a team of experts who inspect towering roller coasters the ensure nothing comes loose. But the risk increases too much when it comes to bridges, and it is while you need the technology.

The Bottom Line:

Smart devices need energy or power for operation. No one wants to make a bridge with battery-powered screws. It is why researchers move to energy harvesting, mainly the thermoelectric effect. Smart Screws' technology helps to keep these vital structures safe.