Ethics #2: SpeechJammer; The Silence Gun

It is time for another discussion in the ethical corner. If you did not read last week's ethics discussion, make sure to check it out here.


The case:
Japanese developers Kazutaka Kurihara and Koji Tsukada have designed and developed the controversial "SpeechJammer". The device enables its user to aim at a specific human target and silence them, whenever they are speaking. It consists of a directional microphone, a directional speaker, a laser, a distance sensor and of course a trigger.
The way it works is that the SpeechJammer picks up the conversation of any subject, processes it and then sends it back to the victim with a delay of about 0.2 seconds.
The delay renders the target unable to focus on what they were saying and as a effect, the target stops talking.


Discussion:
The Japanese developers made it as a means to silence people when they spoke out of turn in debates or at the office, or simply as a means to enforce silence in waiting halls and so on.
Potentially this technology could be used towards more sinister goals, e.g., censoring speakers of different beliefs.

Pros:
The SpeechJammer is a tool to enforce silence towards people, who do not respect regulations on silence in specific areas, (e.g., libraries, hospitals, sleep train cars, etc.) and may be used to shut some people up when speaking out of turn. Some environments would potentially benefit greatly from this invention.

Cons:
Censorship. The liberty of free speech may suffer greatly from a device such as this. The SpeechJammer puts the power of our own words in other people's hands, rendering us powerless when trying to express ourselves. If this technology is further developed, would it find its way to the police weaponry? Would it be used to silence a crowd, a demonstration?

Thursday Special: Augmenting reality

This monday we featured the Google Glasses, where we as a footnote added, however awesome it sounds, that the idea is not really new. On this Thursday Special we take a look at reality-augmenting gadgets, some still in development, some discarded.

1. Nokia Mixed Reality

Back in 2009 Nokia released a video, demonstrating a set of glasses with inlaid screen. They were pretty similar to Google Glasses, but with a bit sleeker design and a wristband to control it by gestures.
The video in itself describes how the technology can be used for windows as well (the glass windows, not the OS).

Similar to Google Glasses, this product is not reality yet, and sadly, Nokias vision is probably never going to be. All fingers crossed for Google.

2. SixthSense 

Pranav Mistry, PhD candidate and research assistant at MIT Media Lab, developed in 2009 a Wearable Gestural Interface, known as "SitxhSense". The concept was a camera, a projector and a smartphone linked to each other to create a piece of technology, that overtook any feature that the smartphone had and projected it into the physical world.

The SixthSense is very real, but plans of putting it into retail are unclear. However, Pranav Mistry put the schematics online for any developer who wanted to take a swing at building his own. The price is around $350 in hardware costs, to produce your own prototype. www.pranavmistry.com

3. The Smartphone 

I know what you are going to say; "Smartphones are smartphones! You cant wear them as glasses?" and no, you can't, but even so, AR apps are already highly popular on the App Store and Android Market. Augmented Reality games are being played by thousands and some of the features as we see on the items listed above are mostly based on the smartphone's features.
For an augmented reality internet browser for your smartphone, check out Layar.

4. Video Screen Eyeglasses

On the market there are hundreds upon hundreds of products going under the term "screen glasses". Although they are common, none of them really apply as AR-capable. The closest thing is the Video Screen Eyeglasses in this video. They show video on conventional glasses, but that's about it. A lot have changed since 2008.






Question time:
How would you use a pair of AR glasses? Would you use it at all?

Wearable tech: Lunar BLU Jacket

This product isn't really going into retail, sadly, but this concept design does leave a room for imagination.
The BLU Jacket is designed by Lunar Design. It is basically a jacket with electronic paper sown into it, allowing the surfaces to shift into any image or video that you want. The designers thought that it could be used to show the wearers mood and generally be decorative.
In a commercialized world however, this could be used as a human adboard, where the wearer earns a little bonus on the side for wearing it. The possibilities are many, so maybe, just maybe, this is something we are going to see a lot more of in the coming years.

The BLU Jacket, here depicted as a means to show the subway map.

Google Glasses

Okay, I've wanted to write about this for a long time:

Rumors have been spreading for weeks, that Google is developing glasses that works as a transparent screen. The thought is that you can wear a pair of Google Glasses and be up to date with everything that you see through them.
Furthermore they allow you to stay in touch with your contacts, read your email, text your friends, share location, check in at places, take photos... the lot! I'm not really going into depth with the features, until they have actually made it, but I am providing a video that tells it all much better than I can. Oh yes, they really are working on it!
EDIT: According to PC Gamer Magazine, the Google Glass wil be in retail in late 2012. End of the world as we know it indeed.

Question time:
In your opinion, would Google Glasses be the first of the final steps for completely digitizing our world? Is the world ever gonna be the same?
Comments below.

It should however be pointed out that this idea is old. On thursday, I'll feature some of the predecessors to Google Glasses.

Wearable Tech: Necomimi ears

2nd post today? Double trouble!

So, last month I came across the Necomimi ears. Cat ears on a ribbon bow, that respond to brain waves; every cos-players must-have! The idea was to have an external organ to communicate changes in mood, attention and stress levels. Since the developer was based in Japan, naturally this external organ was shaped as cat ears.

Today I found out that they actually managed to launch a retail edition, which first launched March 15 at the price of approx. $149,99, according to the developer, NeuroWear.


Question time:
In your opinion; would you prefer a world where everybody could get a read on your emotions?
(Feel free to elaborate in the comment section below.)


Here's the concept video from NeuroWear, showing the features of the Necomimi. Enjoy!

For more information about this product, visit NeuroWears webblog at http://neurowear.com/?p=28