Intel's latest experiment aims to help the visually impaired |
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It's finally Friday! To close out the week and get you geared up for the weekend, we pulled together some stories that will leave you feeling inspired and excited for the future -- including one about some incredible photos of Mars and another about an innovative new project from Intel that takes assistive technology to a totally new level. Enjoy! |
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OnePlus is facing more competition than ever. In previous years, the company has offered phones with near-flagship specs for a few hundred dollars cheaper than the competition. Last year, however, Samsung launched the $700 Galaxy S20 FE — a device that borrowed the best things about the Galaxy S20, but came in at a much lower price. Considering that it now often costs just $600, and that the new OnePlus 9 comes in at $730, the OnePlus 9 has an uphill battle ahead of it in this war between value phones. Which one is the better deal?
A slight gap in specs
While the designs and display tech are more or less the same on these phones, their performance is a little different. "Little" is the key word here, though -- you're not going to experience a major difference in how these phones perform right now. The OnePlus 9, however, does technically perform better. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, coupled with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. And with that high refresh rate display, it feels incredibly smooth and responsive. The Galaxy S20 FE has last year's Snapdragon 865 processor with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, but it still performs very well. Where you might notice a difference in performance is toward the end of these phones' life spans.
It comes down to the camera
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE is starting to get a little old, but it still offers excellent value for the money. Assuming you can afford both of these phones, the device you go for will depend on your priorities. If you want a great camera, the Galaxy S20 FE is the way to go. If faster performance is the most important thing for you, then the OnePlus 9 is the phone to buy.
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There's a new project from Intel and the University of Georgia that could be a game-changer for the visually impaired: A smart backpack that's able to help its wearer better navigate a given environment without outside assistance — all through the power of speech.
To make this possible, the backpack — which could be particularly useful as an alternative to guide dogs for visually impaired users — uses a connected camera and fanny pack (the former worn in a vest jacket, the latter containing a battery pack), coupled with a computing unit so it can respond to voice commands by audibly describing the world around the wearer. That means detecting visual information about traffic signs, traffic conditions, changing elevations, and crosswalks, alongside location information, and then being able to turn it into useful spoken descriptions, delivered via Bluetooth earphones.
As with any wearable device, a big challenge involves making it something that people would actually want to wear. Nobody wants to look like a science-fiction cyborg outside of Comic-Con. Fortunately, the designers kept that in mind. The backpack's components are all hidden away from view, with even the camera (which, by design, must be visible in order to record the necessary images) looking out at the world through three tiny holes in the vest. |
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Check out NASA's incredible photo of frost-covered Martian sand dunes |
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NASA's Perseverance rover is getting all the attention just now, together with the Ingenuity helicopter that's about to take flight on the red planet. But the space agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter also continues to quietly work away, beaming back incredible imagery captured from high above the Martian surface. The amazing photo above, for example, shows Mars' frosty sand dunes. Its stunning beauty earned it the accolade of NASA Image of the Day for Thursday, March 25.
"A field of sand dunes occupies this frosty 5-kilometer diameter crater in the high latitudes of the northern plains of Mars," the space agency said in comments accompanying the image. "The surface of the main dune field is characterized by a series of dark-toned polygonal patterns. These may be the result of seasonal frost processes. Several of the steeper dune slopes, pointing in the downwind direction, host narrow furrows suggesting the start of gully formation." |
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TIPS, TRICKS, & TECHNIQUES |
Cell phones do produce radiation, even if it's quite limited. They use radiofrequency energy, which is a type of electromagnetic radiation. In general, the amount they put out is below the Federal Communications Commission''s safe limit, but some models output more RF energy than others. Radiofrequency energy may have some adverse health effects, and even though most cell phones operate within a safe range, you may still want to reduce your exposure to their radiation. Here are some tips to help you reduce your exposure while you use your phone. |
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