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Alphabet's moonshot lab is working on a device to give people superhuman hearing
Alphabet has attempted to take on some wild projects over the years, like a crop-sniffing plant buggy and fish-tracking cameras. But now, its X lab is working on a device that could give people superhuman hearing. As Insider first reported, the project, codenamed "Wolverine," is exploring the future of hearing through sensor-packed hardware. The team, members of which spoke to Insider anonymously, say they're currently trying to figure out how to isolate people's voices in a crowded room or make it easier to focus on one person when overlapping conversations are happening around you.
They've already iterated on the device multiple times, including devices that covered the whole ear and others that protruded from above the ear. These iterations have been large because the team incorporates lots of microphones into the build, but newer versions are smaller, Insider says. Multiple people from hearing technology companies have joined the team, including talent from Starkey Hearing Technologies and Eargo.
Also at 9to5Google.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @02:01PM (1 child)
It can join Google glass, you know, the thing to give you super-human looking, over at https://killedbygoogle.com/ [killedbygoogle.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 05 2021, @04:24PM
Given that it can eavesdrop on conversations between two people that they would expect to be private, it will be banned in many areas as violating expectations of privacy.
Mind you, as a test I was able to eavesdrop on conversations at the other end of a subway car (just to see if it was possible) by using a Sony Walkman with built-in cassette recorder , built-in mic, and headphones. Hit record, pause, and adjust the volume accordingly. I guess even then they had some noise canceling tech built in. This was back in the ‘80s.