Alan Henry—iOS/Android: From the same team that brought you SoundHound, Hound is a music search app that lets you speak the name of a song or artist aloud to search for it in the SoundHound database. Once it's found, you can read more about it, listen to a preview, or watch the video.
Unlike thepreviously mentionedSoundHound, which uses a song's audio pattern to identify the track playing, Hound allows you to just speak the title or the artist to see songs that match your search. When the app finds the song you're looking for, you can listen to an audio preview of the track, read more about the song or the artist, or hop over to YouTube to watch the music video.
If your voice search doesn't work, you can always use the keyword search. Hound is meant to be a song search tool, not so much a music-on-demand app. It does, however, give you an easy way to learn more about any artist you hear about, and preview their music. Hound is free, and available in the iTunes App Store and the Android App Marke Collected from http://lifehacker.com/5810930/hound-lets-you-search-for-music-with-your-voice Collected by inFvalue: www.inFvalue.com
If you love the article, say something below to encourage me. If you have any good idea just comments below, let others see your good idea. If you have any question just say it, we will solve it together.
Be a valuable person, a kind of value in the world now! (The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.)
Many believe driving is an activitysolely reserved for those who can see. A blind person driving a vehicle safely and independently was thought to be an impossible task, until now.Hello, my name is Dennis Hong,and we're bringing freedom and independence to the blind by building a vehicle for the visually impaired.
So before I talk about this car for the blind,let me briefly tell you about another project that I worked oncalled the DARPA Urban Challenge.Now this was about building a robotic carthat can drive itself.You press start, nobody touches anything,and it can reach its destination fully autonomously.So in 2007, our team won half a million dollarsby placing third place in this competition.So about that time,the National Federation of the Blind, or NFB,challenged the research committeeabout who can develop a carthat lets a blind person drive safely and independently.We decided to give it a try,because we thought, hey, how hard could it be.We have already an autonomous vehicle.We just put a blind person in it and we're done, right?(Laughter)We couldn't have been more wrong.What NFB wantedwas not a vehicle that can drive a blind person around,but a vehicle where a blind person can make active decisions and drive.So we had to throw everything out the windowand start from scratch.
So to test this crazy idea,we developed a small dune buggy prototype vehicleto test the feasibility.And in the summer of 2009,we invited dozens of blind youth from all over the countryand gave them a chance to take it for a spin.It was an absolutely amazing experience.But the problem with this car wasit was designed to only be driven in a very controlled environment,in a flat closed-off parking lot --even the lanes defined by red traffic cones.
So with this success,we decided to take the next big step,to develop a real car that can be driven on real roads.So how does it work?Well, it's a rather complex system,but let me try to explain it, maybe simplify it.So we have three steps.We have perception, computationand non-visual interfaces.Now obviously the driver cannot see,so the system needs to perceive the environmentand gather information for the driver.For that, we use an initial measurement unit.So it measures acceleration, angular acceleration --like a human ear, inner ear.We fuse that information with a GPS unitto get an estimate of the location of the car.We also use two cameras to detect the lanes of the road.And we also use three laser range finders.The lasers scan the environment to detect obstacles --a car approaching from the front, the backand also any obstacles that run into the roads,any obstacles around the vehicle.
So all this vast amount of information is then fed into the computer,and the computer can do two things.One is, first of all, process this informationto have an understanding of the environment --these are the lanes of the road, there's the obstacles --and convey this information to the driver.The system is also smart enoughto figure out the safest way to operate the car.So we can also generate instructionson how to operate the controls of the vehicle.But the problem is this: How do we conveythis information and instructionsto a person who cannot seefast enough and accurate enough so he can drive?So for this, we developed many different typesof non-visual user interface technology.So starting from a three-dimensional ping sound system,a vibration vest,a click wheel with voice commands, a leg strip,even a shoe that applies pressure to the foot.But today we're going to talk aboutthree of these non-visual user interfaces.
Now the first interface is called a DriveGrip.So these are a pair of gloves,and it has vibrating elements on the knuckle part,so you can convey instructions about how to steer --the direction and the intensity.Another device is called SpeedStrip.So this is a chair -- as a matter of fact, it's actually a massage chair.We gut it out, and we rearrange the vibrating elements in different patterns.And we actuate them to convey information about the speed,and also instructions how to use the gas and the brake pedal.So over here, you can seehow the computer understands the environment.And because you cannot see the vibration,we actually put red LED's on the driver, so he can actually see what's happening.This is the sensory data,and that data is transferred to the devices through the computer.
So these two devices, DriveGrip and SpeedStrip,are very effective.But the problem isthese are instructional cue devices.So this is not really freedom, right?The computer tells you how to drive --turn left, turn right, speed up, stop.We call this the backseat driver problem.So we're moving away from the instructional cue devices,and we're now focusing moreon the informational devices.A good example for this informational non-visual user interfaceis called AirPix.So think of it as a monitor for the blind.So it's a small tablet, has many holes in it,and compressed air comes out,so it can actually draw images.So even though you are blind, you can put your hand over it,you can see the lanes of the road and obstacles.Actually, you can also change the frequency of the air coming outand possibly the temperature.So it's actually a multi-dimensional user interface.So here you can see the left camera, the right camera from the vehicleand how the computer interprets that and sends that information to the AirPix.For this, we're showing a simulator,a blind person driving using the AirPix.This simulator was also very useful for training the blind driversand also quickly testing different types of ideasfor different types of non-visual user interfaces.So basically that's how it works.
So just a month agoon January 29th,we unveiled this vehicle for the very first time to the publicat the world famous Daytona International Speedwayduring the Rolex 24 racing event.We also had some surprises. Let's take a look.
(Music)
(Video) Announcer: This is an historic day [unclear].He's coming up to the grandstand, fellow Federistas.
(Cheering)
(Honking)
There's the grandstand now.And he's [unclear] following that van that's out in front of him.Well there comes the first box.Now let's see if Mark avoids it.He does. He passes it on the right.Third box is out. The fourth box is out.And he's perfectly making his way between the two.He's closing in on the vanto make the moving pass.Well this is what it's all about,this kind of dynamic display of audacity and ingenuity.He's approaching the end of the run,makes his way between the barrels that are set up there.
(Honking)
(Applause)
Dennis Hong: I'm so happy for you.Mark's going to give me a ride back to the hotel.
Mark Riccobono: Yes.
(Applause)
DH: So since we started this project,we've been getting hundreds of letters, emails, phone callsfrom people from all around the world.Letters thanking us, but sometimes you also get funny letters like this one:"Now I understand why there is Braille on a drive up ATM machine."(Laughter)But sometimes --(Laughter)But sometimes I also do get --I wouldn't call it hate mail --but letters of really strong concern:"Dr. Hong, are you insane,trying to put blind people on the road?You must be out of your mind."But this vehicle is a prototype vehicle,and it's not going to be on the roaduntil it's proven as safe as, or safer than, today's vehicle.And I truly believe that this can happen.
But still, will the society,would they accept such a radical idea?How are we going to handle insurance?How are we going to issue driver's licenses?There's many of these different kinds of hurdles besides technology challengesthat we need to address before this becomes a reality.Of course, the main goal of this projectis to develop a car for the blind.But potentially more important than thisis the tremendous value of the spin-off technologythat can come from this project.The sensors that are used can see through the dark,the fog and rain.And together with this new type of interfaces,we can use these technologiesand apply them to safer cars for sighted people.Or for the blind, everyday home appliances --in the educational setting, in the office setting.Just imagine, in a classroom a teacher writes on the blackboardand a blind student can see what's written and readusing these non-visual interfaces.This is priceless.So today, the things I've showed you today, is just the beginning.
If you love the article, say something below to encourage me. If you have any good idea just comments below, let others see your good idea. If you have any question just say it, we will solve it together.
Be a valuable person, a kind of value in the world now! (The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.)
Did I waste last week in “Babysitting” (Weekly Review)
The Beginning
I was out of school since last 2 weeks. And I began my TOEFL practicing plan at the beginning of the summer vacation. It seems it’s very hard to study at home, especially for me. Jennifer who is my mom in America suggested me to go to Boston Public Library (BPL) for study. I thought it was a really good idea before I compared BPL with Starbucks. Unfortunately, the first day of my plan was a national holiday. BPL was closed on that day. So I picked up my second choice which was going study in Starbucks.
BPL. VS. Starbucks
I didn’t bring the most distractive thing which called PC with me. J I think it’s really a right choice. Some people work there, others study there. I like the feeling when I set in a good place with coffee and watch what happens outside. In fact, I didn’t buy coffee and enjoy what happen outside. I just read some books, TOEFL practice and reading. It really helps a lot.
The second day, I tried to study in BPL, I brought some lunch which was made by Jennifer with me. I went to BPL in the morning and planned to spend my whole afternoon there too. The fact really disappointed meL. When I study in BPL, I feel so cold and fall asleep easily because it’s very quiet. I can’t concentrate on my books either. The third day and the next several days, I always went to Starbucks and studied there.
Interrupt
I didn’t just read the articles about TOEFL, I read some other subjects which I am interested in. Most of the articles are come from several really good blogs. I like the writers and blogs very much. I began to think if I can make a good blog just like theirs. I saw an advertisement about blogs posted by Yahoo. Then I built my first blog, the second website in my life. Yahoo’s blog service looks kind sucks. I gave up Yahoo’s blog and went to Google’s Blogger. To be honest, Google is one of my favorite companies. I began to build blog with their simple completed templates. At first, the blog looks fine to me. But latter, I found I didn’t have a label cloud in my blog which is very important for readers and me. Then I began searching the solution. I couldn’t find the right solution during my research (Finally I found it’s easy to do it by myself, the label is the same as tag…). Then I made a huge decision that I delete all things I just edit and Upload a custom template which is much more beautiful than the official template.
However, I spend almost a whole day to do the research of the template, the other whole day to learn how to edit HTML. And I also spend a whole day to DIY my template and post some articles.
The other days
I spend a half day to pick up a domain. At first, I tried some free domains which are ahero.edu.tc, ahero.net.tc. Finally, I picked up www.infvalue.com which means infinite value as my domain. I thought “success, hero” would be my blog’s theme. But after I did some research, I found a quote from Einstein who is one of the most valuable people in the world: “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” This quote really shook my primary idea of great. I agree with him. Then I changed my theme into “value and valuable.”
The blog looks almost done. But it’s just the beginning of the battle. I spend lots of time to learn SEO, and how to make my blog become popular. I need to post new articles and some articles wrote by me every day.
The blog is now at the toughest time because no one knows my blog yet. And it’s like a new baby who needs lots of cares. If I give up, it means I waste my time in building the blog. If I keep doing it, it means I really made good use of time.
In the future, I will continue my blog battle while I am studying.
Wrote by inFvalue: www.inFvalue.com
If you love the article, say something below to encourage me. If you have any good idea just comments below, let others see your good idea. If you have any question just say it, we will solve it together.
Be a valuable person, a kind of value in the world now! (The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.)
Work hard on every assignment during the year. You won't have a shot at a 7 in the final exam if you've been getting 5s all year. Make sure your assignments are all well structured [IB English encourages the use of good structure] and all the arguments are backed up with suitably footnoted quotes from the book.
2.2
Keep a World Lit. Journal. World Lits give you a chunk of your marks, and since they are done in relatively easier conditions [as compared to the exam and the oral] it is easier to score well in them. Keeping a detailed World Lit journal will help you identify the major themes, ideas, plot points and stylistic aspects.
3.3
Schedule World Lit meetings in advance, and draw up detailed plans since advice on the first draft can only be given once. Speak to your teacher, and discuss the appropriateness of your structure at length.
4.4
Keep all your notes from class well organized and preferably in a binder or notebook for easy reference, which is especially useful for revision and can sometimes pinpoint important aspects of text to you [for example if your teacher discusses certain plot points in great detail as compared to others]
5.5
In grade 12, do a timed commentary every week in order to train yourself to plan and write a commentary within a time limit and under relatively more stressful conditions than the untimed assignments for homework.
6.6
Pay attention to aspects of the language, and learn the names of literary devices such as assonance and aliteration. When reading poetry, pay attention to the way words sound and the effect it has on the poem [for example: long drawn out vowels slow down the pace].
7.7
Always mark out the context and importance of passages so that you can incorporate them into the commentary, since the IB marks references to the context high.
8.8
Pay attention to the syntax and punctuation, along with the way the passage is organized and discuss its effects in the commentary, taking it to another, more technical, level.
9.9
For the Oral Exam, prepare yourself well in advance, and brush up on your public speaking skills if you are nervous. Make allowance for the fact that you might talk faster than usual if you're nervous. Try to keep close to the maximum time limit as it limits the number of questions that can be asked [you don't want to end at eight minutes and have four minutes of questions tossed at you]
10.10
Read all the assigned texts several times, make detailed notes on all of them and mark points of transition.
11.11
Always consider the dramatic tension and other aspects of performance while handling plays such as the Theban Plays or No Exit, as it takes the commentary to another level.
Collected by inFvalue: www.inFvalue.com
If you love the article, say something below to encourage me. If you have any good idea just comments below, let others see your good idea. If you have any question just say it, we will solve it together.
Be a valuable person, a kind of value in the world now! (The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.)
SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test. The purpose of the SAT is to measure a student’s academic potential by testing his or her familiarity with what he or she learned in high school as well as his or her test taking skills.
The SAT is a multiple-choice exam in which each correct answer adds points to the student’s score and each incorrect answer subtracts from it.
The SAT does test how well a student has prepared. Preparation for the SAT can make a big difference in the student’s scores, and where he or she goes to college.
What Represents a Good SAT Score?
The SAT has three sections, which are Writing, Math and Critical Reading and each on a scale of 200 to 800.
The average total score is approximately 1,500 points. An average score is acceptable for most colleges and universities. However, some of the top schools require an SAT score of 2,100 of more. A score above 2,100 puts the student into top 10% of test takers.
The statistics shows that approximately only 20 of 1,000,000 students who take the SAT get a perfect score, which is 2,400 points.
How to Best Accomplish the SAT?
Go prepared
Long-term preparation should stress the importance of taking challenging classes and reading more as possible as the student can, this will pay off on the SAT Verbal section and help him or her throughout college.
When get closer to actually taking the SAT, by preparing for the test, the student will know how much time he or she has to work on each question. Good preparation let the student move steadily and carefully through the test to achieve a good score.
Set Goals
Find out what the college the student desires to attend requires. What is the minimum SAT score or the average score for admitted freshman. The student can get this information by either calling the school’s Admissions Office directly or by looking at a book in a local book store, library or on the Internet.
·Use an SAT preparation book and or software.Software is good for those students who feel comfortable with computers, use a book if the student just likes to learn by reading.
·Use vocabulary flashcards.Vocabulary is a key to succeed in the SAT. If the test taker doesn’t know the words, there’s a limit to how far a great guessing strategy he or she can use.
·Take the test early.Many schools look for the best score a student presents. By taking the test during the junior year, students will have an opportunity to re-take the test before admissions deadlines arrive.
How to Study for the SAT?
Concentrate on reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and usage, geometry, algebra and arithmetic.
In order to use time efficiently, use the SAT Diagnostic Test to find out what are the student’s weak parts.
·Increase SAT Vocabulary Almost half of the questions on the SAT test the student’s vocabulary, testing how well he or she understands the meaning of words in some form. It is very important to increase the student’s SAT vocabulary focusing on difficult words that appear most frequently on the SAT.
·Review What Learned on Math Skills The other half of the SAT tests the student’s math skills, ranging from Arithmetic through Geometry and Algebra II. Make sure to remember what have already learned and build on the math skills already have.
·Learn and Use SAT Test Taking Strategies Test taking strategies help the student transform what he or she already know into higher SAT scores.
·Practice on Real SATs In order to practice what the student has learned, to practice on real SATs is a really good way. A student can get a copy of a real, full SAT from the High School Counselor’s office and can order Real SATs directly from the College Board.
Tips for Preparing SAT
·Start from the easiest Start to answer the easy questions and leave the hard ones later on.
·Understand the question thoroughly Make sure understand the question correctly and then answer the question being asked.
·Focus on what you know If the student does not know exactly how to solve a question, he or she can get started with what he or she does know, then may figure out the problem, or at least move on towards the solution.
·Use elimination approach It is best to eliminate one or more wrong answer choices, make a guess if needed and move on to the next question.
·Be a smart guesser Leave a question blank neither adds nor subtracts anything. If the student can eliminate two answers as definitely wrong, guess between the remaining two choices. If completely lost on a given question, skip it. Move on to the next question.
·Take a short note while reading When dealing with a difficult passage, it is important to summarize the main idea of each paragraph. It is helpful to quickly notate a three- or four-word summary in the margin of the test booklet.
·Review if have time If finish before the time is up, go back and work on any questions skipped, or review the completed answers.
How to Register for the SAT?
·Make sure to plan ahead. Do not miss important SAT deadlines. Contact the high school guidance counselor early in junior year, and get all the information regarding when, where and how to take the SAT.
·Decide when to take the SAT.
·Get the application forms and read carefully. Pay close attention to deadlines, and register early.
·The SAT administers offer to send test scores to up to three schools without additional charge. However, if the student wants to know his or her scores before submit, he or she may prefer to wait and have them sent later though need to pay a small fee for the service.
·If the student does not receive a confirmation letter within four to six weeks, call to make sure that his or her paperwork was received.
How to Prepare the Evening before the SAT?
Do not study, relax.
Organize all necessary materials, and put them into the backpack.
Alan Henry iOS/Android: From the same team that brought you SoundHound, Hound is a music search app that lets you speak the name of a song or artist aloud to search for it in the SoundHound database. Once it's found, you can read more about it, listen to a preview, or watch the video.
