geekosystem

Sign language -- specifically American Sign Language (ASL) -- is one of those things where people that don't have to use it tend to forget it even exists. That isn't to say ASL doesn't provide a meaningful benefit to society, and especially those that require it, but the general populace doesn't exactly keep up with those things that don't have a direct impact on their lives. Case in point, a 45-year-old deaf man in Burlington, North Carolina was stabbed several times earlier this week after a bystander mistook his communication with another deaf as a series of gang signs.

When was the last time you saw an ad for a showing of a new movie release with subtitles? Probably never, unless you're actively looking for them. That might not be a big deal for you, but it's something deaf people struggle with all the time. The majority of people with adequate hearing dislike subtitled movies (I count myself in the minority), so theaters have a vested interest in not "ruining" prime time showings with them. As a result, if you're deaf, you have access to a handful of annoying alternatives like waiting for a DVD release or catching an awkwardly-timed showing.

Well, no longer, hopefully. Sony has been working on subtitle glasses that should allow deaf viewers to have their own personal subtitles without other viewers having to be distracted by them. While it seems like a pretty simple concept, the real trick is ensuring that the viewer doesn't constantly have to switch focus from the glasses, to the screen, to the glasses, to the screen. These glasses manage to provide the subtitles in such a way that they appear to be projected on the screen, in the same field of view as the action of the movie.

The popularity of earbud headphones has exploded in recent years, in part because of the better sound they are said to deliver, their easy compatibility with hats and hairstyles, and in no small part from their association with a certain iconic portable music player. But while functional, and some claim comfortable, earbuds don't really play nice with the structure of our ears. In fact, they may be hurting us. The issue comes from the stapedius reflex, where the middle ear undergoes an involuntary muscle contraction in the presence of loud noises to protect the delicate inner ear. This responses happens all the time, particularly while talking or humming, which is why you have may have been told to hum right before a loud noise to protect your ears. Because in-ear headphones create a closed space, transferring the sound into a concussive force against the ear drum and middle ear, the stpedius reflex kicks in making the music sound quieter, and often results in users turning up the volume even higher to compensate. The middle ear attempts to compensate further, leading to fatigue on the muscles, leathery calluses on the ear drum, and eventually actual hearing damage from the high volume. Until recently, the only way to prevent this was switching back to over-the-head headphones or listening at low volumes.