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Apple is trying to save my hearing after I spent years ruining it
My love affair with loud music started in earnest in my sophomore year of high school, when I got an iPod for my birthday and immediately started blasting Black Mages albums and anime theme songs. Fast forward fifteen years, and my morning commute neatly illustrates just how bad my hearing has gotten. I get dressed, walk to the subway, pop in my AirPods and crank up the volume to 100 percent. That's the only way I can really hear my podcasts over the cacophony of the Q train as it winds through Brooklyn and chugs along over the Manhattan Bridge.
ICYMI: 3D-printed ears, autonomous DARPA drones and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-214941{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-214941, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-214941{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-214941").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine scientists have 3D-printed living tissue that can be transplanted into living animals, most notably an ear that grew new cartilage and blood vessels once under the skin of a mouse for a few months.
Get up close and personal with these new EA Sports UFC screens
EA Sports recently added a few names to the EA Sports UFC roster, joined by some in-game shots of fighters from the neck up. The fighters playable in the game and seen in the included gallery are former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin, "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, Costas Philippou, Minotauro Nogueira, Demetrious Johnson, Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen. Those fighters join the likes of co-cover athletes Jon "Bones" Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, Georges St-Pierre as well as female fighters Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, who were confirmed for the game in September. Certainly, athletes included in the 16-person cover fighter vote that began in November will be in the game as well, such as Chris Weidman, Dominick Cruz, Junior Dos Santos and Urijah Faber. The screens are meant to show the details of each athlete's likeness, but we just can't stop staring at Griffin's puffy cauliflower ears. Don't you want to poke at them? Boy, we sure do. EA Sports UFC will head to Xbox One and PS4 this spring.
Accelerometer mic could change the way we look at cochlear implants
Hearing aids aren't the most discreet cybernetic creations, because the need for a clog-free microphone means that they generally need an external component. Engineers at the University of Utah and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland aim to change everything with a much smaller mic that uses an accelerometer to detect sound vibrations -- so it requires no opening and can be inserted right into the ear. The only exterior hardware is the charger -- worn exclusively at night. Clinical trials in living humans begin approximately three years from now, and if you're looking forward to using this new device, removal of the incus (or anvil bone) in the middle-ear must first take place to optimize effectiveness of the new implant. We never said it'd be pretty.
Lasers let deaf ears pick up what the sonic world is putting down
Not going to front: we've a soft spot in our heart for focused beams of light. We've seen 'em rid the world of its space junk and set the pace of human hearts, and now, they're taking a leading role in aural advancement. As improbable as it sounds, a research team from the University of Utah led by Richard Rabbitt has found that lasers may be able to give deaf people the ability to hear. Using a low-power infrared diode -- similar to those in laser-pointers tormenting cats the world over -- Professor Rabbitt found that exposing oyster toadfish hair cells (analogous to the cells found in humans' inner ears) to infrared light caused them to release neurotransmitters and activate adjacent neurons. This could lead to laser-based ear implants able to stimulate focused areas of cells with thousands of sound wavelengths, as opposed to today's electrode implants whose electrical current spreads through human tissue and limits the deliverable sonic range. Smaller, more efficient power supplies and light sources are needed before optical hearing aids become a reality, but if these newfangled lasers ever get their act together, we should be able to hear version two (and three) coming down the pike.
No Comment: iPhone ear cushion
I remember the first time I made a call on my iPhone all the way back in 2007; I was truly smitten with Apple's revolution. However, during the second call, I realized that the sharp edge really was uncomfortable to my delicate, mirror-encrusted earlobes. Fast-forward to 2010, and the problem has only been exacerbated by the folks at Cupertino. Sure, iPhone 4 is a beauty to behold, but while it's easy on the eyes, it's certainly hard on the ears. Enter Yanko Design. The Earos ear cushion is truly one of the most elegant and striking solutions to the ear pain woes of the masses. Finally, we can answer a call on our beloved iPhones without wincing in pain as we bring it near our noggins. YD points out that ear discomfort is not the only symptom that they're curing. The Earos doubles as protection from ambient device heat as well as an ear shield for use in colder climates. As a no-charge bonus, the Earos can be flipped around and used as a display stand on flat surfaces. There is currently no word on pricing or availability, but you can guarantee that this will be in my stocking if they can release this in time for Christmas delivery -- even if it does qualify as a No Comment. [via AppAdvice]
Biometric ear scanning developed as a comical alternative to iris, fingerprint scans
The field of biometrics is a never-ending spectacle of palm readers, fingerprint and iris scanners, and now researchers at the University of Southampton may have discovered the next body part to be cataloged and tracked by power-mad governments: the ear. According to Professor Mark Nixon, the human ear is made up of "a whole load of structures" that can generate measurements that are unique to an individual. "With facial recognition," he says "the systems are often confused by crows feet and other signs of aging. Your ears, however, age very gracefully. They grow proportionally larger and your lobe gets a bit more elongated, but otherwise your ears are fully formed from birth." And unlike iris scanning, which is a cumbersome process, the ear scanning is relatively quick and painless. Unless, of course, you're dealing with long-haired hippie radicals. If they rise up again, no amount of ear scanning will keep us safe.
EA laying off 1,500 in new round of restructuring
We know at least four portions of EA that probably aren't thrilled about the Playfish acquisition. Gamasutra reports that significant layoffs have taken place at EA's Tiburon, Redwood Shores, Black Box, and Mythic divisions. Gamasutra suggests that the layoffs exceed the scope of EA's normal annual layoffs. We're attempting to verify the actual percentages with EA. According to a tweet by Katherine Pitta, "Mythic Entertainment, responsible for Warhammer Online, just laid off 80 people, about 40% of it's employees." Former EA employee Eron Garcia estimated "HUGE chunks of EA" have been let go. Mythic has been subject to layoffs in the past, as has Need for Speed and Skate developer Black Box, which already had its studio closed last year as part of another widespread round of layoffs. Best of luck to everyone affected by the layoffs! [Update: Approximately 1,500 people have been or will be laid off as a result of this year's cuts, EA reports in its earnings statement. Last year's "major" restructuring resulted in the loss of about 1,000 jobs.]
EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs happen less often
Love that brain-pounding sensation when you jack that volume past the sensible limit? If so, you best hop on the next flight to somewhere not within Europe, as the almighty European Commission is fixing to peg the default volume limit on portable media players at 80 decibels. If you're stricken with an awful case of déjà vu, you're not alone. You may recall that a similar French law forced Apple to limit the volume level on its iPod family to 100dB, and at that time, it decided to make the limit apply to all units shipped within Europe. Now, the EU is seeking to bring that ceiling down to 80dB on all portable music players in an effort to protect the precious hearing abilities of its citizens, though we should note that said level would only apply to the default setting, not overall maximums. In other words, you can override the recommended listening level if you please, but don't bet on that socialized healthcare taking care of you if The Man finds out. Kidding. Maybe.[Via Telegraph]
WoW latex Elf ears on Amazon
It's that time of year again -- I just saw a seasonal costume store opening up near my apartment here in Chicago, and that means that we're almost to October, when all kinds of official and unofficial Halloween costumes from all of the year's biggest brands appear. Last year we had some Orc masks and old-school armor and gear (and we may see some of that stuff again this year), but so far the only new thing we've seen is these latex ears, in Night Elf and Blood Elf style, over on Amazon. For just $12, you too can have inordinately large pointy ears, signifying that you're a magical creature from Azeroth.Cheesy? Maybe so, but then again, that's pretty much what dressing up on Halloween is all about these days. If you happen to see any other Warcraft-related costumes during the season (either officially licensed by Blizzard or knocked-off by some shady costume designer), make sure to take a picture and send us a tip. And of course if you enjoy seeing real people dress up as fictional Warcraft characters, you'll love our pictures from BlizzCon. Enjoy.%Gallery-70668%
Test your hearing with Audiometry for the iPhone
I was just listening to the great Sound Opinions music podcast the other day, and they had a woman on who was campaigning against hearing damage. In fact, she actually called out iPod headphones (as I was listening to the show on my iPhone) as one of today's leading causes of hearing damage -- too many people are listening to music through those headphones way too loud.Unfortunately, the iPhone can't fix your ears (yet), but it can help you figure out if there's a problem: Audiometry is a 99 cent app that will test your hearing for you through a range of frequencies, and let you know whether your ears are blown out or whether you've still got some good vibrations left. The app plays a tone at each frequency, asks you whether or not you heard it (though you've got to be honest -- there were a few times I could hear the tone stopping and starting but not the tone itself), and then gives you a results list on how you did.Future versions of the app will include a dB test (for loudness rather than just frequency), and the ability to save and share tests with others. It's hardly a substitute for going to a real ear doctor (if you have serious issues, you should definitely do that), but considering all the damage your iPhone may have done to your ears, the least it could do is help you figure out how much. While you're at it, review this article from Apple on setting the maximum volume limit on an iPod.[via textually.org]
Dead Space Demo dismembers XBLM
We realize that many of our readers have long since forgotten Halloween -- its memory having been replaced by slavering thoughts of turkey -- but that doesn't mean we have to forget about survival horror. In an effort to remind us -- and perhaps to push a few more copies out the door -- EA has released a demo for Dead Space onto the Xbox Live Marketplace (sorry, Gold members only, for now). The demo is vaguely referred to as a "Dismemberment Demo" and, frankly, we haven't the foggiest idea what that's about. And hey, check this out, thanks to the new online Marketplace at Xbox.com, we can do this:Click here to add the Dead Space demo to your 360 download queue!
Dead Space DLC uses stasis on your wallet
Hey kids, just a quick reminder that a metric ton of DLC for Dead Space has been released to the Xbox Live Marketplace today. What kind of DLC you ask? Well, if some random skins and special suits and upgraded weapons suit your fancy, you're in luck. Actually, let us take that back. You're in luck if you like all those things and you'd like to pay for them. Some of the items are merely skins, while others will net you firearms with extra speed or power or fully upgraded suits. There's also a brand new gun up for download as well.Technically, we suppose these aren't merely downloadable cheats, but they're pretty close. Find a full list of the new content after the break.
Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 6
Another dollop of space horror has just gone live with the sixth issue/episode of the Dead Space animated comic, which you'll find right after the break. We don't want to spoil anything for you, so we'll say only that the colonists are under attack and s*** goes bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s.This is the sixth issue we've posted about, so we're a little light on new things to say about them. ... Oh hey, we know: Are any of you old enough for this to remind you of something that might have been on Liquid Television or Kablaam? ... Nobody? Oh well. Enjoy the comic. In case you're behind, here are the previous issues: Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 1 Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 2Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 3Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 4Dead Space Animated Comic: Issue 5
Joystiq hands-on: The beginning of Dead Space (PS3)
click to embiggen As one of the most anticipated titles of the year, Dead Space is enjoying quite the moment in the sun. Releasing next week for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and later in the month on PC, we had a chance to go hands on with a near-final build of the PlayStation 3 version at the Sony Holiday event in Toronto, Canada. Having experienced the game with a plethora of weapons and abilities at PAX in Seattle, how does the game compare to the beginning where resources are limited? Jump in for our analysis.%Gallery-23118%
The Best of Massively: Our top 5 weirdest news stories
We're still counting down to Massively's first birthday by compiling the best and most entertaining coverage we've done. So far we've listed our most important interviews and our most helpful guides. This time around, we're looking back at the top five strangest, weirdest and sometimes-raciest news stories we've covered since we launched last November.Whether you missed these stories or you're just ready for a refresher, we hope they'll make you smile and laugh -- or at least make you raise an eyebrow or two! Click to start >> %Gallery-33582%
Dead Space scores 91% in first review
Buhbuhbuh it's EA, Joystiq! Though we'll save our most obnoxious we-told-you-sos for the more comprehensive metareview ... we did tell you so. Our E3 Game of Show has scooped up its first (and hopefully not last) set of review accolades, scoring 91% in the pages of Xbox World 360. The review reportedly suggests that EA could teach Capcom "a thing or three about survival horror," with Dead Space boasting ferocious foes that make others in the genre seem "decidedly average." Oh, but there is one thing that worries us: the game's "film-worthy" script. Have they not been to the cinema recently? With rare exception, a poorly formatted paragraph describing a pair of voluptious breasts ramping a Porsche over an explosion would have to be dumbed down by a script doctor. Too arty.[Via X3F and Twitter, which apparently works in outer space]
Dead Space goes gold, free DLC suit for early adopters
Click to embiggen EA announced today that sci-fi survival horror game Dead Space is gold and ready to unleash screams starting October 14th in North America. Xbox 360 and PS3 players who purchase the game within the first two weeks of its release will be able to download console-specific space suits. Pre-orders from GameStop Online, EB Canada Online and "select" European retailers will receive the Scorpion suit. The suits feature a new look (seen above), along with "increased toughness and inventory slots."Remember, the North America EA Store is also offering the "Ultra Limited" edition (only 1,000 copies) for $150. Those will also begin shipping Oct. 14th.%Gallery-23118%
Dead Space dev to be re-branded, develop more titles
Quick question hotshot. Who is currently developing Dead Space? Electronic Arts isn't the right answer, they're publishing it. To those who know (or have returned from Wikipedia) congratulations if you said EA Redwood Shores. EARS, as they are affectionately known around the office, has continuously impressed industry professionals, horror masters and gamers alike and EA has seen fit to give them a proper name, reports Variety. Glenn Schofield, the head-honcho of EARS, revealed EA's plan to rename the studio is part of an over-arching plan to pitch the developer to gamers and potential employees as one of "creativity, originality, and high quality third person action adventure titles". What does that mean exactly? Well, after the inevitable Dead Space sequel the team may become EA's go-to studio for all things third-person action. Take that EA Montreal and your buggy Army of Two![via Joystiq]
Dead Space team to get a new name, make more games
With all of the excitement surrounding its forthcoming horror title, the Dead Space team must be quite happy to be known as ... the Dead Space team. That is, until it wants to make something else. That's probably one of the reasons for, as Variety reports, the EARS (EA Redwood Shores) team being "re-branded" as something niftier-sounding in the near future (EYES?).EARS (yep, that has got to go) studio head, Glenn Schofield, says that the name change is part of an over-arching plan to pitch the team to gamers and new hires as one of "creativity, originality, and high quality third person action adventure titles" (our emphasis). So, while it may create another all-new IP after the probable inevitable Dead Space 2, it certainly sounds like the studio has decided on its most favoritest genre, henceforth to be known as the "3PAA" ... at least by us.
