Rapid technology changes

Gary M. Kaye

PRIME — March 2012 Driver Assistance Even for those of us who are not severely vision impaired, driving is becoming more of a challenge, especially at night. When I travel, I use a voice enabled GPS unit in the car. I can speak an address and it will navigate there. It's especially useful when you can't see street signs or read addresses. Now a new device, called Mobileye, is offering even more help to reduce distractions. The system, which is available in some new cars, will also be available as an aftermarket installation. It uses a camera that communicates with an application on your smartphone. Among the things Mobileye can do: alert you if you are drifting out of your lane; alert you to a potential collision either with a car, pedestrian, or bicyclist; automatically dim your high beam headlights; read some traffic signs. The device isn't cheap, two models range in price from roughly $750 to $850. But if you're worried about what's in front of you that you might not see, this technology could make the margin of difference that saves your life, or someone else's. In the Blink of an Eye Eye tracking interfaces for computers have been around in various forms as an assistive technology for those who have very limited motor skills as a result of either disease or injury. Now a company called Tobii is bringing eye tracking to a broader audience, introducing the first large scale application of eye tracking which will operate with the new Microsoft Windows 8 operating system. Tobii already makes a high end assistive system called the Tobii PCEye. This is a portable device that can be easily attached to either a desktop or laptop computer. The user can manipulate the computer by focusing on a given point on the screen and then selecting by either blinking or staring at a given point for a designated length of time. The system will allow the user to type with a virtual keyboard. The process is slow, but a real enabler for those who can't use their hands. The Tobii Gaze system made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year. It's aimed at a broader audience, and will work on Windows 8 in conjunction with a track pad. Instead of navigating to a fixed point with a finger or a mouse, the user will be able to move the cursor with his eyes. When he settles on an application or a link, he simply clicks on the track pad to select. The makers claim the process is much faster than using a mouse or navigating with the trackpad. For those of us who find ourselves increasingly challenged by tasks that used to be ordinary, these new technologies mean that we're likely to have an easier time navigating the world around us for many more years to come. Gary M. Kaye is an award-winning journalist who has covered technology topics for more than 30 years. He writes and does radio pieces for AARP and is senior writer for Tech Toys Magazine. In addition, he runs a consulting business helping hi-tech companies with strategic communications. For more information, please visit www.compellingtelling.com.

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