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Researchers Convert Mouth Movements Into Speech

andylim writes "According to Cellular News, researchers at Germany's Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have developed a method for mobile phones to convert silent mouth movements into speech. As recombu.com points out, the 'potential for secret conversations just got huge.' You could pass the time by making phone calls from the cinema without disturbing anyone. In noisy places like bars and clubs you could make yourself heard without having to shout."

4 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. tap-proof? by bwindle2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From TFA: "For the transmission of passwords and PINs, for example, users can change seamlessly to soundless language and, hence, transmit confidential information in a tap-proof manner." Um, not if there is a lip-reader in the same room, like a hearing-impaired person.

  2. It begins by Quackers_McDuck · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dave Bowman: Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?
    HAL: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
    Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
    HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
    Dave Bowman: What's the problem?
    HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
    Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?
    HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
    Dave Bowman: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL.
    HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
    Dave Bowman: Where the hell'd you get that idea, HAL?
    HAL: Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
    Dave Bowman: Alright, HAL. I'll go in through the emergency airlock.
    HAL: Without your space helmet, Dave, you're going to find that rather difficult.
    Dave Bowman: HAL, I won't argue with you anymore. Open the doors.
    HAL: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

  3. Cinema? by Barny · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You could pass the time by making phone calls from the cinema without disturbing anyone

    No, never and fuck off come to mind. Using a mobile phone in a cinema is one of the least considerate things anyone can do, they create light pollution distracting other patrons from what they are paying for and are absolutely not needed (the exception, emergency staff on call, and they usually just leave their phone on vibrate + silent) let alone any audible noise from them, can't you seriously just disconnect for an hour?

    In short, No.

    In long, Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-oooooooooooooooooooooooo :)

    Also in USA at least its illegal (federal law) to operate any video recording device in a cinema.

    yes, blatant ZP rip-off but its needed.

    --
    ...
    /me sighs
  4. 15 years ago, with desktop workstations by BoydWaters · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Fifteen (!) years ago, I took a UC Extension class on Neural Networks taught by Stanford professor David Stork. He had developed a lip-reading system for communication in noisy environments, such as an airplane-repair facility. If you could do it 15 years ago with workstation-class desktops, I suppose you could do it with a smartphone today.