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Its the most powerful wearable tracking the most important organ in your body. Dr. Ramses Alcaide is explaining the electroencephalography (EEG) technology that his company Neurable uses to track activity with its brain-computer interface (BCI). Alcaide is the CEO and co-founder, and notes that a huge problem with EEG sensors is that they are often affixed to bulky, awkward-looking headsets not exactly something you want to wear out in public. And to him, thats why the technology hasnt yet created the type of impact that they could [on] the world. Sure, weve seen a variety of headbands over the last decade, but those add an additional device to your bag. Alcaide argues theres a better way to use EEG tech thats even less intrusive. Neurable began at the University of Michigan in 2011 where its technology was initially created. The overall platform is an AI system that combines filtering to increase and boost the signal of brain data. The company spun out in 2015 and has been working to bring its EEG-powered tech to smaller everyday devices, as Alcaide describes them. [It] took a lot of time, but what weve been able to do is take what was traditionally these large systems and bring it down to everyday devices using AI, he says. Devices like headphones, earbuds, helmets, AR glasses and more can be equipped with EEG sensors so that they can track neurodegenerative diseases and neurodivergence based on brain activity. For example, the ability to track Alzheimer's or ADHD before a person knows they even have it is part of the plan for Neurable. Right now though, the companys first step is one of those everyday wearables that can track decreases in focus to create what Alcaide calls good wellness hygiene. Billy Steele for Engadget The companys first device is the MW75 Neuro: a set of headphones built in collaboration with Master & Dynamic. Based on the existing MW75, this version has dry fabric EEG sensors in the ear pads, sending 12 EEG channels to the Neurable app for the software to do its AI analysis and signal processing. The app then interprets the data with high confidence and lab-level accuracy, according to the company. The Neurable app is where all the data is displayed for the MW75 Neuro. First, it essentially gamifies mental hygiene with focus tracking. You earn points for high (2), medium (2) and low (1) focus levels, accumulating points throughout the day. Youre then able to view comparisons week-to-week as well as individual session summaries with attention span graphs. During these periods, the system can prompt you to take a break when focus decreases, which Neurable says this should help with burnout to some degree. Of course, burnout isnt something thats easy to quantify, or even tangibly measure, since theres more than your focus or attention at play. The MW75 Neuro isnt just meant to keep you working. The company says monitoring your focus levels can assist you with gaming, meditation, reading and even decision-making. Noise cancellation can block out distractions during periods when you need to be locked in, which doesnt only apply to the office. Neurable says no matter the activity, its app provides the data necessary to recognize your performance over time and identity when you need to take breaks or maybe find a different environment in order to be productive. This is just scratching the iceberg, Alcaide explains. We're not claiming or diagnosing everything, [but] it really shows you a glimpse of the future that these everyday wearables can deliver on. Billy Steele for Engadget Of course, the MW75 Neuro is a set of noise-canceling headphones, which means youll get a host of audio features on top of the fancy brain tech. Master & Dynamic CEO Jonathan Levine told me that this version of the headphones has an identical industrial design to the regular MW75. 40mm Beryllium drivers carry M&Ds trademark warm sound profile and four microphones are employed for active noise cancellation (ANC) and calls. There are still a host of sound modes and you can customize the EQ and more inside the M&D Connect app. Besides the ear pads, there are some other changes on the MW75 Neuro. Neurables version supports Adaptive Transparency mode for starters, but the key difference is inside. The electronics were completely redesigned to add EEG processors that power the AI tech, including an ARM Cortex chip. Since the sensor-packed cushions on this model are fabric instead of leather, Levine says the variation does change the sound profile slightly. And during my testing I noticed that they arent quite as comfortable as those on the original model either. If you pre-order from Master & Dynamic, the company will throw in non-EEG leather ear pads for free. Theres a big hit to battery life, too. Neurable says the MW75 Neuro offers 10 hours of EEG tracking on a charge (8 hours with ANC on), compared to up to 28 hours with ANC on the regular version. I dont think youre going to use Neurables features for more than a few hours at a time, but you should know they do impact longevity. Once you start a focus session, a timer begins in the app and continues until you turn it off. Theres a button up top if you need to take a break, otherwise the headphones continue tracking your brainwaves until you tell them to stop. Theres also an indicator on the timer screen to let you know if the sensors are properly connected. A reliable connection ensures optimal EEG signal quality during the session. Neurable During my tests, I used the MW75 Neuro to track short focus sessions. Its nice that the whole system runs in the background without any distractions other than the break suggestions. Of course, youll have to think back to remember if any dips lined up when you look at the graph, but I felt like the apps prompts to take a break were well-timed and probably overdue. The software can give you voice or push notifications (or both), and the app provides a separate 10-minute timer for the so-called Brain Breaks. I dont have any lab-grade tech to thoroughly evaluate what Neurable is doing on these headphones from a tracking standpoint. And Ill admit that my short time with the MW75 Neuro isnt enough time to fully evaluate their utility. But, I can begin to see how they could help over time, especially for those of us who are incentivized by streaks and daily scores. I found it interesting to see how much time I spent in high and medium focus, as well as trying to recall if a text or Slack message may have caused me to stumble during a session. Neurable is actually working to help with that common distraction. The company is allowing developers to build apps for the MW75 Neuro, including one in the works that will automatically pause Spotify when you lose focus. To help with messages, the company is working on a chat integration that allows you to respond with head movements while remaining in the productivity zone. Alcaide argues that 90 percent of text messages can be responded to in a simple manner with a response created by ChatGPT, so the headphones accelerometer can be used to detect a nod or shake for automatic replies. This goes beyond what Apple is doing with Siri Interactions on AirPods since it helps facilitate an appropriate response. When the iPhone came out, a touchscreen was the interface, he continues. For [Neurable], its going to be the neural interface and the accelerometer. Its going to enable us to do a lot of the same things we do with our phone with our everyday wearable. The MW75 Neuro is available for pre-order today in the US in silver, onyx, navy and olive color options for $699. Neurable plans to make the headphones available in Europe and the UK in 2025 for 729 / 629. Thats a lot for a set of headphones, but the regular MW75 is $599, so theres only a $100 premium for Neurables tech. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/neurables-brainwave-tracking-master--dynamic-headphones-tell-you-when-to-take-a-break-120004736.html?src=rss
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At some point, weve all encountered someone who just doesnt get boundaries. They get too deep into our personal space, oblivious or all too aware of our discomfort. This problem is magnified online where theres instant access to someones broader digital footprint, which can be a vector for abuse. Its why most platforms have some sort of block feature, enabling people to limit some users access to their lives. Now guess which platform is ending the ability to block people. Yup, that one. Elon Musk announced a change to Xs policies to enable users youve blocked to see your posts. They wont be able to interact with you, but they will see what youre posting to the platform. Musk has railed against the block feature before, saying users could already get around this by switching to a non-blocked account. Which is true, in the sort of tell-on-yourself way that suggests hes got form not respecting someones boundaries. Obviously, the reasons this is a terrible, dreadful, no-good and generally bad idea are so long wed be here forever trying to list them. But its a good reminder that X is a place that thinks trust and safety are four-letter words. Dan Cooper All the news you might have missed Logitech MX Creative Console review: An affordable entry point into edit panels How to watch Meta Connect 2024 macOS Sequoia review: iPhone mirroring is more useful than you think Reduce the number of screens you need to stare at each day. Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget Theres a new macOS out, and this one is actually rather nifty, according to Devindra Hardawar. The new operating systems killer feature is the ability to mirror your iPhone on your Mac, which helps you keep your eyes on one screen instead of two. Now, Dev uses it to play mobile games during meetings, but we dont recommend you do the same. Continue Reading. Telegram will now provide IP addresses and phone numbers in response to legal requests Company CEO Pavel Durov has seen the light. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced the messaging app will now hand over the IP addresses and phone numbers of users when law enforcement requests it. Its amazing what a short stay in a French prison can do to change someones long-held beliefs about privacy. Continue Reading. Biden administration seeks ban on auto software from China Officials say its about security, not protecting Detroit. BYD The White House has a plan to ban Chinese (and Russian) hardware and software from any internet-connected car in the US. Given the integrations necessary to make most EVs run, its likely the move would act as a de-facto ban on Chinese EV imports. Continue Reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111548974.html?src=rss
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Last year, Logitech leaped into the content creator market by acquiring Loupedeck, which makes control surfaces for apps like Adobe Lightroom. Now, the company has unveiled its first Logitech-branded control panel, the MX Creative Console, a $200 device that includes a keypad, dialpad and plugins for popular Adobe apps like Premiere Pro. Logitech is fighting rivals like the TourBox Elite controller and even its own Loupedeck CT, but its new offering is cheaper than the latter and sleeker than the former. The MX Creative Console features a modern design and a pair of slick control dials, along with dynamic display keys that change depending on the app and page youre looking at. Ive tested a number of control panels going back to the original Loupedeck in 2017. To me, it always comes down to one main thing: Is this easier and faster than just using a keyboard and mouse? After over a week with the MX Creative Console, I found it to be powerful in some cases and too limited in others. Hardware The console comes in either pale gray or darker graphite and takes up very little space on your desk (3.8 x 3.1 inches for the keypad and 3.6 x 3.7 inches for the dialpad). A stand that angles the keypad or dialpad about 45 degrees toward you is also included. I prefer it flat on the table for speed, but the stand makes it easier to see the controls. The keypad has nine display keys, with the content changing based on the page and app youre using. There are two regular buttons below to change the pages and a USB-C port on the bottom. Steve Dent for Engadget Meanwhile, the dialpads centerpiece is a large contextual dial since its function changes depending on the action selected. Plus, theres a scroll wheel in the right top corner, two buttons on the top left and two buttons on the bottom in each corner. The bottom right button activates the dialpads Actions Ring, an on-screen circular display that gives you another way to tweak things like colors and text. The keys require a light touch and have a smooth, clickless feel. The wheel on the dialpad has a nice amount of friction for precise work and lets you easily move frame-by-frame in Premiere Pro, or shuttle quickly through a timeline. It doesnt have any haptic feedback, though, like the TourBox Elite. Theres a Bluetooth pairing switch on the bottom and a power switch on the back. It can connect to your computer either via LT Bluetooth or Logitechs Bolt dongle also used on its mice and keyboards (not included). Logitech says that the products are made with 72 percent post-consumer recycled plastics, low-carbon aluminum, micro textures instead of paint and FSC-certified responsible packaging. However, the dialpad uses AAA cells, either disposable or rechargeable. Theyll last a couple of months, according to Logitech, but its an odd choice for a product meant to be environmentally friendly. Setup Steve Dent for Engadget The MX Creative Console is plug and play for Adobe apps so you can start twiddling the dials out of the box. Its also customizable, letting you tweak settings within apps, create custom profiles and more. To set it up, I installed the Logi Options+ app on my PC (and Mac, I tested it with both), then connected the keypad via USB-C. I installed the dialpad separately by connecting it to my computers over Bluetooth. Once the devices are recognized, clicking on All Actions installs the Adobe plugins. It also has direct support for apps including VLC media player, Spotify Premium, Capture One and Ableton. You can even use it to control apps without plugins like your browser for system volume, YouTube videos, emojis, screenshots and more. I found this useful just for the system volume alone (hello, terrible Windows 11 audio control). Changing the default settings is about as easy as it gets. When you open the customization page, it shows the devices to the left (dialpad, keypad and Actions Ring), while all the possible settingsare to the right. To change or add a new setting, just grab the one you want from the list and drag it over to the virtual keypad on the left. Keys can be rearranged on the same page, but its not easy to move a setting from one page to another. As a Premiere Pro user, the first thing I did was create a new keypad page and add buttons to switch between the source, program and timelines to avoid a mouse click for those actions. That was relatively easy to do, thanks to the search function and intuitive drag-and-drop interface. If youd rather not futz around with customization, Logitech has a plugin marketplace in the Logi Options+ app. I wasnt able to use that ahead of launch, but its supposed to allow users to purchase or share plugins, profiles and icon packs. Operation Logitech I primarily work on Lightroom Classic and Premiere Pro while occasionally making use of Photoshop and After Effects. All of those apps are supported natively by the MX Creative Console on Mac and PC. I started with Premiere Pro, testing it on both Windows and Mac. After some pondering, I placed the keypad to the left of the keyboard and the dialpad on the right between the keyboard and mouse. That worked well visually and let me finetune edits and do adjustments with my right hand and press buttons with my left much as I already do with a keyboard and mouse. At first, I didnt think the console would speed up my workflow in editing mode since Ive memorized most of Premieres keyboard shortcuts. I was also worried that Id be constantly jumping between the dial and the mouse. After playing around a bit, though, I noticed that scrubbing through the timeline with the dial offered finer and faster control than the keyboard and mouse, especially when using the scroll wheel to scale the timeline (Id like to see faster scrubbing when Im zoomed out though, Logitech). Building on that, I added the split function and other click-free mouse tools I hadnt touched in awhile. With that, I could work nearly as quickly as with a keyboard and mouse depending on the task, despite my previous fears. Though Id be hesitant to use it myself for editing, I could see this being a good workflow for new Premiere Pro users as it visually shows actions so newbies dont need to memorize shortcuts. The MX Console is especially useful for color correction in Premiere. With a clip selected, you can click the bottom right dialpad button to activate the Actions Ring, move your mouse to one of the actions (exposure, contrast, whites, saturation, etc.) and turn the dial to adjust that setting. To avoid the mouse, you can also program major color adjustments into the keypad. Then, just hold the button on that setting while turning the dial. Steve Dent for Engadget Then it was on to Lightroom Classic. This app makes the most sense for the console, as youre primarily performing actions (color correction, cropping etc.) on a single image. Quick keys include Develop mode, White Balance Selector, Auto White Balance, Auto upright and rating tools. Once youve imported images into your library, you can jump into Develop, shuttle between images using the dial and then tweak colors using the Actions Ring as with Premiere. Again, if youd rather keep your hands on the MX Console, you can program common functions (temperature, saturation, highlights etc.) into the keypad. The MX Console also has keys for copying and pasting Develop settings, before and after views, as well as cropping and opening images in Photoshop. A Lightroom power user could add more shortcuts to further boost efficiency. That makes it nearly as fast as the popular Loupedeck+ panel, but jumping between pages in the keypad can slow you down a bit. Unfortunately, I found the MX Creative Console to be the least useful for Photoshop. Control panels are best for single-purpose tasks like color correction and audio adjustments, but Photoshop is designed for more complex operations. That meant I was forever taking my hands off the keypad and dialpad and putting them on the mouse and keyboard, making me less efficient, if anything. It could have been useful in Photoshops Camera RAW utility (which has Lightroom-like controls), but Logitech said that tool has no API and doesnt support plugins. Wrap-up Steve Dent for Engadget The MX Creative Consoles main competition is the $268 TourBox Elite, which has three dials and ten buttons. Designed to work in concert with your keyboard and mouse, its powerful for experienced editors, but looks a bit cheap. By contrast, Logitechs MX Creative Console is more polished, and the visual interface its keypad provides makes it better for novices. Its also worth noting that Elgatos similarly priced Stream Deck+ recently added an Adobe Photoshop plugin, despite mainly being designed for live streaming. It promises easy access to Photoshop tools and adjustments via four dials and eight display keys. Other options are more expensive, like the $529 Loupedeck CT, $395 DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor, $499 DaVinci Resolve Mini Panel and $595 Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Editor Keyboard. Those are more powerful and look more professional, but will obviously cost you more. Logitechs MX Creative Console is a quality device with a fair amount of utility for apps like Premiere Pro and Lightroom Classic. Its usefulness will no doubt increase as Adobe adds more supported apps and the Logi Marketplace grows. However, it simply doesnt have enough buttons and dials to perform tasks in many Adobe apps without falling back to the keyboard and mouse. If you do use apps where it works well, like Lightroom, it could provide a boost to your productivity and look cool doing it. It ships next month for $200 and Logitech includes a free three-month subscription to Adobe's Creative Cloud. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/logitech-mx-creative-console-review-an-affordable-entry-point-into-edit-panels-070101321.html?src=rss
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