Tech that...
A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST NEWS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
PLAYDATE DELAYED UNTIL 2021
IT seems a long time since we talked about the Playdate game console on these pages – it’s been 18 months since maker Panic announced its ambitious plans.
We should really have had the retro mini-console in our hands by now, but certain circumstances have led to a delay. We’ll now start seeing them early next year.
Playdate is an unusual concept, and quite different to anything we have seen before.
For a start, the purchase price includes 12 games, released one per month over the year after release.
The hand-held itself also features a crank (yes, a crank) on the side, which can be used to control various functions in-game.
It’s a shame we’ll have to wait a little longer than planned for it, but the Playdate will be better late than never.
■ Visit play.date for more info and register interest.
COULD AI BE COVID GAME CHANGER?
THEY say necessity is the mother of invention, and that is certainly true when it comes to the latest potential testing system for coronavirus.
News emerged this week that top boffins in the US have produced an artificial intelligence system that can tell if someone has Covid-19 by listening to them cough.
It’s all down to machine learning – the makers of the system at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, fed 70,000 audio samples of coughs, including some 2,500 from Covid patients. The system analysed the audio files, and has learned what a Covid cough sounds like – the difference is not detectable by people. According to tests, the system achieved a 98.5% success rate. More tests and regulatory approval will be needed to roll an app out to the wider public, but it could end up being a game changer in the fight against the virus.