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Consumer Electronics Daily News 2 9 Thursday, January 11, 2018 ASHA Launches Initiative on Healthy Communication and Popular Technology An interview with Joseph Cerquone, Director of Public Relations, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. CEDN: The American Speech- Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has launched a new initiative related to popular technology. What is it about? JC: It stems from polling we did of ASHA members that reflected their con- cern about overuse and misuse of popular technology and the potential harm to speech, language and hearing. Other polling we did indicated parents share the concern. More than half of the parents we polled feel usage habits aren't the health- iest. Our polling also showed users are getting younger and younger. Ages 0 to 3 is a key period for the development of speech and language skills through con- versation, yet for some kids, smartphone use may be replacing conversation. CEDN: What does your initiative pro- pose? JC: It is meant to educate the public about safe usage and serve as a resource for parents, educators and others about how to enjoy popular technology in ways that safeguard speech and hearing. CEDN: Is it possible concerns are exag- gerated or unfounded? JC: It has been well documented that a lot of overuse (hours per day) and misuse (high volume listening) is o c c u r r i n g . ASHA has long led edu- cating the pub- lic about safe usage of popular technology, and is very appreciative of the support it has received from the Consumer Technology Association and others along the way. Groups like the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all recognized the importance of safe usage. So, too, have leading figures in the tech world. CEDN: Who are these tech insiders? JC: Jony Ive, the Chief Design Officer for Apple agreed that constant use of mobile devices amounts to misuse in a recent interview with CNN. Also Tristan Harris, a former product manager at Google who now speaks out against the danger of what he terms as tech addiction. According to him, "it's changing our ability to have the conversations and relationships that we want with each other." CEDN: How can people learn more about this new ASHA initiative? JC: We invite CES attendees to stop by booth #44658 (Sands, Halls A-D) to find out more. They can also check out www.communicationandtech.org. Collaborations with the tech industry that help spread the word about safe usage of popular tech are welcome. For more information, visit www.asha.org or stop by booth #44658 (Sands, Halls A-D). RightEye Partners with Tobii on New Eye-Tracking System for Vision Tests RightEye LLC, a leading health innova- tor that uses eye-tracking technology to revolutionize patient care and vision per- formance, has signed an agreement with Tobii, the world leader in eye-track- ing technology. Through the collabora- tion, the companies will co-develop new hardware solutions to complement RightEye vision tests and training games for customers in vision, healthcare and sports markets. "We're excited to be partnering with Tobii to advance our product and offer customers a more portable, integrated eye-tracking system to further enhance their users' experience with RightEye tests and training games" "We're excited to be partnering with Tobii to advance our product and offer customers a more portable, inte- grated eye-tracking system to further enhance their users' experience with RightEye tests and training games," said Adam Gross, RightEye Chief Executive Officer and co-Founder. "RightEye is transforming health and vision care by giving doctors and coaches a better way to see how our eyes and brain are working together. This solution is unique because it offers a single platform that delivers a broad range of assessments using eye tracking, from screening for concus- sion and other brain health issues to identification of athletes' vision strengths and weaknesses to detection of early indicators for autism and Parkinson's disease, even flagging vision issues that may be impeding reading. As we keep developing and adding new tests and training games, this list will continue to grow." The new RightEye system will deliver the company's revolutionary vision tests and training games, which are designed as highly interactive com- puter games that engage users, who use their eyes to shoot down asteroids, save the planet from aliens and blast bubbles off the screen. The eye-move- ment data obtained through the games is analyzed instantly by RightEye's proprietary cloud-based software, which generates a report following the test or training activity. RightEye reports include details such as visual speed and accuracy, visual processing, depth perception and dry-eye indica- tors. "At Tobii, a core part of our mis- sion has always been to allow our cus- tomers to use eye tracking to improve the lives of people around the world. For more than a decade, we have served academic researchers with tools contributing to pioneering break- throughs, and we have helped users of all ages communicate through our own eye-control solutions," said Henrik Eskilsson, Chief Executive Officer of Tobii. "As a technology supplier, we also collaborate with companies in a broad range of specialized markets such as medical and diagnostics. We are very excited about the opportunity to expand the use of eye tracking into vision care and sports through the col- laboration with RightEye." RightEye, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland, currently supports more than 100 independent optometrists across the country, as well as customers in hospitals, the U.S. military and profes- sional sports organizations. About RightEye RightEye LLC is a health technology company using eye tracking and gaming to revolutionize health care and vision performance through an innovative, new kind of vision test. RightEye helps health care providers assess concussions, eye- sight, brain and reading disorders, and performance issues in patients by follow- ing a science-based, metric-driven methodology. Using a cloud-based plat- form, RightEye generates reports within minutes to give doctors an objective, measurable way to view the quality of a patient's vision and track the success of remedies such as vision therapy. RightEye customers include nationally recognized optometrists, hospitals, reha- bilitation facilities, emergency rooms, professional sports teams and the U.S. military. Whisker Labs Named CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree Whisker Labs, developer of advanced home intelligence technologies, has been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree for its Home Energy Monitoring Sensor. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engi- neers and members of the trade media to honor outstanding design and engi- neering in cutting edge consumer elec- tronics products across 28 product cat- egories. Whisker Labs' breakthrough home energy monitoring sensor and home intelligence software platform deliver real-time power usage and diagnostic information for HVACs and home appli- ances to provide customers with per- formance deterioration trends and predic- tive insights on imminent failures. Home service providers can offer these capabil- ities to consumers through Whisker Labs' ASSURE– a scalable residential HVAC service that increases customer satisfaction, improves brand awareness through systematic engagement, and reduces home service providers' opera- tional costs. In selecting Whisker Labs as an award honoree, the Consumer Technology Association recognized its introduction of the first ever whole- home energy sensing device that does not require an electrician for installa- tion. The phone-sized sensor installs quickly and safely on the electrical panel/breaker box that connects to the consumer's Wi-Fi, so that data can be turned into information and alerts on HVAC and subsequently, all major home appliances. "99 percent of appliances and devices in the home are not connected, which means that households have no way of knowing if their HVAC or other home appliances are ailing or failing," said Amena Ali, Chief Revenue Officer, Whisker Labs. "Through the real-time data from our Energy Sensor and soft- ware analytics that identify the electrical signature of each HVAC system, we track and analyze performance and look for impending faults, so our home serv- ice partners can deliver unmatched assurance to their consumers. Our serv- ice will become the check-engine light for HVAC and other critical home appli- ances." The prestigious CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, the owner and producer of CES 2018, the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technolo- gies, and have been recognizing achieve- ments in product design and engineering since 1976. Products chosen as CES Innovation Honorees reflect innovative design and engineering in some of the most cutting edge tech products and services coming to market. About Whisker Labs Whisker Labs develops advanced home intelligence technologies. Its sensing and software platform taps the electrical net- work of the home to connect all appli- ances, even the unconnected ones such as HVACs and water heaters. It monitors home and appliance efficiency in real- time, alerting homeowners to energy waste and impending appliance failure for critical appliances, saving homeown- ers money and affording them peace of mind. Additional platform services include energy optimization of connected thermostats and devices. Customers include home platform, home services and energy providers. Visit www.whiskerlabs.com for more information.