Software turns dog barks into bytes

What are dogs really saying when they bark? A team of researchers (led by ethologist Csaba Molnár from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest) set out to find out. Using specially designed software, the group studied the acoustic qualities of more than 6,000 barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs in six different situations: alone, engaged in a dogfight, in an encounter with a stranger, on a leisurely stroll, exercising with a ball, and playing. The team recorded the pooch calls on tape, which was then transferred to and digitalized on a computer, which coded, classified and evaluated the individual barks. The software correctly linked the bark with the situation in 43 percent of cases. The best recognition rates came during dogfights and stranger confrontations; the software had the least success in trying to analyze the pups at play. The researchers say that the different states—aggressive, friendly or submissive—resulted in acoustically different barks. In a second experiment, the software correctly matched individual canines with their barks in 53 percent of the cases. The researchers insist that the research "opens new perspectives" for the understanding of animal communication, but we're betting that most dog owners could pick their pet's bark out of a crowd without fancy software to tell them what it means.

Microsoft taking spyware to a whole new level

Think that your boss monitoring your e-mail is intrusive? Well, get a load of this: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is weighing an application from Microsoft for a patent on a "unique monitoring system" that can automatically detect (and alert employers of) an individual worker's stress, frustration and productivity levels. According to the application, the software would use "physiological or environmental sensors to detect at least one of [a series of stress markers such as] heart rate, galvanic skin response, EMG (electromyography), brain signals, respiration rate, body temperature and movement, facial movements and expressions, and blood pressure." The software would keep taps on productivity via company-issued desktop computers, laptops, cell phones, pocket PC phones, PDAs and / or compact handheld PCs; employees flagged as slackers would receive messages inquiring whether they need assistance and identifying "at least one other user that can assist them," Microsoft said. In addition to keeping an eye on individuals, the software would also monitor members of project teams to enhance communication and chances of making deadlines, not to mention help management determine who is—and isn't—pulling his or her own weight. Microsoft appears to be re-writing the definition of spyware.

A new test for early-stage Alzheimer's

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University report that they have developed a new device that may be able to detect mild cognitive impairment, an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease. The device, called DETECT, involves a 10-minute test that measures memory and reaction time. It includes an LCD display in a visor placed around a patient's head with an onboard dedicated computer, noise reduction headphones and a controller. The display projects the visual aspect of the test, the headphones provide the verbal instructions and the wearer records his or her response via the controller. The portable test runs patients through a battery of visual and auditory stimuli such as pictures and words that assess cognitive abilities relative to age, gauging reaction time and memory capabilities. Its software can track cognitive capabilities—and decline—year to year during annual appointments. Because the device blocks outside sound and light from the patient's environment, it can be administered in virtually any setting, providing more consistent results. The researchers are hoping to make the device available to physicians by year's end.