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Price Gouging Shield & Duke's Gadget Gives Voice to Thoughts

Price Gouging Shield & Duke's Gadget Gives Voice to Thoughts

Cary Spotlight | Issue #016

Chris Coetzer
08 Nov

In this Cary Spotlight Issue…

☀️ Cary NC Weather

📅 Lots Of Events This Week!

🗲 Duke's Breakthrough Device Translates Brain Activity into Speech

🎮 Level Up Your Gaming Lair with Custom Designs

🎖️ Cary Salutes Veterans with Town Services Closures and Ceremony

💡 We Want To Spotlight Your Business

⚠️ U.S. Military Personnel's Sensitive Information Available for Pennies

🔥🔥🔥 NC Officials Enforce Law Amidst Destructive Wildfires

💌 Viral Meme

🏛️ Support Cary Local Businesses

Credit: Neuroscience News

Duke University's Breakthrough Device Translates Brain Activity into Speech

A team from Duke University has created a groundbreaking speech prosthetic capable of translating brainwaves into spoken words.

This innovative device employs a high-density array of 256 sensors implanted on a flexible plastic that reads brain activity and decodes it into speech. Although in its nascent stages, the technology has demonstrated a 40% success rate in decoding speech during preliminary trials.

The researchers, who have recently received a substantial grant, are working on a wireless version to enhance the quality of life for individuals with speech-impairing neurological disorders. Despite the challenges ahead, the team is optimistic about the device's potential to bridge the communication gap for those who have lost their ability to speak. Read full article here.

Level Up Your Gaming Lair with Custom Designs

AlphaGraphics Cary has launched PixelPerfectDecor.com, a new platform offering gamers custom decor options to enhance their gaming spaces with artwork and designs inspired by their favorite games.

The initiative, born out of a pivot during the pandemic, taps into the company's experience in creating game-related art and provides a marketplace for artists to receive royalties for their original designs.

This novel website caters to the gaming community, allowing them to personalize their gaming environments with art and designs that echo the virtual worlds they cherish. The concept was inspired by the company's collaboration with a major game developer in Cary, NC, and the positive response to creating custom art for the developer's remote employees. PixelPerfectDecor.com not only features a curated selection of gaming art but also provides room design ideas and an array of gamer-centric accessories, lighting, and furniture.

U.S. Military Personnel's Sensitive Information Available for Pennies Online

Researchers at Duke University have uncovered a troubling reality: sensitive details about U.S. military personnel are readily available for purchase online.

This information includes not just home addresses but also health conditions, which could be exploited by hostile parties for nefarious purposes such as profiling, blackmail, and misinformation campaigns.

The data is alarmingly inexpensive, with prices as low as $0.12 per service member and no stringent checks on buyers. Former FBI Executive Assistant Director Chris Piehota warns military personnel to be cautious about the amount of personal information they share publicly.

Dr. Scott White of George Washington University highlights that this issue is not confined to the military; it's part of a legal $200 billion data brokerage industry that profits from collecting and selling personal data. The United States lacks a unified national privacy law, leaving a complicated mix of state and federal regulations that offer incomplete protection.

NC Officials Enforce Price Gouging Law Amidst Destructive Mountain Wildfires

North Carolina is grappling with multiple wildfires, with the largest in Henderson County nearly doubling in size since Sunday, prompting the activation of the state's price gouging law.

This law, which aims to prevent overcharging for goods and services during emergencies, was enforced following a state of emergency declaration in the county. The fires have led to the destruction and damage of homes, with evacuations over the weekend.

Air quality has significantly deteriorated, leading to Code Red alerts in several counties, indicating unhealthy conditions for all residents, and Code Orange alerts for sensitive groups in other areas.

Officials have not only issued a burn ban across multiple counties but also canceled all burning permits. Investigations into the cause of the fires are ongoing, with one suspected to have started from a homeowner's burning of debris. The state is seeking additional resources to combat the fires, which include a two-week-old lightning-induced blaze in Cherokee County and a new fire in Jackson County.

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Military Service members carry flags during a 4th of July parade in Miles City, Montana.

Cary Salutes Veterans with Town Services Closures and Patriotic Ceremony

In Cary, North Carolina, the town is preparing to honor Veterans Day with a temporary pause in services and a public ceremony. On Friday, November 10, Cary Town Hall, community centers, and the Citizen’s Convenience Center will close in recognition of the holiday. However, residents can expect curbside collection services to run without interruption. Transportation services will also follow the regular schedule, with GoCary fixed routes operating normally and Door-to-Door service available for Tier I trips.

The town has extended an invitation to its citizens for a commemorative event on Saturday, November 11 at 11 a.m. at Veterans Freedom Park.

The ceremony will include contributions from Cary Town Council Members, insights from guest speaker Helen Nelson of the North Carolina Department of VFW, and a musical performance by the Old North State Band.

Attendees can take advantage of free parking at Cary Academy and an ADA-accessible shuttle service to the park, where a Field of Flags display will pay tribute to the service members. More details are available on the town's official website.