"monitoring" news and stories

A Swiss lab has created a system of sensors and microphones to help dieters keep track of what they eat. A report from The Wearable Computing Laboratory describes how an in-ear microphone (right) was used, with very high accuracy, to identify various foods based on what they sounded like as they were eaten. Other parts of the system include a collar to detect swallowing and hand sensors to detect "food intake related motions." The lab hopes that all of this automation will make it easier for people to keep track of what they eat, as opposed to having to manually take notes about everything they consume in a day.

[Via pasta and vinegar]

Trucking info website Layover.com recently ran a story about what it takes to keep tanker trucks kosher. A link in the kosher food distribution chain that many diners may not think of, kosher washing stations for tanker trucks are apparently a big business. When a tanker truck drops off its liquid cargo, it then goes to a washing station to have its tank cleaned. Trucks that may have been carrying animal-based fats are obviously a concern to those eating a kosher diet. Likewise, some washing facilities reuse their rinse water, thus creating another breach, according to an Orthodox Union article about kosher trucking by Rabbi Leonard Steinberg. For many, building wash centers that are all kosher is a more practical solution than just offering a kosher-grade wash at a non-kosher facility. As this list shows, there are plenty of facilities. Hey, I thought it was interesting.