Maker Kevin Lewis has created a Raspberry Pi-powered solution to understanding speech that's hard to hear or, in many cases today, muffled by a mask. He's created a wearable badge that features a small display that generates text from speech using AI to help with accuracy. According to Lewis, the transcription process is aided using DeepgramAI an API service which uses AI to transcribe your speech in real-time. The project is flexible in nature and could also serve as a tool for anyone hard of hearing. Lewis indicates the total cost for the project was around $81 (£60).

Lyft has completed more than 5,000 self-driving rides through its ride-hailing app, the company said, as it aims to become a serious competitor in autonomous driving while its biggest rival, Uber, retrenches. Lyft launched its self-driving service in January in Las Vegas, where passengers can take a ride in an autonomous BMW to and from some 20 different pick-up and destination spots around the city's casino-laden Strip. The autonomous driving system is not built by Lyft, however, but by high-tech auto-parts supplier Aptiv Plc, which Lyft partnered with earlier this year. When you first get in, it's not all that different from getting into a typical Lyft, as someone is sitting in the driver's seat. But, the backup driver keeps their hands off the wheel except in situations where it's required they take over.

By now we've all heard about self-driving cars; from Tesla and Ford to newcomers such as Byton, research and development in the field has skyrocketed over the last few years. But for some, including myself, the reality of driverless cars navigating busy city streets has still remained a far-off concept. At CES this week, Lyft and Aptiv offered free rides in their Pilot autonomous BMWs, and Dailymail.com In somewhat of a surprise, the roughly 20-minute drive along the Las Vegas strip was smooth from start to finish – even considering one nerve-wracking moment when the vehicle was cut off by another car. When you first get in, it's not all that different from getting into a typical Lyft, as someone is sitting in the driver's seat.