#Wearable Integration

[jigarpanchal]

MeshTek’s Vision: Empowering IoT with Bluetooth Mesh Networking

MeshTek’s robust Bluetooth Mesh Networking ecosystem—seamlessly linking smart homes, wearables, industrial automation, and connected devices into one intelligent grid. It illustrates how MeshTek empowers secure, low-energy, and scalable communication across complex environments, enabling real-time control, optimized performance, and unmatched flexibility. Built to support everything from smart devices to enterprise-level automation, MeshTek’s platform is at the heart of next-gen IoT transformation.

[ds4u]

Wearable devices might be used in clinical trials for collecting real-time information, which promotes patient engagement. Although there are certain potential challenges around this integration, these device development companies suggest effective solutions to overcome these problems. In all, it can be said that ‘the future of integration of wearable devices with EHR is quite bright’! 

[iosappdevelopmenttools]

Learn how iOS apps for wearables, powered by watchOS and HealthKit, are revolutionising the health and fitness industry. Explore key features, benefits, and development insights in this comprehensive blog by Quokka Labs.

[techdriveplay]

What Are the Latest Breakthroughs in Wearable Tech?

In 2024, the world of wearable technology is evolving faster than ever. With advancements spanning health, fitness, productivity, and even entertainment, wearable tech has become an integral part of daily life. But what are the latest breakthroughs in wearable tech, and how are they shaping the future? From AI-driven health monitors to augmented reality (AR) devices, new innovations are pushing…

[techtoio]

The Complete Guide to Wearable Tech: Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers

Introduction

Wearables have changed the way we interact with digital space. Today, smartwatches and activity trackers have grown into indispensable assistants in matters of health management, communication, and productivity boost. And now, this all-in guide helps you to learn everything about new devices to make a competent choice regarding the one to use. Read to continue...

[techninja]

The Role of AI and Machine Learning in Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy

Digital Health: Transforming Modern Healthcare

Understanding Digital Health

Digital health signifies a groundbreaking convergence of technology with the healthcare sector. Utilizing digital tools, the medical field is undergoing a significant transformation in the way care is delivered, accessed, and managed. This shift encompasses telehealth, wearable technology, mobile health applications, and electronic health records (EHRs), all aimed at enhancing patient outcomes, increasing efficiency, and lowering costs.

Key Elements of Digital Health

Telehealth: Connecting Patients and Providers

Telehealth is a cornerstone of digital health, utilizing telecommunications technology to provide clinical services from a distance. This includes video consultations, remote monitoring, and virtual follow-ups. The advantages are substantial:

Accessibility: Quality healthcare reaches patients in remote or underserved areas without the need for travel.

Convenience: Reduces the necessity for in-person visits, saving time and resources.

Continuity of Care: Facilitates ongoing management of chronic conditions.

Wearable Technology: Real-Time Health Monitoring

Wearable technology such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and biosensors play a critical role in monitoring various health metrics. These devices gather data on heart rate, physical activity, sleep patterns, and more, which is essential for:

Preventive Care: Detecting potential health issues early.

Personalized Treatment: Customizing treatments based on individual health data.

Patient Engagement: Encouraging proactive health management.

Mobile Health Applications: Health Management Simplified

Mobile health apps provide functionalities ranging from medication reminders to diet tracking and mental health support. They empower users with easy access to health information and management tools. Key benefits include:

Empowerment: Puts users in control of their health information and decisions.

Education: Offers access to valuable health resources and information.

Support: Facilitates communication with healthcare providers and support networks.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs): Consolidating Patient Information

EHRs are digital versions of patient charts and are fundamental to digital health. They offer comprehensive and accurate patient information accessible to authorized healthcare providers. The benefits include:

Care Coordination: Ensures all healthcare providers have access to the same information.

Accuracy: Reduces errors associated with manual record-keeping.

Efficiency: Streamlines workflows and enhances patient care management.

The Impact of Digital Health on Healthcare

Enhancing Patient Outcomes

Digital health technologies significantly improve patient outcomes. By enabling remote monitoring and early detection of health issues, these tools facilitate preventive care and timely interventions. Patients with chronic conditions benefit greatly from continuous monitoring and personalized treatment plans.

Boosting Healthcare Efficiency

The integration of digital health solutions enhances operational efficiency within healthcare systems. Telehealth, for instance, reduces the need for physical infrastructure, while EHRs streamline administrative processes, leading to cost savings and more efficient resource use.

Reducing Healthcare Costs

Innovations in digital health help reduce healthcare costs by minimizing in-person visits, decreasing hospital readmissions, and preventing the progression of chronic diseases through early intervention. Additionally, automated systems and telehealth services lessen the burden on healthcare providers, leading to more cost-effective care delivery.

Challenges and Solutions in Digital Health Adoption

Ensuring Data Privacy and Security

A primary concern in digital health is the privacy and security of patient data. Healthcare providers must ensure that digital systems comply with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and employ robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information.

Achieving Integration and Interoperability

Integrating digital health technologies into existing healthcare systems can be challenging. Ensuring interoperability between various digital tools and traditional systems is crucial for seamless data sharing and efficient care coordination. Solutions include adopting standardized protocols and investing in interoperable systems.

Promoting User Adoption and Training

Effective use of digital health technologies requires that both healthcare providers and patients are willing and able to use them. Comprehensive training and support systems are necessary to ensure users are comfortable and proficient with new technologies. Educational initiatives and user-friendly interfaces can significantly improve adoption rates.

The Future of Digital Health

The future of digital health looks promising, with ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and blockchain technology set to further revolutionize healthcare. AI and machine learning can enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment personalization, while blockchain technology can ensure secure and transparent health data management.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI and machine learning algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and predict health outcomes, leading to more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize areas such as radiology, pathology, and drug discovery.

Blockchain Technology

Blockchain offers a decentralized and secure method for managing health records, ensuring data integrity and privacy. By providing a transparent ledger of all transactions, blockchain can prevent data breaches and enhance trust in digital health systems.

Conclusion

Digital health is reshaping the healthcare landscape, offering unprecedented opportunities to improve patient care, enhance efficiency, and reduce costs. As technology continues to evolve, the integration of digital tools in healthcare will become increasingly essential. Embracing these innovations requires overcoming challenges related to data security, system integration, and user adoption. However, the potential benefits make it a worthwhile endeavor, promising a future where healthcare is more accessible, efficient, and personalized.

[trakintechnews]

Pixel Watch Unlock: One-Way Street or Missed Opportunity?

Google Pixel Watch Unlock, a December Feature Drop gem, has been turning heads. Unlocking your phone with a simple swipe while your watch is nearby is undeniably convenient. But amidst the praise, a murmur of “what if it worked both ways?” is growing louder. The current system offers a clear advantage: seamless phone access without needing to fumble for passwords or fingerprint sensors. It’s a…

[hsdigitalmedia]

HS Digital Media Crafting Compelling Narratives through Ad Films

The Power of Ad Films

Why Choose HS Digital Media

Showcase your company’s unique selling characteristics. Highlight any awards, recognition, or successful case studies.

The Creative Process

Provide insights into how HS Digital Media approaches ad film creation. Discuss the collaboration between your team and clients. Emphasize the importance of tailoring each project to the client’s brand and goals.

Technological Edge

Detail the cutting-edge technology and equipment used by HS Digital Media. Discuss any innovative techniques or trends in the ad film industry.

The Team Behind the Magic

Introduce key members of your team and their expertise. Share any success stories or challenges overcome during previous projects.

Client Success Stories

Include testimonials from satisfied clients. Highlight specific projects and their impact on the client’s brand.

Industry Trends and Insights

Discuss current trends in ad film production. Share insights into the evolving landscape of digital media.

Challenges and Solutions

Address common challenges in ad film production. Showcase how HS Digital Media overcomes these challenges to deliver exceptional results.

Social Impact Through Ad Films

Discuss any projects that have contributed to social causes. Highlight the potential for ad films to create positive change.

The Future of Ad Films

Share your vision for the future of ad film production. Discuss emerging technologies and their potential impact on the industry.

[phoebejaysims]

Boutique Mod - DOWNLOAD

Inspired by the sims 2 shopping for clothes system, I present a sims 3 take on buying clothes, accessories and running a thriving boutique! Set up shifts, keep the racks stocked, and you might find yourself in profit!

Required:

Ambitions

NRAAS Master Controller + Integration Module

Optional:

ITF if you want to use the clothes mannequin and some visual effects.

Late Night if you want the animations for the security guard.

Seasons for extra interactions on the mannequin.

Savvy Seller Set for some visual and audio effects.

Full Documentation is included in the download. I spent a while writing it out, so please read thoroughly!

How Stores Work:

Set up a shift

Hire Employees (bosses count as employees so stores are fully functional with only one sim!)

Link at least one rack to the register

Open for business!

Employees:

Store employees can be given three types of roles: register attendant, sales attendant and security guard.

Employees will do their jobs automatically but you can always manually tell them to do things too like: restocking, dressing up mannequins, helping customers, among other things.

Customers:

Inactive and active sims can browse through the racks and have the ability to purchase items. They'll interact differently depending on if they are shopping at a clothes rack, accessory rack, or at a mannequin.

Inactives won't purchase outfits from mannequins unless you direct them to (or you enable auto-purchasing in the XML). However, they may "fake" buy clothes.

Once finished shopping, customers hold their bags and wait to be rung up! Take too long and they may abandon their purchase.

Shopping:

Adjust prices and restrict customers by age and gender to customise your store!

Clothes Racks:

Buy Clothes for your own sim, sims in your household, or (if you're an employee) suggest clothes for customers.

Employees that suggest clothes for customers can fulfil Ambition Stylist jobs this way.

Accessories Racks:

Choose accessories to be sold by adding them to the XML in the package file. The XML comes loaded with a few base game items already plus a couple modded items (Arsil's Sunglasses and lipstick - that won't be loaded unless you have them installed).

Sell buy-mode items as well as CAS items!

Make your CAS items wearable from your sim's inventory using your own meshes or my dummy accessory (see Documentation and XML for details).

Blacklist certain categories from being shown. If you want a dedicated shoe shop or an opticians, you can have it!

Try on products before buying them to see if they suit your sim. If there's a mirror in the room, they'll check themselves out in it.

Clothing Mannequin:

Try on the mannequin outfits to see if they suit your sim.

Plan different outfits to display and even set them to be rotated through seasonally.

Let your employees be creative and choose a random outfit for the mannequin to wear.

Buy clothes for your own sim, household members, or customers.

Allow or disallow inactives from automatically purchasing display outfits.

Security Gates:

Give your security guards something to stand and look threatening by.

You can try your luck at stealing from the shop. If you're caught, you'll have to pay up. If you get past the gates (or if there are no gates), enjoy your bounty!

Boutique Door:

Cloned from the Savvy Seller doors without the annoying 'kick-every-last-person-out-the-building-come-closing-time' feature.

Link this to a register and let the open and close sign automatically flip itself. Also, close the store or rename it, straight from the door.

Phone Interactions:

Ask for time off work (paid or unpaid).

Call in sick.

Cancel vacation days.

Credits and Thanks:

@dhalsims for adding geostates to the ITF rack for me. Modders, I really recommend her if you need any 3D models made also!

DouglasVeiga for the BG rack with the geostates.

@aroundthesims for allowing me to use her objects in my mod as always!

Sims 4 for all the animations that I converted.

Simstate & merchant mods for the idea to go into a mode to link racks to the register.

The OG shop for clothes mod and pedestal by @anitmb.

Arsil and @zoeoe-sims for wearable CAS items idea that I adapted.

Ani's Candle mod & Amb. Makeover XML which I looked at for inspo on how to do accessory rack xml.

Compatibility:

All new objects so shouldn't conflict with anything really.

Removes the 'plan outfit' interaction from dressers.

Made on version 1.67.

If you would like to donate as thanks, please feel free to do so at: my kofi! I don't take your generosity for granted!

Download: - Simblr.cc - 2t3 Boutique Mod Suggested Extra CC: - Lyralei's TS2 Conversions (incl. clothes changing booth) - More ATS3 Security Gates - ATS3 Friperie Set

Known issues, prop information and the full feature breakdown are all in the documentation.

Please be patient with me if there are bugs to fix. Also, anyone who DMs me "I don't know how to create a new shift" will be immediately fined £150.

With that said, please enjoy the mod and tag me in your beautiful boutiques,

Phoebe :)

[lesb0]

This was a very fun theme for the met gala. As an art historian, frequently being the only black person in the room, the concept exploring how we use fashion as a method of mobility really resonated with me. Even as a baby, my mom would dress me in lace and tulle and linen and tights just to go to the store. I think very highly of my fashion sense, as a substantial reason I'm able to overcome many racial barriers in my career, but sometimes also a playful form of communication. Cheap, wearable artworks.

There were a lot of white suits on the blue carpet of course. But many of the great black music legends were invited for the first time tonite.

My wishlist included 3 things: postcolonial Congolese Sapeurs ("Société des ambianceurs et des personnes élégantes") fashion:

and for a playful disobedience to the theme, I would adore if someone brought a genuine historically informed element to the carpet, either the black 18th century dandy or the minstrel dandy would be such an opportunity:

and as a more silly wildcard, I would love to see a black american fashion component integrated into lolita dandy cosplay, i.e. afro puffs, sneakers, a big iced chain, etc:

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Wellness surveillance makes workers unwell

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in TORONTO on Mar 22, then with LAURA POITRAS in NYC on Mar 24, then Anaheim, and more!

"National conversation" sounds like one of those meaningless buzzphrases – until you live through one. The first one I really participated in actively was the national conversation – the global conversation – about privacy following the Snowden revelations.

This all went down when my daughter was five, and as my wife and I talked about the news, our kid naturally grew curious about it. I had to literally "explain like I'm five" global mass surveillance:

https://locusmag.com/2014/05/cory-doctorow-how-to-talk-to-your-children-about-mass-surveillance/

But parenting is a two-way street, so even as I was explaining surveillance to my kid, my own experiences raising a child changed how I thought about surveillance. Obviously I knew about many of the harms that surveillance brings, but parenting helped me viscerally appreciate one of the least-discussed, most important aspects of being watched: how it compromises being your authentic self:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2014/may/09/cybersecurity-begins-with-integrity-not-surveillance

As I wrote then:

There are times when she is working right at the limits of her abilities – drawing or dancing or writing or singing or building – and she catches me watching her and gets this look of mingled embarrassment and exasperation, and then she changes back to some task where she has more mastery. No one – not even a small child – likes to look foolish in front of other people.

Learning, growth, and fulfillment all require a zone of privacy, a time and place where we are not observed. Far from making us accountable, continuous, fine-grained surveillance by authority figures just scares us into living a cramped, inauthentic version of ourselves, where growth is all but impossible. Others have observed the role this plays in right-wing culture war bullshit: "an armed society is a polite society" is code for "people who make me feel uncomfortable just by existing should be terrorized into hiding their authentic selves from me." The point of Don't Say Gay laws and anti-trans bills isn't to eliminate gender nonconformity – it's to drive it into hiding.

Given all this, it's no surprise that workers who face workplace surveillance in the name of "wellness" feel unwell as a result:

https://www.ifow.org/publications/what-impact-does-exposure-to-workplace-technologies-have-on-workers-quality-of-life-briefing-paper

As the Future of Work Institute found in its study, some technologies – systems that make it easier to collaborate and communicate with colleagues – increase workers' sense of wellbeing. But wearables and AI tools make workers feel significantly worse:

https://assets-global.website-files.com/64d5f73a7fc5e8a240310c4d/65eef23e188fb988d1f19e58_Tech%20Exposure%20and%20Worker%20Wellbeing%20-%20Full%20WP%20-%20Final.pdf

Workers who reported these negative feelings confirmed that these tools make them feel "monitored." I mean, of course they do. Even where these tools are nominally designed to help you do your job better, they're also explicitly designed to help your boss keep track of you from moment to moment. As Brandon Vigliarolo writes for The Register, these are the same bosses who have been boasting to their investors about their plans to fire their workers and replace them with AI:

https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/14/advanced_workplace_tech_study/

"Bossware" is a key example of the shitty rainbow of "disciplinary technology," tools that exist to take away human agency by making it easier to surveil and control its users:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/01/bossware/#bossware

Bossware is one of the stages of the Shitty Technology Adoption Curve: the process by which abusive and immiserating technologies progress up the privilege gradient as their proponents refine and normalize dystopian technologies in order to impose them on wider and wider audiences:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

The kinds of metrics that bossware gathers might be useful to workers, but only if the workers get to decide when, whether and how to share that data with other people. Microsoft Office helps you catch typos by underlining words its dictionary doesn't recognize; the cloud-based, "AI-powered" Office365 tells your boss that you're the 11th-worst speller in your division and uses "sentiment analysis" to predict whether you are likely to cause trouble:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/21/great-taylors-ghost/#solidarity-or-bust

Two hundred years ago, Luddites rose up against machines. Contrary to the ahistorical libel you've heard, the Luddites weren't angry or frightened of machines – they were angry at the machines' owners. They understood – correctly – that the purpose of a machine "so easy a child could use it" was to fire skilled adult workers and replace them with kidnapped, indentured Napoleonic War orphans who could be maimed and killed on the job without consequence:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/12/gig-work-is-the-opposite-of-steampunk/

A hundred years ago, the "Taylorites" picked up where those mill owners left off: choreographing workers' movements to the finest degree in a pseudoscientific effort to produce a kind of kabuki of boss-pleasing robotic efficiency. The new, AI-based Taylorism goes even further, allowing bosses to automatically blacklist gig workers who refuse to cross picket-lines, monitor "self-employed" call center operators in their own homes, and monitor the eyeballs of Amazon drivers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

AI-based monitoring technologies dock workers' wages, suspend them, and even fire them, and when workers object, they're stuck arguing with a chatbot that is the apotheosis of Computer Says No:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no

There's plenty of research about AI successfully "augmenting" workers, making them more productive and I'm the last person to say that automation can't help you get more done:

https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/augmented-workforce

But without understanding how AI augments class warfare – disciplining workers with a scale, speed and granularity beyond the sadistic fantasies of even the most micromanaging asshole boss – this research is meaningless.

The irony of bosses imposing monitoring to improve "wellness" and stave off "burnout" is that nothing is more exhausting, more immiserating, more infuriating than being continuously watched and judged.

Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/15/wellness-taylorism/#sick-of-spying

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

A wearable electrical nerve stimulation device can provide relief to people experiencing the persistent pain and fatigue linked to long COVID, a study co-led by UCLA and Baylor College of Medicine researchers suggests.

Long-COVID, a complex and lingering condition following COVID-19 recovery, affects approximately 1 in 13 adults in the U.S. Symptoms such as widespread pain, fatigue, and muscle weakness often continue to disrupt daily activities, including walking and basic tasks.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed Scientific Reports, focused on a wearable Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) device, which uses low-voltage electrical currents to reduce pain, fatigue, and mobility issues associated with long-COVID.

The project was co-led by Dr. Bijan Najafi, research director of the Center for Advanced Surgical & Interventional Technology at UCLA Health and co-director of NSF IUCRC Center to Stream HealthCare in Place (C2SHIP), who said the device could have wider applications.

"While this study focused on managing pain and fatigue caused by long COVID, it may also have potential applications for addressing similar symptoms in individuals with other respiratory diseases, those who have experienced extended ICU stays and developed post-hospitalization weaknesses, and conditions involving chronic fatigue and pain, such as fibromyalgia or chemotherapy-related side effects," Najafi said. "But further studies are needed to confirm these potential uses."

In the study, 25 participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and gait difficulties were assigned either a high-dose (active) TENS device or a low-dose (placebo) device. Both groups used the TENS device for three to five hours daily over a four-week period.

Researchers measured participants' pain levels, fatigue, and walking performance before and after the therapy period. Findings indicated that the high-dose TENS group experienced notable improvements in pain relief (26.1% more relief compared to placebo) and walking ability (8% during fast walking), suggesting that wearable TENS therapy may help reduce long-COVID's impact on daily life.

The high-dose TENS group also reported a slightly higher perceived benefit (71.2%) compared to the low-dose group (61.4%), underscoring the potential of wearable TENS technology to support long-COVID recovery.

One factor in the study's success was likely the high rate of daily device usage, Najafi said. The wearable nature of the TENS device allowed participants to use it seamlessly throughout the day, without disrupting their routines.

"This wearable TENS system offered immediate, on-demand relief from pain and fatigue, making it easy to integrate into daily activities," Najafi said.

He also cautioned that more research is needed. "This study provides some hope for finding an effective, non-invasive solution for managing lingering COVID-19 symptoms that continue to affect millions," he said. "But our sample size was limited, so further research is needed to confirm these findings."

Study co-authors are Alejandro Zulbaran-Rojas, Rasha Bara, Myeounggon Lee, Miguel Bargas-Ochoa, Tina Phan, Manuel Pacheco, Areli Flores Camargo, Syed Murtaza Kazmi, Mohammad Dehghan Rouzi, Dipaben Modi, and Fidaa Shaib of Baylor College of Medicine.

More information: Alejandro Zulbaran-Rojas et al, Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for fibromyalgia-like syndrome in patients with Long-COVID: a pilot randomized clinical trial, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-78651-5 www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-78651-5

[serpentface]

I know you've already touched on this in a few places, but I'd be really interested in a post about Wardi musical traditions! What instruments exist, and how common are they? Is music a part of any religious rituals? Are there ballads (or narrative songs more generally) about any of the folktales or historical events you've posted about? Is written notation a thing?

I haven't developed specific names for any of these instruments but here's some.

A simply made but versatile instrument, and one of the most commonly used. Most musical bows here use the mouth as a resonator (rather than adding hollow structures to the instrument itself) to directly modulate the sound, especially given they are traditionally sung into while played. The string can be struck, plucked, or bowed like a fiddle, and specialized mallets for this instrument are made to be capable of all these functions.

Most fiddles here have one string, the tone of which is modulated by fingering. Variants made from horns or plant stalks are most common given the relative scarcity of appropriate timber. The variants here with a fingerboard are a more recent adoption, with this style being introduced via intensified trade with western Inner Seaway peoples. Variants with 2-3 strings are extant here, but not as common.

Handheld and seated lyres are very popular instruments with a fairly long history here. They tend to be regarded as specifically classy instruments associated with upper class beauty and leisure, in comparison to more common fiddles and bows.

Drums here are pretty diverse, though fall along these three main shapes (in addition to some smaller percussive instruments). Out of all musical instruments, they tend to get the most priority for use of wood. They have the most fundamental importance to music and dance here in general, which tends to be built around heavy percussive elements.

Drums have the most specific integration into religious practice, in which they produce a symbolic heartbeat to influence movement of spirit. Specifically made 'heartbeat drums' used by priests are large and worn at the side via a strap, though technically any drum shape can fulfill the core function (in non-priestly contexts it's less about the form of the drum itself and more how it's used).

Their priestly use is to influence the movement of God's spirit within and throughout a ritual space (for example the drumming that accompanies the kagnoma odo is considered the physical mechanism through which troops are blessed, it moves the Odomache Face of God's living spirit through a mass of people). They are functionally considered to be icons of God (usually made explicit with the drum head bearing direct iconography) and made with physical relics of God's body (the drumskin will be derived from the relevant sacrificial animal when possible, the drapes will include relevant skins/fur/feathers either way). As such, these drums are holy objects and have restrictions upon their use and strict requirements for care and cleansing.

Other heartbeat drums are used in medical contexts (and considered related but distinct objects from the ones used by priests), in which they are one facet of healing, attempting to correct the physical flow of blood/spirit through a person's body for perceived benefits. This is usually supplementary to baseline treatments of ailments (ingestable/wearable medicines, bloodletting, and hard material interventions like bonesetting and wound cleaning), with the drumming being intended to cement or intensify their effects.

Items similar to the 7-Faced God Faith's heartbeat drum predate this religion and are fairly widespread among peoples south of the Viper, used in similar capacities where it is perceived as influencing the movement of spirit(s) and having healing capabilities.

---

In addition to the things I've drawn here, there's also harps, flutes, whistles, horns (usually actual horns or shells), bells, and a few types of rattles. Bullroarers have a history here for long distance communication but very limited place in musical/religious practice.

---

Music has pretty central religious importance both in the contexts of priests and laymen, a substantial proportion of both public and private rites require at least some form of musical accompaniment. A core underlying philosophy here treats music and dance as an analogue to the movements and rhythms of the world (seasons, weather, animals, the body, birth, death) and having the capability of exerting influence over these matters when used in a targeted capacity. It is one of the mechanisms understood to help make rituals Work (not necessary to all rites, but important to many).

A type of sung prayer called a coullagri initiates essentially any act of communion with God, whether it be a daily prayer practiced in solitude or a major public rite witnessed by hundreds. This is a summoning prayer, it functions to symbolically call God into the ritual space and begin direct interaction. This is a bit of a complicated notion given that God is functionally regarded as always present to begin with, Its living spirit (when not inhibited) flows through all things. It can be understood through the general underlying body/blood(as spirit) model- a coullagri is like inflicting a small wound to draw a bead of blood from a specific part of the body. The blood is always there regardless, but now it's directly accessible, its interactive.

All members of society are considered equipped to perform a coullagri in of itself, though Specific forms of the song are more restricted. Male heads of a family have obligations to perform the hearth coullagri when their home's central fire is lit (you Can light a hearth without your family patriarch present but it doesn't confer its intended dimensions of spiritual protection), will lead the song for any prayers performed as a group, and are reserved the right to perform it during the formal naming ceremony of a child. All officiated sacrifices have a lengthy coullagri to call God into the animal, and are accompanied by heartbeat drum to direct the movement of spirit upon release (both of these performances are specifically reserved for priests).

There's no completely solid line between spiritual and secular music. You sing while plowing fields and planting seeds to help the crops grow, you also just do it to pass the time during the labor. Loud, crude ballads sung while traveling might frighten off evil spirits, you also just sing them for fun. Most music that Has spiritual dimensions is not a particularly special or solemn affair, it's just kind of a part of mundane life.

Funerary wails are their own distinct musical tradition. These are songs that instruct the dead on how to leave their bodies and complete their journey to the lunar land, repeated in a marathon of a vocal performance for the duration of a cremation. They are usually accompanied by a drumbeat to provide guidance, but they are sung intentionally harshly, often shrieked and wailed. The din attempts to frighten off malicious spirits that might plague the dead, and offers levels of physical catharsis for the griever.

Variants on the funerary wail also have a place in marriage practices. In some traditions, a bride's mother is responsible for leading a funerary wail as the bride is first led away from the family home. This journey (in most cases quite short, across a village or to an adjacent one) is symbolically likened to the journey of the dead to the afterlife- the girl is leaving girlhood and her father's household and protection, and will be reborn as a full woman in her husband's household. This also has some of the funerary wail's functions of attempting to dispel bad luck and frighten away evil spirits that may do the girl harm during this liminal period, and also potentially as a cathartic outlet for grief (this Is functionally the loss of your child, especially in cases where they're being moved more than a short distance away).

The epic poetry tradition here is designed to be sung and performed with musical accompaniment. The most standard and basic of this is soft drumming with the hand as a mallet, more elaborate performances tend to utilize lyres in addition to (rather than as a replacement for) drums. These poems have rhythmic schemes built into their structure but no codified notation/tunes, a major facet of their recital is how each individual bard puts their own spin on their delivery. Most major historical events have associated poems (and thus songs), some of which have been adapted into shorter folk songs.

I don't have any specific ballads/folk songs/etc worked out outside of very vague concepts (it's actually something I've been meaning to work on). The one area that's A Little fleshed out is herding songs. They have somewhat unique conventions, in that they serve in part to call your animals and communicate over long distances. They tend to be sung partly or wholly in falsetto and often lack the rhythmic bounding that tends to characterize most Wardi music. A lot of older herding songs have been adapted into more conventional ballads, particularly the humorous ones or the more romantic ones (focused on eventual returns home).

I have a little more info on the specific herding song traditions in the Highlands. These fall into two main variants- cattle calls/contact calls, and walking songs. The contact calls are performed in higher tones/falsetto to carry over long distances and have practical functions, in summoning your animals and establishing contact with villages downland/other herders (usually just as a signal that you're still alive, though sometimes to communicate more complex information over a distance). Walking songs are more conventional ballads and mostly serve to alleviate boredom. These are usually performed in a baritone and fairly quietly so as to Not attract attention. The ones that don't focus on cattle tend to fall into the basic thematic categories of 'I'm in wild spirit country and there's things up here with me (but I'm being so chill about it)' and 'I can't wait to get home and fuck my wife'.

[adobe-outdesign]

thoughts on the new relic scorchio? it looks soooooo pretty to me

Yeah, I like the relic Scorchio a lot! I mentioned in my relic review that, while adding species-specific elements and more interesting details to the basic relic concept isn't a bad thing by far, sometimes it felt like they were going overboard with it—too many odd non-statue elements like gemstones, too busy, too colorful, etc.

However, I've noticed that recently TNT seems to have found a good medium between the boring "just a statue" options and the "way too busy" options by doing relic pets that have subtle integrated jewelry or inlays in a way that makes sense for a statue, along with more limited color palettes using mostly gray/gold/green. This works much better than some of the gaudier relic pets, but still allows each to be unique.

The relic Scorchio continues with this by adding a subtle opalescent sheen to the rock, which adds a really nice bit of color without making it seem un-statue like. There's a bit of green moss for texture and the very cool addition of a lantern, which is designed to both go with the blues and pinks of the rock and subtly cast light on it (plus it gives their fist something to do). The colour also comes with some extra shiny eyes that work as optional wearables.

My only nitpick is that the moss doesn't look super mossy to me—it's a bit too thick and "clumpy" for lack of a better word (see the relic Lenny for better-rendered moss). I also wish it was a wearable, seeing as a lot of relic pets have had the plant life be optional and it's always nice to have choices when it comes to customization. Anyway, regardless, this is a very nice colour that any Scorchio fan should be happy with.