The Japanese tech start-up Donut Robotics has upped the game for the face mask by creating a “smart” version capable of translating and transmitting messages from Japanese into eight other languages. The “c-mask” (made from plastic and worn over a regular cloth mask) connects to an app on your phone or tablet “that can transcribe speech into text messages, make calls, or amplify the mask wearer’s voice.” Although it has been in development for quite some time, the smart mask itself was invented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Donut Robotics chief executive Taisuke Ono says, they have used their robot technology “to create a product that responds to how the coronavirus has reshaped society.” The masks will sell for around $40 each and should  start shipping in Japan by September, with other countries to follow. Read more at Reuters.