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Would you like fries with that new technology?

Last week, I blogged about the tablet technology that the NFL will be fielding this season. What I didn’t mention in that post is that referees are also getting some new gear, wireless headsets that will let them communicate with each other on the field, as well as with NFL headquarters on difficult calls, replay situations, etc. And I’m not going to talk about it here, either, other than to say that the referee technology is quite similar to some restaurant technology that one of our customers has brought to market.

You may have seen these in action in drive-through restaurants, where the person you’re ordering from repeats your order into their headset. I’ve also seen them in use in large, sit-down restaurants, in which the host at the front desk is in communication with staff to figure out where to seat parties.

A Critical Link SOM – the MityDSP-L138 – is embedded in the base station that manages the wireless communications with the headsets that the staff members are wearing. The SOM’s DSP is being leveraged to enhance the clarity of the audio over what previous models have been able to achieve.

Now, giving your order to the Jack-in-the-Box clown may have been a bit more fun, but the new systems have pretty good sound quality. Outside and kitchen noise is reduced, so you’re more likely to find what you really wanted in the bag, rather than what someone thought you wanted.

Maybe someday these fast food systems will even replace the folks taking the orders.

Personally, I hope not. These are great jobs for kids to start out with!