At the turn of the 20th century, William Hoy transformed Major League Baseball. The most prominent deaf player in history, he taught his team American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate on the field while keeping opponents in the dark. His silent speech, a legacy well over a century old now, also inspired umpires to make calls using hand gestures. ASL is one of some 300 sign languages used today by roughly 70 million deaf people worldwide. But only a sliver of society understands signs. Everyday tasks, like ordering at a restaurant or meeting people at social events can be difficult. To bridge the gap, a South Korean team developed smart rings to translate finger motions into text. Older devices usually require a jungle of cables to connect sensors. But the new rings are wireless, freeing people to use natural hand motions. The rings also stretch to fit different finger sizes. These upgrades make them more comfortable and reliable, wrote the team. Each ring is powered by a replaceable 12-hour battery.…