Other, newer methods use the shape of the human head, or head-related transfer functions, to trick the listener by placing false cues into two channels.

ECONOMIST: How to reproduce the ambiance of a live concert in the home

The basic unit of shoemaking is the last a sort of mannequin, in the shape of a human foot, upon which the shoe is constructed.

NEWYORKER: Sole Mate

When the camera detects a heat source in the shape of a human being, the on-board computer alerts the driver by highlighting the pedestrian in yellow on the dashboard screen.

CNN: Technology's next frontier: In-car computing

It's a look at the devices that have most impacted human civilization and helped shape the course of history.

FORBES: Methodology

The bell curve of human foibles will keep its shape even after 10-mbps cable modems take over our homes.

FORBES: Digital Rules: What's new, what isn't

Human-style handwriting analysis examines features such as letter shape, the slant of words, and stroke style.

ECONOMIST: Holographic analysis of handwriting