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Audience's software lets PCs process your voice without special chips
Previously, Audience's sound processing tricks have required a dedicated chip, limiting where you would see it; you're more likely to get clever noise cancelling in your phone than in a PC. That's changing shortly thanks to S1.0, the company's first software-only approach to voice processing. The code primarily gives x86-based PCs better-than-usual noise reduction; people shouldn't hear echoes or typing sounds while you're in the middle of a chat. Audience's technology also brings 360-degree voice boosting, so you can hold conference calls without making everyone huddle around the computer. There aren't any confirmed customers for S1.0 just yet, but the company vows that "major PC OEMs" are testing it as you read this.
Audience Inc says Apple unlikely to use its audio tech in iPhones
Audience is a US-based company that makes voice and audio processors for mobile products. In the past, Apple used Audience's audio technology in the iPhone, but that may change with the next iPhone model, says a report in Reuters. Audience's CEO Peter Santos told Reuters in an email interview that, "Events of the last week in the normal course of business led us to believe that our technology is not likely to be enabled in Apple's next generation mobile phone." This admission sent Audience's stock tumbling down 60 percent as more than one-third of Audience's total revenue comes from licensing agreements with Apple. The company will still get royalties on older phone models, but that revenue will slowly dry up as Apple phases out the iPhone 4 and 4S. Audience didn't say why Apple is no longer using its processors, but the company did hint that Apple is now using its own team to develop audio technology for the iPhone.
Gefen's CES lineup: switchers, PVRs, scalers, cables and more
We've seen Gefen get all riled up and unleash a barrage of new kit all at once, and sure enough, the outfit is doing just that once more. For starters, we've got the TV Switcher, which enables consumers to connect and access four HDMI sources from a single HDTV. Next up is the TV Splitter, which allows users to channel a single HDMI source to four displays -- and yeah, both of the aforementioned units play nice with HDMI v1.3a. Moving right along, we've got a pair of updates to the PVR lineup; the HD PVR records in MPEG4 and can store material on the 80GB HDD or an SD card, while the SD PVR records content onto USB storage devices. Over on the sound side, the Gefen TV Audio Processor takes a single HDMI source and delivers it to a display and an external audio receiver; furthermore, it reportedly "decodes the HDMI signal to provide an audio signal along with six discrete RCA connectors." Lastly, the firm is doling out v1.3 / Simplay HD-certified HDMI cables in 6-, 10- and 15-foot lengths, but unfortunately, it didn't bother handing out price tags for any of the goods here.
Motorola patent would allow seniors to rock regular cellphones
We've seen a slew of cellphones designed for use by senior citizens, but they always tend to be big, bulky, and/or rather unstylish -- what if Grandpa is a little hard of hearing, but still wants to impress the hunnies on the shuffleboard court with his handset? Well Motorola may have a solution for the fashion-conscious senior by way of a patent application it just filed, which envisions an audio processor for regular cellphones that boosts the volume if being used by a member of the AARP crowd. Even better, the phone would be able to automatically detect when it was being used by an elderly individual, thanks to speech recognition software that analyzes the tone and pace of the speaker's voice. We used to laugh at the Boost Mobile commercials featuring those hip senior posses, but if this Moto patent is any indication, a world of RAZR- and SLVR-sporting old folks may be right around the corner.[Via Mobiledia]
