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NASA’s X-59 supersonic jet is cleared for final assembly
NASA's experimental X-59 jet, which could make supersonic commercial travel a reality, has been cleared for final assembly. The X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft, designed by Lockheed Martin, could take its first flight as soon as 2021.
Kitty Hawk's 'Heaviside' is an ultra-quiet electric flying machine
As the field of players in "urban air mobility" (read: flying cars) get more crowded every day, the Larry Page-backed effort Kitty Hawk is trying a different approach with its latest vehicle: it's very quiet. Dubbed Project Heaviside, it's all-electric, flies like a plane but is capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) like a helicopter, while being as much as 100 times quieter than a helicopter.
Leica's M10-P rangefinder has an ultra-quiet mechanical shutter
Leica has unveiled the M10-P rangefinder, an update to last year's M10 with a couple of changes that makes it even more discreet and technically proficient. The biggest change is a new mechanical shutter that's Leica's quietest ever, even more so than its old film cameras that were famous for their silent operation. It's not completely noise-free like, say, Sony's A7 III in silent mode, but unless you're right next to your subject, they likely won't hear a thing.
Razer promises sneakier sneak attacks with $130 Orbweaver Stealth Edition mechanical keypad
That guard you just stealth-killed in Dishonored never heard you coming. But everyone else did. Which is why you might want to consider a noise-dampened mechanical keyboard of some sort. There are a few of 'em out there, not least the Matias Quiet Pro we reviewed last year, and now Razer has a keypad option solely for gamers: a new Stealth Edition of the original Orbweaver that came out in January. The price is unchanged at $130, as are the main specs and adjustable design, but Razer promises "silent tactile feedback" that provides an "entirely new feel," alongside a slightly reduced actuation force of 45g (instead of 50g). Perhaps your long-suffering colleagues will throw in a decent headset to go with it.
The NOFAN CR-95C: a fanless copper CPU cooler for your next-gen build
Interesting times to be shopping around for a processor, but what about a new cooler to go with it? This unassuming little work of art is the copper special edition of the NOFAN CR-95C, which is rated to cool CPUs of up to 100W TDP without the need for a fan. Judging from all the Intel and AMD leaks, that level efficiency ought to have you covered regardless of whether you opt for Ivy Bridge or Trinity -- so long as you don't mind hanging around until June, because FanlessTech reckons we won't see it go on sale any sooner.
SpeechJammer gun gives loudmouths a dose of their own medicine to keep 'em quiet
Silence is golden, so there are plenty of times when it'd be awfully convenient to mute those around us, and a couple of Japanese researchers have created a gadget that can do just that. Called the SpeechJammer, it's able to "disturb remote people's speech without any physical discomfort" by recording and replaying what you say a fraction of a second after you say it. Why would that shut up the chatty Cathy next to you? Delayed auditory feedback (DAF) is based on an established psychological principle that it's well-nigh impossible for folks to speak when their words are played back to them just after they've been uttered. SpeechJammer puts the power of DAF in a radar gun-style package that uses a directional mic and speaker, distance sensor and a trigger switch to turn it on, plus a laser pointer for targeting purposes -- so you simply point and shoot at your talkative target, and enjoy the silence that ensues. Piggy, your new conch has arrived, and this one can make Jack keep quiet.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: Quiet
We've covered apps that help you focus by masking other windows in the background in the past. Quiet is another app that will blank out distractions and help you stick to the task at hand. You can configure keyboard shortcuts or use the drop-down menu from the menu bar icon to enter and exit Focus mode for a selected app or Space. You get a choice of "isolation" effect, with Quiet defaulting to Fade to Black. Focus Out is available as well as Wallpaper, which removes everything off screen apart from the window or space you're focused on and reveals the wallpaper behind. Where the Fade to Black and Wallpaper modes worked fine, the defocus effect caused some temporary disruption to certain apps, which made it frustrating to use. A warning is displayed up to say that "Focus Out demands a powerful Mac" (Intel integrated video not supported), but you don't get much more powerful than a 2011 top-spec MacBook Pro. That's an option to avoid for most, then. Quiet will "quiet" certain apps or all supported apps at your preference. Apps such as Adium, iChat and Skype can be selectively suppressed along with Mail and the GrowlHelperApp, which blocks all Growl notifications. Quiet will also set your instant messaging status to DND with the default being "I'm in The Zone." Whereas other apps, such as HazeOver, quickly isolate windows automatically, Quiet is a heavier, totally manual affair. If that's something you're after, then Quiet will do the job for US$3.99 from the Mac App Store. If you're after something similar for a little less money, check out the free Isolator.
Visualized: the coolest desktop chassis at Computex, literally
Having a gadget encased in ice is always a cool stunt (pun intended), but Fractal took one step further by using blocks of ice cut out of a Swedish river, and then have them shipped all the way to Computex in Taiwan. Apparently that's how Scandinavians roll. As for the actual products, frequent desktop builders may have already heard of Fractal for its silent, minimalistic chassis, which recently made their way to the US market. While we didn't get a chance to check out how quiet the live machines were, the cases' build quality was surprisingly solid for their prices, and we were also impressed by the attention to detail on damping noise wherever possible. Hit the source link below to check out Fractal's Define, Arc, and Core series cases. %Gallery-125139%
Samsung's Tango Stealth robo-vacuum is a quiet intruder
Special forces can leave no trace and make no sound, but Samsung's Tango Stealth vacuum does them one better: not only is it quiet but it picks up the traces others have left. It's the latest in a long line of robo-vacs from the company and it's the quietest, making just 50db of noise while dutifully looking for targets of opportunity on your hardwood. It'll start shipping in Korea soon at a price of 750,000 Won -- about $670. Special faces do cost more than normal ones.
Tranquil PC iXL takes you up to 2.93GHz sans fans, has equally lofty price
We told you Intel's 32nm Clarkdales were power efficient, right? Well, Tranquil PC's slapped one of those chips, a 2.93GHz Core i3-530 to be precise, into its all-new iXL Power PC and now boasts a total system juice consumption of a measly 30W at idle. That means this HTPC can get away with living the quiet, fanless life, while HDMI, a trio of eSATA ports, a multicard reader, and a Blu-ray option flesh out a comprehensive package. Naively, we thought we'd throw the Blu-ray drive in with a 500GB hard disk to see what this might cost us, and were stricken with grief at the sight of a £742 ($1,100) price tag. Should four-digit entry fees not scare you off, you'll want to know that the iXL is shipping now. For everyone else, hit the source link for a bunch of glamor photos.
Blow's next project to be quiet, philosophical 'puzzle-exploration game'
With stories claiming Braid creator Jonathan Blow was working on a handful of small titles from a variety of different genres (including a 2D RPG!), we can't help but feel a bit disappointed that his next project has been confirmed to be a "puzzle-exploration game that is philosophical, and quiet, and is being made for reasons other than crass profit motive." Way to think outside of the box, Jon. (Oh, who are we kidding. It's going to be amazing.)This story comes to us by way of a pair of now hiring ads (for 3D artists, if you're interested) Blow posted on his on blog, looking for help on the aforementioned project, which he later confirmed to gaming news blog EndSights to be his next release. From what we can glean from the ads, the game will have a two-year development cycle, will place "a heavy emphasis on the way things look," and will feature a plot which will make non-philosophy majors feel very, very confused.We've contacted Blow to see if we can get any more details about the project.[Thanks, Art.]
Silent Mouse EX reduces mouse-related noise pollution by 22.5db, no one cares
Oh, Thanko, fine purveyor of hidden cameras and ill-advised input devices, whenever it gives us a peripheral that looks like, well, a peripheral, it feels like a big step in the right direction. And what do we have here? The Silent Mouse EX is a bit of a misnomer. After all, it isn't totally silent -- rather, the manufacturer claims that it generates 35.5db of noise when in operation. Compared to 58db of sound the "average" mouse makes (or so we've heard), that is... well, it's less. Actually, we have a hard time believing anyone cares about this sort of thing, but if you'd like to prove us wrong, you can hit that read link and put ¥3,180 (approx. $33) where your mouth is. Or better still, just use a trackpad.[Via Akihabara]
Xbox 360 case mod is quiet, hideous
Brace yourselves, we're about to ask you to make an impossibly difficult choice: Would you rather your entertainment center contain a 360 that's louder than a jet engine full of marbles, or a 360 with a unique visual aesthetic that makes it resemble a baby's coffin? Admittedly, neither are terribly appealing, but thanks to the modders at Quiet PC, it's a choice we're now free to make.The aptly named Ultra-Quiet Xbox 360 includes a number of measures to hush the often cacophonous console, including silicone feet, anti-vibration fan mounts and sound dampening foam, but, as you can tell from the image above, it's not exactly easy on the eyes. Also, with a price tag of £300 - £400 (depending on the model), we'll probably just wait for a 360 that sounds quiet, looks attractive, and smells like the Pike Place Fish Market.[Via TechRadar]
World's first THX-certified soundproof door debuts at CEDIA
Just when you thought nothing else on this planet could ever earn THX certification, here comes Serious Materials to prove you wrong. The image you are inevitably peering at above is the world's first THX-certified soundproof door, the QuietHome. Boasting an STC rating of 51 in a 2.25-inch thick door, it's said to be the only door in the world to stand up to those mighty THX standards. Just for reference, it's noted that typical hollow-core doors have an STC rating of only 15 (and solid-core doors around 27), and we're told that this one will reduce noise between 65% and 85% compared to traditional alternatives. Of course, such a marvelous addition to your home won't run you cheap -- the QuietHome family ranges from $1,495 to $2,495 per door, so you better have dead silence really high on your list of priorities before pulling the trigger (on a silenced Walther PPK, of course).
Asus reveals uber-quiet HR-0205T HD DVD drive
Those not exactly thrilled with the noise levels produced by the Xbox 360 + HD DVD drive combo will likely adore Asus' latest, as it gives HTPC builders an uber-quiet alternative to playing back HD DVDs without having to replace one's rig or purchase a standalone player. The "world's quietest" HR-0205T optical drive handles dual-layer HD DVD discs and basically every flavor of DVD and CD, too. Asus swears the unit can play back an HD DVD while emitting just 21.1dB of noise, which could reportedly be compared to a "quiet auditorium." Regrettably, there's no word on a price or release date, but considering that this thing couldn't burn an HD DVD if its life depended on it, we'd hope the price would be fairly reasonable to compensate.
Thanko's Silent Mouse 2: now with more quiet
If there was ever a device that probably didn't need a sequel, it'd be the silent mouse, but leave it to Thanko to invent a "new and improved" rendition that somehow proves even quieter and more versatile than the original. Of course, there are certainly other ways to nix the clicks in your computing routines, and this here gizmo won't really do you any good unless your PC sounds more like a gentle breeze and less like an impending tornado. Still, the Silent Mouse 2 touts five total buttons, a scroll wheel, an unfortunate tail, and walls of soundproofing material lining the innards. According to some fairly unscientific testing, this unit pounds out just 36.5 decibels compared to the "industry average" of 58 decibels, so if you just can't stand to hear yourself click on any longer, Thanko's latest can be your cure for ¥2,980 ($25).[Via AkihabaraNews]
Samsung's silent and speedy SpinPoint S166 series of disks
Samsung is offering-up a heap of marketing spin along side their new 3.5-inch SpinPoint S166 series of hard disk drives. This time however, there's real truth to their ballyhoo. The new series of SATA 3.0Gbps drives feature a 7,200rpm spin, 8MB buffer, and manage to damp the noise level down to a mere 24/27.5 decibels at idle/seek. That's damn quiet for traditional desktop storage spinning at that speed. Watch for the drives to ship worldwide in 80GB and 160GB capacities sometime this month.
Dash update to quiet loud 360 DVD drive?
German website Cynamite is reporting that Microsoft has released a dashboard update to developers that will quiet the loud Xbox 360 DVD drive. This update will supposedly prevent the DVD drive from spinning at full RPM unnecessarily and will manage the drive's spin speed much better. In general, the update would tell the DVD drive not to spin so fast when it isn't needed, which would in turn make it less noisy. Cynamite is also reporting that the dashboard update should be coming to Xbox Live soon for the rest of us to download. Even though we know your answer we have to ask, would you welcome an update that would ultimately quiet down your 360's DVD drive?[Via GamersReports]
Shutting up your Xbox 360
It's no secret that the Xbox 360 is one loud machine. On a decibel scale, ours ranks right below a plane tanking off, and just above a jackhammer. The culprit is the DVD drive inside the machine. If you fire up the Dashboard without a disc inside and visit the Marketplace, download things, play Xbox Live Arcade games, and stare at your theme packs, then you'll notice how quiet the thing is. The Night before Christmas made more noise. The fans ain't that loud, folks. However, slip a disc inside, and it's like a team of hamsters decided to go on a stampede.ExtremeTech has posted a DIY guide to keeping it quiet. It doesn't require hauling out the soldering iron, but you have to get into the guts of your console, and yes -- violate your warranty. Although we'd gladly trade our nearly one-year old warranty at this point for a quieter gaming experience. That grinding ka-chunka chunk of the optical drive makes us nuts at times, especially when the other Joystiqers are sleeping (which hardly ever happens anyhow), and we have to crank the sound down. For those of you brave enough to give this a whirl, we salute you. Let us know how it goes. Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush.
Breakfast Topic: Up All Night
It's tempting to get immersed in the world of Azeroth; perhaps too immersed. As a natural night owl, I've found myself (on several occasions) seeing the night through -- dawn falls in WoW slightly earlier than outside my window, the cities start filling up and a new day begins.I don't recommend this behaviour, of course -- as I've found, one all-nighter begets another -- but it's interesting from an observer's point of view. The world is a different place in the small hours -- I use this time to grind popular spots, or level alts in deserted zones. PvP dries up, there are no raids, and you can almost hear the continents sleeping.The breakfast topic part: How does this compare to the American servers? In Europe, we're generally at most one hour distant from the server time, so while there's something of a staggered night, there's a definite "quiet period". With more timezones to span, however, do the US servers ever get quiet?
