AudioController
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Fresco Logic unveils USB 3.0 Audio / Video controller: thinks one screen good, two screens better
While plenty of glossy or tactile goods have come to light at Computex this year, sometimes the chips, boards and internals need a little love too. Fresco Logic, for example, has unveiled what it claims is the world's first USB 3.0 audio / video class display controller -- the FL2000. Good news for Ultrabook and tablet manufacturers (and other display-based devices of course,) which can benefit from high-quality second display functionality without the need for additional video connectors. Time for another screen in your life, perhaps?
Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound 5 Encore redefines 'affordable,' looks good doing it (video)
It's certainly been a while since Bang & Olufsen's given any love to its gorgeous (but pricey) BeoSound 5, but refining self-proclaimed perfection takes... well, about three years. The more affordable $3,350 BeoSound 5 Encore carries over the svelte 10.4-inch LCD / scroll wheel toting controller from its predecessor, but nixes the BeoMaster music server requirement, allowing it to run headless (and in turn save you bookodles of cash). So how does one play tunes if it rides solo? With a bevy of new connectivity options: content can now be slung over USB (be it via a "mobile device," thumb key or hard drive), from a NAS, over A2DP Bluetooth, or from one of 13,000 internet radio stations. It'll ship in August, which'll leave you plenty of time to count those pennies, and perhaps to ponder why it couldn't spring for finer graphics in the video that awaits you beyond the fold.
Arduino and accelerometer harmoniously come together in DIY music controller
Look, Physical Computing can be a drain. Particularly when your Summa Cum Laude status is hinging on you acing the final. We're guessing that one Ryan Raffa managed to pull off a pretty decent grade, as his final project is nothing short of delectable. In a (presumably successful) attempt to wow onlookers and professors alike, Ryan cooked up an audio controller that utilized an ADXL 335 accelerometer (for motion sensing) and an Arduino board that communicates serially with Max MSP. The controller itself boasts inputs for five tracks and the sixth button applies a delay to all of the tracks; he was even kind enough to host up the Max MSP and Arduino code (it's there in the source link), and if you're interested in hearing what all the fuss is about, be sure to hop past the break and mash play.
