sound
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Verizon's G'zOne Boulder now shipping with front speaker
Yeah, you read that correctly. Now shipping with a front speaker. If you'll have a look at the original version (after the break) and compare the front to the image you see above, it's easy to spot the difference. With no rhyme, reason or official announcement, Casio has apparently started shipping VZW a refreshed version of the rough and tough G'zOne Boulder. According to the owner of this here mobile, the model number now sits at C711ORXB, though the significance of that is anyone's guess. We know, your "old" Boulder now feels totally inadequate -- shame a simple software update can't bring it up to speed.[Via phoneArena]
Wearable toy piano makes music, looks good doing it
Now here's a concept. A musical shirt with enough transistors to make even the hardest of hardcore nerd blush, and a long-sleeve garment fashionable enough to make even the world-class design student stop and admire. Mashed into one. The Musical toy piano shirt is that very piece, which was constructed to wow onlookers at the Electronic Textile workshop held this month in Switzerland. Packing removable batteries, speakers and circuitry, the shirt enables the wearer to emit eight different notes from Do to Do, and we hear there's nothing quite as cute as playing a song on yourself. See what we mean in the vid hosted just after the break. [Via Coolest-Gadgets]
VFD from VCR generates 40 VDC to power DIY amp
So, this is a pretty ingenious use of spare time. With a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) from a VCR used as the amplifier, a crafty DIY-er was able to power a pair of headphones. We'll be honest, the wiring specifics are totally irrelevant to our interests, but this sure does look awesome and we might buy one if it was commercially available. The amplified power is, in the maker's own words, "limited," but that's not really the point, and we have a feeling that Thomas Dolby sounded just as scientific (and awesome) as he would through the greatest headphones ever made. [Via Make]
HTIB shootout picks the best at a variety of price points
We've already seen one speaker guide pop up this fall / winter, but for those not so keen on piecing together a multi-channel setup themselves, PC World has a solid alternative. It has taken a cold, hard look at seven home-theater-in-box (HTIB) setups ranging from $500 to $3,000 and picked the best one at each price level. We won't spoil anything here, but if you've been looking for some assistance in choosing from the plethora of options out there, this ain't a bad place to get educated.
NXE creating HDMI headaches for UK Xbox 360 owners?
The path to Netflix-enhanced glory hasn't been entirely trouble free for everyone, this time it's posters on AVForum noticing a distinct lack of audio on Xbox 360s connected to their HDTV by HDMI. So far suggested solutions for the afflicted include plugging in the hard drive while the system is on, or waiting several minutes before switching the monitor to HDMI, and repeating them every time the system is started. It's not the first time we've heard of UK-centric HDMI weirdness, any of you hearing a whole lot of nothing while gaming (that's not attributable to hard drive installs)?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
DTS posts profitable quarter, expects bright future thanks to Blu-ray
There aren't too many firms out there posting awesome Q3 reports, but DTS is one of the rare exceptions. Recently, the firm reported a net income of $2 million on revenues of $14 million, though $1.6 million of those revenues were in the form of royalties. CEO Jon Kirchner was quoted as saying that "overall, we remain cautious about the near-term industry outlook, but we continue to believe in the attractive long-term prospects for the Blu-ray format and for our business." Guess that's assuming Blu-ray adoption picks up in Q4 and beyond, huh?
Sensory Overload
Unlike a great many of my friends and acquaintances, I'm on record as liking the graphical design of Outland and The Burning Crusade. I never had any trouble distinguishing between the Naaru and their crystal, dimensional ships and spacecraft, I absolutely love the Draenei and the Exodar, I'm a big fan of Nagrand and the stark, barren and destroyed vistas of Netherstorm and Shadowmoon Valley. So I expected that, unlike what seems to be the majority of players, I would in fact be dissatisfied with the visual design of Wrath of the Lich King.As you can see, however, they realized some of us would be hard sells, so they let me dual wield two hand weapons from the back of a flying carpet. Blizzard, how do you know me better than I do? I didn't even know I wanted to do that!
NanoVibronix cleared to market ultrasonic painkiller PainShield MD
NanoVibronix's PainShield MD reminds us (a little bit) of DARPA's wound-healing ultrasound wrap, but its purpose is to stop pain, not bleeding. The pocket-sized device emits ultrasonic waves through a disposable patch that can easily be slapped onto the patient's skin. The fundamental tech isn't new, but NanoVibronix is hoping doctors and patients will pick PainShield up because it's portable and convenient; the patch means medical personnel don't have to hold or operate anything during treatment. It's just been cleared by the FDA, so it should reach the market soon-ish.
BlizzCon 2008: Blizzard sound panel
I am, I must admit, one of those people who frequently plays World of Warcraft with the sound muted. I've been playing for a long time and, well, I've heard it all before. So, as a person who doesn't exactly consider sound an essential component of their gaming experience, I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into when I attended the Blizzard Sound panel at BlizzCon, featuring In attendance were Russell Brower, Director of Audio and Video; Glenn Stafford, who founded the audio department; and Derek Duke, a full-time composer. But, presented with live musical performances accompanied by enthusiastic explanation from people passionate about making music a part of the game, I have to say I'm a believer.
Video: Gears of War 2 sound choices: Meaty vs. Crunchy
Epic Games has put together a little video for Maxim about the audio in Gears of War 2. Snore-worthy, right? Nope. It's actually a fun little six-minute romp showcasing the work that goes into all the little sounds we'll hear in the game releasing Nov. 7. An interesting factoid is that 85% of the audio in the game is new, according to Audio Director Mike Larson. There's also a brief interview with the game's composer, Steve Jablonsky, who did the music for Command & Conquer 3 and the Transformers movie. Check it out after the break.
Create Digital Music rounds up iTouch / iPhone music apps
The lovely and talented Peter Kirn over at Create Digital Music has posted a round up of music apps for the iPod / iTouch platform. The list includes tools for using your iPhone as a MIDI/OSC controller, making random weird digital art, visualizing your music and, er, listening to Snow Patrol's next album, amongst other apps. Peter's a thoughtful critic and his evaluations are pretty detailed and thorough.If you're an aspiring iPhone musician / DJ/ sound designer, this is definitely a good place to start finding useful apps.
Dolby Volume featured on H/K AVR 7550HD and Arcam FMJ AVR600
Dolby's homegrown volume controlling technology has wiggled into a few HDTVs here and there, but now the tech is finally maneuvering into devices that HT amateurs / professionals will end up seeing. At CEDIA, Dolby is announcing that it's Dolby Volume will be featured in the all new Harman Kardon AVR 7550HD and Arcam FMJ AVR600. For those that forgot, Dolby Volume is an approach to "delivering consistent volume levels across a wide variety of content, channel programming, or input sources," giving users fed up with those astonishingly loud MHD Palladia commercials a better, more lawful way to deal. Whole release is after the cut.
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).
CasaTunes pipes multiple audio streams to multiple rooms
Need another option for streaming multiple jams to multiple places? Enter CasaTunes, which is debuting a pair of devices along with accompanying software today at CEDIA. The CasaTunes XLi sits neatly within just about any desktop PC, and when connected to a CasaTunes XLa or third-party amplifier (plus speakers, natch), users can stream five separate sources of music to up to six rooms. Yeah, as in it'll manage which tracks are being pumped to which rooms. The entirely more professional CasaTunes XLe (pictured) is a rack-mount version of the XLi that adds support for 12 rooms and can be scaled up to support four boxes (or 48 rooms). There's built-in support for playing back songs coated with Microsoft's DRM, though there's no mention of any others. As for pricing / availability, expect the XLi to ship in September for $999 while the XLe departs sometime in Q4 for $1,699. Full release is after the break. %Gallery-30203%
Earthrise sound effects designer discusses influences and approach
Earthrise is the upcoming post-apocalyptic MMO being developed in Bulgaria by Masthead Studios. We've been keeping an eye on this title at Massively, but admittedly it hasn't been that difficult so far. Although Masthead Studios is a comparative newcomer to the MMO industry, the company has been doing a good job of raising awareness of Earthrise through the press, while fostering an active community which is eagerly awaiting beta. Their latest media coverage comes to us through Massimo Villa's interview with Earthrise's Kamen Atanasov, Sound Effects Designer for the title. The interview touches on how Atanasov progressed from being a freelance sound designer to working on the audio backdrop of Earthrise. If you're curious about the development of this title, check out this Q&A with Kamen Atanasov. [Thanks, Nolvadex.]
Stargate Worlds reaches 200k beta signups, dev chat on Friday
The Stargate Worlds team announced yesterday that 200,000 people have signed up for the game's beta test. That's not an unimpressive number, although both Age of Conan and Warhammer Online reported a lot more (but at later stages in development). Of course, history has shown that the number of beta applicants doesn't necessarily reflect on a game's post-launch popularity.In other Stargate Worlds-related news, the game's sound designer (Nick LaMartina) will be participating in a live dev chat that will be open to all on Friday the 22nd at 11:00 AM Pacific time. Head over to the Stargate Worlds website for details and links on reaching the IRC chat room where it will take place.When we visited Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment just over a month ago, a representative told us that the company was hoping to start the closed beta phase before the end of the summer. We've been a bit skeptical. Time's a-tickin'!
Intempo unveils iPod-lovin' RDi-W / Fusion speaker systems
What can we say? Intempo has launched a new pair of iPod-compatible speaker systems, and unless you're somehow just entering the market for one in the latter half of 2008, chances are you're already yawning. Nevertheless, the RDi-W (pictured) does distinguish itself somewhat by including support for DAB and wireless internet radio, and there's a 30-watt internal amplifier to kick out the jams. The much drabber Fusion keeps things small and simple by offering up just 25-watts of power and DAB / FM tuners. Expect the couple to sashay into e-tailers next month for £169.99 ($316) / £99 ($184).Read - RDi-WRead - Fusion
SoundMeter for iPhone
Do you need to make basic sound level measurements? For example, do you want to prove that your next door neighbor really is playing music loud enough to make your ears bleed?Faber Acoustical is coming to your rescue with their US$19.99 SoundMeter for iPhone. They discovered that both the built-in and headset microphones of the iPhone have a flat enough frequency response to make them useful for measuring sound levels. To quote the technical part of their press release, "SoundMeter measures average sound levels with fast, slow, and impulse time weightings. Peak, maximum, and equivalent sound levels are also available. All sound levels may be measured with Flat, A, or C frequency weighting." Got that?Faber notes that SoundMeter doesn't meet ANSI or IEC standards for precision sound level meters, but it works very well as an inexpensive level meter for hobbyists. They recommend not using the built-in mic on first-generation iPhones (the headset may be used instead), and SoundMeter should be calibrated prior to use.Faber Acoustical also produces two other really impressive iPhone apps, SignalScope and SignalSuite. SoundMeter for iPhone is available in the App Store now (click opens iTunes). [via prMac]
soundmatters reveals SLIMstage40 surround bar
Look out, Yamaha / Polk / Vizio / et al., you've got another rival heating up the surround bar game. Destined to hit CEDIA 2008, soundmatters' SLIMstage40 checks in at a luscious 3.3- x 3.4- x 39-inches in size and features 170-watts from eight internal amplifiers. The device houses four Linear Magnetic Drive main / satellite speakers and a trio of down-firing Extreme-Energy subs that are assisted by six mass radiators. Furthermore, you'll find three digital audio inputs (two optical, one coaxial), three analog inputs, a headphone jack, LED-backlit panel, an RS-232 port and an IR remote. Folks interesting in dabbling in faux-surround can snag one now for $899 to $1,199, depending on whether you spring for the bundle including the SUBstage100 subwoofer.
Meridian $3K F80 home entertainment system gets reviewed
Before you unload $2,995 on anything, you're likely going to want the opinion of someone who has had a chance to try things out beforehand, no? Working under that assumption, we present to you a review of Meridian's stratospherically priced F80. Proudly called "the most expensive tabletop music system in the history of the civilized world," this unit was seen as a "model for all tabletop systems," with the reviewer even begging everyone else to look at this before starting up design on yet another ho hum alternative. The critic also noted that this unit pulled off what he thought was impossible: "identifiable left- and right-channel sound from a system that measures only 16-inches wide." As expected, the F80 was indeed the "best" he had ever heard in this category, but the omission of an iPod dock was a sore spot. For those with more disposable income than they know what to do with, this one seems a surefire winner; for everyone else, it's not worth going into debt over.
