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Solar-powered hearing aids improve life in developing nations
The SolarAid really isn't much different than your average hearing aid in function -- it enables hearing-impaired individuals to get a better listen at the world around them. The difference, however, comes from its source of energy. Through a series of tragic and fortunate events, Howard Weinstein wound up in Africa with a goal in mind: to concoct a hearing aid that even the poorest of citizens could afford. Through a series of grants and help from hordes of deaf individuals that had no qualms holding a soldering iron, some 20,000 folks in 30 countries are currently using the solar-powered devices. Best of all, the mastermind isn't slowing down, as he's looking to expand the nonprofit into the Middle East, China and India in the not-too-distant future.[Via CrunchGear]
Patch 2.4.1 available for download
Extended Maintenance has begun, and it looks like a small patch has come with it. Patch 2.4.1 is less than 5 megabytes, and looks to mostly fix a few bugs with the combat log (including that annoying one where no settings were saved), sound, and shading, as well as a bug with Tranquilizing Shot. There might be more undocumented changes, of course, but we'll have to wait until the servers come up to see that. Patch notes after the break!
Sounding off on ingame sound
If you checked out the unofficial changes in patch 2.4, you'll have noticed (or just heard on the realms) that quite a few sounds got changed. Some are louder (as in that annoying PW: Shield sound), some are quieter, and some are just plain missing (it's a known bug that Tigers and Sabers don't roar anymore). But this brings up an interesting debate: many players are saying that they never would have noticed -- they rarely ever play with sound on anyway.Playing with music off is one thing (and yes, many people prefer to listen to their own music while playing), but playing with the sound completely off seems like it would be tough -- there are a lot of audio cues going on in the game, and with sound off, you might not notice that a party member accidentally pulled another mob offscreen, or that someone behind you is casting a certain spell, or any number of other things that have specific audio to them. That doesn't need to be the only thing you listen to (I usually have to turn down the game sound during raids, just so I can hear what's going on in Vent), but surely listening to game sound makes you a better player.Do you keep the sound muted all the time, and if so, why? And do you have any trouble playing if you do? Of course, it does help you avoid that annoying PW:S sound, but as someone who keeps the game sound up (though not the music), it seems like there are specific cues meant to be heard while playing the game. Don't you miss those with the sound off?
Iwata asks about Wii Fit, Volume 4
The fourth and final segment of Iwata Asks deals with an often overlooked part of gaming -- sound. The interview also focuses on the design and planning of Wii Fit.Three of the people Iwata questioned had previously worked on Zelda games, which (as you can imagine) are completely different than Wii Fit. Toru Minegishi talks about the challenges when making music for Wii Fit as opposed to Zelda, which was our favorite part of the interview.For some interesting anecdotes, and to know what some of the developers' favorite things about Wii Fit are, make sure to hit up the last Iwata Asks, Wii Fit edition.%Gallery-4745%
Super Bowl XLII heads to 28 countries in HD, takes Neural-THX with it
It seems like just yesterday that we were stoked to hear that Sky would be broadcasting Super Bowl XLI in HD across the pond, but a release this year put forth by THX is proclaiming that out of the 223 countries in which Super Bowl XLII will be shown, 28 of them will have the luxury of seeing it in high-definition. Additionally, Neural Audio Corporation, THX and the NFL have teamed up to deliver the international HD broadcast of the big game in Neural-THX Surround. For those still unfamiliar with the technology, it takes the 5.1 sound from the field, beams it over stereo channels to minimize bandwidth usage and then gets decoded by specially equipped receivers to deliver "5.1 surround" in the living room. Still, the trio of entities are pretty jazzed about the whole idea -- you know, considering it's the first time ever that international viewers get even a shadow of true surround sound for the Super Bowl.
Alpine adds brains to in-car equalization with IMPRINT architecture
We've already seen a few of Alpine's latest products take advantage of its IMPRINT sound system architecture, but now we're finally getting a few more details on what the technology actually brings to the proverbial table. Put simply, it utilizes Audyssey's MultEQ acoustic correction technology to "measure and analyze the entire interior space," after which it combines results with a set of equalization filters to produce the best sound for each environment. As if that weren't impressive enough, the integrated RoadEQ is also there to "compensate for music distorted by vehicle / road noise." Granted, this all sounds fairly spectacular on paper, but whether or not it actually redefines your in-car listening experience remains to be seen heard.
See your sounds with AudioFinder 4.7
AudioFinder fits a niche that I admittedly don't have a lot of experience in, but I just gave version 4.7 a test run and I'm impressed. OK, so it got me with its not-bad looks to start with, which gave it a leg up on most of the other prosumer-level audio asset managers I've played with. But it quickly lived up to its moniker with Finder-like ease-of-use and powerful features made simple. I loved that it integrated completely with Finder, and that it provided an interface for viewing audio that was as powerful as anything I've seen for graphics previews. I haven't seen any app at any price do this as simply. A keyboard in the main window lets you pitch sounds in realtime, as well as run them through AudioUnits. It essentially has a full editor built into the "Finder" panel that is powerful without being domineering. There is a free level (sound browsing only) available if you request an activation code. The list price for full activation is $69.95 and the demo of 4.7 is available for download. At the time of this writing the website still says the download is version 4.6.3, but it's not. I checked, just for you.
Activision replacing mono Guitar Hero III discs for Wii
Good news! Turns out your right ear wasn't insane after all. Apparently, Activision has simultaneously fessed up to the lack of stereo on "some" Guitar Hero III discs for the Wii and offered to make amends. Company spokeswoman Rhy-Ming Poon stated that the firm "recently became aware that some consumers have not been able to enjoy the full audio output in the Nintendo Wii version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," and added that it was "currently working with Nintendo and planning to issue an improved audio experience in future versions of the game." For users who already bought in, these re-mastered discs should be available at no cost sometime in early 2008, but specifics beyond that weren't disclosed. So yeah, at least you can count on a stereo version hitting your mailbox, but unfortunately, it won't be before the holiday break.[Thanks, Jason]
2.3: Live vs. PTR
Now that you've gotten a bit of a chance to look at the live patch notes for 2.3, let's go over what's changed between this version and the latest PTR build. Some of these seem to have been in the PTR already, but just not listed in the patch notes; others are genuinely new. I tried to screen out all the bits we knew already from the PTR, but some probably made it through. I'll put the ones that look relatively significant up front, and the full list after the cut. This post will mostly be of use to those of you who have been playing on the PTR and/or keeping up with the PTR news; if you haven't been and you want to know what's up with this patch, you'd do better to go look at the full patch notes. Rogue Dirty Deeds now also increases special ability damage against enemies below 35% health. [Used to just say "...increases damage against..."; this changes seems to imply that it now does not affect white damage.] Shadowstep: minimum range removed. Now works on any target within 25 yards. [Warlock] Unstable Affliction: The silence from this ability is now subject to diminishing returns. [Engineering] The Crashin' Thrashin' Robot is now Bind on Use rather than Bind on Acquire so non-engineers can use them as well. Health and mana values for your target can now be displayed numerically, as values or as percentages (was previously the case only for you/your party members). Added a Use Hardware [sound] option. This should only be used by advanced users with specific hardware configurations, as it may significantly alter your sound performance.
Bird Electronics unveils palm-sized DJ5 micro mixer
For the DJ looking to stuff his / her entire setup into an array of cargo pockets, we've found your mixer of choice. Bird Electronics' DJ5 is the likely successor to the overly simplistic DJ4 that we saw earlier this year, but this beauty packs a bit more functionality into a not-too-much larger package. Set to go on sale next week, the palm-sized unit features a pair of 3.5-millimeter input and output jacks, left / right headphone volume and a slide switch for Line 1 / Line 2 / Mix. Best of all, you can power this thing with just a trio of AA cells, so there's no need to fret if that AC plug is chillin' out on the opposite side of the room. Get set to mix things up real soon for ¥15,000 ($132), and click on through for a few more shots.[Via Impress]
Hardware sound acceleration to return in 2.3
There's yet more Patch 2.3 news, this time for people who have been having problems with sound ever since the sound upgrades in 2.2. As Cicero noted from his experience on the test realms, "all my sound problems were gone. I can hear myself cast again, no more clipped sounds..."Those of you who have been suffering unduly may wish to go to the test realms and try it out. I haven't been able to do so myself due to some computer limitations, but I wonder if our readers who have visited the test realms can comment on any differences they can hear. Are things really as good as Cicero says?
2.2.3 on the PTR
Looks like we got a little ahead of ourselves. Before we see 2.3 on the PTRs, we're going to see 2.2.3, a small patch that is supposed to bugfix a lot of the sound problems that players are having. Patch notes are complete below, and I'm betting that if the Kael event isn't fixed yet, a fix for that will also be included in this patch. We can only hope that we'll see a small PTR appearance for 2.2.3 (so test it extra fast, folks), and then the gloriousness of 2.3 will grace us with its presence.PTR 2.2.3 Patch Notes Clients utilizing OpenGL video modes will no longer experience graphical anomalies and missing textures after minimizing/maximizing the window. Fixed an issue that caused Fel Eye Stalks during the Legion Ring event to not despawn when the event is completed. Fixed an issue where zoning after mounting and summoning a pet was disconnecting players. Fixed an issue where the Shift key would get stuck in game. Using a /equip macro while affected by certain crowd control spells will no longer cause the items in the macro to be stuck in your inventory. Continued after the jump...[ via MMO Champion ]
Draenei skin, or seeing Azeroth through all five senses
I love the question that juliamarcela over on Livejournal asks: What does Draenei skin feel like? Obviously Tauren are hairy cows, and almost all the other races are more or less Human (even if the color is a little different). But the Draenei are completely alien. Sure, they're probably not scaly or slimy, but it probably feels different than most skin we know. I like julia's suggestion, too: like shark skin.And I think I like that question so much because it brings Azeroth alive for our senses. What do mana potions really taste like? What does Shadowmoon Valley smell like? The prairie in Nagrand is probably a little firmer under your feet than the lands of Azeroth (considering it's just rock down there), but Swamp of Sorrows is probably a muddy mess to get through. And what does it feel like when you actually pass through the Dark Portal-- do you get to watch that scene from Stargate as you fly through the stars?I'm known to DM a D&D game on occasion, and I can tell you that there's no better way to bring a fictional setting to life than to imagine it through all of your five senses. From Draenei skin to what surely is a hot sulfur smell drifting through the Burning Steppes, I find it extremely interesting to think of what being in Azeroth would really be like.
Creative offered help to Blizzard with sound engine
As you may have heard on this very website, Blizzard didn't just include voice chat in patch 2.2 (and how's that coming, by the way? anyone use it yet?). They put a whole new sound engine into the game. For some people, that's great news-- a reader sent us a note last night that he was surprised to hear his rear 5.1 speakers kick on in Karazhan. But for others, not so good. While there are a few little glitches and bugs floating around, it seems there's a big problem with Creative sound cards (definitely one of the most popular sound card brands out there). And Creative has posted on their message boards that officially, they're not very happy that Blizzard didn't consult them when upgrading their sound engine.Apparently Blizzard's new engine, called FMOD, by default uses a generic mixer with just a few simple effects. Creative has worked with FMOD to develop a way to run sound through their hardware and enable 3D mixing and other effects (they did this for the PC version of Bioshock, which also uses FMOD), but Blizzard apparently doesn't want any part of it.So it seems Blizzard treats other hardware vendors the same way they treat their own players-- Creative says they got no advance notice that changes were being made, and apparently requests on why the changes were made have gone unanswered. Of course, Blizzard doesn't have to answer to Creative at all (and maybe they just don't think it's necessary-- I have a Creative Audigy 2 ZS, and my WoW sounds all right, if just a little different). But when we're talking about the biggest online PC game in the world and the biggest sound card manufacturer in the world, it would behoove them both to get along, and make the game sound better for everyone.Thanks, Jack!
Bose introduces Computer MusicMonitor desktop speakers
Bose, everyone's favorite quasi-audiophile audio-goods manufacturer is lowering themselves down into the seedy world of PC audio and introducing a new set of speakers designed for your desktop. The new Computer MusicMonitors -- 5-inch by 2-inch, 25-watt speakers with "dual internal opposing passover radiators" -- are Bose's first foray into a busy market already crowded by scores of other models, though the Boston-based company thinks they've got something new to bring to the game. "I think the demand for smaller and better sound will never stop," said a Bose business manager who introduced the new system, adding, "this is our best effort to deliver lifelike sound from something smaller than we've ever done before." For those willing to drop $399 on your computer speakers, these beauties can be yours on October 4th.
Guardian headphones tattle when the volume gets cranked
Here's one that the carefree kiddos are sure to hate. Hamilton Electronics has unveiled a wired set of headphones dubbed Guardian, which put an interesting twist on limiting the volume that one hears. Rather than including some form of internal volume diminisher, these cans sport red and green LCDs on an earcup which light up depending on how loud you've got the music cranked. As you'd expect, the green LED signifies that the volume within is perfectly acceptable, while nudging that knob to 11 will cue the red light to glow, consequently leading your paranoid mother to remove them from your head entirely. Yeah, you'll have to hand over $39.95 to pick 'em up, but trust us, it's for your own good.[Via I4U News]
OINA bringing lossless audio to Bluetooth devices
Audiophiles hoping to get a bit more clarity out of those Bluetooth cans can officially get excited, as Open Interface North America (OINA) has just announced plans to introduce a new lossless codec for stereo audio known as SOUNDabout Lossless. Unsurprisingly, the firm is keeping its secrets on the DL for now, but recent demonstrations showed that it will have a latency as low as two-milliseconds and never exceed ten-milliseconds. Additionally, power consumption was intentionally kept low in order to preserve that precious battery life, and just in case you couldn't guess, it'll only stream properly with Bluetooth 2.0 gizmos. Sadly, there's no firm dates to mark on your calendar just yet, but the company is currently estimating that the codec will be ready to rock in detail never before heard over BT "as early as 2008."
IRENE seeks to digitize, preserve fragile recordings
Granted, it's no Commodore 64, but the Library of Congress is yet again warming up to modern technology in order to save some of its most precious at-risk recordings from decades (or longer) ago. Dubbed IRENE (Image, Reconstruct, Erase, Noise, Etc.), the system was created by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to help preservationists "rapidly convert 78 rpm shellac and acetate discs" to digital form, and it is slated to also "remove debris and extraneous sounds that contribute to the deterioration of recordings." The next step in the sound restoration project is to create a fetching system that is simplistic enough for employees to understand and utilize, and we suspect the RAID vendors are already lining up to provide the terabytes exabytes of storage that will likely be needed.[Image courtesy of IRENE]
DS Daily: Volume up or volume down?
When you play DS games, do you usually listen to the music and sound effects if they're not essential to gameplay? The DS has many fine features, but its speaker is really not one of them. Still, some games manage some great music that really enhances the gaming experience ... and some don't. Give us the aural rundown -- sound, yea or nay? If yea, then do you rely on the speaker, or do you employ headphones?
A look at the auditory pleasure Halo 3 will bring
Listen to this. No, it's not just the sound of a creaky old door, it's the sound of a creaky old door that'll be in Halo 3.Over on Bungie.net lukems posted an insiders look into how sounds and music are being implemented into Halo 3 and the craziness that's going on right now. Most interesting is the talk of how Halo 3 handles weapon sounds at a distance. Most games (including Halo 2) use one sound clip for weapons up close and at a distance, simply turning down the volume the further away a shot is being fired. But that's not good enough for Halo 3, oh no. Instead each weapon has three different unique sounds for close, medium, and distant ranges. The end result is a cross-fade mixture of weapon sounds from varying ranges that creates a unique Halo 3 sound. Geeky isn't it? Read all the details to how sound will play into the whole Halo 3 experience after the jump.
