First came the JAMBOX, Jawbone‘s play on the portable Bluetooth speaker, all the way back in 2010. Then the JAMBOX got supersized, as the BIG JAMBOX, for those times when more music meant more fun. Finally, we have the new baby of the bunch, the Jawbone MINI JAMBOX, a sleeker version of the original intended […]
We live in an age where Wi-Fi connectivity is taken for granted in many public places, and even when one is on their daily commute, our mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets can double up as portable hotspots so that other folks too, are able to jump aboard the wireless bandwagon. Of course, going wireless involves more than just ensuring your webpage can be served up on your computer or mobile device sans cables, but it will also involve audio being transferred, too. Ematic has unveiled what they deem as their first ever Bluetooth, wireless speaker, calling it the ESB100.
The ESB100 happens to be a portable, compact speaker that is roughly the approximate size of a softball which delivers big sound, but has positioned it such that they hope to turn it into a “must have” item for consumers who are always on-the-go, thanks to its built-in microphone that delivers hands-free calling as well as support for voice actions.
The Ematic ESB100 will tip the scales at under a pound, where it will play nice with a range of devices such as Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and tablets among others. Not only that, it boasts of over 30-feet of working wireless range as with any decent Bluetooth enabled device would come with, but you also have the additional option of making use of the line-in function, letting you listen to your favorite tunes straight from a connected device. There will be Aux In and Aux Out ports which make it suitable for multiple connecting options, and it also enables the ESB100 to double up as a wireless receiver for your home stereo system.
Since this is a portable device, the kind of battery life that comes with it would be crucial to its relative success in the market. We do know that it comes with approximately 35 hours of non-stop playtime, making it the ideal tool for long road trips, vacations, beach trips, and parties. Charging an exhausted ESB100 is a snap – you can use the microUSB cable or the included wall charger. Expect the Ematic ESB100 to retail for $49.99 a pop.
Press Release
[ Ematic ESB100 Bluetooth wireless speaker lets you live free of pesky wires copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
This dinky little cube is HTC’s answer to the slew of Bluetooth speakers saturating the market—but unlike the rest, this thing only boosts bass, leaving your phone to handle the treble.
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While we were playing with HTC’s latest toys, the company let us fiddle with an engineering sample of the BoomBass. The weighty little cube is a Bluetooth 3.0+EDR speaker that pairs to your smartphone over NFC and offers a slide-out base to prop up your device for impromptu dance parties. The 1,200 mAh internal battery that promises nine hours of playback is charged with a microUSB cable, but unfortunately can’t be used to give your phone an extra bit of juice. We know that the little cube will arrive partway through October, but there’s no word on — yet — pricing, so you can keep yourself amused while we wait for a figure by flicking through the gallery of hands-on images we’ve got for you. %Gallery-slideshow77136%
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio/Video, Mobile, HTC
This is a sort of hardware / software announcement for Spotify, a hardware partnership with a number of big names in audio like Philips, Pioneer, Bang & Olufsen, Denon, Marantz and Yamaha that allows you to keep the party going on those Spotify playlists. Start playing one on your handset, click play on a compatible speaker system, and it will keep streaming on the speaker without interruption — even when you take a call or leave the vicinity of your WiFi network. The audio system will actually start streaming music directly from the cloud. That means you can, say, turn on an iPad in another room and let your party guests skip songs — though, granted, that might not be the greatest idea, depending on who you invite.
Specific devices have yet to be named, though compatible systems will be branded with a Spotify Connect logo, so you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into. Those should be arriving in a late-October / early-November timeframe. Spotify will be holding up its end of the bargain by rolling out a software update for iOS ahead of those launches. Android and other operating systems will be receiving it at a later date.
We’ve featured a sound system called the Transparent Speaker, which really only has a glass case. Two post-doctoral fellows at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) made an actual transparent speaker. It’s stretchable too. But the loudspeaker is not an electronic device; it’s an ionic device.
Instead of electrons, Jeong-Yun Sun and Christoph Keplinger’s speaker uses ions in an electrolyte to transport electric charge. The speaker is made of a thin and transparent sheet of rubber sandwiched between two layers of polyacrylamide gel filled with saltwater. When a high-voltage current is passed through these layers, the rubber sheet acts as a diaphragm. Harvard SEAS reports that this clear device can produce any sound in the “entire audible spectrum”, from 20Hz to 20KHz.
The speaker demonstrates two of the key advantages of an ionic device over an electronic device – transparency and elasticity – but there’s a third benefit: biocompatibility. Ionic devices are easier to incorporate into living creatures compared to electronics. They may also be used to create what Keplinger calls soft machines: “Engineered ionic systems can achieve a lot of functions that our body has: they can sense, they can conduct a signal, and they can actuate movement. We’re really approaching the type of soft machine that biology has to offer.”
With that kind of potential, it’s not surprising that there have been previous efforts to make ionic conductors for practical use. Harvard SEAS explained that ionic conductors are prone to undergoing chemical reactions – including, uhm, combustion – when exposed to high voltage, and that ions move slower through a circuit compared to electrons due to their size and weight. Fortunately, Sun and Keplinger’s ionic conductor “overcomes both of these problems.” You can read the full report on Harvard SEAS’ website.
[via The Verge]
In what is perhaps the most science-fiction worthy story of the week, scientists at Harvard have created a gel-based speaker that is both clear and stretchy, able to play music while demonstrating the abilities of ionic conductors. To show off its capabilities, the scientists used it to play the “Morning” prelude from Peer Gynt. You […]
Now that hardware manufacturers have more or less figured out a way to roll out devices that are thin and svelte, looking sharp from all angles, it is about time to up the ante – and this is achieved through the waterproofing of a particular device. Pyle Audio has already ventured into this particular area, introducing the SurfSound-TALK Bluetooth waterproof speaker and handset, which so happens to be a lightweight and user-friendly Bluetooth speaker/handset.
You could say that the SurfSound-TALK is capable of delivering high end cellphone performance, except that you can be a whole lot less careless with it, since it comes in a portable, waterproof audio device. The SurfSound-TALK is able to let its users connect and stream music, in addition to receiving private phone calls with its waterproof handset. Meeting IP-47 construction standards, this makes it waterproof as well as dustproof, and there is also the inclusion of a rechargeable battery which is capable of delivering up to 8 hours of non-stop music or talk time. Apart from that, there are also convenient telephone options that enables users to answer calls with a handset or speaker phone using Bluetooth connectivity from your smartphone.
Not only that, there is also the additional feature that would enable volume control and song selection straight from the SurfSound-TALK, so that the user is able to keep their phone at a safe distance from the water – definitely a smart move, unless you too, happen to be in possession of a smartphone which is waterproof. Now that would be something, no? Apart from that, it will also play nice with all Bluetooth devices, delivering the ultimate music playing experience from other compatible devices such as MP3 players, portable media players, smartphones or tablets.
Available in blue, white or black shades, the SurfSound-TALK Bluetooth speaker and handset will cost you $64.99 a pop.
Press Release
[ Pyle Audio introduces SurfSound-TALK Bluetooth waterproof device copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
The thinner our devices become, the less room there is for speakers and other thicker components. Kyocera has a solution, however: it just modified its Smart Sonic Receiver conduction technology for use with conventional, over-the-air audio. The company’s new Smart Sonic Sound device still relies on a piezoelectric actuator, but vibrates against a film to generate as much volume as a regular speaker in a far thinner (under 1.5mm thick) design. The new speaker might even sound better than its traditional counterparts. It delivers full volume and quality in a 180-degree listening arc, and it’s responsive enough to recreate very subtle noises. Smart Sonic Sound is already shipping in LG’s 55-inch curved OLED TV, and Kyocera expects it to reach laptops, tablets and other devices where interior space is valuable.
Update: Our colleagues at Engadget Japanese have posted their first-hand look at Kyocera’s speaker technology, complete with a gallery of live photos; we’ve posted two of them here.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Laptops, Tablets, HD, Mobile, LG
Source: Kyocera
Kyocera is currently working on what they call “Smart Sonic Sound”, which happens to be a piezo film speaker that was specially developed for everyday consumer electronics devices such as TVs, computers and tablets. This ultra-thin, lightweight (where the medium sized model measures just 1mm thick, or should I say thin, tipping the scales at 7 grams) audio device might actually usher in an age of even slimmer TVs, computers and tablets. Of course, being slim is one thing, but how about enhancing the audio quality to a degree where it delivers a far more realistic audio experience? Sporting low directivity characteristics that will broaden the sound projection range, the Smart Sonic Sound provides 180-degree sound quality while bringing delicate and minute sounds to life.
In fact, this is the first time LG Electronics will utilize this innovative piezo actuator audio technology in their new 55” curved-screen OLED TV. You will be able to find the Smart Sonic Sound in three different sizes – large, medium and small, and we might see an expansion in its applications down the road in different digital devices, including automotive applications with strict weight requirements. What other devices would you like to see Kyocera’s Smart Sonic Sound see action in?
Kyocera Piezo Film Speaker Developed For TVs, PCs, Tablets original content from Ubergizmo. 
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