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Acoustic
Holograms you can feel
By Darren Quick
00:53 August 10, 2009 PDT
Star Trek’s Holodeck has just became a little closer to reality with news researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed a technique that allows 3D holograms to be “touched”. By blending a holographic display, a couple of Nintendo Wiimotes and an ultrasound phenomenon called acoustic radiation pressure, the researchers were able to create the Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display - a system that can give the feeling of holographic raindrops hitting an outstretched hand or a virtual creature running across a palm. Read More
Noise-free rubber promises a quieter ride
By Jeff Salton
16:20 July 1, 2009 PDT
A quieter, more enoyable ride could be just around the corner with the development of a self-lubricated, low-friction rubber formulation that helps overcome noise caused by certain automotive components like suspension bushings and engine mounts. Read More
Researchers create acoustic metamaterial ‘superlens’
By Jeff Salton
04:48 July 1, 2009 PDT
A team at the University of Illinois, Chicago, has developed the world’s first acoustic ‘super lens’. It is proposed that this innovation could be used for high-resolution ultrasound imaging, non-destructive structural testing of buildings and bridges, and underwater stealth technology or "acoustic cloaking". Read More
VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Leonard Grigoryan tests Paul Kinny's Stereo Acoustic Guitar
By Loz Blain
01:43 June 3, 2009 PDT
The regular acoustic guitar is such a familiar and effective shape that it's hard to get past the bizarre looks of Paul Kinny's 'Stereo Acoustic' guitar - but rest assured, it's built that way for a good reason. While standard acoustics have a sound hole that faces forward, projecting the sound to a listening audience, the Stereo Acoustic's two sound holes are pointed directly up at the player. That means that it's an instrument you play for yourself, sitting right inside the sound, enjoying a huge dynamic range and the natural stereo and chorus effects it produces. We took the opportunity to put these unique - and remarkably affordable - acoustics in the hands of classical guitar god Leonard Grigoryan for a video review. Then we locked Lenny in a cage of microphones to take some studio recordings and demonstrate the gorgeous sounds these oddball guitars can produce on tape. Read More
KEF Concept Blade loudspeaker reveals its cutting edge
By Tim LeFevre
19:09 May 24, 2009 PDT
Three years of exhaustive research, testing and experimentation has resulted in the KEF Concept Blade loudspeaker. In particular, the loudspeaker showcases KEF’s cutting-edge capabilities and commitment to furthering innovative design. Read More
The Long Range Acoustic Device: pirate deterrent, crowd controller or soft drink seller?
By David Greig
01:14 April 10, 2009 PDT
When Somali pirates armed with RPGs attacked the luxury cruise ship Seaborn Spirit in November 2005 it wasn't armed troops or the threat of artillery that deterred the attack, it was sound waves. The ship was fitted with a clever bit of tech called the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a system which can emit painfully loud sound frequencies that are concentrated in a narrow beam and easily direct them at a target, not unlike using a spotlight. LRAD was originally developed for enforcing safe zones around US military vessel, but as Gizmag's David Greig learns, the potential applications of the sometimes controversial technology go well beyond protecting assets on the water. Read More
Gibson Les Paul Dark Fire - every imaginable guitar sound
By Loz Blain
00:47 November 24, 2008 PST
Gibson Guitars have pushed the envelope forward again - barely a year after the release of the self-tuning 'Robot Guitar' in 2007, the company has announced its next-gen technology with the Dark Fire, which incorporates an upgraded Robot tuning system and adds a piezo neck pickup system to let the player blend acoustic and electric sounds for a much broader tonal range. Gibson sees the Dark Fire as a guitar that tunes itself in seconds and offers such a wide range of tone that you only need the one axe for the whole gig - but how will this progressive instrument be received by the market? Read More
Gary Noel
- November 22, 2009 @ 06:20 UTC
