20 most recent innovations in entertainment

Speaker Integrated In Surface TV Screen

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 00:00:00 Z

Sony has made the whole screen of an TV resonate to produce sound in what the company calls the world-first Acoustic Surface sound system. Aside from making the speakers "invisible," Sony says this approach also lets sound emanate directly from the screen itself, providing sound and image synchronization for the viewer, wherever they're sitting.

Getting the display, which is most likely an LG panel, to act as a speaker has necessitated the mounting of two actuators to the rear of the display, while all inputs have been relegated to a large rear-facing subwoofer that also serves as the TV's stand. Sony says that the vibrations of the screen won't be visible to the eye, even at high volumes.

Wearable Vibrating Metronome

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 00:00:00 Z

Soundbrenner Pulse is a wearable device designed specifically for musicians, which acts as a vibrational metronome to help them keep the beat.

Developed by a team of entrepreneurial musicians in Berlin, the stylish musical aid is worn on the arm or leg. It delivers subtle and precise vibrations using advanced technology that provides haptic feedback up to six times stronger than the vibrational alerts commonly found in smartphones.

The wearable device measures slightly larger than a sports watch, and enables solo musicians or those in a group to follow a beat without the intrusiveness of an audible metronome. It is Bluetooth-enabled and can be paired with an accompanying Soundbrenner smartphone app to offer multi-player synchronization, a customizable Smart Music Coach, rhythm exercises, and more.

If the musician would also like to see a visual representation of the beat, there are LED lights around the face of Soundbrenner Pulse, which can be turned on to blink in sync with the vibrational beat and customized to glow in any color.

Soundbrenner’s unique BPM (beats per minute) Tap feature enables musicians to simply tap their desired tempo onto the face of the device. This activates a capacitive touch sensor, capturing the tempo while a proprietary algorithm translates the tap into haptic feedback in the form of precise vibrations. Musicians can also rotate the BPM Wheel surrounding the device’s face or use the Soundbrenner app in order to decrease or increase the number of beats.

Individual Sound Zones In Car

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 00:00:00 Z

Harman has announced a new in-car setup that allows drivers to create "individual sound zones," each of which can play different sounds with minimal interference from other zones – potentially eliminating the age-old argument over who gets to choose the music.

Harman's individual sound zones (ISZ) break the car's interior into "virtual, simultaneous in car entertainment systems." The idea is simple: instead of passengers having their music interrupted when the driver's phone rings or the navigation system gives a direction, their entertainment can carry on unimpeded.

Zones are created through the car's existing setup, with the addition of twin 50 mm directional units integrated into the headrests and flat electrodynamic planar loudspeakers in the car's headlining.

To control the different sound zones, Harman's digital signal processing has been upgraded with the goal of eliminating crosstalk between speakers and more accurately directing the sound.

Each zone can be controlled by the individual passenger and while the system does not create complete isolation from other noises in the cabin, Harmon says it limits interference to the point where it shouldn't prove a distraction to each listener's experience.

Interactive Mirror

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 00:00:00 Z

In an effort to get people to feel better about themselves in general, as well as while shopping, this IKEA mirror delivers unexpected compliments to consumers. IKEA's Motivational Mirror was introduced in response to research that revealed millions of people are self-critical when it comes to their appearance, which isn't helped by the fact that compliments are not often given or received very often.

The Motivational Mirror interacts with IKEA shoppers and in addition to some general compliments about hair or eyes, the mirror is also able to pick up on specific details, such as calling out stellar beards and dresses. These compliments are displayed as blocks of text on the mirror, which are also read as a shopper stands before the mirror. The Motivational Mirror also wolf whistles on occasion, causing people to smile every time.

Electric Powered Wakeboard

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 00:00:00 Z

The radinn electric powered wakeboard enables riders to fly across the water with the help of the energy-triggering wireless handcontrol. The self-titled product’s efficient jet-propulsion system is governed by the hand-held remote that lets the driver monitor the speed. The board glides along quietly and houses low mass lithium batteries in its lightweight carbon fiber construction. The watersport equipment turns just like a conventional wakeboard but the introduction of electricity empowers a more exciting user experience.

Fill Water Balloons In Bulk

Mon, 18 Aug 2014 00:00:00 Z

In the winter it's snowballs, and in the summer it's water bombs. Clearly whatever time of year it may be, kids will find something to throw at each other. However, while making a snowball is quick and easy, making a water bomb (or water balloon) can be a laborious process. Unless you have Bunch O Balloons, a system for filling 100 balloons with water in under a minute.

Each Bunch O Balloons connects directly to the end of a hosepipe. The water flows down the tubes into each individual balloon, simultaneously filling them all with water. The balloons are already tied, so when they're full you simply shake them out to seal them ready for throwing. Each Bunch O Balloons contains 37 balloons, with the inventor, Josh Malone, claiming this means it's possible to fill 100 every minute.

The balloons are only suitable for using once, but as they're made from natural rubber, plus an additive that accelerates the rotting process, they're considered biodegradable. The leftover stems are made from polypropylene plastic meaning they can easily be recycled.

Billboard Comes Alive Whenever A Train Pulls Into The Station

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:00:00 Z

If you've ever waited on a subway platform, you're familiar with that woosh of air that comes through the tunnel prior to a train's arrival. Swedish ad agency Akestam Holst and production company Stopp produced an ad for a new line of hair care products that puts that phenomenon to good use.

The creative Swedes put ultrasonic sensors behind video screens on a subway platform in Stockholm. They then connected the sensors to the screen via a Raspberry Pi microcomputer.

The video screens showed a woman with long flowing hair. When the sensors detected the approaching train they triggered the video image to show the woman's hair flying around her face as if it were being blown by the wind from the tunnel. Simple, but effective. So effective, in fact, that the company left the ad for Apotek Hjärtat's Apolosophy products up for five days even though it had originally only planned it as a day-long stunt.

Texture TV

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 00:00:00 Z

Researchers at Disney have developed technology that simulate textures on a flat screen to allow viewers to feel what they are watching. It means that a user could feel objects and textures while they look at an image or watch a movie on a screen like a mobile phone or tablet.

Disney has also been testing the technology on larger screens and it could even be used to create a new generation of “textured” television that could enhance their movies.

The researchers found that they can create the perception of an edge, bump, ridge and protrusions by exploiting the way the skin moves when feeling real-life physical objects. Textures cause the skin of the finger tip to stretch and compress as it slides over an object, creating the sensations that tell our brain about what we are touching.

Disney says it can simulate this affect by applying an electrical field across a flat screen, which creates friction through electrostatic forces on the skin when a finger is dragged across it. By changing the strength of the electrostatic force, they say they can alter the friction to produce different textures without having to physically vibrate the screen.

Disney believes its latest texture simulator could be used to help people feel their way around maps by creating the bumps and curves of hills and valleys. It can also recreate the spines of a cactus or the hard smooth contours of a kettle.

They also say textures could be created on images projected onto a screen, although it is unlikely to be something that will be encouraged in cinemas. However, the system could also be used to help give the visually impaired information abut their surroundings using the camera on a device such as an iPad.

Video Stamp

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:00:00 Z

Australia's mail service has injected technology into the simple postage stamp -- creating a "video stamp" to deliver a personal message that recipients can view on their mobile phone.

Australia Post said the Video Stamp, to be distributed for free on some parcel services in the pre-Christmas period, was the world's first to allow users to send a 15-second personalized video along with their packages.

To use it, senders scan the stamp, attach it to their parcel and record a personalized greeting using their smartphone and the free Australia Post Video Stamp app within 12 hours of posting.

When the parcel is delivered, the recipient scans the stamp with their phone and it will play the message.

The personalized messages are available for viewing for 90 days after recording, via smartphones and online, and can be shared through social media and email.

Next-Gen Video Game Controller

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 00:00:00 Z

Valve’s innovative new video game controller could change how we play games. Instead of thumb-sticks, the new controller uses two touch trackpads which Valve says come close to the precision of a mouse and keyboard.

The controller is designed to work with all types of games, from strategy titles to first-person shooters. And, most importantly, the gamepad will be compatible with every single title on Steam, even those originally incompatible with controllers.

Other neat features include a central touchscreen/button. When using the touchscreen an overlay appears over the game you’re playing and you can scroll through menus, browse maps, etc. You need to actually click to select something, however, making accidental touch actions a non-issue.

The controller itself is entirely symmetrical and can be easily switched to function as left or right handed.

Flexible Transparent Speaker

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 00:00:00 Z

A working transparent speaker has been produced by a research team at Harvard, that uses ions, rather than electrons, to carry the electrical charge.

The transparent speaker, created at Harvard University, is made from two layers of polyacrylamide gel swollen with salt water, which act as electrolytes, sandwiching a thin rubber membrane that vibrates as a high-voltage signal is run across its surface. However, this is not any ordinary electronic device, as the electrical charge is carried by ions, not electrons.

This bendable, transparent speaker could be a step in the direction of wearable tech that blends seamlessly with our bodies. What do ionic conductors have that other electronic systems don’t? They can be stretched to many times their normal area without an increase in resistivity, for one. This resistivity is a problem common in stretchable electronic devices. In addition, they can be transparent, which makes them well-suited for optical applications. Thirdly, the gels used as electrolytes are biocompatible, so it would be relatively easy to create ionic devices such as artificial muscles or skin.

TV channel for dogs

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 Z

We know you pet owners may find it difficult to leave your furry little friend at home while you’re at work all day, making it nearly impossible to keep them from being bored while you’re gone. But DirecTV will soon offer relief to you dog owners as they’ll soon be broadcasting television programming specifically for dogs.

DirecTV offers DogTV which will broadcast content specifically aimed at canines and includes scenes that may or may not include animals, animation sequences and a variety of moving objects. Keeping your dog relaxed is also important, which is why relaxation segments will also air which show sleeping dogs as well as nature scenes with soothing music playing in the background.

IllumiRoom takes video games beyond the TV

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 00:00:00 Z

The way we play video games is forever evolving. Nintendo brought motion control to the masses with the Wii, while the rise of smartphones and tablets has meant the number of casual games (and casual gamers) has grown exponentially over the past few years. What is next on the agenda? The signs all point towards a more immersive experience being the main aim and Microsoft Research is keen to lead the way with IllumiRoom.

IllumiRoom brings the visuals of video games out beyond the boundaries of the television. Using a Kinect for Windows camera and a projector, IllumiRoom is able to bring certain elements of individual games into your living room. The camera scans your personal space to capture the dimensions and geometry involved, which the projector then utilizes for displaying images. These range from a direct extension of the playing area, to the appearance of particular effects such as snowflakes or sparks.

IllumiRoom isn't yet an actual product, but as a proof-of-concept it's clearly related to the "immersive display experience" patent Microsoft applied for in 2011. The patent describes a system which brings a "peripheral image" from the television screen into the room occupied by the gamer. This system looks to be competing with the new breed of virtual reality systems such as the Oculus Rift and Sensics SmartGoggles gaming headsets.

New font designed to help dyslexic people read

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 Z

Developer Abelardo Gonzalez has created an open-source font designed to help people with dyslexia read more easily. Dubbed OpenDyslexic, the font is currently available as a free download, in the form of a Safari and Chrome extension, a bookmarklet, and a free iOS web-browsing app. OpenDyslexic has also been incorporated into several third-party apps, including popular read-it-later service Instapaper.

Each OpenDyslexic letter features a heavy-weighted bottom, intended to lend "gravity" to text displayed with the font. Presenting a character in this way is believed to help prevent the letters from rotating, flipping, or becoming otherwise confused in the brains of some dyslexics.

Camalapse, an Inexpensive time-lapse video base

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 Z

People really seem to like time-lapse video devices. They slowly pan or tilt the user’s video camera, as that camera shoots at a very slow frame rate. The result is time-lapse video, in which the camera moves as opposed to sitting locked off. The footage can actually look quite impressive.

The Camalapse offers a single speed of six degrees per minute. This is meted out into four time/rotation presets which the user can choose between, ranging from a 90-degree pan taking 15 minutes in real time, to 360 degrees in one hour. It is entirely mechanically-operated, so no batteries are required.

The camera attaches to the device via a simple threaded stud on top – depending on the specific camera or smartphone, a tripod mounting adapter may be required. The Camalapse also has a threaded hole in the bottom, so it can itself be mounted on a tripod. It only pans from right to left, although clever types might experiment with turning it upside-down or sideways. Be aware, however, that it’s intended for small, light cameras and smartphones only.

Swimming pool boat

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:00:00 Z

One of the world’s largest open air floating pools opens mid-August in Antwerp’s island Kattendijkdok. The design by Sculp(IT) is 120m long, can welcome 600 people, and includes the swimming pool, two event spaces, several stories and a restaurant with lounge terrace. The platform will welcome swimmers every summer for the coming ten years. It turns into an ice rink in the winter.

C&A displays Facebook ‘likes’ for items in its real-world stores

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 Z

Bridging the gap between the online and offline worlds is a challenge for any brand, but Brazilian fashion retailer C&A has come up with an innovative solution. Much the way both Renault and Bacardi have found ways to translate between real-world approval and Facebook “likes”, so C&A has found a way to bring customers’ Facebook approval into full view in its real-world stores.

Through its new “Fashion Like” initiative, C&A has posted photos of a number of the clothing items it sells on a dedicated Facebook page, where it invites customers to “like” the ones that appeal to them. Special hooks on the racks in its bricks-and-mortar store, meanwhile, can then display those votes in real time, giving in-store shoppers a clear indication of each item’s online popularity. The video below (in Portuguese) outlines the premise in more detail:

Does your brand still maintain separate online and offline lives? Time to bring them together through an ON=OFF initiative of your own?

A mechanical roof tweaks concert acoustics in real time

Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 Z

Since humans started building large buildings, we’ve been obsessed with the acoustics of our theaters and concert halls. And despite all that time to get it right, we’re constantly deploying new materials and computer-calculated designs to create perfection in the sound of live performance.

Resonant Chamber feels like architectural acoustics has, at last, met its natural conclusion. In a huge collaboration spearheaded by design firm RVTR, engineers, composers, and designers have constructed what are essentially transforming roofs that can adapt to the sound of performers and reshape themselves to complement and amplify the audio.

“The goal is not ‘perfect’ acoustics, but rather variable acoustics for different applications,” explains RVTR’s Geoffrey Thun. “To enable a single venue to provide ideal conditions for a range of music performance and audience configurations would be fantastic.”

The system is described best as “rigid origami,” a collection of triangle panels that hang from a track, driven by motors to shift positions on command. The panels themselves come in three varieties: One is bamboo plywood, which reflects sound. Another is porous polypropylene, which absorbs it. And the third is actually a hollow panel that’s been filled with a speaker. With these three counterbalancing tools at its disposal, the Resonant Chamber can play chess with sound waves, creating a strategic structure to match any style of performance.

But the real promise of the system is its potential to go live. “We are currently developing a customized software interface that can track, control, and predict the physical systems performance in real time,” Thun explains to Co.Design. In this next model, microphones follow various frequencies to make immediate tweaks to the physical and aural landscape. Imagine a rock concert that could add a real chamber reverb to select songs, or an orchestra that could accentuate a melody without changing the volume at which it played.

As of now, RVTR is also looking to scale their prototype, with the goal of creating a 1,000-square-foot installation. “Our early system simulations suggest that the system is scalable,” writes Thun. “We also anticipate that specific geometric patterns utilized to date will likely be modified as will the actuation logics moving forward--that’s why we iteratively prototype.” So the Resonance Chamber of today may look much different than that of tomorrow.

Ultimately, with such a duplicable and adaptive system, RVTR could take over, not just the concert space, but any live environment in need of dynamic adjustment (busy restaurants come to mind). But until then, we’ll all have to do what we always do: ignore that obnoxiously loud bachelorette party at the next table over, and pretend the band we’re about to see won’t inevitably sound worse than they did on their studio album.

Ikea combines furniture with entertainment

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 Z

Ikea has long sold affordable and attractively styled stands for TVs and home-theater components, but now it's taking things up a notch, integrating both furniture and electronics in an all-in-one system under its Uppleva brand.

The base unit comes with a "smart" 1080p LED TV, Blu-ray player, and 2.1 virtual surround system that includes a wireless subwoofer that can be positioned anywhere in the room. You'll then be able to customize the TV size and cabinetry and even change the color of the frame for the TV. Prices are expected to start at about $950 for an entry-level unit and TVs will range in size from 26 to 46 inches, which may not be quite big enough for some folks -- in the U.S anyway. The displays are reportedly being supplied by Chinese manufacturer TCL.

No word on exactly when Uppleva entertainment systems will hit U.S. stores, but they're set to roll out this June in in select stores in Stockholm, Milan, Paris, Gdansk, and Berlin, with more stores in Sweden, Italy, France, Poland, Denmark, Spain, Norway, and Portugal added in the fall. A broader release is expected for 2013.

Check out the teaser video below. If done right -- and done at the right price -- this has the potential to shake up the industry.

Vibrating stool puts drummers in touch with their bottom end

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Z

The thunderous punch of a bass drum is the time-honored foundation on which all of rock 'n' roll is built. That thud that hits you in the chest and moves your whole body … it taps into a deep and primal place in our subconscious. But while the crowd is enjoying the power of the bass drum amplified through huge sub-woofers, the poor drummer himself is usually hearing a poxy, paper-thin, bassless pop from a tiny onstage foldback speaker. Trying desperately to feel the bass, they often turn the onstage monitors up to ear-splitting volumes, but you just can't get that kind of low end out of small speakers. Enter the BC2 (formerly known as the BumChum) from Britain's Porter and Davies.

The BC2 is a simple two-part system that takes the bass drum signal and literally shakes the drummer's butt with it through a vibrating stool. The vibrations travel up the spine via bone conduction and are heard as sub-bass by the ears. So the onstage levels can be quieter, while the drummer can hear and feel the kick drum the way it's supposed to sound, without resorting to booting the heck out of it. Everyone's a winner!

If I sound sympathetic to the drummer's cause, it's because I was a semi-pro drummer myself for about 10 years back in the 90s. And I can certainly relate to the problem here; a good bass drum sound in the house speakers just … rocks. That's the sound you want to hear when you hit the kick drum, it should be huge.

When you can't hear that full low end onstage, you just don't feel like you're really in the groove. It affects your performance - you tend to start stomping the bass drum harder and harder in search of the feeling you're after. Subtlety goes out the window, along with dynamic variance and you tend to engage 'Animal' mode.

And when you do have access to a big onstage foldback speaker bin with a good sized woofer in it, it's such a surprise and a delight that you tend to run it super loud, to the general distress of the singer and the sound engineer, who now has to deal with huge low-end noise bleeding into every other microphone on the stage.

The idea of putting those low end vibrations directly into the player's ... well ... low end, isn't a new one. Pearl and Buttkicker teamed up to produce the Pearl Throne Thumper, basically a bass drum-triggered vibrator that clamps onto the seat shaft of your regular drum throne.

The BC2 goes a step further and mounts the "tactile generator" directly in the padded seat. The system comes with either a round or a tractor-shaped triangular seat, and a roadcase-mounted control box that sits right beside the drummer during the show.

Setup is simple - you simply run your bass drum mic straight into the BC2 control box. There's a signal splitter inside that runs a clean signal out again to the sound desk, and another signal up into the throne. If you're using electronic drums, there's a line level input as well. And if your sound guy complains for some reason, you can take an XLR feed back from the desk or monitor channels as well.

From there, you set your input levels and butt-shaking output "volume" and off you go. Players report the experience being incredibly natural - there's an instant connection between bass drum action and throne response, and while you can certainly feel the added posterior vibrations, the sensation is much more like hearing the bass drum as if you were out in front of the house speakers.

The system works even better with in-ear monitors, because it allows a huge physical feel while keeping stage noise to an absolute minimum. In addition to convenience, cleaner stages and more consistent stage sound, that's probably one of the main reasons the BC2 is finding favor with top-echelon drummers like the great J.R. Robinson, who's just surpassed Hal Blaine as the most recorded drummer of all time.