Archive for the 'Audio' Category
sipgate Inc. today announces the immediate availability of a free application for the iPhone, which, for the first time allows consumers to natively use any VoIP service which uses the industry standard SIP. Consumers can now use their iPhones to make and receive VoIP calls from their devices over a Wi-Fi Internet connection using a wide variety of VoIP providers. The VoIP-enabling software is available from sipgate’s website
www.sipgate.com.
With the sipgate service, users can dial any number without using minutes from a wireless plan. This is particularly useful when calling to or from other countries, as call costs can be as high as $3 per minute. However, when using a VoIP service, costs can be kept as low as $0.01 per minute. sipgate is giving new users 111 free minutes for domestic calls for users to test out VoIP usage on the device*.
Another benefit of sipgate is that consumers can use any domestic or international number provided by their VoIP service on their iPhone. This means that they can make and receive calls from different domestic and international numbers, all on a single device.
Thilo Salmon, CEO of sipgate commented: “We love VoIP and we love the iPhone so we are giving people like us who always wanted VoIP on the iPhone the ability to use any SIP-based VoIP service they want. We are thrilled that Apple is opening up the iPhone and we look forward to taking part in future application development.”
Salmon continued: “As a company we strive to make useful services accessible to everyone. There will be more innovation for businesses and consumers coming from sipgate this year, so keep your eyes open for more news.”
The all-new, uniquely versatile design of the JBL Control NOW loudspeakers enables them to be placed virtually anywhere — including areas where other speakers cannot be installed. The drivers are mounted behind a curved quarter-round front section, and the rear of the enclosure has three angled sections that enable the speakers to be corner-mounted between a ceiling and wall or between two walls. They can also be placed either horizontally or vertically on a shelf. The JBL Control NOW has a black finish, and the JBL Control NOW AW is available in a white finish.
Multiple JBL Control NOW speakers can be joined to create half-round, three-quarter-round, or fully round configurations, and they can be hung from a ceiling using an optional pole-mount bracket and standard ceiling-fan hardware. In addition, the speakers can be mounted with third-party stands, using included adapters.
When used in two-, three- or four-speaker arrays, the JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW can be configured for either single-channel or single-point stereo use, for maximum flexibility in a wide variety of home, multiroom, architectural and background-music applications, including in media rooms, kitchens, decks or patios — or wherever natural, accurate sound with a wide coverage area is desired.
JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW loudspeakers are designed from the ground up to deliver outstanding sound quality in the most challenging installation applications.
Corner-mounting, and some multiunit speaker configurations, can have an adverse effect on frequency response across the listening area. To ensure accurate audio performance even in less-than-optimal acoustic situations, the loudspeakers feature a tweeter mounted in a patented JBL Bi-Radial® horn, and have a newly developed profile that has been optimized to minimize diffraction effects from room surfaces to deliver exceptionally smooth, wide frequency response. The speakers have constant-directivity dispersion when wall-mounted, and omnidirectional characteristics when corner-mounted or grouped in a four-speaker circular array.
The tweeter incorporates a 3/4-inch titanium-laminate diaphragm and a ferrofluid-cooled voice coil that is driven by a high-Gauss neodymium-boron-iron magnet, for high-power-handling capability, and outstanding resolution and transient response.
The tweeter is complemented by two 4-inch woofers that incorporate dual neodymium-boron-iron magnets, which completely surround the voice coil. The design of the woofer’s motor structure and suspension was optimized using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a computer-analysis technique that is used to model complex systems such as loudspeaker drivers by breaking their intricate multipart elements down into smaller pieces, predicting the behavior of these elements, and then combining the behavior of all the elements to arrive at an accurate analysis of the entire system. The use of FEA enabled JBL engineers to design a unique woofer that delivers increased output capability with minimal distortion, even at high volume levels, and provides additional sonic benefits.
To further refine their performance, the JBL Control NOW and JBL Control NOW AW feature enclosures and baffles made from a thermoplastic-composite material that contains both glass and mineral fill, which provides high rigidity and damping. The enclosure’s mechanical design utilizes thick walls, cast-aluminum internal bracing and other refinements to minimize internal resonances and acoustical loss.
The JBL Control NOW loudspeakers are currently available at a suggested retail price of $249 each. The Control NOW AW will be available in late June 2008 at a suggested retail price of $279 each.
With the introduction of its THX® Ultra2 in-ceiling speakers this month, Klipsch adds an all-new premium category to its custom installation business. The latest KL-7502-THX LCR and KS-7502-THX surround models are not only meticulously mapped to THX standards, they also put a fresh spin on the company’s horn-loaded design principles.
According to Mark Casavant, vice president of product development for Klipsch architectural, in-ceiling speakers make up 70 percent of the loudspeaker market, and while Klipsch has been a major player in this segment for years, these new discreet THX® Ultra2 speakers establish a precedence for the company. In fact, the KS-7502-THX is the market’s first THX Ultra2-certified in-ceiling surround speaker.
“Both premium priced products, the KL-7502-THX and KS-7502-THX are now our top-of-the-line in-ceiling speakers, bringing superior sound performances to larger sized rooms,” said Casavant. “While conventional in-ceiling speakers rarely “fool” listeners into believing the sound is coming directly at them, our THX Ultra2 models break the mold by providing articulate detail, powerful impact and excellent localization.”
The KL-7502-THX makes a great left, center or right main channel speaker, as well as a back-channel surround. It employs dual 5.25-inch Cerametallic woofers that operate in an enclosed tuned-port chamber. These exclusive rigid woofer cones offer superb damping characteristics that will not flex or resonate at frequencies within the drivers’ operating ranges, resulting in consistent bass response regardless of the installation or ceiling air space. A 1-inch titanium tweeter in a patented 60-90-110-degree horn that features Variable Coverage Technology, or VCT, allows the speaker to create precise imaging and localized sound fields. The woofers are mated to the tweeter via precision-voiced, high-definition crossover networks, producing a flat in-room frequency response, as well as the company’s signature high efficiency, low distortion sound.
The KS-7502-THX utilizes the same low-frequency driver design and crossover networks as the LCR. The real difference lies in the top end. Dual 1-inch titanium horn-loaded tweeters lie in a patented vertically stacked Wide Dispersion Surround Technology array producing a smooth, seamless broad distribution of sound, as well as enveloping surround performances and precise localization of individual effects.
Adding to their first-class sound, the KL-7502-THX and KS-7502-THX also have a premium look and feel with their grilles off, featuring a deluxe MDF baffle with aluminum fascia. But when covered, the speakers’ paintable grilles allow them to blend in perfectly with any home décor. All-new sure-grip mounting dogs offer even pressure against drywall for long-term installation reliability.
Furthermore, these models come with a lot of options. Timbre matched to all Klipsch THX Ultra2-certified products, installers can create a variety of THX Ultra2 stereo and home theater configurations.
Available for purchase through the residential contracting market, the KL-7502-THX and
KS-7502-THX carry a U.S. MSRP of $1,000 each.
Designed for today’s outdoor home theater lifestyles, NXG Rock Speakers offer maximum sound quality and state of the art audio clarity. Offered in granite and sandstone, these speakers blend in with today’s outdoor environment while proving resistant to long-term exposure to extreme weather conditions. The 6 ½” to 10” sizes offer various choices for different outdoor settings. One of the popular models available through DBL Distributing, is the 10” weather-resistant residential subwoofer rock speaker (DBL SKU’s NX-PRO1000G & NX-PRO1000S). This innovative speaker features 150 watts of maximum power handling and a dual voice coil, 10” fiberglass cone woofer in a rubber surround with a silicone sealed, glass reinforced, “cast iron” resin with frequency response from 35Hz to 150Hz. The aggressive price point offers innovative technology and a pristine design bundled in a much lower cost to the custom install community.
NXG Technology’s Pro Series Rock Speakers are available to custom-installation professionals, independent retailers and home theater designers, through an exclusive US distribution agreement with DBL Distributing LLC by calling 800.433.6766 or ordering online at http://www.dbldistributing.com.
“DBL is very excited to be the exclusive distributor of NXG’s new Pro Series Rock Speakers,” stated Tim Coakley, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for DBL Distributing. “The superior design coupled with extreme value provides an excellent product choice for our custom installation customer segment. NXG has consistently yielded excellent results for DBL and the profitable results for custom installation community.”
In addition, Harman Kardon is introducing its HK 3490 and HK 3390 stereo receivers, which combine superlative sound quality with flexible operation, including video switching for use in home entertainment systems, and iPod and portable music player connectivity.
Adding to their appeal, all five receivers have a distinctively elegant, refined appearance, featuring a gloss-black top panel and a dark graphite lower panel, all accented by soft white illumination.
Following is an overview of key features and technologies of the new Harman Kardon® audio/video receivers.
Harman Kardon, Inc. announced today the introduction of The Bridge II docking station for iPod®. A unique accessory that connects a compatible iPod or iPhone™ model* (not included) to a Harman Kardon® The Bridge-ready** audio/video component, The Bridge II enables a host of expanded iPod capabilities, including audio and video playback through a home entertainment system, on-screen iPod menu display, and remote control operation.
iPod Home Entertainment At Its Best
Using just a single cable, The Bridge II connects to the Harman Kardon DMC 1000 digital media center, the new AVR 354 7.1-channel audio/video receiver and the HK 3490 stereo receiver, or to current and previously available The Bridge-ready A/V receivers. No power adapter is required. Once connected, The Bridge II provides a direct audio, video (for the AVR 354) and control link between the iPod and the DMC 1000 or receiver. In addition, The Bridge II is powered by the receiver and no additional connection is required to charge the iPod.
The Bridge II enables control and navigation of a docked iPod from the DMC 1000 or the receiver’s remote control. The Bridge II and the remotes operate in conjunction with proprietary Harman Kardon-developed software that is built into the DMC 1000 and the receivers, providing complete control of iPod music and still images, as well as video playback with the AVR 354.
Selection and track information including album, artist, track number and other information are visible on both the user’s TV (or video display) and the DMC 1000 or receiver’s front-panel display, providing ready access to all playback and menu functions via simple-to-use on-screen or front-panel messages. The remote controls that are supplied with the DMC 1000 and compatible receivers are used to operate iPod playback, including start/stop/pause, next track/previous track and access to menus.
The iPod may also be used as a source for multiroom audio playback when used with the DMC 1000, AVR 354 or The Bridge II-compatible AVR Series receivers with multiroom audio capability.
When an iPod is connected to a compatible Harman Kardon receiver via The Bridge II, the audio output is sent directly to the receiver, enabling iPod users to experience exceptional multichannel music reproduction as well as stereo music playback. The exclusive Harman International Logic 7® surround-enhancement technology built into Harman Kardon A/V receivers utilizes proprietary digital-signal-processing techniques to create heightened sonic realism from an iPod (and other two-channel music sources), with superior imaging and an immersive surround sound environment.
Adding to its appeal, The Bridge II features a compact, streamlined design with a dark-graphite finish and soft white illumination that complements Harman Kardon audio/video components and fits easily into a home entertainment system.
The Harman Kardon The Bridge II is fully compatible with all iPod models equipped with a docking connector, including iPod touch, iPhone, iPod classic, iPod nano and all Click Wheel models. (Not compatible with iPod shuffle.)
The Harman Kardon The Bridge II docking station for iPod will be available in early summer 2008 at a suggested retail price of $129. The Bridge II will also be included at no extra charge with the AVR 354 7.1-channel audio/video receiver, which will be available in late spring 2008 at $899 suggested retail.
I bet there are a lot of you starting to get jealous of those other people that can listen to their tunes from their Bluetooth device, such as a smartphone, right on their car stereo without every plugging in a wire to anything. With rumors of the iPhone update supporting full Bluetooth stereo, the doors may just be blown open wide real soon with Bluetooth audio.
Now if you’re one that spent all their cash on such a device and can’t yet afford the upgrade to a nice slick Alpine or Pioneer that supports Bluetooth connectivity, then maybe you should take out that old mix tape and throw in the Flexii Bluetooth Cassette Adapter. With this sweet adapter, you’ll be able to do what those other cassette adapters for portable CD players did and play music from a really cool high tech gadget! Cheap. For $40, you’ll get to play jams from your PDA, smartphone, or laptop all without a single wire. In fact, the Bluetooth Cassette Adapter has a built-in rechargeable lithium battery that will give you up to 5 hours of play time. The included USB cable lets you charge that bad boy in not time!
So now enjoy your high tech gadget on your “low” tech radio. Bring your car into the future, baby!
When the Klipsch® industrial design team set out to create the flagship Palladium™ P-39F floorstanding loudspeaker, their goal was to have it resemble a premium piece of handcrafted furniture. And, by looking at its striking boat-tail silhouette and exotic zebra-striped finish, it’s quite obvious they hit the mark. But, less apparent is the team’s environmentally friendly approach.
According to Paul Jacobs, president and COO of Klipsch Group, Inc., often, when building luxury goods, manufacturers will use a zebrawood veneer because their affluent target market is awed by its dramatic color banding of light and dark stripes. However, it’s a resource that is considered threatened in its native habitat, meaning it’s vulnerable to extinction in the near future. “With the P-39F, we too are trying to reach upper-echelon customers using a distinct, zebra-striped veneer, but we’ve found a way to lessen the impact it has on our mother Earth,” he said.
The Palladium P-39F features what the company calls a “Linia” veneer, which is available in three different finish stains: natural, merlot and espresso. According to Glen Fuller, Klipsch director of design, Linia is a very close match to zebrawood. It is a hand-selected zebra-grain veneer produced from real wood; tree sources include the Ayous, Obeche and Italian Poplar. These trees are part of a government-sanctioned controlled harvest, so they are a renewable wood resource. “By using the Linia zebra-grain veneer, we’re proving that the essence of nature can still be enjoyed without harming the environment,” noted Fuller.
There are several other advantages that Linia has over zebrawood. Five times as much zebrawood needs to be used to find an acceptable product finish, resulting in an incredible amount of waste material. Worse yet, it is wasting a natural resource that is not easily renewable. The non-threatened Linia is a more eco-friendly choice, in that its repeatable pattern/grain is consistent and offers graphic uniformity, leaving hardly any waste material behind. Fuller also mentioned that Linia’s stain and color consistency from model-to-model is good for manufacturing and matching models from run-to-run and year-to-year.
“Because we want to be an environmentally responsible company, while still setting the highest production standards, we decided to go with a zebra-grain Linia version rather than a zebrawood veneer on the P-39F,” said Jacobs.
Palladium P-39F speakers will begin shipping to select U.S. specialty retailers this summer. More information on this luxury product can be found at http://www.klipsch.com/palladium.
If you’re looking for a small but nice sounding speaker for your iPod that will fit perfectly into a kids room, kitchen, or even a bathroom, this is your ticket folks. And now its even easier to get since Best Buy has signed on for selling these little devices. So see why the Ladybug won “Best of Show” title from Mac experts iLounge and an Innovations Award from CES and maybe buy a couple of the cute little bugs for your home this weekend.
The enV2 is the perfect handset for on-the-go texters and music and video fans. In addition to its pocket-sized good looks, the phone is available in two sleek finishes – black and maroon. The following features and capabilities are available on the enV2:
- V CAST Music – access more than three million songs from both well-known and independent artists to download over-the-air and play on the phone
- V CAST Video – download or stream video clips from the best names in news, sports and entertainment
- VZ NavigatorSM – visual and audible directions to a destination, locate businesses and other places in an area, get a map of a location, bookmark favorites and recent searches, and even share locations with others
- Mobile Web-capable – customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more
- Media Center-capable – download games, ringtones, wallpapers and more
Instant Messaging using AIM®, WL Messenger®, and Yahoo!® - Mobile Email-capable – access to e-mail services including Yahoo! Mail, Windows Live Mail, AOL, AIM, and Verizon.net accounts; or configure POP3 and IMAP accounts
- Full QWERTY keypad with large-sized external keys
- 2.4” internal screen
- 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder: