Samsung’s Digital Cockpit at CES 2021 gets revived to provide a safe + productive automotive environment

From the countless futuristic concept vehicles that we’ve seen thus far, only a few can rival the practicality and future-forward approach of the Samsung Digital Cockpit 2021. Revealed at the CES 2021 event, this exciting technology transforms your vehicle into a place where you’d actually love to spend quality time. The sole idea for creating the in-vehicle tech is to simplify communication and enhance the commute experience well beyond what current vehicles can do or for that matter concept vehicles are envisioned to be capable of.

Leveraging HARMAN’s automotive prowess and the in-house advancements in telecommunications and display technologies – the South Korean giant has evolved exponentially since it was first spotted at CES 2018. The focus is on delivering an unparalleled immersive entertainment experience combined with the safety of the passengers as well as pedestrians. There’s a huge 49-inch QLED display that sits right behind the movable car dashboard having the high-tech steering wheel with an independent display of its own and HUD screens to provide the driver and passengers all the pertinent information while on the go. A third of the big screen gives all the important vehicle information while driving and when it’s time to relax, the screen pops-up for some laid-back entertainment. You can do things like video conferencing, editing video clips, do your office work, or simply enjoying multimedia content (with the HARMAN’s surround sound system on-board) with fellow riders in a space as comfortable as your living room!

Keeping safety in mind at all times the Digital Cockpit 2021 makes use of the Automotive Samsung Health service that keeps a tab on the driver’s stress levels (by analyzing the eyelid movement and sleep patterns) to make the necessary adjustments to the ambient lighting, scent or the music – all so that it relaxes them before taking up a long drive to the next destination. The 360 Vision Monitoring System equipped with four cameras and an AI learning algorithm, the vehicle keeps an eye on everything happening around it. For example, alerts pedestrians via the front-mounted display (no honking!) if they are too close or helps the driver in tight parking spots.

The technology is pretty exciting, to say the least, and with the “next-level safety functions and productivity tools” it is much more than just getting from “Point A to Point B.” It is about enhancing the in-vehicle experience, and Samsung for sure is going to make this exciting future a reality!

Designer: Samsung

JBL’s 75th anniversary special is a modern day amplifier encased in a uniquely retro aesthetic!

For audiophiles and general listeners alike, JBL carries some of the most iconic pieces of audio equipment in circulation today. While more moderate listeners consistently find JBL’s collection of wireless speakers to be both durable in product design and vibrant in sound quality, technical listeners can appreciate JBL’s fine-tuned commitment to producing commercial amps with detail-oriented, studio-grade standards at an unsurprising market value. For instance, JBL might have been one of the first audio equipment companies to have manufactured a commercial amplifier to confront TIM/SID and LSN problems with the SA600 Amplifier’s debut in 1966. Fast forward to 2021 and, in celebration of their 75th anniversary and tribute to their coveted equipment from the 60s and 70s, JBL plans to launch the new SA750 Integrated Amplifier, along with a limited stock of anniversary-edition L100 Classic 75 loudspeakers.

The new JBL SA750 takes me back to my childhood home’s downstairs audio system, coated in aluminum with teak wood veneer side paneling and stainless steel, sheathed control knobs for sensitive tuning. JBL’s SA750 offers a mellowed upgrade from the audio giant’s amplifiers of the 60s and 70s. With most of the front panel on the SA750 maintaining the original interface of dials and knobs from the late 20th century 600 and 660 SA models, some key differences were made, however, in order to accommodate modern-day technology. Doubling the SA600’s single audio jack for two, one for headphones and one for an aux cord, the new JBL SA750 offers options for both solo and group listening. The new hi-fi amp is also geared for Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, or UPnP connectivity and can transition between MC and MM to generate the signal for users hoping to plug in their pre-amp.

Just like in the 60s and 70s, JBL designed the SA750 wireless amplifier to deliver studio-quality audio and attempts to achieve this through integrated features like a DAC converter, which converts a digital signal into an analog one, delivering crisper sound from your speakers. Through compression, an MQA decoder also helps deliver the fuller, more robust audio quality listeners expect with hi-fi amplifiers. JBL SA750 is also ‘Roon-ready,’ equipping your music collection with a digital front-end that allows you to source your input from different home-devices, connected together by the installed Roon software. Finally, the new JBL SA750 comes with Dirac Live Room Correction, which removes sound coloration produced by interior rooms’ acoustics. The accompanying L100 Classic 75 loudspeakers are designed to match the amplifier’s teak wood veneer finish and offer bi-wiring with a rear network suited for today, along with improved woofer suspension to mask those low frequencies. Officially launching in May of 2021, JBL SA750 will go for $3,000.

Designer: JBL by Harman

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Harman is redesigning its in-car audio systems specifically for electric vehicles

I bet you didn’t know this but car stereos can often be power guzzlers. A decent car audio setup can pull anywhere from 200 to 500 watts RMS of power depending on the number of speaker units, the size of the car, and the bass module. That isn’t really much of a concern when you’ve got a fuel-powered automobile but in an electric vehicle, any sort of efficiency can go a long way in making a car perform better. Harman (which got acquired by Samsung in late 2016) is looking to redesign its audio systems for EVs, to help provide its signature quality of sound, but with a smaller power footprint. Its redesigned system, called the ECOTECT, is aimed at helping provide cars with high-quality audio while weighing less and using as little power as possible.

Traditional audio systems usually have audio units at the base of each door (often with a separate tweeter near the window), along with smaller drivers lined at the top, followed by the woofer right at the back. Harman’s Ecotect follows the same philosophy, but puts two drivers under the gearbox in front, rather than the door, followed by smaller drivers on the A and B pillars, and a woofer at the back, providing the same sound but also cutting down the number of components required. “Ecotect features high-efficiency speakers, a proprietary Prodigy Booster amplifier and Power Manager 2.0 technology, all layered in via a unique architecture that leverages innovative speaker locations, sustainable materials and sophisticated signal processing to deliver premium audio and communications experiences with EV-optimized efficiency”, says the product team at Harman. The Ecotect also leverages the use of software to help provide audio that matches traditional in-car sound systems… much like how phone cameras use computational photography to compete with DSLRs. To add to it, Harman’s even built voice-sensing volume fading technologies into it to help reduce audio to enable conversations in the car, as well as HALOsonic Road Noise Cancellation, which dampens and minimizes road noise to make your cabin quieter and your music experience richer. Pretty neat, eh?

Designer: Harman

The Rock’s Under Armour headphones are built for intense workouts

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