Tag Archives: WirelessAudio

Amazon’s Echo smart speaker is coming to retail stores

Posted on by
You no longer have to buy online to give the Amazon Echo a shot. Amazon will soon sell the smart, voice-guided speaker in more than 3,000 retail stores, including Brookstone, Fry's, Home Depot, PC Richard & Son, RadioShack, Sears and Staples (...

Insert Coin: Split, a diminutive, bite-controlled music player in earbud form

Posted on by

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

DNP Insert Coin Introducing Split, a diminutive, wireless audio player that's bitecontrolled

With Split, developer Greenwing Audio is Kickstarting Moore's Law to your ears. What you see in the image above are more than just wireless earbuds, they're everything you need to listen to music wherever you are -- no additional devices needed. Right about now you're probably wondering how standard stuff like playback and volume controls work. Well, those tasks are handled by biting. No, you didn't misread that. One bite skips a track and a double bite adjusts how loud your music is. According to the pitch video, gentle chomps are sufficient and you don't even need to open your lips.

What makes Split different from many other wireless audio device is it isn't beaming Bluetooth radiation into your skull, so maybe you'll be able to retire that tinfoil hat. If the project reaches its $435,000 Kickstarter goal, your $155 pledge won't be a promise, it'll mean you don't have to spend hours of your life untangling headphones for listening to music on the go.

Comments

Via: Greenwing Audio

Source: Kickstarter

Qualcomm takes on AirPlay with AllPlay wireless streaming

Posted on by

Qualcomm debuts AllPlay wireless audio streaming, takes on AirPlay

Looks like the Toq smartwatch isn't Qualcomm's only announcement today. At the chipmaker's Uplinq conference in San Diego, CEO Paul Jacobs also announced AllPlay, a wireless audio streaming tech based on Qualcomm's Alljoyn software framework. Like Apple's AirPlay, the technology lets the user stream music from apps to compatible speakers, receivers or other devices. One of AllPlay's first partners is Rhapsody, and Jon Irwin, president of the music service company, came on stage with Jacobs to demonstrate streaming Rhapsody tunes to several different speakers in the room.

Other AllPlay features include the ability to play different songs on different speakers and you can even have separate volume controls for each. According to Jacobs, AllPlay-compatible audio equipment is coming and an AllPlay SDK should be out before the end of the year. There's no word yet on which hardware maker is on board. Nevertheless, it does seem like the media streaming space just got a lot more competitive.

[Image source: GigaOm]

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: GigaOm, Qualcomm

Braven launches 855s, a $300 rugged competitor to the Big Jambox

Posted on by

DNP Braven rugged speakers

Watch out, Jawbone; looks like Braven's continuing its assault against the Big Jambox by releasing another comparable Bluetooth speaker... but this time, it can get wet and take some bruises. Similar to its predecessor, the 850, model 855s is a 20W speaker encased in aluminum and can charge smartphones, tablets and cameras. It even has the same dimensions (10 x 4 inches) and can play tunes for up to 20 hours, or so the company claims. The new speaker costs $300, just like the 850, so choosing between the two depends on whether you want a rugged version or not. As a nice touch, you can pair the 855s with its predecessor for true stereo sound; just be sure to remember which one doesn't like water if you go that route.

Comments

Source: Braven

JBL Spark Bluetooth speaker uncovered at the FCC with wall mounting, retro looks

Posted on by

JBL Spark Bluetooth speaker uncovered at the FCC

JBL is known for its love of exotic speaker designs, but a new FCC approval suggests it's about to turn back the clock for its next look. An unannounced Spark Bluetooth speaker appearing at the US agency wouldn't look out of place at the top of a gramophone -- albeit one draped in red plastic. It could also be part of the decor, as a manual in the filing suggests there's support for mounting brackets. While the FCC filing doesn't give away any launch details for the Spark, the 13W of total power hints that we won't be paying a lot for our semi-retro audio.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: FCC

Sony SBH50 Bluetooth headset touts NFC and a smart remote (video)

Posted on by

Sony SBH50 Bluetooth headset touts NFC and a smart remote video

Sony's Xperia ZR isn't reaching the market all by its lonesome: it's accompanied by a high-end Bluetooth headset, the SBH50. The sequel to the Smart Wireless Headset Pro mostly ups the ante with NFC -- listeners just have to tap the smart remote against their Xperias (or many other NFC-aware devices) to get going. There's still the emphasis on higher-than-usual quality for wireless audio; likewise, the remote continues to preview calls and messages, play FM radio and take the owner's pick of wired headphones. Sony has only committed to launching the SBH50 "soon" and hasn't mentioned prices, but we'd use the previous headset's $150 price as a rough benchmark. Catch Sony's overview video after the break.

Filed under: , , , ,

Comments

Via: Sony Mobile (Facebook)

Source: Sony

Bēm Wireless intros four Bluetooth speakers, aims to fulfill your wireless audio needs

Posted on by

dnp Bm wireless intros four Bluetooth speakers, aims to fulfill your wireless audio needsre

Never heard of, Bēm Wireless? Don't worry, it's our first time, too. The audio company has taken to this year's CES to show of quartet of interesting wireless speakers. First up, its $300 Speaker Trio consists of a charging base that houses three wireless speakers -- no word whether it's inductive, though, we'd hope so for that price. The cube-shaped sound pushers have a 120 foot range in total over Bluetooth, and come in either black or white. If you like the aesthetic of the Trio but only need one for traveling, the company also offers its Mobile Speaker. The unit runs over Bluetooth, comes in size colors and costs a cool $70.

Beyond those, Bēm is highlighting its larger Boom Box 2.1 Bluetooth system with a handle, which looks similar to Sony's NFC-loaded $99 SRS-BTM8. Sadly, it may be harder sell at $250 (if it's similar in size to Sony's), but it'll net you 10 hours of wire-free music streaming per charge. Last up in the lineup is the "juice box-sized" Outlet Speaker, priced at $99. Similar to an offering by JBL, the unit plugs directly in your power outlet, letting you stream music over Bluetooth from "up to 25 feet" away. We'll do our best to check these out on the show floor, so check out the press release past the break to find more info in the meantime.

Continue reading Bēm Wireless intros four Bluetooth speakers, aims to fulfill your wireless audio needs

Filed under: ,

Comments

Parrot’s Zikmu Solo speaker goes Duo, two make a pair over WiFi

Posted on by

Parrot's Zikmu Solo speaker goes Duo, two make a pair over WiFi

It was only last October when we took a close look at Parrot's new Zikmu Solo (as well as chatting up CEO Henri Seydoux, pictured above), so we were a bit surprised when the company made an announcement for the same Bluetooth speaker at CES. You see, while the original Starck-designed Zikmu was sold in a pair, the slightly smaller Zikmu Solo -- powered by a 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor no less -- was designed with small rooms in mind and is therefore sold singly. However, at some point this year, Parrot will offer a "Duo" option that lets you hook up two Zikmu Solos over WiFi to form a 2 x 100W RMS stereo system, which is conveniently twice as powerful as the Zikmu. Obviously nothing has changed in terms of audio input methods and sources for the high-end Zikmu Solo: iPhone, iPod, PC, Mac, WiFi, Bluetooth mobile phone, Ethernet and more. So, how about a discount when we buy two then, Parrot? $999 times two is quite a lot (insert wink here).

Continue reading Parrot's Zikmu Solo speaker goes Duo, two make a pair over WiFi

Filed under:

Comments

Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999

Posted on by

Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999

Parrot has taken some time trotting out the Zikmu Solo speaker since we first saw it at CES, but those enamored with very vertical audio can rest easy now that the unit has a North American release schedule. Both Canada and the US can buy the Philippe Starck-crafted speaker in November, when it will cost $999 for Americans in its black and white guises (sorry, no red for now). While that's a lot to pay for a 100W speaker, Parrot is counting on the unique acoustic design, a conventional iOS dock and a mix of Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi to tempt people away from the land of horizontal sound. It's undoubtedly one of the easiest ways to make a speaker dock the focus of a room -- and that's part of the point, isn't it?

Continue reading Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999

Filed under: ,

Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceParrot  | Email this | Comments