XFX Gear have released a headset for gamers that incorporates a mini-shaker that is powered by the USB port.

For more details see the XFX Web Site.

Sunfire have made a large sub-woofer for mounting in a wall that incorporates an integrated vibration cancellation device that reduces the vibration transmission to the walls in which it is mounted. The ContraBass™ In-Wall Subwoofer has a suggested price of $2,995 each.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley were able to decode sound recordings of a person typing on a keyboard to recover 96% of the characters.

Read the full news article on the UC Berkeley web site.

Researchers at from Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing plans for a nearly silent aircraft.

For more information goto the Silent Aircraft web site.

Consultants and researchers at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research University of Southhampton are predicting a busy year for noise and vibration experts. New laws in the EU covering noise and vibration levels in the workplace are coming into effect and it is expected that many companies will need assistance to comply with the laws.

Read the press release on the ISVR web site.

Lotus Engineering have released a product to tailor the noise inside vehicles. In addition the system can be used to actively cancel low frequency road noise and the firing noise from engine.

Read the press release on the Lotus web site.

Tenneco Automotive will be supplying Audi’s new A6 and A6 Avant vehicles with semi-active suspension systems. The Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension uses electro-mechanical valves to alter the damping of the suspension.

Read the press release on the Tenneco Automotive web site.

Honda was implemented an active noise control (ANC) system in two of their new cars: the Odyssey minivan and the Acura RL luxury sedan. The system is designed to reduce the noise inside the passenger cabin that originates from the engine.

Cornell University’s Nanoscale Facility (NSF) have created a silicon cantilever vibrating beams that are 6-10 microns long and can be used to identify the mass of molecules such as viruses and other pathogens.

For more information read the full article on the Cornell University web site.

The Active 2004 conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA was once again a fascinating conference. The topics that were covered were very broad that included new types of acoustic sensors, algorithms, fundamental studies in active aerodynamic control systems, psychoacoustics, and many practical installations of active noise control systems.
Read More