Our new book Acoustic Analyses Using MATLAB and ANSYS is available now in print, kindle, or ebook.
All the source MATLAB, ANSYS Workbench, and ANSYS APDL files used in the book are available for free download from the University of Adelaide.
Expensive Headphones
Wired.com has an article on several expensive headphones, 9 of the World’s Most Outrageously Expensive Headphones, some are $5,500 ??
It has got me puzzled why consumer grade headphones are expensive, after all they are 2 speakers, a headband, and a chord. It was announced this week that Apple will be buying Beats for $3.4b (see SMH article) !
Supercomputer Simulation of Tyre Noise
Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama has a press release that they have been working with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), to model the radiation of sound from tyres. They claim to have conducted the world’s first simulation of turbulence around a tire rolling on a road surface and the sound that is generated.
Short Term Audio Memory
Researchers in the department of psychology at University of Iowa have found that humans have an auditory memory of only about 4 to 8 seconds.
Their paper is available online.
Transparent speaker
The CES 2014 convention is underway in Las Vegas and a bevy of new gadgets are on display. One audio product that has shone out is ClearView’s Clio loudspeakers. The speaker comprises a transparent curved perspex sheet that is mounted in a black base that houses the drive mechanism. The curve sheet acts as the sound radiator and is driven by piezo-electric actuators on the bottom edge of the sheet. This type of drive mechanism is patented and called EdgeMotion.
Here is a photo from ClearView’s media gallery. Try to find their speaker!
On a related topic of audio, at the bottom of the ClearView’s web page is a selected history of the development of audio technology which is worth a quick look. You’ll see familiar company names like Siemens, Lansing, Jensen, Kloss, Thiele and Small, and others. Of course the history of the development of audio technology is much more detailed and many many developments are missing, but their selected list is interesting nonetheless.
Magnetic Sculpture Makes Music
The Verge web site has a news article about a ‘Magnetophone’ sculpture that generates sound. The device comprises electro-magnets, strings, sound boards, and is controlled by an Arduino board.
Founder of Bose dies
The founder of the Bose audio company, Amar Bose, died on 12 July 2013, aged 83.
Read the news item on the MIT web site.
Man implants magnet into ear to make earphones
Rich Lee got a magnet surgically implanted into his ear. A coil around his neck generates a magnetic field that causes the magnet to vibrate and make sound.
Story via CNET.
Global Map of Underwater Noise from Shipping
Michael Porter and Laurel Henderson from Heat, Light, and Sound Research, Inc. will present a map of underwater noise level around the globe at the 21st International Conference on Acoustics. Simulations were conducted to determine the noise levels in the sea due to the propulsion noise from ship travelling on along shipping lanes around the globe.
See the article from the Space Daily web site.
Earthquakes telegraph impending tsunamis
Researchers at Stanford University have conducted simulations to show that vibration from an earthquake will reach land many minutes before the arrival of a tsunami, and could provide an early warning system.
Read the press release on the Stanford web site.