Gorgeous, Bizarre Wooden Speakers Livestream the Sounds of a Japanese Forest

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5975181/gorgeous-bizarre-wooden-speakers-livestream-the-sounds-of-a-japanese-forest

JVC Kenwood has released a set of bewildering wireless wooden speakers in Japan. Looking more like just a speaker frame, the pair vibrate to produce sounds, which unfortunately means their bass performance is non-existent.

It's form over function to the extreme, but JVC Kenwood is ok with that. Because the speakers, priced at $3,400 for the larger twelve-inch model and $700 for the smaller five-inch model, were actually only designed to play one thing: the noise of a forest.

The company will be offering an accompanying monthly subscription service in Japan that streams sounds captured by two forest-based microphones. One is set up on Honshu, in the Japanese Alps near Takayama. The other is near Morotsuka, on the mountainous southernmost island of Kyushu, known for its volcanoes and hot springs.

This like a ridiculously expensive version of one of those white noise machines—minus the "whale song" and "ocean waves" options. Would you pay a premium to know you're listening live to an honest-to-God forest? [The Asahi Shimbun via MoCo Loco]

Read More...

Summary only...

Lenovo IdeaTab A2107 arrives on AT&T for $200 without contract

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/11/lenovo-ideatab-a2107/

The Lenovo IdeaTab A2107, which was announced at IFA this past fall, has now officially been adopted by AT&T as its newest member of the carrier's tablet lineup. You can grab the 7-inch slate for $200 without worrying about a two-year commitment (if you're okay with a contract, you can grab it for $100). The tablet houses a MTK dual-core Cortex A9 processor, runs Android 4.0 and utilizes a 1,024 x 600 display. Additional specs include WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and FM radio. For more info, head to the press release below.

Continue reading Lenovo IdeaTab A2107 arrives on AT&T for $200 without contract

Filed under: Tablets, AT&T

Comments

Source: AT&T

Read More...

Summary only...

Turn Your iPad Into a DJ Station With Two Turntables and Some Suction Cups

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5975135/turn-your-ipad-into-a-dj-station-with-two-turntables-and-some-suction-cups

iPad docks featuring a set of compact turntables for DJs who like to travel light are nothing new. But ION Audio has come up with a small collection of suction-cuppable accessories that turn the iPad itself into a pair of decks and a mixer on the cheap.

Serious turntablists will probably want to stay well clear of the company's new Scratch 2 Go kit, which uses capacitive-compatible wheels, cross faders, and dials to interact with various DJ apps. But that's also why ION Audio will sell it for only around $40, starting in May. You're never going to see it in use in a real club, but for those who want to try their hand at DJing, it's a cheap way to get started. [Ion Audio via Cnet]

Read More...

Summary only...

Asus Claims the Title of World's Smallest Wi-Fi Router

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5975159/asus-claims-the-title-of-worlds-smallest-wi+fi-router

Amongst all of its Windows 8 PCs and tablet announcements at CES, Asus also quietly revealed what it's boasting as the world's smallest Wi-Fi router. And with a form factor only slightly larger than a well-equipped flash drive, the WL-330NUL Pocket Router is the perfect accessory for minimalist road warriors.

Weighing in at just 25 grams, the 802.11b/g/n router includes an ethernet port on one end for sharing a wired connection, and a USB cable on the other for stealing power from a computer. It can also be plugged into an outlet if you want to spare your laptop's battery. For ultra-thin notebooks lacking an ethernet port, the WL-330NUL doubles as a USB ethernet adapter too. As for pricing and availability, that's still to be announced.

[Asus via Fareastgizmos]

Read More...

Summary only...

Verizon says nearly half of data use on its network relies on LTE

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/11/verizon-says-nearly-half-of-data-use-on-its-network-relies-on-lt/

Verizon was the second US carrier to launch an LTE network, giving it ample opportunity to extend its 4G reach in more than two years. And according to network engineering VP Mike Haberman, it has -- he tells FierceWireless that nearly 50 percent of the carrier's data traffic goes through the LTE network, a big jump even over October's 35 percent. It's not hard to understand why when Big Red adds other numbers to the equation. When its LTE coverage potentially addresses 273.5 million Americans, and 85 percent of its subscription customers are picking up LTE devices like the Droid DNA, it's almost inevitable that many will leave 3G in the dust. Not that Verizon will do exactly the same, just yet -- its CDMA and EV-DO networks will hang on until the end of the decade.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon

Comments

Via: AllThingsD

Source: F ierceWireless

Read More...

Summary only...