Turn Your Head Into Speakers

Roland Piquepaille writes "A small company based in Iowa has developed products made with a "smart" metal that can turn your walls or your head into speakers. "Last August, Etrema -- an innovative technology firm nestled in the cornfields of Ames, Iowa -- started selling those chrome discs for $1,500 a pair. Called Whispering Windows, they can turn any wall, window, or drab conference table into a speaker." The author tried the technology, and even if she needed a full bottle of Tylenol after usage, said "it's not every day that your head serves as a piece of stereo equipment." This overview tells you more about this "magic" metal, the Terfenol, which is a combination of terbium and dysprosium. The article also says that we can soon expect pirated versions of Terfenol coming from China."

Comments

Dickhead

[Talisman]

"if china has the metals and the formula, why would their 'pirate' version be inferior to the american version, beyond its not being american?"

Where in the article did it indicate it would be inferior? They meant 'cheap' as in inexpensive, not low quality.

"wouldn't market demand dictate the quality of the chinese ternenol?"

Ummm... no? Market demand would determine the price. Product quality might sway consumer choice to the (presumably) more expensive American version (having to pay your non-Commie workers a living wage is a mother fucker on the bottom line) but since they STOLE (or are trying to steal) the process, the quality might be comparable.

"and surely pirated is the wrong word here. they are not bootlegging consumer goods, but manufacturing a material."

They are trying to mimic a patented process, and went so far as to hack into a company's network to steal the manufacturing details. If Americans had done the same to a start-up Chinese company, you and your ilk would be screaming about what greedy imperialists we are.

"Two years ago the firm's computer system was hacked into, most likely by spies for the People's Republic of China, which, according to the Pentagon, is actively trying to steal the formula for Terfenol. Terbium and dysprosium are most commonly found in the Boutou region of northern China."

What is confusing you? Just because they have the ingredients in their backyard doesn't mean they know wtf to do with them, nor does it mean they have eminent domain over any process that might incorporate those ingredients.

Talisman