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

The human stereo

[Adam Jenkins]

Now if they can just wire the Discman inside your skull someplace too..

Re:The human stereo

[Nucleon500]

This is clearly the best technology ever developed, because it can close the analog hole. We can implant two speakers, one for each ear, just inside the skull. Each speaker will have a DAC and a decryptor chip, and a secure digital pathway leading out the ear canal. The pathway will block the ear canal to restrict unauthorized listening. The speakers will connect to a wearable Microsoft Music Center device, which will manage the user's listening rights. Later versions might include a microphone, so that the user can listen to sounds in the environment, after a short delay to ensure they aren't watermarked.

Although some cyber-terrorists may consider this a drastic method, it's the only way to protect the content industries, which are vital to America's economy, from rampant piracy and theft. Therefore, I'm proposing legislation requiring these devices to be implanted in each child before they turn two. Please join my crusade of consumer protection and write your congressman today!

This explains alot...

[Anonymous Coward]

...no wonder the voices in my head sound like the Rolling Stones.

Now if they would only quit playing "Sympathy for the Devil".

-mark

My head already got a speaker!

[DaneelGiskard]

I wonder...will god nullify their patent because of prior art? ;-)

Matrix...

[DaneelGiskard]

If Mr. Anderson would have had that in Matrix, he could have really pissed of that agent in that questioning scene...

Agent: "What good is a phone call...if you're unable to speak!"

Neo turns on his head speakers

Neo: "Wadda say?" ;-)

Re:The human stereo - Monty Python

[Anonymous Coward]

And now for something completely different... a man with a tape recorder up his nose...

who cares about this new fangled music technology.

[Anonymous Coward]

when you can listen to music that's in your mind here

now all we need is RIAA serving discovery documents for pieces of your brain....

I tried it with some tape, my mpio, and those..

[cspring007]

inflatable speakers they have in sharper image. Bought them, blew them up, and made what can be described as headphones. The sound was insane, as were the looks on people's faces who saw me that day in the mall.

I don't understand ?

[TenPin22]

Theres no such thing as pirating in China.

Re:Sound Cancel?

[Anonymous Coward]

they probably tightened a few screws then charged mrStupid 1.5mill

Re:Been done before?

[jellomizer]

Because of the poorer sound quality, teenage boys seem to like it.

If you haven't listens to todays music. Low quality speakers only help make it better.

nice

[sewagemaster]

oh great, so now even the unknown old fat ugly lady on the other side of the phonesex line that sounds like a horse can sound like the unknown old fat ugly lady on the other side of the phonesex line that sounds like a hot pr0nstar!