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Turn Your House Plants Into Speakers

thermopile writes "According to this story, your everyday houseplants could be turned into room-filling speakers. Called Ka-on ('Flower Sound' in Japanese), the machine consists of a donut-shaped magnet and coil at the base of a vase that hooks up to a CD player, stereo or TV. Prices range from $46 to $460. I don't know about you, but I'd hate getting fragged by that plant over there while playing Doom 3..."

28 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. Trippin by threeofnine · · Score: 5, Funny
    Now when I am tripped out on LSD, I can say that the plant really did say something. :-)

    Three of Nine

    1. Re:Trippin by Orgazmus · · Score: 2, Funny

      You have that problem too?

      The other day i could swear my plant said "That one looks familiar" when Bush was on the TV ;)

      --
      The system had the verbosity of HTML combined with all the readability of compiled assembly viewed as bitmap images
    2. Re:Trippin by threeofnine · · Score: 1, Funny
      My plant is called a Howard, it is always trying to get up the arse of that bush you refer to.

      Third of Nine

    3. Re:Trippin by TarlCabbot · · Score: 2, Funny
      Later this month, you'll be able to carry on a telephone conversation with a flower

      FEED ME, Seymore

  2. Re:Sound quality ? by Orgazmus · · Score: 4, Funny

    How would those work as a headset?

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    The system had the verbosity of HTML combined with all the readability of compiled assembly viewed as bitmap images
  3. Well I guess it's a step up from... by webgit · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... those really annoying plants that dance with the music!

  4. Hook it up to a tube amp by BrainInAJar · · Score: 4, Funny

    for more accurate sound. Ipod -> FM transmitter -> Tube radio -> Flower...

  5. Eeeehm ... by YeeHaW_Jelte · · Score: 3, Funny

    "The plant is happy listening to music," says Gotoh, showing off a rubber plant hooked up to Ka-on in his Tokyo office. "Gerberas and sunflowers work especially well as speakers."

    I'm not sure I'll take horticultural advice from someone who has a _rubber_ plant on his desk ...

    --

    ---
    "The chances of a demonic possession spreading are remote -- relax."
  6. Plants' life expectancy? by otisg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Has anyone studied has this affects the life expectancy of affected plants? I guess it may depend on the music you play. If you play Kenny G, they won't last a week. Celine Dion, maybe 2.

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    Simpy
    1. Re:Plants' life expectancy? by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 1, Funny

      If you play Kenny G, they won't last a week. Celine Dion, maybe 2.

      Yes, but the real question is how long will you last having to listen to that music?

  7. Re:Way to go, Slasdot editors! by dncsky1530 · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is one good thing to dupe stories:

    You can always increase your karma by re-posting all the comments modded +5

  8. Re:Some pictures of singing plants by KennethSundby · · Score: 3, Funny

    "This is pretty cool, especially for some geeks that are high on gardening."

    I'm sure they'll sell millions, as most geeks can keep a plant alive[/sarcasm]

    I think this would be more of a boost to the gardening industry than anything else, buying myself a new plant every week so I can listen to my music :P

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    -Kenneth Sundby-
  9. Re:sounds cool by Romci · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now, well...if a tree makes a sound, and there's no one around to hear it - can it still fry your amplifier?

  10. Re:New meaning... by D-Cypell · · Score: 2, Funny

    I am amazed that you managed to make that point without mentioning soviet russia... new here?

  11. Re:Way to go, Slasdot editors! by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is one good thing to dupe stories:

    You can always increase your karma by re-posting all the comments modded +5

    ...

    Oh, wait, do you mean comments from the original stories? ;-)

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    Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
  12. Re:Prima Belladonna by Kokuyo · · Score: 1, Funny

    Having such plants would be an expensive hobby... have you never felt the need to strangle your coworker or that one know-it-all kid in class who used to let everyone know that he or she knew all the answers to the test you were writing while you were sweating over the question "Name:" by humming contently?

    On the other hand... this is /. You probably WERE that kid ;).

  13. Woah! What next? by jigyasubalak · · Score: 3, Funny

    Turn cockroaches into USB Flash memories?

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    The best planning can be done after the project completes.
  14. Don't Forget by Luigi30 · · Score: 1, Funny

    You think this'll ruin the Vogons' perfect stereo arrangement when they come and blow up the earth for that new intergalactic bypass?

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  15. Puzzling results... by bytesmythe · · Score: 2, Funny

    I hooked this up to a bowl of petunias and the speakers blurted out "Oh no, not again."

    I figure if I knew why it did this I'd know a lot more about the nature of the universe.

    --
    bytesmythe
    Hypocrisy is the resin that holds the plywood of society together.
    -- Scott Meyer
  16. Brings a whole new meaning to... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    my speakers just died.

    And the way my plants hold up, i'd have to buy new
    speakers every two weeks. ;)

  17. What would be really cool ... by gustgr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Imagine playing Zero Wing with plant speakers. To hear a flower saying to you:

    ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US.

    That would be bizarre.

  18. More spectacular than a talking plant but ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe you could combine the two ideas and produce a burning bush that talks.

  19. Re:If they can be used as speakers... by gregduffy · · Score: 0, Funny

    Arm your tin-foil hats! Even the PLANTS are listening!!

  20. -1, Not Funny by Tairnyn · · Score: 2, Funny
    Since bad humor seems to be the hallmark of this thread...

    In mother Japan, flower speaks to YOU.

    Imagine a beowulf cluster of these!

    --
    "Don't waste your time or time will waste you" -MUSE
  21. Dude! by YouHaveSnail · · Score: 3, Funny

    I just got this new geranium and you've gotta hear it? Sweet treble, clear midtones, and WICKED bass!

    1. Re:Dude! by Rick.C · · Score: 2, Funny
      I just got this new geranium and you've gotta hear it? Sweet treble, clear midtones, and WICKED bass!

      Sir, your ear must be made from a low-grade tin alloy!

      A geranium, the "houseplant of the masses", will never be able to produce the scintillating highs or the rich, full lows that true music afficionados find so inspiring. Those sonoral qulities are simply not in a geranium's breeding.

      For a truly satisfying listening experience, might I suggest a split-leaf philodendron? Not just any specimen will do, of course; only a pure-bred "Philodendron monstera deliciosa", gentically selected for solid, tear-free leaf edges. I'm sure you'll find that one that has been fed a strict diet of fish oil will naturally enhance the warmth of your McIntosh tubed amplifiers. And there is the added benefit that its fruit is edible, though with a slight fishy taste.

      Bon appetit!

      --
      You were 80% angel, 10% demon. The rest was hard to explain. - Over The Rhine
      "Math in a song is good."-Linford
  22. Re:Some pictures of singing plants by silicon+not+in+the+v · · Score: 2, Funny
    I'm sure they'll sell millions, as most geeks can keep a plant alive[/sarcasm]

    I think this would be more of a boost to the gardening industry than anything else, buying myself a new plant every week so I can listen to my music :P
    Yeah right. Geeks wouldn't buy new plants to listen to. They would just download them from a P2P network (plant to plant).
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    We may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode. -Capt. Mal Reynolds
  23. Alpha Source by centauri · · Score: 3, Funny

    Speakers, bah! I'm looking for a way to turn plants - say, all the trees in my garden - into microphones, so I can eavesdrop (leavesdrop?) on people who might be plotting against me. Anyone who knows how to do this should email dsidious@imperialpalace.coruscant.gov.

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    Don't blame me, I voted for Durga.