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The 2008 Ig Nobel prizes were awarded recently which included an award to Massimiliano Zampini (University of Trento, Italy) and Charles Spence (Oxford University, UK) for conducting listening tests with people and found that by electronically modifying the sound that a potato chip makes when chewed can make the person think it is crisper and fresher.

Their work was published in the Journal of Sensory Studies.

In one of the largest hearing loss studies ever conducted, the results show there is a strong correlation between hearing loss and smoking, and that it is dose-related. There was also a strong correlation between body-mass-index and hearing loss. On the upside, the results from the study show that moderate alcohol consumption had an 'inverse correlation' with hearing loss, meaning that some drinking seems to decrease the likelihood of age related hearing loss.

Read the entire journal paper here.

Finis have released an MP3 player for use by swimmers that uses bone conduction to transmit sound instead of conventional loudspeakers.

For details see the Finis Inc. web site.

A collaboration between several research groups has found that a particular frog from China has the ability to 'tune' its hearing to a particular frequency range by opening and closing its Eustachian tubes. The researchers claim that this frog is the only known animal that can actively select the frequency range of interest.

Read the full news article on Medical News Today.

ESI Group have released the latest version of the software VA One 2008.0, which can be used for vibro-acoustic predictions across the full frequency spectrum seamlessly.

The software uses unique mathematics to combine low-, mid-, and high- frequency predictions. The software combines finite elements, boundary elements and statistical energy analysis in one model.

For more information about the VA One software, see the ESI Group web site.

Researchers have found using Functional MRI scans that the brain function is altered in patients with Hand-Vibration syndrome compared with a control group. The results were presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. 18-20 September 18-20, 2008. Chicago, USA.

Read the full article on the Orthosupersite.

A federal appeals court in the USA (9th Circuit Court of Appeals) has rejected the Bush administration request to exempt the US Navy training activities using active sonar from environmental laws. This decision follows from a lower court that set conditions in an effort to protect whales and dolphins from the active sonar.

Read more on the LA times web site.

Sony have released a new type of headphone that has a separate bass 'duct', a tube that is inserted into the ear canal, and external speakers for the mid- and high- frequencies. The PFR-V1 headphones will be available for retail sale in the US in April. The reason for doing this is to provide a more natural sound rather than the 'in the head' sound from most headphones. Images of the headphones can be viewed on Sony's Japan web site.

Another interesting year is in store for 2008 with some great conferences in acoustics in vibrations around the globe. For a list of conferences, see the Calendar for 2008 Conferences.

This web site was hacked again recently. It appears that someone did some sql injections into the forums. I've shutdown the forums as they were not widely used. I've also changed the hosting of the web site. Let me know if you spot any problems.

A UK company has released a CD containing pre-recorded road noises that when played back through a car stereo should excite the rattles in a car, which will help in locating these annoyances. See the Rattle Buster web site.

A new Bluetooth mobile phone headset is now available that uses the vibration from facial bones and a microphone to reduce background noise. See the Jawbone headset website for more information.

Mitsui Engineering has developed a water tank with multiple actuators that can form a standing wave pattern in the shape of letters.

For the Mitsui press release see here (In Japanese), and for their brochure see here.

Ulf Sanberg and Jerzy Ejsmont have released a new reference book covering all the aspects of tyre and road noise. The cost is $US230 or $E190 and is available from Informex web site.

The new Nikon S7c camera has inbuilt vibration reduction to help take shaper pictures. An angular velocity sensor is used with in built image processing software to reduce blurry pictures.

For more information see the Nikon press release.

A company called AADcontrol have a 'new' technology to reduce the vibration of towers on 1MW turbines, called 'Active Aerodynamic Damping'.

Prof Fastl and Prof Zwicker have released an updated version of their popular 1999 book on psychoacoustics called Psychoacoustics: Facts and Models . This book is a "must have" for those interested in psychoacoustics.

VIP Sensors have released a new accelerometer calibrator, Model 5900. The vibration amplitude is adjustable from 0.02 g to 2 g at 100 Hz using the internal generator, or 50Hz to 2 KHz using an external oscillator.

Perpetuum, a UK based company have released a product for energy 'harvesting' from vibrating machinery. The PMG7 generator outputs at much as 5 mW at 3.3V from a vibration level of 100 mg.

Another company RLW has used this principle in a wireless vibration condition-monitoring product.

Bruel and Kjaer have released a new instrument called the Human Vibration Analyzer Type 4447.

Bruel and Kjaer, MSC (Material Sciences Corporation), and Link Engineering have built a new testing facility in Canton, Michigan, USA for design and testing of Noise Vibration Harshness issues related to automotive and communications equipment.

Perpetuum have released a device to convert vibration into electricity. The device is capable of generating 5mW of power, which is usually sufficient for powering many wireless transmitters.

See the news release for more information.