Ellula Sounds has developed inflatable loudspeaker enclosures. They are intended for portable laptop or MP3 players. Models include 10W RMS desk speakers and a 35W RMS subwoofer.

Sony have released a new active-noise cancellation ear-bud style headphones, model MDR-NC11. When the unit is switched on noise is reduced by 10dB. The specs on the website say that it cancels noise from 50Hz to 1,000 Hz, with a maximum of 10dB noise cancellation in the critical range from 100 to 400 Hz – where the human ear is super-sensitive.

Read more on the SonyStyle web site and search for MDR-NC11. Watch the shockwave flash advert for noise cancellation products.

SKF, an bearing manufacturing company, has developed an add on module for a Handspring Visor PDA that converts it into a portable vibration analyzer. The ‘MicroVibe’ can display time and FFT plots of vibration.

Read more on the SKF condition monitoring web site.

Pioneer has developed a speaker system called the PDSP-1, the world’s first digital sound projector, that uses 254 2.5 inch speakers to create 5.1 virtual channels. The speaker unit is only 5 inches thick and delivers 500W of power. The system was developed in conjunction with 1 Ltd, a technology development and licensing company.

Read the news article on the Pioneer Electronic web site.
Read about the technology on the 1 Ltd web site.

Ometron have released a new scanning laser vibrometer, model XVI, that can measure vibration at 16 locations simultaneously, which means it is possible the study of transient and non-repeatable events.

Read more on the Ometron web site.

MSc, Maintenance Systems Corporation, has released a low cost vibration analyzer for use in condition monitoring of bearings and machines.

Read the full article on the MSc web site.

Triad has developed a single chip tri-axial accelerometer that weighs 0.25gm.

Read the product specs on the Triad web site.

Rion have released a new sound level meter model, the NL-32/NL-22 Type 1 / Type 2 Noise Analyser. Data can be stored on to compact flash cards. Remote download and control option for GSM or landline.

Read the full article on the ANV Measurement Systems website.

Read this interesting article on digital amplifiers. These guys have made a digital amplifier the size of a credit card that can pump out 200W RMS into 8 Ohms, DC to 91kHz. They require virtually no cooling and their efficiency is almost 90%!

AOpen, a Taiwanese manufacturer of computer components, has released a motherboard for PC with a vacuum tube to “improve” the audio output. This product is obviously targeted for a niche market, for those people that find their conventional PC sound cards unsatisfactory