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LG is showing off a levitating Bluetooth speaker:
Other levitating speakers have looked like UFOs, evil soccer balls, or clouds. LG's latest looks more like the kind of device you might find in a hospital, with a functional off-white color scheme, a reassuringly chunky base unit, and a series of control options on the speaker itself. Its levitation is achieved through the use of electromagnets, rather than witchcraft, powerful units that support an omnidirectional speaker that LG says features Dual Passive Radiator technology for "flush mid-range tones and crisp highs."
Bass is, fittingly, handled by the base unit, which works as a subwoofer. It also doubles up as a charger: once the hovering speaker has used up its 10 hours of battery life, it descends slowly onto the base for charging, settling back to terra firma like a little lunar lander. The speaker can continue to play audio while it's charging, but be aware that it will look slightly less cool.
Also at PC Magazine. Breathless LG press release here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 31 2016, @01:54PM
**whack with golf club**
(Score: 3, Funny) by rts008 on Saturday December 31 2016, @02:12PM
I think that upon finding electronics in your golfballs, they kick you out of the tournament, Tiger. ;-)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 31 2016, @02:39PM
I think golfing with levitating balls should become a trend among "tech" billionaires.
(Score: 2) by rts008 on Saturday December 31 2016, @06:27PM
As long as they are playing with their own balls, fine. But if they are trying to play with the caddy's balls(floating, or not) then there could be a problem. I guess it would depend on the caddy...
I wonder...if you try swimming with floating balls, do you turn belly-up? Put the 'freestyle' back into men's freestyle swimming events!
(Score: 4, Funny) by zocalo on Saturday December 31 2016, @02:26PM
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 31 2016, @02:44PM
Small adjustment [youtube.com] and we have a practical use for this product.
(Score: 2) by Unixnut on Saturday December 31 2016, @02:55PM
I haven't quite kept up with modern gadgetry. Is there some reason apart from the gimmick of "ooh floaty" for making a speaker levitate? Any improvement in sound reproduction? I can't think of anything except possibly removing sound from transmitting from the speaker case to the surface, however.
1) This was solved a long time ago, without needing to make the speaker float (and the wasted power to do so)
2) the subwoofer isn't floating, so it will shake all the surfaces anyway.
I mean, what is the point?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 31 2016, @03:08PM
And I think the picture in TFA says it all: Gimmick marketed towards people who think (or are) asian chicks (are hot) Mostly gadget nerds and Silicon Valley douches with disposable income: See Zuck or that ex-Reddit chick.
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Saturday December 31 2016, @04:46PM
It is very important to give the rich something to spent their money on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 31 2016, @03:08PM
Don't worry your little head, it's not intended for you.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 31 2016, @04:30PM
It also doubles up as a charger: once the hovering speaker has used up its 10 hours of battery life, it descends slowly onto the base for charging, settling back to terra firma like a little lunar lander.
Uhh....
(Score: 4, Interesting) by wonkey_monkey on Saturday December 31 2016, @05:41PM
features Dual Passive Radiator technology for "flush mid-range tones and crisp highs."
Yes... in mono.
Not that anyone seems to bother much with stereo any more. Compare some Bowie, Beatles, or Queen to today's music. Bloody kids...
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday December 31 2016, @08:32PM
Test and see (hear):
https://www.lifewire.com/stereo-test-tracks-3134905 [lifewire.com]
http://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_stereo.php [audiocheck.net]
Tbh, most modern listening is in compromised environments with compromised equipment.
Which is likely why only some people bother finding quality FLAC or other lossless format recordings.
Once an independant test has been done on these floating thingies, they will likely only match cheaper speakers, that don't look as cool.. So they are probably perfect for playing your music from your phone by wifi or bluetooth.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 01 2017, @02:12PM
I think most of the target market would be buying it for the cool factor not the audio fidelity.
And if your claim is true the audio spec would be good enough:
Tbh, most modern listening is in compromised environments with compromised equipment.
e.g. if you are going to spend more instead of spending more on speakers to get better audio you might as well spend more on decorative stuff that can work as speakers.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday December 31 2016, @09:33PM
My current plan is to do one long post after the event, not in a list form, but paragraphs, about the most interesting or notable things shown at CES (if applicable).
Some links are in my journal.
Topics that are loosely related to CES or more important than a trade show could get their own subs, like this [soylentnews.org].
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday January 02 2017, @03:04PM
in soviet recording studio land, master monitors at full blast displace YOU!!!
Account abandoned.