Although movie producers can now create computer-animated images of just about anything, the sounds made by those items still typically consist of recordings of real-world objects. That may not be the case for much longer, however, thanks to a computer system developed at Stanford University.
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"A volume control for your ears." That's what Dutch company Knops promises with its eponymous unpowered noise control ear plugs, which give you the ability to choose between four levels of noise filtering. We put them through the uncompromising test of an aggressively loud children's show.
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NASA has tested three new noise reduction technologies on a series of Acoustic Research Measurement (ARM) flights, and managed to cut airframe noise during landing by more than 70 percent.
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Sometimes there’s nothing like a nice breeze from an open window, but in the city that can come with an unwanted side order of street noise. Inspired by noise-canceling headphones, researchers at NTU Singapore have developed a window-based system that can actively cut noise coming from outside.
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Sometimes there’s nothing nicer than curling up in front of the window with a coffee and staring out at the rain or the sunset, but the weather can be notoriously uncooperative. SmartTerra could act as your personal app-controlled window, simulating rainstorms, sunrises and sunsets on demand.
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Levitation usually only works with particles or tiny objects, but scientists from the University of Bristol have developed a new “acoustic tractor beam” that can trap larger objects, possibly paving the way for contactless production lines or even human levitation.
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A new study from Cardiff University points to a method that could have helped rescuers narrow down the search zone for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 and may make it easier to find future downed craft, along with a host of other violent sea-based events.
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A few years ago, MIT scientists developed a novel way to separate blood cells using sound waves. Now the team has demonstrated the process can isolate exosomes from blood samples, potentially creating a fast way to detect biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
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Having a high-end audio setup connected to your TV is nice, but not everyone has space for bulky speakers and subwoofers. Sound bars have emerged as a way to deliver big sound from a small footprint, so cable provider Sky has paired with Devialet to create an affordable one for the masses.
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Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a new sound that we can't hear, but that is picked up by mics of all kinds. It could have some valuable applications, although there's also the potential for misuse.
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