All items written by audioXpress Staff
Apple Announces New Software Updates and Confirms Dolby Atmos Support on Apple TV 4K
June 4, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

Apple Announces New Software Updates and Confirms Dolby Atmos Support on Apple TV 4K

During its WWDC 2018 keynote presentation in San Jose, CA, Apple announced a whole new generation of operating system updates for its platforms, with iOS 12, macOS 10.14 Mojave, tvOS 12, and watchOS 5. Among the many new technologies and functionalities, Apple confirmed that its Apple TV 4K hardware platform will get Dolby Atmos immersive audio support. Apple announced enhancements to its FaceTime communication solution, now allowing Group FaceTime, for up to 32 iPhone, iPad and Mac owners to participate in a video conference call simultaneously.
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Feel the Beat: Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook 2018 Now Available!
June 4, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

Feel the Beat: Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook 2018 Now Available!

The 2018 Loudspeaker Industry Sourcebook (LIS) is now available! In the best tradition, the LIS 2018 edition contains so much more than the listings - You will find a complete series of must-read articles for anyone in the audio industry. Combining the editorial resources of our monthly publications, audioXpress and Voice Coil, LIS 2018 contains cutting-edge articles from some of the finest industry leaders, interviews with audio professionals on trending industry topics, and our annual industry reports about the state of the industry.
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Texas Instruments Launches Three New Class-D Amplifiers to Solve Smart-Home Audio Design Challenges
June 4, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

Texas Instruments Launches Three New Class-D Amplifiers to Solve Smart-Home Audio Design Challenges

Texas Instruments (TI) introduced three new digital-input Class-D audio amplifiers that enable engineers to deliver high-resolution audio in more smart-home and voice-enabled applications. By combining first-of-its-kind integration, real-time protection and new modulation schemes, TI's new audio devices allow designers to reduce board space and overall bill of material (BOM) cost, while providing premium sound and integrated protection for applications such as smart speakers and soundbars.
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Yandex and Fraunhofer IIS Team Up To Bring Russian-Speaking Smart Speaker To Market
June 4, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

Yandex and Fraunhofer IIS Team Up To Bring Russian-Speaking Smart Speaker To Market

Yandex, a Russian technology company that builds intelligent products and services powered by machine learning, has incorporated Fraunhofer’s upHear Voice Quality Enhancement technology into its first smart speaker, enabling the device to accurately hear voice commands issued from anywhere in a room. This is the first smart speaker powered by Alice, the first virtual assistant designed to serve the needs of Russian users, which was initially offered in Yandex’s iOS and Android apps.
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IFA 2018 Set for Growth Connecting the Global Technology Ecosystem
June 2, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

IFA 2018 Set for Growth Connecting the Global Technology Ecosystem

IFA is the world's leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances. It will take place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds (ExpoCenter City) from 31 August to 5 September 2018. Alongside the event, IFA Global Markets will take place from 2 to 5 September at Station Berlin, bringing together buyers and OEMs / ODMs at Europe’s largest sourcing show for the electronics sector. IFA NEXT, the innovation platform, will feature a much greater display area, theme days, and an even higher international attendance.
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USB-IF Publishes HID Standard for Braille Displays
June 1, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

USB-IF Publishes HID Standard for Braille Displays

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, announced a USB HID (Human Interface Device) standard for braille displays, representing a collaborative step toward greater technological accessibility for people who are blind or have low vision. The announcement of the new standard was the result of a collaboration effort between Apple and Microsoft, and will improve accessibility for blind or low-vision users across different operating systems and hardware.
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Nureva Updates HDL300 Audio Conferencing Systems and Introduces Intelligent Sound Targeting
June 1, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

Nureva Updates HDL300 Audio Conferencing Systems and Introduces Intelligent Sound Targeting

Nureva just announced intelligent sound targeting, a new patent-pending feature of its Microphone Mist technology platform that powers its HDL300 and Dual HDL300 audio conferencing systems. The new technology allows managing undesired sound sources in audio conferencing sessions. Nureva also announced a firmware update that includes new customizable audio settings, new auxiliary audio modes for interoperability with third-party systems, and refinements to audio performance.
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Alango and Seeed Collaborate on Voice Interface Far-Field Technology
June 1, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

Alango and Seeed Collaborate on Voice Interface Far-Field Technology

Alango announced its collaboration with Seeed Technology providing far-field voice enhancement on the Seeed ReSpeaker Core v2.0. Seeed's ReSpeaker Core v2.0 is designed as a multifunctional development board for voice interface applications. The platform is based on the Rockchip RK3229, a quad-core ARM Cortex A7, running up to 1.5GHz, with 1GB RAM. The board features a six-microphone array with Alango's Voice Enhancement Package "VEP" and is able to be customized upon request.
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EBU and Fraunhofer IIS Conducted Live MPEG-H Audio Production Trial at Eurovision Song Contest 2018
May 31, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

EBU and Fraunhofer IIS Conducted Live MPEG-H Audio Production Trial at Eurovision Song Contest 2018

The European Broadcasting Union EBU and Fraunhofer IIS have successfully conducted the first trial for live production of immersive and interactive sound using the MPEG-H TV Audio System at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Lisbon, Portugal. For the trial, the Fraunhofer sound engineers installed a height dimension to the impressive microphone setup in the Altice Arena, enabling them to produce an immersive and personalized audio mix live. Broadcasters and sound experts present at the venue could experience the enveloping and interactive MPEG-H sound.
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Global Smart Home Market to Hit $155 Billion by 2023
May 31, 2018 by audioXpress Staff

Global Smart Home Market to Hit $155 Billion by 2023

The global smart home market ended on an upbeat note in 2017 reaching $84 billion, up 16% from $72 billion in 2016 according to a report just released by Strategy Analytics. According to the report, “2018 Global Smart Home Market Forecast”, worldwide consumer spending on smart home devices, systems and services will total nearly $96 billion in 2018 and grow at 10% CAGR over the forecast period (2018 to 2023) to $155 billion. Adoption of smart speakers from Amazon and Google is boosting the market.
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