Fraunhofer IIS Licenses Comprehensive MPEG Audio Codec Suite to NXP Semiconductors

Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, the inventor of mp3 and primary developer of the xHE-AAC and MPEG-H Audio standards, announced that NXP Semiconductors has licensed Fraunhofer’s MPEG audio SDK. The complete software package covers four generations of audio codecs, from legacy MPEG Layer-1/2/3 to the next-generation MPEG-H 3D Audio standard and the AAC codec family, including xHE-AAC. NXP will incorporate these codecs in home entertainment product development, from set-top boxes and soundbars to smart speakers.

Sensory Inc., a Silicon Valley company that pioneered speech recognition and AI in consumer electronics, announced the acquisition of Vocalize.ai, a software tools and services company that performs benchmarking, accuracy assessments and bias evaluations for speech technologies and natural language interfaces. As part of the acquisition, Sensory will maintain Vocalize.ai as an independently operated division.

Smart devices have proliferated across everyday life for Chinese people, offering considerable opportunities for global companies operating within the AI space – specifically focused on the voice assistant market. According to the latest report from SAR Insight & Consulting – China Voice Market – the average Chinese consumer has become much more positive about the benefits of owning connected devices helping to drive greater interest in the interactive voice functionality.

Because every R&D department in the planet is currently looking at implementing voice, and everyone's looking at audioXpress for guidance on how to design a smart speaker, in this edition Kevin Connor, shares his insider knowledge on the topic. Connor, a Cirrus Logic engineer, explains how to provide audio and voice solutions, and design products that sound great and respond reliably to voice commands, regardless of backend service. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2018.

Futuresource Consulting released a new consumer electronics (CE) consumer study about "Smart Home Devices and Appliances: Consumer Ownership and Attitudes." The study took representative households across the UK, France, Germany and the US and assessed ownership, perceptions and use of smart home and smart appliances. The report reveals key triggers and obstacles surrounding the development of this market, which has demonstrated strong double digit growth of around 40% year-on-year between 2016-2019.