GEAR + TECH
This Air-Powered Hybrid of a Vehicle and Musical Instrument Tests the Limits of Sound
I don’t mean to toot my own horn… As part of its “Two Yamahas, One Passion” joint project, Yamaha Design Lab has designed an unexpected piece of technology: a mobile musical instrument powered by gas and air. With the new concept, dubbed “Untitled Instrument,” two Yamaha departments joined forces to re-envision the principle of sound and how it can be used in conjunction with modern day automotive engineering technology. If the airflow through a wind or brass instrument, like a trumpet, is controlled properly, a musical scale can be played. This same air is also used to power the propulsion of the bike. Depending on how the air is converted into energy, it can bring out different outcomes. The bike is able to move when air is converted into mat...
Useful travel gadgets: what we’re using in 2022
From practical solutions for everyday problems to highbrow electronics for luxury on the road, here are our favoured useful travel gadgets of 2022 The modern traveller rarely leaves home without a range of gadgets and accessories. Despite years of travel and streamlining my gear, I still pack a healthy number of gadgets. Unless I’m going completely off-grid, there are certain (usually electronic) luxuries I don’t want to be without. I want to take thousands of photographs, listen to music, watch a movie, stay in touch with my family and most importantly of all, keep track of England’s latest batting collapse (a form of self-harm I’m sure). Therefore, the following useful travel gadgets are a mix of what I won’t travel without and what’s on my wish list for 2020. 1. World travel adapter kit...
8 essentials for safe travel
From avoiding stomach bugs to securing valuables, these essentials for safe travel will stop long trips playing havoc with your health Having five sisters as I do is wonderful. On your travels, you get lots of messages checking on your whereabouts and well-being. And then you get some more messages. And then you get some more. Soon, this turns into real-time updates of potential hazards in a 6,000-mile radius. “You’re camping on a beach in Fiji? Did you hear about the couple who got hurt on a beach in Thailand?” “Didn’t you just leave Vanuatu? There’s an earthquake there now.” “You’re in Chile? What about that huge volcano?” Of course, it’s natural to worry about loved ones when they’re away. Occasionally, that worry is warranted. To help set minds at ea...
DJ On the Go With This Tech That Transforms Your iPhone Into a Turntable
Go DJ—literally. A new device prototype out of the Yamaha Design Lab is intended to transform music played from your phone into a vinyl record experience. Dubbed the TurnT, it’s part of a line of proposed music accessories meant to bring tactility back into being on aux. The TurnT looks like a record player and works in tandem with a smartphone app to transform its screen into a “magic record,” according to Yamaha. The stylus acts as a play button for music selected on the phone. There’s also the Winder, meant to replicate windup music boxes; the MusicLight, which syncs music to the flicker of a flame; and the RhythmBot, a set of four robotic percussion instruments that play along to rhythms around them. Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles “Thr...
There’s No Calming This Creepy, Light-Sensitive Baby Synthesizer
If you’re a music producer looking to give your sound some edge, perhaps the frenetic “wails” of this baby-shaped synth will do just the trick. The crimson Baby Bot Light Theremin: Powland Edition is the brainchild of Moon Armada and Powland. And consistent with its unique appearance, this synthesizer is certain to produce some sounds that will turn heads. As one might expect, there’s certainly no hope of calming this vocal child. “The best way to play it is to just start turning knobs until you find combinations you like,” Moon Armada says of operating the synth. “Generally, having the knobs turned higher will result in more abrasive, noisy sounds, while having them turned down will yield more beep-boop type sounds.” In addition to the Frank...
Audius Hacked for $1 Million Via Malicious Governance Proposal
In the midst of a blistering $2 trillion crypto crash that has roiled the blockchain industry, the world’s leading blockchain-based streaming platform has sustained a seven-figure attack. In a malicious exploit that used the platform’s built-in governance structure as a means to withdraw tokens, Audius reportedly sustained a hack which saw the perpetrator make a speedy exit with over $1 million. According to Cointelegraph, the hacker was able to solely request the transfer of 18 million $AUDIO tokens by establishing themselves as the singular guardian of the contract, known as “Proposal #85.” The 18 million tokens were originally worth $6 million at the time, but due to the hacker’s move to hastily dump the reserves on the open market simultaneously, the resul...
Balenciaga and Bang & Olufsen’s Speaker Handbag Is a Rich Audiophile Fashionista’s Fantasy
Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga and world-renowned audio company Bang & Olufsen have formed a unique partnership to create a new “Haute Couture hi-fi” product called The Speaker Bag. Functioning as a purse, handbag or both, The Speaker Bag is the loudest statement in fashion. It’s a testament to both companies’ unparalleled appetite to cultivate the next fashion-meets-tech innovations. “This bag is a testament to what happens when two very special companies with an unparalleled heritage of craftsmanship join forces,” said Miklu Silvanto, Bang & Olufsen’s Chief Design Officer. “Both design teams are dedicated to excellence, and I think we together created something unique.” Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles The Speaker Bag ...
Olympic Skateboarder Nyjah Huston Launches EDM-Themed VR Experience and NFT Collection
Olympic skateboarder Nyjah Huston and Peeq’s Daniel Benlulu have partnered to launch “Chaotic DJs,” an NFT collection and VR experience inspired by the electronic dance music community. Living on the Ethereum blockchain, the “Chaotic DJs” collection comprises 10,000 tokens depicting a tiger, bunny, wolf or ape. According to a press release, holders can unlock real-life rewards like invites to private parties, music education initiatives and mentorship programs. The NFTs will ultimately function as passes to Chaotic Land, a music festival which Huston and his partners are currently conceptualizing, according to the “Chaotic DJs” roadmap. It’s here where virtual reality comes into play, considering the collection’s website says Chaot...
This Is the Vintage DJ Equipment You Saw In the Finale of “Stranger Things 4”
Spoiler alert: Do not read if you have not watched “Chapter Nine: The Piggyback” of Stranger Things 4, now streaming on Netflix. While we process the pandemonium of the heart-pounding Stranger Things 4 finale, let’s revisit that chilling “Snow Ball” scene and its badass vintage turntables. When this season’s villain—a dark wizard named Vecna who feeds on the trauma of kids—closes in on his telepathic kill of Max, Eleven infiltrates her memories in an attempt to save her. Wandering the depths of her psyche, Eleven finds a young Max skateboarding in a park. Searching for signs of Vecna, Eleven instead spots something from an entirely different memory of Max’s. In the “memory within a memory,” she en...
Design Studio Unveils Concept to Turn the Nintendo Switch Into a Music Production Instrument
From DJ Hero to Beat Saber, console games have played a pivotal role in gamifying music creation and performance. And the Nintendo Switch may just be capable of introducing the next level of utility. Capitalizing on the Nintendo Switch’s modular qualities, Alquemy, a boutique design studio based out of Sydney, has devised a well-considered concept as to how they foresee the console aiding a new generation of music producers. The concept is based on the Akai Pro MPC and it features two snap-on modules with all the bells and whistles of an industry-standard controller. The module incorporates nine pads, control knobs and hotkeys for agile editing and playback. Plus, the team thoughtfully utilized the sides of the modules to outfit the device with speakers, ensuring an enhanced pla...
Tomorrowland’s New NFT Project Offers Collectors a “Full Madness” Music Festival Experience
The comeback of Tomorrowland lies just on the horizon, and now there’s even more opportunities to become a part of one of EDM’s most beloved festival communities. Ahead of the brand’s last-minute preparations in anticipation of delivering three weekends of music festival magic, Tomorrowland has introduced the “Medallion of Memoria,” a new NFT project that brings the festival’s global community closer to the action. The “Medallion of Memoria” is assembled by accumulating three unique parts: “A Letter From The Universe,” “The Reflection Of Love” and a forthcoming third piece soon to be revealed. Minting each piece of the unique collection carries a subset of the medallion’s overall utility, b...
UMG Partners With Music Wellness App Vera to Help People With Dementia
Universal Music Group has been named the exclusive launch partner for Vera, a mobile application created by music wellness and technology company Music Health. Vera is an AI-driven music app designed specifically for people suffering with dementia. The technology used in the Vera application “allows Vera to curate the perfect song at the right time for every individual listener.” According to UMG, the venture took Music Health three years of rigorous research and development. The research included more than 20,000 hours of observation and analysis to effectively conclude that Vera had a positive impact on the quality of life of people with BPSD, or the Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia. “We’ve built Vera to know and find the music that mea...
