Latest news with #sound
UAE Moments
a day ago
- UAE Moments
My Honest Take on the Sonos Era 300 (White): Why It's a Must for Every Home
If you're anything like me, sound matters. Not just music, but how it fills your space, how it makes you feel, how it turns an ordinary evening into something a little more alive. That's exactly what the Sonos Era 300 in white has done for me—and I'm here to tell you, without exaggeration, that it's one of the best additions I've made to my home in years. Let me say this upfront: I've tried a lot of speakers. Some boomed, others crackled, and most just… sounded fine. The Sonos Era 300? It doesn't just play music—it transforms how music is experienced. And there's something about the white finish that feels clean, elegant, and timeless. It blends beautifully with my interior—like it belongs, not like it's trying too hard. Unboxing and First Impressions When the box arrived, even the packaging felt premium. Sonos clearly puts care into the first impression, and rightly so. The white Era 300 is a statement piece—it looks modern and sculptural without being over-designed. It has this subtly futuristic design that doesn't scream 'tech,' which I love. Minimal, curved, with smooth lines and a seamless build. The matte white gives it a kind of Scandinavian design vibe—neutral, fresh, and fitting whether you're in a sleek apartment or a cozy family home. I placed it in my living room on a shelf and immediately felt like it elevated the space. That was even before I turned it on. Setting It Up Setup was a breeze. If you're already in the Sonos ecosystem, you'll appreciate how intuitive the app is. But even if you're new to Sonos, the onboarding is smooth and well-guided. Within minutes, the Era 300 was connected to my Wi-Fi, synced with my services, and ready to go. I use Apple Music and Spotify, both of which integrate beautifully. One tap on the app, and it was go time. Spatial Audio = Game Changer Let's talk about what makes the Era 300 truly unique —its support for spatial audio. I didn't really understand the hype until I experienced it. Sonos built this speaker to project sound in every direction, left, right, forward, and up. You literally feel like you're sitting inside the music. It's not a gimmick—it's a different level of listening. When I played 'As It Was' by Harry Styles in Dolby Atmos, I felt like I was in the studio with him. The vocals hovered mid-room, the guitar strummed off to the side, and somehow the drums sounded like they were coming from above. It wasn't just louder or clearer. It was immersive. This is what separates the Era 300 from almost any other wireless speaker in its class. It's not just about volume or bass (though it nails both). It's about depth and dimensionality. I've had friends over who literally stopped mid-conversation to ask what speaker I was using. Room-Filling Sound That Adapts What also impressed me is how the Era 300 automatically adjusts its sound depending on where you place it. I tested this. I moved it closer to a corner—less than ideal placement—and it compensated brilliantly using Sonos's Trueplay technology. The sound remained balanced, natural, and full. No harsh reflections. No muffled tones. Just crystal-clear audio. Whether you're watching a movie, playing classical piano, or blasting electronic beats—the Era 300 handles it all. Voice Control and Connectivity I use Alexa at home, and the Era 300 has built-in voice assistants —Alexa and Sonos Voice Control. This means I can change songs, adjust volume, or play a playlist just by saying a few words. It responds quickly and accurately. For someone like me, who's usually cooking, working, or chasing after kids, that hands-free convenience is a game changer. You can also stream directly via Bluetooth, which wasn't available in older Sonos models. That's huge for guests who want to share music quickly. The inclusion of USB-C line-in also means you can connect a turntable or CD player if you're feeling nostalgic. Why Every Home Needs It Now, why do I believe every home should have the Sonos Era 300? 1. It replaces the need for multiple devices. Before this, I had a Bluetooth speaker in one room, a soundbar in another, and a smart speaker in the kitchen. The Era 300 can hold its own in any of those roles—music, movies, podcasts, background noise, you name it. 2. It brings people together. Music is social. It's emotional. It's about moments. Whether it's background music for a dinner party or a Friday night dance session with my kids, the Era 300 becomes part of the moment. 3. It grows with you. Already thinking about getting another one for stereo pairing. And when paired with a Sonos Arc or Beam and subwoofer, it becomes part of a true home theater setup. This thing is future-proof. 4. It's elegant, inside and out. Let's not ignore the aesthetics. The white color is understated luxury. It complements neutral tones, wooden furniture, minimal or maximalist styles. It's a piece of decor as much as a speaker. 5. It's eco-conscious. Sonos has started to take sustainability seriously. The Era 300 uses recycled materials and is designed to be more energy efficient. That matters to me, and probably to most people trying to be more conscious about their purchases. Final Thoughts & My Recommendation After a few weeks of living with the Sonos Era 300, I don't see myself going back. It's one of those rare devices that quietly upgrades your life in the background. You don't realize how much you need it until you have it. And once you do, you start finding excuses to use it more. Music sounds better. Mornings feel smoother. Dinners are warmer. Even movie nights have an extra layer of magic. If you've been on the fence about upgrading your home audio, stop hesitating. Go for the white Sonos Era 300. It looks stunning, sounds even better, and brings soul back to your space. Trust me—you won't regret it. You can purchase the SONOS Era 300 speakers in White or Black directly from the SONOS website or through various e-commerce platforms. The ERA 300 speaker is priced at AED 2,099.
The Verge
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Did... did a guy just save a picture of a bird to a bird's brain?
Posted Jul 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM UTC Did... did a guy just save a picture of a bird to a bird's brain? YouTube acoustic explorer Benn Jordan appears to have gotten a starling — a bird arguably better at mimicry than a parrot — to do that! He turns a drawing into sound, the bird repeats the sound, and a similar drawing shows up on the computer. 'I saved a PNG image to a bird,' his video claims. The result isn't surprising because of course these birds can repeat sounds — but how often do we think of sound as encoded visual data? Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Sean Hollister Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Sean Hollister Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News
Al Bawaba
07-07-2025
- Al Bawaba
Cracking the code of perfect-sounding earbuds with planar drivers and AI
Perfect sound is about reproducing sounds as authentically as it was recorded. You should hear every tiny crackle, hiss, and boom as close to the original with depth and spatial separation. For earbuds, the challenge has always been about overcoming the limitation of size. Reproducing the entire audible frequency range with fidelity and subject separation with a just tiny pair of speakers that fit in the ears has been an ongoing engineering good sound is hard?There is so much that goes into designing and tuning earbuds. The size restricts the size restricts the maximum size of the driver to around 11mm. But more than that, the fundamental problem lies in physics. A driver that's designed to sound perfect at bass frequencies can be terrible at higher frequencies. So most earbuds go for a balanced tuning that sounds acceptable throughout the entire frequency range, making compromises along the the HUAWEI FreeBuds 6 has done to overcome this problem is to use a sophisticated dual-driver acoustic design with two independent drivers that work in tandem to achieve optimal frequency response for giving the user the best listening experience. Equipped with Huawei's proprietary audio technology, the FreeBuds 6 adopts two different drivers. The bass frequencies are handled by an 11mm dual magnetic driver bolstered by the Bass Turbo 2.0 acoustic architecture. Additionally, the earbuds also add a UHF Planar Diaphragm Driver which handles higher frequencies of up to 48kHz. The result is a premium listening experience with stunning highs, rich mids, and deep, immersive Sound with AI The open-fit design of the FreeBuds 6 requires more than just hardware. The way a person experiences the sound varies based on the ear canal shape, wearing habits, and listening preferences. Recreating the perfect acoustic experience despite these factors demands even more personalisation of everyone's ear canal is different, it affects how each person perceives sound. The headphone has to measure and analyse frequency response characteristics to compensate for the ear canal shape. How the person wears the earbuds has to be accounted for. The FreeBuds 6 also senses the loudness difference of sounds of different frequencies, performs appropriate gain enhancement, and automatically adjusts EQ. For example, when the volume is low, the human ear has a weaker perception of low and high another factor that changes the listening experience given the open-fit design is the ambient noise. Thankfully, the earphones can automatically monitor the level of the ambient noise, the volume of the noise in the ear, and whether the noise reduction function of the earphones is turned on within the noise range of 0-85dB. In response, the AI adaptively adjusts the volume, so that the listener can hear clearly without interruptions for a comfortable and clear listening experience. At the centre of its premium audio experience is Huawei's very own audio technology HUAWEI SOUND, boasting a tech-enhanced listening with state-of-the-art acoustics. It delivers exceptional sound quality that envelops you in a dynamic auditory experience. The FreeBuds 6 combines this advanced sound technology with a comfort-focused, stylish design, setting a new standard for fashionable, high-performance audio.
Tahawul Tech
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tahawul Tech
precision agriculture tasks Archives
With Veo 3 now built into the Gemini app, people can write the scene they want to watch. This description is called a 'prompt' and with it, Veo 3 will whip up a custom eight-second video complete with sound, dialogue, and music, at 720p output.
Fast Company
16-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Multiply the power of a brand name with a sonic signature
Sound is one of our most primal senses. Originally an early warning system from predators, sound still shapes our first impressions when we encounter something new. However, the branding world has historically led with the visual: brand name, logo, and design come first; sonic branding, if done at all, is done later. In today's AI-enabled world, this is a missed opportunity. When a sonic signature is developed at the start of the branding process—from the same phonetic DNA as the name—brands can engage consumers across multiple senses, turning first impressions into full-brain experiences. Why does sound matter? Branding is now more competitive than ever before. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 5 million new business applications were filed in 2024 alone. As these brands are launched into an already saturated marketplace, sound remains one of the most underrated tools for standing out. Sound is a call to action The power of sound is rooted in cognitive science, which shows that our brains are wired to seek out what's different. When we encounter something novel—like a brand—our brains quickly decide if it is worth remembering, all within the first few seconds. In that instant, sound gives brands a head start: auditory input is processed two to four times faster than visual input, and results in quicker reactions. For this reason, sound has historically been used as a powerful call to action. The first recorded example is when Paulinus of Nola, a Roman senator, introduced bells into the Christian church in 400 AD. These bells were the first 'sonic signature,' serving as a signal to call worshippers for prayer. Over a millennium later, scientist Ivan Pavlov formally proved the power of sound in the 1900s, showing that dogs could be conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell (even when no food was presented). Today, we see this principle everywhere—it's why movie soundtracks make us feel a certain way (even when the movie isn't playing), or why YouTube has 10-hour videos of nature sounds to use while studying. Sound has a unique ability to transport us somewhere else, and this has extremely valuable implications in branding. Research from sonic testing firm SoundOut found that brands with recognizable sonic logos were seen as 5% more valuable (by 30,000 consumers), translating to millions of dollars in additional value. This was supported by Kantar's BrandZ research study, where brands with strong sonic assets reached 76% higher brand power and 138% increased perceptions of advertising strength. This means that sound is able to successfully drive consumer behavior (interest, engagement, or even purchase). Finally, a strong sonic logo markets itself: It's estimated that Intel's was played once every 5 seconds around the world after its release in 1994. Start with naming However, the sound of a brand doesn't start with its sonic signature, but with its name. Brand names are a priming tool of their own—they signal how a brand might behave. From over four decades of proprietary linguistic research, we know that different sounds can prime different associations in the mind of a consumer (this is called sound symbolism). We've found that sounds like 'z' and 'v' are fast and energetic, while sounds like 'b' and 'g' are large and stable, and so much more. When combined, these sounds shape the perception of consumers; an arbitrary name like Blackberry (loud and distinctive) creates different expectations from an invented name like Dasani (smooth and luxurious). When a brand name and sonic signature align, the result is more valuable and entirely authentic—a duet of brand assets that live and breathe as one. For example, Toyota's 3-note sonic signature features a choir of voices singing 'oh-oh-ah,' mirroring the vowel sounds of the brand name. Lucid Motors did the same: creating a 5-note melody that mirrored the five letters of Lucid. This synergy forms a lasting link between name and sound, boosting recognition—and consequently, purchase intent—even when the name or sound is encountered on its own. Beyond memorability, the integration of name and sonic has another powerful benefit. Cognitively, words and language (like a brand name) are processed in the left hemisphere of the brain, while music and sound are processed in the right. When name and sonic work together, they activate the whole brain—at both a conscious and subconscious level. This allows a brand to truly transcend the sum of its parts. A brand name on its own can make you think. A sound on its own can make you feel. But when name and sonic signature are designed as one, they create a unified cognitive experience: becoming more resonant, memorable, and impactful. In a crowded market, this isn't a luxury—it's your competitive advantage.
