Bowers & Wilkins A5 and A7 wireless speakers aim to meld audio expertise with cutting edge tech

Bowers and Wilkins' A5 and A7 with AirPlay depart from the Zeppelin's polarizing dirigible theme in favor of subdued styling.

It’s been a busy week for new speaker announcements and Bowers & Wilkins has made things a bit busier by launching its Wireless Music Systems, a duo of Airplay-compatible wireless speakers set to compliment its award-winning Zeppelin Air. 

The speakers are dubbed the A5 and A7 and their aim is to marry Bowers & Wilkins’ established audio expertise with emerging tech. The company believes it can deliver wireless capabilities without compromising on sound quality. Given the strong performance of the Zeppelin Air, we’re inclined to believe it, though we’ll reserve our official opinion until we’ve had a chance to audition the speakers for review. 

The A5 is the smaller iteration and zeros in on convenience and minimizing visual impact, a design approach which is far cry from the rather bold styling of the Zeppelin speaker. Versatility is this speaker’s strong-suit, but if you believe its manufacturer’s claims, it has the audio chops to punch above it’s weight.

The A7 on the other hand, is billed by Bowers & Wilkins as “the ultimate Wireless Music System.” This model was built more for horsepower and sports a six-inch bass driver and DAC’s capable of up-scaling audio to 24bit/96kHz. The A7 it seems, is pure speaker; it forgoes both docks and control panels in pursuit of streamlined power. If you’re looking to have your hair blown back, this version might be more your speed.

Neither of the new docks appear to support Bluetooth, meaning use is limited exclusively to iOS devices with AirPlay. 

With more and more A/V equipment taking advantage of technologies like AirPlay, it seems it won’t be long before wires and physical docks go by the wayside. Both models will be available in October, with the A5 selling for $500 and the A7 going for a whopping $800.

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Angry Birds marches on – theme park based on popular game to open in UK next week

Parents in the UK, prepare to be badgered by your little ones – Finnish game maker Rovio is days away from opening its first Angry Birds theme park there.

Of course, there will be those who are absolutely fed up to the back teeth with Angry Birds. Among them may be the early adopters, who’ve since grown weary of the bird-slinging game, or those who were suspicious from the start, refusing to become one of the many many millions of people who’ve downloaded the game onto their mobile devices and continue to enjoy spending countless hours battling with egg-stealing green pigs.

Among those many millions are, for sure, a huge number of kids, drawn in by the cutesy graphics and simple game play. These same children – at least the ones living in the UK – will likely be impatiently tapping their parents on the back the moment they discover the country’s first ever Angry Birds theme park is about to open.

Located in Nottinghamshire, England, the new activity park forms part of Sundown Adventureland, a popular day-out destination for families in the area.

According to the designer of the new attraction, there’ll be themed swings and roundabouts, as well as several climbing towers. Of course, there’ll be a giant sling too, though hopefully someone will be on hand to stop over-excited kids catapulting their friends into the North Sea. There’s also talk of themed rides being introduced at some stage.

Paul Tomlinson, park manager at Sundown, said he was delighted to be hosting the UK’s first Angry Birds attraction “as the brand is so well known throughout the world.”

Of course, this isn’t the first Angry Birds-based theme park to open – there’s already one in China (albeit unauthorized), and another in Finland, where Rovio, the company behind the game, is located.

Rovio’s CEO, Peter Vesterbacka, told Reuters earlier this year that the Angry Birds attractions – of which there are plans for many more – will resemble small adventure playgrounds rather than full-on Disneyland-style affairs. “We can’t afford to invest billions into theme parks,” he said. “We are a tiny company from a tiny country.”

[via the Guardian]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

Israeli theme park deploys Internet-enabled donkeys in first known ass-based Wi-Fi initiative

If you like the idea of surfing the Web with the help of an Internet-enabled donkey, then be sure to plan a trip to the Village of Yore theme park in Israel.

There are plenty of people in the world today for whom a constant connection to the Internet is an absolute must….at all times….24/7.

If a situation arises where no cellular or Wi-Fi connection is available, these people can rapidly dissolve into grouchy, short-tempered monsters, unrecognizable from their usual happy-go-lucky selves. Within a short time of realizing that the Internet is unavailable, slight trembling of the hands may be observed, along with the formation of damp patches in the armpit region, regardless of whether the room or outdoor temperature is comfortably cool.

In most cases, in this increasingly wired world, such people are fine. These days, Wi-Fi is offered in so many places, including cafes, hotels, airports, shops and subways.

Even visitors to the Kfar Kedem (Village of Yore) theme park in northern Israel needn’t worry (it’s on your upcoming travel itinerary, right?), for its forward-thinking owners have recently equipped some of its resident donkeys with Wi-Fi routers, creating what is thought to be the first ass-based Wi-Fi hotspot in the world.

Speaking to The Times of Israel about the new initiative, park owner Menachem Goldberg said he was keen to give visitors the chance to upload photos and post tweets about their experience at the Village of Yore in real time – while being carried around on one of the park’s donkeys.

“Our village has 30 donkeys, and we’ve equipped the first five with wireless routers that are attached to the donkey’s body,” Goldberg said. “In the future we’ll consider equipping all of the donkeys with the necessary apparatuses.”

Set in the hill country of Galilee, the park takes visitors back in time two thousand years, telling the story of the region, with locals playing the role of villagers from long ago.

Whether the Village of Yore’s donkey-hotspot idea leads to other animals around the world being utilized in a similar fashion remains to be seen.

[via engadget]

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com