Hardware
Bose launches new products to enhance sound of home theatre, music
MUMBAI: Bose which seeks to develop sound solutions to meet any audio challenge has announced the launch of new products in India. One them is the Bose Cine4mate Digital home theatre speaker system.
The product consists of two speakers to the left and rights of the television set. This is connected to the Acoustimass module which is hidden. The product comes with a universal remote control which allows one to control the TV and DVD.
Speaking on the launch Bose India Ratish Pandey said, “We did research among consumers. Many of them chose not to go for a home theatre system for several reasons. One is that there are too many wires involved and so it is difficult to set up. It is also expensive. So we designed this sytem for more simplicity. The Cinemate speaker system works with the video components you already own. It does not use any bulky equipment or complicated wiring.”
Bose states that the Cinemate speaker system delivers many of the benefits of a five speaker system. Two enclosed speakers work in tandem with Bose’s Truespace surround digital processing circuitry and the earlier mentioned Acoutimass module to produce a home theatre experience without the need for rear or centre channel speakers. This means that even if one’s room is not large one can still get the home theatre effect.
At a media briefing this morning the company used a clip from the film Toy Story 2 to illustrate the difference between the ordinary television sound and the difference that Bose makes. For instance in a scene where a truck rumbles towards the characters this writer got the feeling of the truck passing from one end of the room to the other.
Meanwhile Bose has also expanded its Bose Lifestyle DVD home entertainment system with the introduction of Bose Link. Through a cable one can have music playing throughout the house. The company states that with the introduction of the Bose AL8 wireless audio link the need for running wires from room to room is eliminated while maintaining the audio quality of a fully wired system.
The Bose Link works with any DVD based lifestyle home entertainment system. It comes with a transmitter (AL8) and a receiver (AR1). The user makes one connection from the AL8 transmitter to the lifestyle media centre in the main room. The transmitter is then plugged in to a wall outlet. If one wants the music to be heard in another room then the user makes another single connection from the receiver to a Bose link enabled speaker system or a Lifestyle amplifier with Bose Speakers. The transmitter and receiver work together automatically by establishing a wireless link once they have been plugged in. They begin transmitting and receiving music as well as control commands through the two way wireless link.
The transmitter is compatible with internal sources like the digitally stored music on a lifestyle system. The system provides for dual stream transmission. In the primaryu room a user can be watching a film through the Lifestyle home entertainment system. Speakers in another room can play the system’s stored music collection. As far as marketing activity is concerned Bose has associated itself with Wimbledon and The Ashes. This was in the form of a silent ad.
The first ad of an interval would be a Bose ad with the message that what one is watching sounds better on a Bose System. On the ground the company runs nine Bose Connect events in a year. Here different technologies are displayed for the public. In the US it does school contact programmes where students through Bose’s technology learn about musical instruments as well as maths and physics. In India plans are being formulated to do similar activity sometime in the future.
Hardware
Specs Inc. partners with Qualcomm for next-generation smart glasses
Snap subsidiary to power future Specs with Snapdragon XR platforms.
MUMBAI: Snap’s Specs are about to get a serious upgrade and this time, they’re teaming up with Qualcomm to make sure the future looks crystal clear. Specs Inc., a Snap subsidiary, has announced a multi-year strategic agreement with Qualcomm Technologies to power future generations of its advanced smart eyewear with Snapdragon system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology.
This marks the first flagship engagement for Specs Inc., which is preparing to launch its standalone, see-through smart glasses for consumers later this year. The Specs are designed to seamlessly blend digital experiences into the physical world, allowing users to see, hear, and interact with digital content as if it were part of their real surroundings.
By integrating Snapdragon XR platforms, the glasses will benefit from edge AI and high-performance, low-power computing. This combination enables intelligent, context-aware experiences to run directly on the device, delivering faster and more private interactions.
The partnership builds on more than five years of collaboration between Snap and Qualcomm, during which Snapdragon platforms have powered multiple generations of Snap’s Spectacles.
Snap Inc., co-founder and CEO Evan Spiegel said, “We believe the future of computing will be more human and grounded in the real world. Our work with Qualcomm provides a strong foundation for the future of Specs, bringing advanced technology and performance that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Qualcomm Incorporated president and CEO Cristiano Amon added, “The next era of computing will be defined by devices that understand what you see, hear and say, and respond instantly to the world around you. Our collaboration on Specs will enable power-efficient interactive AR devices that feel natural and intuitive.”
The agreement establishes a scalable foundation for developers and partners building experiences for Specs, supporting a predictable product roadmap and increasingly sophisticated digital interactions over time.
In a world racing toward augmented reality, Specs Inc. and Qualcomm are ensuring that the next pair of smart glasses doesn’t just look good on paper, they perform brilliantly in real life. The future of wearable computing just got a powerful new lens.
