Synopsys Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Ansys
The world of simulation and analysis software is about to be turned on its head with Synopsys announcing the intention to acquire Ansys. According to the Californian semiconductor technology company, the acquisition of the American multinational, a leader in CAE/multiphysics engineering simulation software for product design, testing and operation meets a growing need to accelerate Synopsys' Silicon to Systems strategy.
Gibson Returns to Guitar Amplifiers with New Falcon Combos
Gibson continues its remarkable journey to rebuild the company, leveraging its North-American resources to create a new generation of unique products that speak to all those who admire its original products. Now, it announced the new Gibson Falcon Amplifiers, two low-wattage, compact tube combos that reimagine vintage tones for the modern player. The two new amplifiers are the work of Randall Smith, the founder of Mesa Boogie, and his Gibson Amps Design Team in Petaluma, CA.
Mackie Unveils New ProFXv3+ Compact Mixer Series
Anticipating its presence at NAMM 2024, where Mackie will share a booth with Røde, following the recently announced acquisition, the Washington state company has unveiled a surprising number of new products. Among those are three new additions to the acclaimed ProFXv3 mixer series, expanding the lineup with creator-friendly technologies and features, such as USB recording modes, upgraded effects and Bluetooth.
BlackBerry Launches QNX Sound Audio and Acoustics Platform for Software-Defined Vehicles
At CES 2024, BlackBerry announced the launch of QNX Sound, an innovative development platform that decouples audio and acoustics software from the vehicle hardware to give audio designers and engineers complete creative freedom to deliver new and exciting in-vehicle sound experiences. The new BlackBerry QNX Sound platform is expanded with Dirac's full suite of software optimization tools.
Audfly Technology Showcases F1 Glass Directional Speaker at CES 2024
Audfly Technology presented an innovative range of see-thru glass directional speakers at CES 2024. The company, which specializes in directional acoustic technology, says that its F1 glass speakers also employ sophisticated directional sound technology to precisely project stereo audio to a specific area, ensuring an outstanding listening experience without causing disruption to nearby individuals.
Ceva Brings Bluetooth Audio to Sunplus airlyra SoC Family
Ceva and Sunplus Technology, a leading chip provider for multimedia and automotive applications, have expanded their collaboration to integrate Ceva's latest generation RivieraWaves Bluetooth audio solution into the Sunplus airlyra family of HD audio processors targeting wireless speakers, soundbars and other premium wireless audio devices. The first wireless airlyra processors are already shipping with some of the world's premium audio brands.
JBL Unveils Live 3 Earbuds Series with Smart Charging Cases and Bluetooth LE Audio
Harman presented a complete expansion of its headphone and true wireless earbuds range at CES 2024, under the JBL brand. The 2024 offerings will include the expansion of the innovative Smart Charging Case - a connected case featuring a color screen - to the three models in the new JBL Live 3 Earbuds series. The well-rounded JBL Live 3 Earbuds series, includes the Buds, Beam and Flex models, covering the most popular form-factors, all using Bluetooth 5.3, with a promised LE Audio update.
AAC Technologies Showcases Latest Sensory and Interactive Solutions at CES 2024
At CES 2024, AAC Technologies unveiled a series of integrated solutions for consumer electronics across seven domains – automotive, acoustics, haptic feedback, XR, optics, precision manufacturing, and sensors & semiconductors. Among the demonstrations, AAC showcased an interesting new coaxial acoustics solution, a new haptics driver, and the new ultra-compact, high-frequency MEMS speaker, the Soprano.
Frontier Unveils Partnership with Realtek for New AURIA Connected Audio Module
Frontier Smart Technologies unveiled a collaboration with Realtek for its AURIA Bluetooth LE Audio and Wi-Fi module, which features Auracast support. The audio module has been designed and engineered for simple integration into various audio products, and comes with a customizable SDK, rich I/O, comprehensive documentation and technical support. The latest Realtek Ameba chips ensure support for the latest technologies.
Selecting Electrolytic Capacitors for Lowest Distortion
Douglas Self shares real experiments when selecting electrolytic capacitors to achieve the lowest distortion. An experiment inspired by his recent audioXpress article, "Optimizing Variable-Frequency Tone Controls," available online. This short piece is an interesting closer examination on the subject for audio circuit designers. Originally published in The Audio Voice newsletter, #453, January 11, 2024.