Tag archive: Harman

Home theater fans will tell you that a superior sound system is an essential element to any surround-sound setup…but anyone who has had to live with a superior sound system will also tell you it can be like watching a film from the front row of a death metal concert. Sure, there might be a movie playing somewhere, but most of what you notice is your nose pressed right up against a speaker grille. And a distinct lack of personal space.… Read More

The world of iPod, iPhone, and iPad peripherals isn't getting any simpler, and Harman International has just thrown another accessory into the ecosystem, announcing its new JBL OnBeat Speaker Dock. The OnBeat Speaker Dock is designed as a premium speaker set for Apple's i-devices, and while it works just find with iPhones and iPods, it's really meant to cradle iPads: not only is the dock designed to serve as a functional base… Read More

Harmon International is going after gamers with its new AKG GHS-1 gamer headset, designed to deliver first-class immersive audio along with all the trash-talking capability folks could want via a noise-canceling boom microphone. And the on-ear headset is designed with lightweight comfort in mind, so games can play for hours—and hours and hours—without fatigue. “When you're in an all-immersive entertainment experience… Read More

Audio gear maker Harman has been a long-time leader in in-vehicle audio systems, but the company apparently has no intention of letting the mobile entertainment and Internet world pass it by: at Intel's Developer Forum in San Francisco, Harmon has announced it has developed an Atom-based In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) computing module. Harman says the system has been developer in close collaboration with Intel, and marks the first time an… Read More

Headphones used to be the realm of audio nerds and vinyl collectors, but the digital music revolution has brought headphones to the masses…and made the masses aware that most consumer headphones are pretty awful. Harman is the latest to jump on the celebrity-endorsed headphone bandwagon, but instead of banking on pop stars like Lady Gaga, Harmon is adding a touch of cool to the mix, announcing its Quincy Jones Signature Line of… Read More

Mobile phone makers Nokia and Research in Motion have each announced a brand new acquisition: Nokia will be acquiring the Massachusetts-based MetaCarta in a bid to boost its location-based services, while RIM will be acquiring QNX Software from Harman International so it can let BlackBerries hook up more smoothly with in-car audio systems. Neither company disclosed the financial details of either acquisition. MetaCarta is a privately held… Read More

Last week I was at the IFA press event in Malta. It’s pretty much the European version of CES, but unlike that show, it actually comes at a time when folks are interesting in buying cool new toys. One of the interesting aspects of this press event is that they showcase some of the products and trends that will be topical in the fourth quarter. This year had a lot to do with the fact that most of the TVs currently in the market were about to be… Read More

Harman/Becker Automotive Systems has announced a new in-car GPS system for the U.S. market, the Traffic Assist Highspeed 7934. Set to be offered exclusively through Office Depot, the unit offers more-or-less standard mapping and navigation features, plays music over a set of integrated stereo speakers, and—get this—even offers voice warnings when a driver is speeding. “We recognize that there are a variety of choices when… Read More

Audio equiment maker Harman International—makers of Harman-Kardon, AKG, JBL, Lexicon, Revel, Mark Levinson, and other well-known brands of consumer, auto, and pro audio gear—announced today (PDF) the company will be acquired by private equity fims Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR) and Goldman Sachs Group's private equity firm for about $8 billion. Under the deal, Harman stockholder would receive about 4120 in case… Read More

Toshiba has rolled out two new additions to its Satellite line of notebook computers, the M115 with a 14.1-inch widescreen display, and the ultraportable U205 with a 12.1-inch display and a total weight of just 4.1 pounds. The M115 Satellite notebook weighs just over 5 pounds, and features a 14.1-inch widescreen (1,280 by 800 pixel) LCD display, a 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and 2 GB of RAM—all in an Onyx Blue metallic case.… Read More

Harman Multimedia, at MacWorld last week in San Francisco, unveiled a new iPod speaker dock and

The Harman Consumer Group, which owns the brands JBL and Harman Kardon among others, today said they would be acquiring PhatNoise out of Los Angeles. PhatNoise is best known for their after market PhatBox car MP3 player hard drive. PhatNoise's team will join the Harman Consumer Group's engineering group in designing digital media systems in the automotive environment. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.… Read More

Starting at 6.2 pounds, the notebook runs 14.2-inches wide, 10.5-inches deep, and features a wedge design 1.1 to 1.7-inches high. The Satellite M45 15.4-inch diagonal wide-aspect panel, with a1280x800 TruBrite native resolution, provides vivid images for viewing DVD movies in their original wide-screen format and accomplishing productivity tasks. Toshiba's DVD-SuperMulti drive reads andwrites to most CD and DVD formats, while the Toshiba… Read More

The 2005 Acura RL will include a DVD-Audio system with DTS multi-channel sound as a standard feature, while Land Rover's 2005 Range Rover and the 2005 Cadillac STS will each offer optionalDTS-equipped surround audio system. The 2005 Acura RL will come standard-equipped with an Acura / Boseâ DVD-Audio system, including DTS capability.  Additionally, the 2005 Range Rover will optionally offer a Harman / Kardonâ rear-seat… Read More

Satellite 5205-S705 users are able to watch and record their favorite television programs directly to the notebook, store and access digital images, video files, and play DVD movies anytime and anyplace. Toshiba's latest wireless-integrated multimedia notebook PC also allows users to enjoy industry-leading 3D graphics and convenient Internet access at home, work or a local public hotspot. In addition to recording digital content,… Read More