Harman brings live concerts to your car’s headrest

By Chris Morris January 7, 2021

It’s still going to be a while before we’re able to safely attend live concerts in the way we’re used to, but Harman has unveiled a solution that might help fill the gap.

As part of its pre-CES presentation, the company announced a new solution that could combine live events with the drive-in movie experience. The Live Interactive Virtual Experience (L.I.V.E.) platform would let concertgoers remain in their vehicles and physically see the artists on stage, while the music is streamed directly to their cars via 5G. The platform would work in conjunction with another Harman announcement, the personal audio headrest platform, which brings 3D spatial audio, surround sound, and two-channel audio directly to individual ears.

The Harman solution adds mechanized wings to the headrest, which deploy on demand. Once they’re folded out, the company says, users have a more premium experience with features like sound zones. The wings do not block visibility, says Harman. The headrest platform is available now for upcoming vehicles.

Placing speakers where the listener’s ears are is hardly a new technology. Many shows in Las Vegas subtly place them into the seats to create a more dynamic experience. But few auto manufacturers have made the leap from a more traditional speaker set-up.

The one-two punch of the L.I.V.E and the headrest platforms could give music lovers an opportunity to safely get back to concerts, though its long-term effectiveness is questionable, given the development of vaccines for COVID-19. The company says it feels it’s filling a need.

“With traditional live events being put on pause, the demand for live music experiences is higher than ever,” said Frank Moffa, senior vice president and general manager of Car Audio. “At Harman, we understand that music and experience are deeply intertwined. … The vehicle can be transformed into the embodiment of a live concert … ensuring fans can enjoy that undeniable energy and magic of a live performance no matter where they are.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Chris Morris has covered consumer technology and the video game industry since 1996, offering analysis of news and trends and…

Computing

Razer’s immersive gaming chair wraps your head in a 60-inch rollable OLED screen

razer project brooklyn

After showing off its race car-inspired Eracing Simulator last year's show, Razer is back a year later at CES 2021 with a new take on gaming chairs. Unlike the very specific Eracing Simulator, the new Project Brooklyn chair boasts a more conventional form factor, allowing it to seamlessly fit into your man cave for traditional PC gaming sessions.

Like much of what's shown at CES, there's no guarantee that Project Brooklyn will become a sellable product anytime soon, but that doesn't mean it's any less of a cool idea.

Wearables

Fossil will bring its Gen 5 LTE smartwatch to more carriers and countries soon

fossil gen 5 lte carriers global release 2021 news ces pink wrist

The announcement at CES 2021 of Fossil’s first LTE connected smartwatch was somewhat bittersweet, as the Gen 5 LTE is limited to Verizon subscribers at the moment. That means unless you’re already with the carrier or plan to switch, you’re out of luck if you want the watch. It wasn’t the best news for Fossil fans outside the U.S. either. However, there’s some good news regarding the future of Fossil’s LTE plans.

Fossil confirmed in a conversation with Digital Trends following the announcement of the Gen 5 LTE, that the company’s goal is to add more carrier support and to launch the Gen 5 LTE globally during the first six months of 2021. Additionally, it’s also working on adding the LTE connected functionality to Apple’s iOS too.

Mobile

TCL’s unusual NXTPAPER tablet won’t ruin your sleep

TCL's NEXTPaper tabler

TCL’s NXTPAPER is no ordinary tablet. It’s the first device to use TCL’s clever new NXTPAPER screen technology, over an LCD or AMOLED panel, which has many of the benefits of an E-Ink screen but in full color and with a refresh rate high enough to make Google Android a usable operating system on it. It’s part of TCL’s CES 2021 announcements and further evidence of how it’s bringing its screen tech prowess to mobile.

The full-color screen measures 8.8-inches, has a 1440 x 1080 resolution, and is based on IPS technology similar to many LCD screens found on tablets, laptops, and (in few cases) smartphones. The difference here is there’s no backlight, and the NXTPAPER technology reuses natural light to brighten the display. This means there’s no flicker and no harmful blue light, making the screen safer and more comfortable to use for long periods, and removing worry it'll ruin your sleep patterns. TCL has secured 26 different patents related to eye protection for the NXTPAPER’s screen technology.