According to The Guardian Apple is working on a new audio format-- "adaptive streaming," with either high/low-quality audio files for either downloading or streaming via iCloud.
If one is to believe the report adaptive streaming will provide iCloud users with low- or high-resolution file streaming, depending on the bandwidth and storage available on their devices.
"All of a sudden, all your audio from iTunes is in HD rather than AAC. Users wouldn’t have to touch a thing; their library will improve in an instant," the anonymous source says.
No details on format specifics or release dates are yet available, but The Guardian believes the new streaming technology might debut on the upcoming iPad 3 announcement event.
Earlier this year Neil Young claimed Steve Jobs wanted to develop new high-resolution audio formats as an alternative to MP3 and AAC. The musician insists "what everybody gets [on MP3] is 5% of what we originally make in the studio... We live in the digital age, and unfortunately it's degrading our music, not improving."
Meanwhile Ars Technica claims Apple is now encouraging music companies to provide 24-bit/96kHz audio files to sell (and potentially stream?) on the iTunes service.
Go Apple Developing New Audio File Format to Offer "Adaptive Streaming" (The Guardian)
As a result, one can squeeze the SB-900DF in tight spots, without worrying the backs of furniture will muffle output (as might be the case with the original SB-900 front-firing subwoofer).
The company says the speakers make use of "bending waves," or physical waves moving within the material the soundboard is made of. As the soundboard oscillates (in a controlled manner), it turns the walls or ceiling into a sounding board with an emission angle of up to 180-degrees.
Selling own-branded hardware would be a first (and a significant shift) for Google, whose Android OS is used by other companies to power devices such as smartphones, tablets and TVs.
The WSLCR654FL is the high-end model, with two 6.5" woven carbon fibre drivers (with a butyl rubber surround) and 1" pivoting ferrofluid-coold dome tweeter. The company says the pivoting design defies sound diffraction, allowing for precise penetration of concentrated sound.
The TFX satellite and centre channel speakers carry Tannoy WideBand technology, with a tweeter extending response to over 70kHz and surround sound freqnecies to up to 48kHz (LPCM at 96kHz/24-bit).
Limiting sound transfer is a rear wave control enclosure, which Niles says also enchances acoustic performance. A mineral-filled polypropylene cone improves bass response (while lowering distortion) and a 1" fluid-cooled Teteron dome tweeter provides ultra-wide dispersion.
