Bang & Olufsen aren’t exactly known for keeping to the status quo. Quite the contrary, the organization has made a name for itself around the globe as a connoisseur of of music, a designer and manufacturer of sound systems that would make any audiophile drool and check their bank balance. The Beoplay A9 Black Edition is no exception.
I’m going to be honest – I definitely like the Black edition better than the original BeoPlay A9. The color somehow just seems much more fitting for the product, and the walnut legs are positively gorgeous. This device isn’t just a pretty face, either – it’s probably one of the most powerful music systems you’ll ever use.
The device – which as you can see, bears some vague resemblance to a satellite dish – is capable of streaming through both AirPlay and DLNA. It’s also capable of being hooked up to an Ethernet or Wireless connection, meaning that pretty much any device you’ve got with music on it will be usable with the A9. Of course, you don’t even technically need any other devices to listen to music through the system; the designer’s recently added Spotify functionality, meaning you’ll be given on-demand access to the 20 million-strong streaming library with the push of a button.
As always, a product of this quality is anything but cheap, particularly since this is a special edition product. If you want to purchase one of these for yourself, you’re going to be spending almost $3,000 (the price listed on the site is 2,000 Euros, which works out to roughly $2700). Still, if you’ve the money to spend, this definitely looks to be a worthwhile purchase. Plus, it’s not like the designer’s some unknown, either. Me, I’m just going to stick with my current sound system. Maybe it’s not terribly expensive…but it’s good enough for me.
For more information on the A9, visit the website .
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Beoplay A9 Black Edition | Gallery
A Shanghai construction firm earlier this month demonstrated just how far 3D printing has come, along with its potential to bring about a revolution in a wide range of different markets, including housing. WinSun Decoration Design Engineering has printed ten houses in a single day, assembling each one for approximately $4,800 apiece. Although they look a little rough around the edges, it’s nevertheless incredibly impressive that the firm managed to create the structures at all.
The implications are rightly a little startling. With technology of the sort WinSun demonstrated here – which is, admittedly, still in its infancy – the entire construction market could be seeing an overhaul in the near future. Very soon, construction workers might find themselves employed on a factory floor as well as construction sites. Not only that, imagine the implications for housing and urban sprawl – buildings that once took months to construct could be shored up and ready to use in a matter of days – or even hours. It’s likely the next step in the evolution of prefab construction , and it’s happening with largely automated, 3D-printing technology.
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The buildings were created by a massive 3D printer measuring in at 490 feet long, 33 feet wide, and 20 feet deep. Each structural component of the houses was printed by this machine individually, at which point the parts were all assembled on-site. In order to cut down on costs, the concrete WinSun used in the construction of the frame was assembled partially from recycled construction waste, industrial waste, and glass fibers. Each house measures in at approximately 2,100 square feet in size.
WinSun’s immediate goal is to open approximately one hundred recycling factories across the country in order to continue transforming waste products into “ink” for its 3D printers. By creating and producing its houses in this fashion, it estimates that construction companies could cut their costs in half. Eventually, it hopes that the buildings could see use as affordable housing for the poor. [images via 3ders.org , story via inhabitat ]
WinSun 3D-Printed Houses | Gallery
