Holosonic: putting the voices in your head
Holosonic is a company that makes “audio spotlights” that can focus soundwaves into a targeted beam. An amusing use of this technology is in an advertisement on Prince St. in NYC’s SoHo (or one in Watertown, MA). If you walk through the right spot, you can hear a woman’s voice asking “Who’s there? Who’s there? It’s not your imagination,” which may have some doubt their sanity until they notice the big billboard for A&E’s new show Paranormal State ‘73% of American’s Believe’. Originally intended for museums and libraries, where quiet is a priority, this is the first time this technology has been used on such a massive scale. This may lead to a whole new kind of noise pollution in the future. Somewhat disconcerting, it’s bad enough that with bluetooth and other headsets it’s hard to tell if people are talking to you, themselves, or on the phone, now you have to worry whether there is even a person behind the voice.
A&E’s Manhattan billboard ‘whispers’ at passersby with the Audio Spotlight, Holosonics.com