There are people who are going to find the Soundbug useful, just like there are people who win lotteries. For the rest of us, though, this undeniably unique sound projection tool is a wonderful example of unnecessary ingenuity.
The Soundbug is a mouse-size device with a suction cup that can be attached to any smooth surface. It comes with a 2m and a jack that can be plugged into the standard 3.5mm stereo jack on devices like CD players, game consoles and laptop computers. Turn on the sound source -- say a music file in the computer -- and the Soundbug converts whatever surface it is attached to into a giant sounding board.
HWave Industries, which is marketing the battery-powered device for US$49.95 under the Olympia brand name, describes it as the "portable alternative to headphones or loudspeakers."
Unfortunately, as fun as it might be to turn a car window, conference table or school locker into a speaker, the sound quality is generally disappointing. Technophiles might want one anyway, though, because Soundbug represents the first consumer application of Terfenol-D, a nifty iron and rare-earth-metals compound that has fascinated engineers for decades.
Invented by Navy researchers for use in sonar, Terfenol in its crystal form vibrates at high frequency and with unusual force when subjected to magnetic fields. The Soundbug harnesses this property to make the larger surfaces to which it is attached vibrate enough to amplify sound.
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