Gadgets
The Cone of Silence or Comfort Shell: outrageous or useful?
A new idea has taken hold at CES 2015: the Cone of Silence. Not the one from the movie, but the one made by Silentium, a company specializing in making silent technology. Silentium is renowned for their Quiet-Bubble noise control system, which is used in a real life Cone of Silence called Comfort Shell, introduced at CES 2015. If you are not familiar with the idea, let me run it down for you: it’s a space in a shell-shaped thing where you can take refuge and enjoy silence, in this case, while talking on the phone.
The Quiet-Bubble noise control system from Silentium is basically the technology that is built into noise-cancelling headphones and headsets. The technology has never been applied in the way Silentium used it with the Cone of Silence, so we’re pretty excited to see this gadget work, even though it’s a bit weird. The “thing” looks like a high-tech hair-dryer of sorts, in which you can nestle in to isolate yourself from the surrounding noise. It uses sound put out at equal amplitude with surrounding noises, save for the fact that it puts it out in opposing phases, so that you don’t hear anything at all when you are within the Comfort Shell.
If you’re thinking that this is a fad and nobody will take advantage of such a technology because headphones are enough, you might have to think again. Silentium thinks that the technology will be ideal as a safe haven for smartphone enthusiasts in airports, train stations, public spaces and even bars or restaurants, so that you won’t have to go to the bathroom to hear the other end of the line. Since the Cone of Silence aka the Comfort Shell doesn’t have a completely encasing body, meaning that it wouldn’t completely shield you from the outside, the noise cancellation probably won’t work as spotless as you would imagine. Still, it should provide a shield from all the car motor noises and screaming mothers while you are waiting in the bus stop or for a cab. While the idea seems redundant, it might find great uses in office environments, as it would shield those using their phones from those who are working and vice-versa. What do you think? Can the Cone of Silence find serious practical uses in modern society or is it just a passing fad?
Belgian developer Larian Studios’ work on Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox Series S version will improve performance on all platforms, including PS5. The game’s fifth major patch, expected to launch this week, will include upgrades and new features. More details will be revealed later today.
Director of Publishing Michael Douse says PS5 performance improvements may be the “least exciting thing” in the title’s next update, so it sounds like a big one. Larian Studios employees are proud of “finally” implementing tweaks, fixes, and changes, Douse says. Later today, we’ll bring you all the Baldur’s Gate 3 update details.
Those who reached the RPG’s third act have reported technical issues during the narrative’s conclusion, especially in co-op, so today’s update should fix them. New features like a permadeath mode are expected, along with Xbox Series S optimization fixes. What else should be added to the game?
We love the PlayStation ecosystem, especially its top first-party studios, but Sony Interactive Entertainment could do more to build goodwill. The long-awaited Trophy support for PS5 games on PC appears to be closer to reality, though nothing official has been announced.
TrueTrophie’s scanners found a new PS5 Trophy list with “PSPC” as a platform. The list, titled “Trophy Set” and unattached to a game, appears to be a test. TrueTrophies notes that developers rarely submit their own platforms to PSN, suggesting Sony is behind it.
TrueTrophies says this platform is separate from PS5 but can connect to it, suggesting compatibility. As PlayStation fans know, PS4, PS Vita, and PS3 games could share a list. In October 2022, Sony added PSN support to Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered’s PC release, allowing players to link Steam accounts to unlock an exclusive skin. Potentially minor, but something we’ll watch.
TrueTrophies lists PlayStation Trophies for serious hunters. They scrape the PlayStation Network’s ominous underbelly with scanners to provide the most up-to-date trophy lists, sometimes dangerously. TrueTrophies posted Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s trophy list weeks ago, with spoiler titles.
Next month, the PS5 Slim will replace the original PS5. Its main selling point is its detachable disc drive. Sony’s design change will streamline manufacturing, but consumers will have more flexibility. The refreshed machine will be 30% smaller than its predecessor, reducing its footprint.
But since the manufacturer hadn’t mentioned it, some worried you couldn’t install another SSD. A spokesperson told IGN that “there are no changes with the new model”—you can still install a compatible hard drive to expand the console’s storage.
Note that the new model increases on-board storage from 825GB to 1TB, so you get more space out of the box. However, some games are now so large that you may need a new PS5 SSD.
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