The 2011 Nissan Leaf: It’s going to be the first “mass-market” pure-electric car. It’s not the first electric-car period, but the “mass-market” qualifier makes it OK. I guess. And the 160km range. And it’ll be about $30,000 before a $7500 tax break, so you can afford it. And we love Nissans. [Popsci]

The Sikorsky X2 Helicopter: It’s going to be the fastest chopper in existence based on the fact that there are counter-rotating rotors and a backwards-facing propeller that pushes the whole thing forward. It may not look like a helicopter you’re familiar with, but it’s pure sweetness. [Popsci]

Diamond Interchange: This new traffic intersection type can “reduce clogging by as much as 60 per cent”, which bodes well for drivers everywhere. You don’t need to know how it works, you just need to know that it does, and convince your local MP to change over to this style. [Popsci]

Powergenix Rechargeable AA Batteries: These are supposed to be, thanks to better Nickel-Zinc technology, as good as disposables — but can last up to 1000 charges. They’re not too expensive either, comparatively, at $US15 for four. [Popsci]

Sennheiser HD800 headphones: Sennheiser’s HD series are expensive (boldly expensive), but very much worth it. The 800 is just another reason why you should be taking night classes in order to get a better job to pay for these. $US1400 isn’t something you throw down casually, but if you’re talking sound quality AND comfort (others can do one or the other), you’ll have a hard time beating Sennheiser. [Popsci]

X-Flex Blast Protection Wallpaper: These sticky, rollable, self-adhesive sheets can be applied to any wall that you think will be the subject of explosions. In turn, the walls stay vertical and the occupants inside the building say alive. Popsci says these things kept a wrecking ball from going through pure brick, so it’ll definitely keep your angry teenage kid from putting his fist through your drywall. [Popsci]

Filigent Limited BioMask: A face mask — like the kind everyone wears in Japan when they’re sick — that kills 99.9 per cent of flu viruses in less than a minute. And 100 per cent after 10. A regular mask still holds 50,000 bugs (on average). If you want one of these you’ll have to import it from Hong Kong or Europe, where it’s more acceptable to wear one of these on the street. I should really stock up on these for CES next year; not because it’s going to be a mass of diseased bodies in a confined space, but because Adam Frucci is really disgusting. [Popsci]

Xela Innovations Purleve Hygienic Door Handle: The door handle is actually a sleeve dispenser, so instead of touching poopy metal, you touch a removable plastic sleeve whenever you have to get out from the can. It’s genius, even if it is slightly wasteful to refill sleeves all the time. But if we have no problem protecting our arses from public toilets with disposable toilet rings, this should sell just as well. [Popsci]

Microsoft’s Project Natal: If there’s one game development we’re looking forward to, it’s Natal. Imagine combining the fun of being at home with the fun of moving around in your living room and having a machine know exactly what you’re doing. Perhaps we should phrase it another way: Whenever Mark and I play any game, he says “imagine how great this would be with NATAL!!!!” He actually pronounces those exclamation points out loud over Xbox Live so I get how serious he is. [Popsci]

Bosch Full Force Technology Nail Gun: You might not use nail guns every day, but when you do, you really want to savour the experience. In this case, Bosch uses a secondary air blast that follows the first nail-ejection one in order to return the piston into firing position. So the nail gun literally goes pew-pew with each shot. As a result, the gun is 20 per cent smaller and 10 per cent more powerful than anything else. With one of these, everything you own becomes a board. [Popsci]

The PXC310BT are Sennheiser’s first pair of Bluetooth headphones on the Australian market. They use the A2DP Bluetooth profile to deliver stereo music wirelessly from your Bluetooth device to the headphones. For long-time gadget aficionados, this is nothing new. Similarly, active noise cancellation in a pair of headphones is nothing new either. But Sennheiser have combined the two technologies into one pair of headphones, and like the best fusion restaurants, have created something incredibly new and exciting.

The Design
These headphones from Sennheiser look a lot like every other pair of Sennheiser on the ear noise-cancelling headphones, except without the inline noise cancellation unit. Instead, there’s a small battery unit in the left earphone — it looks replaceable, but I couldn’t get it out. The battery charges via an included USB cable, either plugged into your PC or a power socket. On the right earphone are the controls: up and down buttons for volume, left and right buttons for track control and a centre button to do almost everything else. On the underside of the right headphone are two more buttons: one that controls Bluetooth and one that controls the noise cancellation.

Like previous Sennheiser cans, the PXC310BT are black with silver trims, and fold up for storage. There’s soft padding on the earphones themselves, plus two convenient locations on the top to make wearing them comfortable. And they are comfortable — I happily wore them for most of the day without any real discomfort.

The Controls
Learning the controls for these headphones takes a bit of getting used to. The central button on the side, for example, not only starts and stops your music, but also turns the unit on or off and puts them in Bluetooth search mode as well, depending how long you hold the button. Similarly the NoiseGard button on the bottom will switch noise cancelling on or off if you hold it for a couple of seconds, or activate a speak through function so you can hear what people are saying to you when you have the music cranking if you just press it once. Despite the relatively steep learning curve though, once you’ve mastered the controls, all the buttons are located conveniently enough to make the entire process of controlling your music simple…

Unless you happen to own an iPhone, that is. I personally rejoiced when Apple updated their firmware to include A2DP Bluetooth, but it turns out they didn’t include the profile required to let you skip and rewind tracks using the Sennheiser (and other) Bluetooth headphones. As such, while you can control volume and play and pause the music, you can’t rewind or fast forward. Hardly Sennheiser’s fault there — they’ve got the profile support. But worth mentioning seeing as how I was testing on an iPhone, as I’m sure many potential buyers would be as well.

The Sound Quality
As a general rule, I’ve always loved Sennheiser’s sound quality. That’s why I was a little disappointed when I first started listening to music from my iPhone over A2DP Bluetooth. It sounded like my music—which is encoded at 256kbps MP3—was ripped at something like 64kbps. It was distorted and tinny.

Then suddenly it changed, and sound quality was fine. It was good, even, with a nice range and performance on the bass end as well. Then it started cutting out every second or so, and I had to end the connection with my phone and reconnect, at which point it was all good again. I don’t know if this had something to do with other wireless signals messing up the Bluetooth connection, but it was erratic, to say the least.

Fortunately, Sennheiser did something very smart with these headphones and included a headphone cable jack (3.5mm to 2.5mm). When you plug in the cable, Bluetooth streaming is automatically switched off, although you can still use it to control your music. And with the cable plugged in, the sound quality was great. Which tells me that the problems regarding sound quality I was having were purely based around the limitations of A2DP Bluetooth technology, rather than the headphones themselves.

The Battery Life
These headphones have a tiny little battery in the left ear, which powers not only the Bluetooth mechanism but the noise cancellation as well. So I was impressed when I got a few days of moderate use out of a battery charge. Sure, if you listen to your music all day every day over Bluetooth, you’ll probably need to recharge every night, but if you only use it on the train to and from work, plus a little bit through the day, you’ll happily get 3-4 days. If that’s not enough for you, you should probably just stick with wired headphones and stop your bitching.

Other Things Worth Mentioning
Despite being able to pair with your phone, these headphones don’t do handsfree voice calling — you’ll still need to pull your phone out of your pocket and talk like a normal person. Sennheiser do have a pair coming with that functionality though (called the MM450 TRAVEL), although they’ll have a slight premium on the price.

Speaking of price, these puppies will set you back a cool $599. I know, that sounds expensive, but you’re paying for the convenience of wireless and the awesomeness of noise cancellation, so it’s not that bad a deal. Would I buy these? Probably not, but not because of performance — I think the convenience ultimately overcomes any quality issues with A2DP, and the inability to skip tracks on my iPhone is a limitation I can deal with. No, I wouldn’t buy these mostly because I’d prefer a pair that doubled (or should that be tripled) as a handsfree for my mobile phone, like the upcoming MM450 TRAVEL ‘phones from Sennheiser.

Still, these are the best pair of Bluetooth headphones I’ve tested yet, so if playing your music over Bluetooth is important to you, I’d definitely check them out.

[Sennheiser]

I’ve also got the Dyson Air Multiplier here, and it’s a super sexy toy, although the novelty wears off after a few minutes. It is just a fan, after all. A very stylish fan, but a fan.

Finally, I’ve got a Flip Mino HD to play around with. I’m sure I’ll be taking lots of videos of my dog and baby, which I’ll refrain from posting here on Giz. Don’t want you guys thinking I’m a wus or anything…

What gadgets are you playing with this weekend?

There are three models in the new lineup (RS 160, RS 170 and RS 180), all of which use Kleer transmission technology, which transmits digital audio signals without compression. Each model has a different range with the RS 160 reaching 20 metres line of sight, the RS 170 reaching 80 metres line of sight and the RS 180 giving you a 100 metre line of sight radius.

Both the RS 160 and RS 170 are closed headphones, with the latter offering dynamic bass boost and a switchable surround sound mode for home cinema purists. The RS 180 are open style headphones which have a range of customisable audio options to get the best possible sound.

All three headphones will hit shelves next month, starting at $350 for the RS 160, $450 for the RS 170 and $600 for the RS 180.

[Sennheiser]

Oh, and the PX-200 II. Like before, the PX-100 II has an open design and from the looks of it, sounds a little bassier than the PX-200 II, which still has a closed design, but with better sealing than before. The PX-200 II also has a volume control integrated into the longass 1.2-metre cable. And yes, they still fold. Sadly, Sennheiser’s holding back on the price, but they hit stores worldwide this month, so we won’t have to wait too long to find out the damage.

Sennheiser also dropped a triplet of ginormous Kleer-powered wireless cans, the RS 160, RS 170 and RS 180, for home theatre people who have to turn down their speaker system at night.

Great sound doesn’t need much space The new PX 100-II and PX 200-II from Sennheiser
Wedemark, 2 September 2009 – Simply reach into your bag, switch on your MP3 player, unfold your headphones and you’re ready to listen. With the second generation of the Sennheiser models PX 100 and PX 200 you can enjoy music in excellent quality anywhere and at any time. The two foldable mini headphones with proven Sennheiser acoustics are the ideal companion wherever you go. The new Sennheiser models will be shown for the first time at IFA in Berlin. For all those who want top-quality sound not only at home but also for their iPhone*, iPod* or MP3 player, audio specialist Sennheiser now has two new mini headphones in its product range. “The PX 100-II and the PX 200-II have powerful transducers with neodymium magnets that ensure a clear and natural sound reproduction and a total harmonic distortion of less than 0.1 percent,” said Ivan Kuan, Senior Product Manager Consumer Electronics at Sennheiser, describing the two new headphones. “In recent years, there have been tremendous further developments in the technology – and therefore in the sound quality – of portable players. For that reason, music lovers should choose those headphones that also make this progress audible.”

Mini headphones in a class of their own
The PX 100-II is a pair of dynamic mini headphones with an open design and, just like its predecessor model, guarantees natural sound reproduction with a powerful bass. Its frequency response ranges from 15 to 27,000 Hertz. The PX200-II is ideally suited for use in noisy surroundings. Its closed design effectively attenuates external noise, letting you listen to music in peace without being disturbed – and without disturbing others. Improved ear pads additionally guarantee an optimal sealing with the ears. The frequency response of the closed stereo mini headphones extends from 10 to 21,000 Hertz – the perfect sound experience on the go.

With their comfortably padded, supra-aural ear cushions, the PX100-II and PX 200-II can provide music enjoyment for hours on end. A 1.2 metre long, single- sided cable offers generous freedom of movement – even if your player is in your pocket. The PX 200-II also lets you conveniently adjust the volume using the volume control integrated into the cable.

Amazing sound – amazingly compact The PX 100-II and PX 200-II not only offer outstanding acoustic properties, the foldable mini headphones are also amazingly compact. The clever ‘fold and flip’ design means that you simply close the headband, fold in the ear cups and the headphones are then small enough to pack away into the handy transport pouch.

New steel reinforcements in the headband and sturdy metal joints provide the headphones with the necessary strength and durability even in the toughest everyday use. When they are folded away, you can take them anywhere. After all, great sound doesn’t need much space. The PX 100-II and the PX 200-II are available in stores worldwide from September in the colours black and white. The set includes a soft transport pouch.

A trio with state-of-the-art technology: three new wireless headphones from Sennheiser
Wedemark, 2 September 2009 – Conquering the Empire as a Jedi knight without waking the neighbours? Conducting a symphony orchestra in fortissimo with the kids asleep in their beds? No longer a problem with the new wireless headphones from Sennheiser. No matter whether connected to a television set or a hi-fi system, the RS 160, RS 170 and RS 180 guarantee an excellent sound experience. Dynamic sound transducers with powerful neodymium magnets ensure a clear, high-resolution audio playback whilst the Kleer transmission technology promises uncompressed transmission of the audio data. The three new headphones will be shown for the first time at the IFA in Berlin.

“The RS 160, RS 170 and RS 180 headphones represent a perfectly free, wireless sound experience,” says Maurice Quarré, Head of Product Management Consumer Electronics at Sennheiser. “All three models offer highly impressive audio quality – with no cables to get in the way. They all use Kleer transmission technology, which operates without compression and therefore without any audio loss.” Not only can you move around while watching television but you can also enjoy cable- free music at a radius of up to 100 metres (RS 160 up to 20 metres, RS 170 up to 80 metres and RS 180 up to 100 metres, line of sight).

Cinema-quality performance The new RS models combine cinema- quality sound with movie star looks. “Clear lines and sophisticated, reflective surfaces in black, silver and anthracite make them genuinely desirable design objects,” continued Maurice Quarré. The headphones, with their soft padded ear cups and adjustable headbands, are specifically designed for hours of television or music enjoyment and are still comfortable to wear when your movie night eventually draws to a close.

Cinema-quality sound in the living room Tried and tested Sennheiser technology ensures transparent and balanced sound with the new wireless headphones. Dynamic transducers with powerful neodymium magnets and a distortion of only 0.5 percent reproduce even the subtlest musical nuances. The frequency response reaches from 18 to 21.000 Hertz. With a sound pressure level of 106/110decibels the three headphones have outstanding dynamics.

The RS 160 is the entry-level model: the closed headphones impress with their detailed sound and powerful bass reproduction. The volume can be controlled directly on the headphones. The RS 170 is also a closed model and delivers dynamic bass boost and switchable surround sound. The top-of-the-range RS 180 model is targeted at sound purists; the open design ensures a particularly natural listening experience which can be set to individual preferences. The speech intelligibility can be improved through dynamic compression (Automatic Level Control) and the balance can also be individually adjusted.

Plug and Play It‘s just so easy to connect the wireless headphones – whether to a television set, stereo system or DVD-Player. If the transmitter is connected to an audio or video device, it automatically transmits the audio data to the headphones: switch them on, put them on and sit back and enjoy the results. The 2-gigahertz digital radio transmission ensures smooth transmission with a high signal-to-noise ratio of 85 dBA. The Kleer technology even allows the listening pleasure to be shared as up to four headphones can receive radio signals via one transmitter.

The transmitter of the RS 160 has a diameter of only 9.7 centimetres. When connected to an MP3 player or mobile phone it fits easily into a backpack, which means that the headphones can be used for wireless music enjoyment whether you are at home or out and about. The RS 170 and RS 180 transmitters are a little larger as these also serve as a charging cradle.
All three models will be available worldwide from October.

[Sennheiser, Sennheiser via ecoustics]

There’ve been cheaper HD-branded models for years, and they’ve generally been pretty great. The $US100 price point, though, marks sort of a golden zone for headphones and earbuds—it’s the most a lot of people are willing to spend, and where the hardware starts to really shine. The HD 428, 438 (pictured left) and 448 sit in this $US30 sweet spot, and fall somewhere between portable headphones and giant home stereo alien ear bulbs.

The main differences between the headphones are sound signature—the cheaper 428 is bassier, while the 428 and 448 go for a more natural mix—and style—the 428 has a subdued cross pattern, the 448 a subtle brushed aluminium look, and the 438 has, er, hubcaps “reminiscent of the alloy wheels on luxury sports cars” by which Sennheiser presumably means 1984 Honda CRXs. Which is fine! [Sennheiser]

I had chance to check out two different models: the PXC 310 BT and the MM 450 Travel, and even though they were pre production, the sound quality was superb. They look fantastic and were also extremely comfortable.

In regards to concerns over the battery, apparently you’ll get about 22 hours just as a noise cancelling headset, using an audio cable instead of Bluetooth (which is also an important feature for when you’re on a plane). If you turn on Bluetooth and have the volume all the way up, you can expect about 8 hours.

The MM 450 also includes a microphone, with a dedicated button to receive and end calls when paired with your phone.

At the moment there are still no prices set, although we should see them on shelves mid to late next month.

Seriously – this is the holy grail for me. A wireless pair of headphones that can pair with my iPhone, let me make and receive calls without having to take my phone out of my pocket and blocks out the sound of all the annoying schoolkids on the train. This is what headphone technology has been working towards since the dawn of personal audio years ago.

There aren’t a lot of details to go off, but it looks like there are five new Bluetooth models coming: the PX 210 BT, MM 400 and MM 100, plus the PXC 310 BT and MM 450 TRAVEL which feature noise cancellation.

Naturally, the biggest concern is battery life – what with the Bluetooth, the speakers and the noise cancellation all staking out their claim for the battery life, you’ve gotta expect it to take a hit. But I still can’t wait to get my hands on them, hopefully later this year.

[Sennheiser]

On the transducer design:

The HD 800 sets new standards with its innovative transducer technology. Measuring 56 mm, the transducer in the HD 800 is the largest that can currently be found in a dynamic head-phone. In simple terms: the more transducer surface area that vibrates, the purer the headphone sounds at low frequencies. However, transducers with a large surface area have the disadvantage that, at high frequencies, undesired resonances occur at the diaphragm, resulting in distortions in sound reproduction. The new design principle of the HD 800 resolves this dilemma. “Sennheiser’s patented ring design for the diaphragm minimises the distortion of the sound image, even with a transducer as large as 56 mm,” explained Axel Grell, acoustics developer at Sennheiser. The result is impressive: the HD 800 has brilliant trebles, precise bass reproduction and an exceptionally clear sound image. The frequency response is an unprecedented 6 to 51,000 Hertz.

On the ear cup design:

Audio recordings do not become a true listening experience until we they are perceived with spatial extension – as if we were sitting in a concert hall or listening to a live jazz session. The new HD 800 offers precisely such a sound experience. “Today, most music is made to be reproduced by two loudspeakers, which form an equal-sided triangle together with the listener. This results in a sound field close to the ears that is at a slight angle to the head,” explained Axel Grell. This causes the sound to be reflected into the ear canal with slight time differences. The HD 800 simulates this effect by directing the sound wave to the ear at an angle of 45 degrees. No other manufacturer comes as close as Sennheiser to achieving a spatial listening experience with headphones.

Throw in top quality build materials and all of a sudden you are staring at the $US1400 price tag going what the f—! [Sennheiser]

Technical innovation and meticulous attention to detail:
The new HD 800 is Sennheiser’s latest sound sensation

LAS VEGAS – January CES 2009 – The new standard in premium headphones, the HD 800 from Sennheiser, offers an extraordinarily brilliant sound image and stunning spatiality. Their dynamic, completely open-back design combines innovative technology with carefully selected materials and the pinnacle of German workmanship. The result is a level of performance, quality and attention to detail that is clearly audible. The key components of the HD 800 are a completely new type of transducer and the innovative ear cup design. In total, this new sound sensation features no less than three distinguished patents.

Patented technology: transducer with a ring design
The HD 800 sets new standards with its innovative transducer technology. Measuring 56 mm, the transducer in the HD 800 is the largest that can currently be found in a dynamic head-phone. In simple terms: the more transducer surface area that vibrates, the purer the headphone sounds at low frequencies. However, transducers with a large surface area have the disadvantage that, at high frequencies, undesired resonances occur at the diaphragm, resulting in distortions in sound reproduction. The new design principle of the HD 800 resolves this dilemma. “Sennheiser’s patented ring design for the diaphragm minimises the distortion of the sound image, even with a transducer as large as 56 mm,” explained Axel Grell, acoustics developer at Sennheiser. The result is impressive: the HD 800 has brilliant trebles, precise bass reproduction and an exceptionally clear sound image. The frequency response is an unprecedented 6 to 51,000 Hertz.

Natural listening experience: the new ear cup design
Audio recordings do not become a true listening experience until we they are perceived with spatial extension – as if we were sitting in a concert hall or listening to a live jazz session. The new HD 800 offers precisely such a sound experience. “Today, most music is made to be reproduced by two loudspeakers, which form an equal-sided triangle together with the listener. This results in a sound field close to the ears that is at a slight angle to the head,” explained Axel Grell. This causes the sound to be reflected into the ear canal with slight time differences. The HD 800 simulates this effect by directing the sound wave to the ear at an angle of 45 degrees. No other manufacturer comes as close as Sennheiser to achieving a spatial listening experience with headphones.

Wearing comfort: top-quality materials and finish
Their circumaural ear cups fit comfortably around the ears without aggressive lateral pressure for hours of music enjoyment. The material used for the ear pads is Japanese Alcantara, which is particularly friendly to the skin and easy to clean. All other materials have also been carefully selected – not least to optimally support the outstanding acoustical properties of the HD 800. “We allowed ourselves a lot of time to perfect the HD 800,” said Maurice Quarré, Product Manager Home Audio at Sennheiser. “Not only to develop the technical intricacies but also to select the finest materials to make it perfect in every detail.” As a result, the HD 800 has an exterior design that perfectly reflects its outstanding sound quality: a puristic design language and a black/silver finish give the headphones a look of exclusive elegance, turning them into a true designer object. And all this is ‘Made in Germany’: the HD 800 was developed and designed at Sennheiser’s corporate headquarters in Wedemark, Germany. The new headphones will be produced there too – with the usual meticulous attention to detail.

Sennheiser
Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com.

There are three models available in the new lineup, which bring the audio reproduction quality from Sennheiser’s professional products to a consumer lineup. The IE6 is bass heavy, with a frequency response of 10Hz to 18KHz; the IE7 is a balanced offering with greater emphasis on the top end (and a frequency response of 10Hz to 19KHz); and the IE8, which features the adjustable bass dial on the earphone itself, a frequency response of 10Hz to 20KHz and comes with a large number of different sized ear adapters so you can get the perfect fit.

Pricing still hasn’t been confirmed (and with the Aussie dollar being so erratic at the moment, pricing could change at any second), but for the IE6, IE7 and IE8 you’re looking at about $300, $400 and $600 respectively. They’ll be arriving in store in November, so make sure they’re on your Christmas lists.