Before an audience of sleepy journalists and venture capitalists, Emo Labs CEO Jason Carlson took the stage with a TV and a giant set of speakers playing the Beach Boys, reports CNNMoney.
Then he whipped off the speaker box to reveal the real source of the sound: a sheet of clear plastic. There were audible gasps. Dozens of digital cameras flashed at once. Emo had invented invisible speakers.
Electronics firms have been deep-discounting their products for some time now, and even Carlson admits they are wary of any technology that could drive up the price of their products. Still, given that 160 million flat-panel TVs and 150 million laptops were sold in 2009, even a tiny slice of that market would be lucrative for Emo.
Photo by CNNMoney.