Their new SP-FT1/FT2 speakers are just 1.2 inches thick, and can be mounted on a wall or set on a table with a built-in stand. The accompanying 20W×4ch amp is nearly just as unobtrusive (.2mm thicker) and supports Dolby Digital/DTS/AAC/Linear PCM formats.

Of course, you'll still need to run wires.

Sadly, these products are exclusively available in Japan for now. The speaker set runs $220 with the amp coming in at $260. [JVC via CrunchGear]

The cans have wooden housing for improved sound quality. They operage in a 5Hz to 30kHz frequency, feature 64Ω impedance, an overpressure value of 101dB/mW and support a maximum input of 1,500mW. The whole package weighs in at about 13.5 ounces, which means they'll cost you about $54 per ounce when they go on sale in Japan next month. Worth it? [Engadget]

"If you could hold a giant magnifying glass in space and focus all the sunlight shining toward Earth onto one grain of sand, that concentrated ray would approach the intensity of a new laser beam made in a University of Michigan laboratory." - Physorg

The beam is sustained for 30 femtoseconds, with one femtosecond being equivalent to a million billionth of a second. So, it lasts longer than you do in bed, and it also performs a little better, too. However, this isn't Dr Robotnik having a wacky time for no use, it is hoped that the research will give rise to powerful cancer treatments, and when we say powerful, we do mean 300 terawatts of power, with an inconceivable, 20 billion trillion watts per square centimeter. What is that equivalent to? An astonishing, 300 times the capacity of the U.S. electricity grid. All of that energy is concentrated into a 1.3-micron point, which is roughly 100th the diameter of a human hair.

Victor Yanovsky, who spearheaded the laser's development, says the HERCULES is around two orders more powerful than its nearest competing laser. A beam can be generated once every 10 seconds, and the entire contraption accommodates several rooms, is constructed from titanium-sapphire and the light that enters at one end is processed by mirrors and other optical elements. This results in an increase in the energized quality of focused light.

The high intensity light, beyond medical uses, could also be implemented in crazy physics based procedures called "boiling the vacuum," which will apparently result in spontaneous matter generation. Crazy. Let's hope no one hell-bent on world domination starts attempting to put together a real Death Star, or we'll all be screwed. May the Force be with you. (Note to self: End more articles with that line.) [University of Michigan via Physorg]

This kind of reminds me of elementary school when all of the geeks would band together to fight the one bully. Unfortunately this isn't elementary school, so Apple is likely going to kick the asses of all nine companies and take their milk money, to boot. – Travis Hudson

Microsoft, Toshiba, DoCoMo, Victor to Develop Japan iPod Rival

JVC surround adapter for headphones [TechJapan]