The Black Keys

The Black Crowes

Kings of Leon

As with any first year event, there were some kinks to work out but all things considered this festival was great. The bands did not disappoint. We saw set after set of incredible talent, performers who brought the crowd exactly what they came to see. The highlight for Velodyne was being able to get our headphones autographed by some key artists such as The Black Keys, The Zac Brown Band, The Flaming Lips, The Shins, Dirty Projectors, and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. These autographed headphones were donated to the online auction to benefit the Lung Cancer Foundation, the Breast Cancer Fund, the International Mental Health Research Organization, the Napa Valley Youth Symphony, and several more local and international non-profit organizations.

Autographed vFree for the online auction to benefit charity

Autographed vTrue to benefit charity

Nightly, Velodyne hosted a VIP Afterparty where we gave out free t-shirts, stickers and tsotchkies. We had a listening station where festival attendees could try out our vFree bluetooth and our vFree studio headphones. They were available for purchase at a significant discount with a special coupon code. Also on display (and for sale) were our new headphone skins, which can be used to personalize the vFree headphones, as well as an upcoming unreleased wired headphone. We also held a skin design contest, where VIP partiers could let out their inner artist. We had so many beautiful, intricate and colorful designs entered into the contest that it was hard to choose just one. The winners we chose each received a vFree headphone to go along with their personalized skin. It was really a lot of fun to see what people could come up with, given a blank canvas and a few Sharpie pens!

Fun and unique skin designs

ViP Party Attendees of all types of artistic skill and ability enjoyed creating skins

Vintage Trouble on stage at our VIP Party

Additionally, one of the festival bands, Vintage Trouble, rocked us with a powerful performance at our VIP Afterparty. They blew us away with incredible shows twice in one day. Most of us had never even heard of them before seeing them at the festival. That was part of the beauty of Bottle Rock, after seeing some incredible bands, we became fans!

Vintage Trouble back stage during their daytime performance at Bottle Rock

Velodyne’s first turn at Bottle Rock was a lot of fun and we hope to sponsor this event next year. Hope to see you there!

Velodyne has an established, 30-year foothold in the audio industry and has catered to those that expect and demand high-quality sound. This started with our ground-breaking subwoofer technology in the 1980′s and has continued on to our first headphone released in 2010 to our most recent headphones released this year. With the ubiquity of iPods and smart phones in recent years, everyone from kids to teens to adults of all ages have been utilizing headphones for portable audio.  Trends have certainly developed as headphones have become a fashion accessory.  Listeners have become much more conscious of the color, shape and size of the headphones that they are wearing in addition to (and sometimes in place of!) the sound quality.

Veldodyne products do not require you to compromise your listening experience for the sake of appearances. Our on-ear vFree wireless  headphones are available in black, white and silver. Skins designed by our President and recognized public artist Marta Hall, are now available for our vFree headphones to allow for customization, personalization and expression of style while being able to enjoy the music free of cords if you wish. The sleek style and modern look of the vFree headphones is extremely attractive but our spot-on style doesn’t end there.

Our vTrue studio headphones are in a luxury class all their own. Made from forged aluminum and genuine, supple leather, our vTrue headphones epitomize function and fashion -  providing excellent sound quality and clean bass. The vTrue headphones are large over-ear headphones which make them comfortable to wear and provide a great seal to block out outside noise. With the recent popularity of all things retro, the large pads and ear cup design have really struck the fancy of true audiophiles who appreciate the crisp, true sound of the music and the bass output Velodyne customers have come to expect.

Our vPulse in-ear headphones are an extremely versatile product.  Available in black, pink and our signature “Velodyne electric blue”,  the vPulse provide plenty of variety in the color department.  The vPulse utilize a flat cord which has gained popularity recently due to its tendency to tangle less than the standard round shaped cords.  The vPulse are equipped with a mic and controls located on the left hand cord which is a recent trend that we have seen from headphones which allows you to easily switch from music to phone calls and gives you the ability to control volume and playback without having reach into your pocket.

Consumer electronics is an industry that is constantly evolving with trends and new advancements in technology. In regards to fashion, sometimes the old becomes new again. But one thing can be certain, the only thing that is constant is change. Velodyne is here for the long haul, to evolve and advance with technology and trends. Stay tuned for new headphones to be released later this year. You won’t be disappointed!

This past Saturday, Velodyne Acoustics participated in an event at  Shoreline Ampitheater in conjunction with the Live 105 ticket sale for the BFD concert which will be held on May 19, 2013. The tickets for this event, which boasts artists such as 30 Seconds to Mars, Silversun Pickups, The Mowgli’s, Atlas Genius, Jimmy Eat World, and Of Monsters and Men were sold at a steep discount ($10.53) for this one day only. Over 2,000 hopefuls flocked to Shoreline in droves and some camped out overnight to get these tickets.  Velodyne was there, with the back of our LiDAR Lexus packed with headphones.

We held a contest to give away hundreds of pairs of the vFree Bluetooth headphones, as well as our vPulse in-ear headphones. This provided a great opportunity for more people to experience the excellent sound quality, portability and customizability of these wireless Bluetooth headphones and have fun while waiting in line.  Velodyne staff and interns from Live 105 were walking around with pairs of vFree around their necks and some displayed the custom skins. There were two easy ways to enter to win.  The first was an Instagram contest, where you could photograph yourself or your friends trying on a pair of our vFree headphones. and post to Instagram and/or Twitter tagging @VelodyneAudio using the hashtag #VeloBFD. Obtaining 20 likes on your photo would secure a you a free pair of vFree headphones.

The second way to win another free pair of headphones required a creative flair. Velodyne provided blank headphone skins and art supplies for contestants to design a custom skin for the vFree headphones. Velodyne is currently in the voting process on the designs and will notify winners this week.  There was much excitement as people retweeted and liked their photos people and came to claim their prizes. We had several hundred entries into the drawing and over 200 people left with new Velodyne headphones! All in all, it was a great day at Shoreline!

Our new vFree wireless headphones are truly a work of art. Designed by artist and Velodyne President Marta Hall, they are quite a unique piece of technology. Just as the iPhone is in and of itself a gorgeous phone, nearly everyone we see has a cover, case or skin of some kind on their phone. These accessories not only protect but personalize the phones. Constantly envisioning, designing and creating, Hall has put her heart and soul into creating additional accessories for these headphones. These new skins will not only fit the vFree but also new headphones not yet released. There will be a Limited Edition Artist Series that you won’t want to miss!

A selection of some of the Designer Skins offered by Velodyne

There are a wide variety of skins in production, some that are made of a hard plastic, some that are smooth or embossed fabric, and some that feel more like a faux fur and others that are silicone in nature. Some of them even have metal grommets and come in a fun selection of prints in many colors. What a great concept, to match your headphones to your outfit of the day! Naturally, we can’t wait to see how many #OOTD posts make it to Instagram with the Designer Skins in them.

Our LiDAR car leaving headquarters for Las Vegas, NV

CES 2013 was big for Velodyne, Inc. The show started on Tuesday, January 8, but our journey started much earlier.  A lot of preparation was required as our newly built autonomous car equipped with our LiDAR technology hit the highway to debut at the trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

LiDAR readout “On the Road to CES”

Two people from Velodyne -  Pamela Gauci from our audio division and Rick Yoder from our LiDAR division – traveled over 3,000 miles from Silicon Valley to Las Vegas with time to spare to prepare for Unveiled, a huge CES press event. Unveiled, which took place on Sunday, January 6, was an exciting night for us. We had several press inquiries, gave video interviews, and hosted a packed table several people deep all night. We had a blast sharing information about our vTrue studio headphones, vFree wireless headphones as well as our vPulse in-ear headphones. It was also quite fun fielding the “What’s that?” questions about our LiDAR unit sitting on our table.

David Short from Velodyne interacting with members of the press

Once CES actually started, it was “go time” for us in our suite at The Venetian as we were met with a constant flow of traffic.  The audio floor we were on was the perfect place to showcase not only our headphone line but many of our subwoofers which are Velodyne’s legacy. The greatest part about it was being able to engage with many of our customers who came from all over the world to attend CES. Relationships were developed, built and strengthened over the course of the week.

Our suite on the audio floor

Laurel Nissen from Velodyne e-commerce talking headphones with the German press

Our listening station at CES offered some quality time with the vTrue and vFree

One of the new relationships we developed was quite unexpected. Kelly LeBrock, best known for her roles in movies from the 1980’s, “Weird Science” and “Woman in Red” made several appearances at CES, and some would also say she made her comeback. She was tied in closely to many of the events that Velodyne was a part of through Living in Digital Times, and we spent a few days getting to know her. She posed for photos and gave autographs wearing our vFree headphones at our LiDAR car in the Sands Ballroom at the Venetian. She also emceed Fashionware, a wearable tech fashion show which also included our vFree and new interchangeable headphone skins. She stopped by our suite and visited with us as well as joined a few of us for dinner one night. She is a truly charming, intelligent, down to earth and beautiful woman and we hope to work with her again soon!

The press and fans went crazy for Kelly LeBrock!

Our vFree with piano skin on a mannequin

Model wearing our vTrue

Model wearing our vFree around her neck with interchangeable pink skin

Marta Hall, President of Velodyne, was chosen to be a panelist for Women in CE, to discuss what it’s like being a woman in an industry comprised mainly of men. It was interesting to hear the panelists discuss the necessity for marketing to women and share their ideas about how this should be done.

Marta Hall joined the Mommy Tech panel moderated by Women in CE founder, Carol Campbell

Our LiDAR car got its fair share of attention. Autonomous vehicles and “smart” cars in general seemed to be a popular theme this year and Velodyne was not the only company with a self-driving car at the show. However, there is no doubt that Velodyne LiDAR is a true pioneer of the technology and our engineer had a steady stream of interested show attendees who were full of questions. It was great to have two of our company’s divisions represented at CES 2013. It’s truly an honor to work for a company whose CEO and Founder, David Hall, is an brilliant inventor.

An autonomous car on the show floor intrigued many a passerby!

Despite the fact that most of our team contracted the “Flu of CES 2013” we all came back to work super-charged and enthusiastic about our product and our company. That is probably the brightest highlight of the trade show this year. Until next year!

This hearing implant effectively replaces the middle ear, and can provide functionally deaf patients with normal hearing. The implant developed at Chalmers University of Technology has been approved for a clinical study, and the first operation to implant the device occurred on 5 December 2012. It went according to plan.The technique of bone conduction was designed as a means of treating mechanical hearing loss in those who are afflicted with congenital malformations of the outer ear, auditory canal, or middle ear, chronic inflammation of the middle or outer ear, or bone disease. Because normal hearing aids rarely work for individuals with these afflictions, a new technology was needed. Bone conduction fits the bill. It is possible that the device can help those with impaired inner ear as well.

Called BCI (Bone Conduction Implant), this new hearing implant differs from other bone conduction devices in that it does not need to be attached to the skull with a titanium screw, and as a result the patient need not fear skin infections or losing the screw. The BCI is less than six centimeters long, and is attached directly to the skull bone beneath the skin behind the ear. The implant uses the skull bone to transmit sound vibrations to the inner ear, what is known as bone conduction. Researchers expect to present the first clinical results in early 2013, and if successful, the implant should be available to regular patients within two years.

There are two parts to the device: the implant beneath the skin, and the external sound processor. The sound processor can be easily attached or removed from the head, and is held in place by two magnets. It transmits sound through an inductive link to an internal receiver. The signal is then transmitted to a loudspeaker that creates the vibrations that reach the sensory organs of the cochlea. This durable and functional BCI could lead to a dramatic decrease in the amount of people suffering from deafness. So far, the Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) technique is helping more than 100,000 patients, and with this new development, it is expected to be widely implemented in the future.

L-R: Campbell, Smith, Hall, Benedetto, Millman

We are in an age where women are truly expected to do it all. Today, a “working woman” is an outdated reference, as all women work whether it be at home or in an office. If you have a career, you are still in charge of managing the family and matters of the homestead. Today, we make decisions about what products are purchased at work and at home. Somehow, many companies are still failing at how to properly market to this demographic. How do women in consumer electronics navigate around an industry where all the products are designed by men, primarily for men and the companies are dominated by men?

During CES 2013, Velodyne President and Chief Industrial Designer Marta Hall was invited to be part of a Women in CE panel discussion put on by Living in Digital Times, moderated by Women in CE Founder and Custom Retailer publisher, Carol Campbell to address these issues. Hall was in amazing company – Andrea Smith, Lifestyle Editor of Mashable, Sandra Benedetto, Director of Product Management at THX, Ltd., and Amy Millman, Founder of Springboard Enterprises. The hour-long panel covered many topics, and it was interesting to find out what technical products the panel can’t live without. Not surprisingly, most of the women rely heavily on tools to keep them organized, and connected to work and family such their iPhones (2 panelists chose this) or tablet, such as the Dell convertible tablet laptop that Millman leans on heavily. Hall, ever the artist and the designer, depends on her Wacom, which is a tablet that she can draw on which responds as though she were drawing with a pencil.

The women also discussed which were the top products and booths that were seen on the show floor. Big draws for the panel were various, from products related to the “connected home” (security, lighting, appliances) by use of apps and various devices, to the health related devices that give the public access to  health information without a visit to the doctor,  and Ultra HD televisions. Naturally Hall gravitated toward a 3D printer that she is excited to look into when more time permits. There were also discussions about which booths simply had their marketing strategy all wrong and were actually offensive to women, such as those who still employed “booth babes” and the hard drive company who had nude women in body paint within easy reach of ogling trade show attendees. The panelists brought to light their strategies of how to target other women with their products. Velodyne’s vFree headphones provide ample opportunity to personalize and customize which is something that appeals to women.

The panelists had a lot of insightful contributions. Benedetto brought up the need for better plans to market to women and build the business to apply to women as decision makers in the home. How did flat panel TV’s start becoming the way of the future? How did Velodyne subwoofers start moving toward “big sound in a small box”? It’s because women did not want these behemoths in their homes any longer. As Campbell said, “What products are going to come and live in her house?”Millman rounded out the conversation with a slide presentation with a variety of women-driven products that solve problems that are important to women, such as the Roomba. Yes, a robot was created to clean for women who did not have the time. Brilliant.

Smith brought up something that resonated with most of us in the audience. “Bring me something to…make my life easier.” Apps and tools to help keep our lives organized abound in our digital world. The key is keeping the apps simple. The reality is most of us only use a handful of apps on a regular basis despite the several screens of apps we have on our smart phones. Now, if there were only one master app to keep us organized, watch our children, get us where we need to go and get dinner on the table. A woman can dream…but likely, a woman will be the one to make it happen.

 *This phrase is taken from a quote from Andrea Smith at the start of the panel discussion

**Full video of the panel discussion can be seen here: http://youtu.be/47k69JGqYjA

Our limited edition experimental vPulse packaging, designed by Alfredo Muccino and inspired by the art of sculpture.

Well, I’ve finally returned from my unofficial sabbatical…and am thrilled to be blogging again. Although I took a break from writing, I can assure you I did not take a break from working.

As you already know, we recently debuted several new lines of headphones. In addition to the vPulse, the vFree and vTrue are now available for purchase by Velodyne fans everywhere.

It goes without saying that the process of developing a product for a crowded marketplace is multi-layered and complex. But the creative process for developing the packaging of a product can be just as complicated

Henrik Persson’s literal take on packaging for a limited edition book about NYC, modeling it after a city skyscraper.

And that’s where I’ve been the last few months…deeply embedded in the packaging process. As with all developmental and creative processes, we began with meetings to discuss what we wanted from our packaging besides the obvious, selling the product.

This prompted me to think a lot about how packaging impacted me as a consumer. Typically, I walk into a store with no expectations. I take a step back, scanning the shelves and waiting for something to jump out at me. It’s as if I’m saying, “I’m here now. Impress me with something.”

What is the “something” I want?

I want a package to make me feel something meaningful. I want to feel inspired. I want to feel happy. I want to laugh. I want to be amazed. I want that package to stand up and make me smile, to compel me to pick it up and hear the promises it makes to me about what I can find inside.

This limited edition Nike shoebox, designed to mirror a sports stadium, is embedded with sound chips, causing a crowd to cheer when it’s opened.

Ultimately, I want that package to make me feel that I can’t leave the store without taking it with me. And once I get it home and remove what’s inside, I often treat the packaging as a product itself .

In fact, I’ve been known to save beautiful packaging and boxes for weeks or months, claiming, “Just in case. I might need it again some day. Really, I might.” The truth is that I just can’t bring myself to throw away something so beautiful, something that inspires a connection to emotions.

Personally, these are some of the things that appeal to me when it comes to packaging:

• 

  Russian designer Arthur Schreiber designed this beautifully crafted and clever take on packaging that visually reflects the name and concept of the company itself. Incidentally, an American liquor company purchased rights to the conceptual design.

  Texture: I do love to see a package that makes me want to touch it. It can be the actual texture of the paper or material. It can also be a design that gives the illusion of being three dimensional, prompting me to want to touch it to confirm that it’s flat. Our limited edition sculpture-inspired headphone packaging is literally molded into headphones and begs to be touched. That’s the appeal.

• Conceptual/literal: This is what I would call “clever” concepts. Arthur Schreiber’s design for Samurai vodka would fit into this category. It’s brilliant in that it presents a literal interpretation of the actual company name and, at the same time, embodies the entire concept of a samurai. I’ll not only remember the packaging after I walk away, but I’ll remember the name of the company and the concept behind the name. Henrik Persson’s packaging for a limited edition book about New York City is also a great example of this. This type of packaging might be my favorite. It doesn’t just make me feel something. It also makes me think.

Hiroko Sanders created illustrations for “Perfect Slice of Summer,” a series of boxes for Kleenex.

• Shape: An unexpected shape in a world of square boxes is another type of packaging that appeals to me. Kleenex did a great job with their summer series called “Perfect Slice of Summer.” The thing I find most appealing is that it is also conceptually relevant, reflecting tones of summer and evoking an emotional reaction about the season. Brilliant.

• Subtlety: Granted, I’m a minimalist at heart anyway. But sometimes the shelves are glutted with so many items screaming, “Look at me! Look at me!” that they all begin to look the same. And that’s when the one package that stands regal, demurely looking back at me without too much effort…that’s the one I can’t resist.

What kind of packaging speaks to you?

Lately, I’ve been staying up late into the night, typing up various papers, reading entire novels, frantically studying for that next midterm. The only thing that’s kept me sane throughout this quarter has been my music. And coffee. But really it’s been the music. At first I was just listening to the same old songs, the ones on the radio, the new pop songs. But after a while, I felt like I was lacking something crucial. These songs weren’t enough to keep me going night after night.

I needed to find new motivation. I searched my iTunes library, hoping for something to pop out at me. I tried Afro Celt, a unique mixture of African beats and Celtic instruments, but it couldn’t keep me up for more than an hour. Then I thought that maybe I needed to hear some of the old classics, the ones of my childhood. Which turn out to be the same songs my parents enjoyed in their youth. Soon, all that was emerging from my vFree was good old Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, the Moody Blues, Rush, the Who, Boston, Kansas, the Beatles, and other classic rock. It brought back pleasant memories, and revived this wonderful fondness in me for these bands. They got me through many a late night.

But there came a time when I began yearning for something new, but not any radio pop. I wanted something new to me, but still with that classic rock feel. I guess what really helped me then was Pandora, bringing me variety, with some songs that I knew, and some that I had never heard before.

I also took a stab at watching The Voice, to see if any of the contestants had what I was looking for. One caught my attention right away. Singing the Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” Terry McDermott of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, stole the competition, at least for me. I’ve been following his work, and each song has been beautiful, especially his rendition of Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.” I began to wonder if McDermott had any original songs to offer, and I began to search for some. It turns out he had been in multiple bands—the two most prominent being Driveblind and Lotus Crush. Driveblind was formed in Scotland, and came over to the U.S. in the early 2000s. It caught my fancy right away, and I’ve been listening to it ever since. It helped me get through my last midterm, just last Friday. Specifically, the song “Autumn Red” got me through the midterm. I did receive some pretty strange looks in the library, with my vPulse in, rocking out to my new favorite band, but I didn’t care. It helped me keep my sanity throughout this first quarter of college. I’ll always be grateful for that.

Here’s a listen to the song that brought Driveblind to America, “The Fool Rides Again.”

http://soundcloud.com/terryvox/the-fool-rides-again

Also, for a look at what he’s done on “The Voice,” here’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” (skip to 1:22 for Terry’s performance):

http://youtu.be/EAkDasYZr88

It’s Hump Day! Time to pop in your vPulse in-ear headphones and JAM.