Company to Bring Enhanced Sounds to Net

By KAREN KAPLAN

Jan. 24, 2000 12 AM PT

A Seattle company plans to bring surround sound to the Internet using technology developed at USC’s Integrated Media Systems Center.

“Immersive Audio” uses mathematical tricks and computer algorithms to make sound from two speakers sound as if it is coming from a multichannel system with speakers positioned all around the listener, said Chris Kyriakakis, the USC electrical engineering professor who developed the technology. In4network of Seattle has licensed the technology and expects to begin making it available in the next few weeks to Web sites that rely on music and other rich sounds, such as video game sites.

“This is going to revolutionize sound on the Internet,” said Seth Landau, In4network’s founder and chief executive.

Technology and the Internet

Karen Kaplan

Karen Kaplan covers science and medical research for the Los Angeles Times. She has been a member of the science team since 2005, including 13 years as an editor. Her first decade at The Times was spent covering technology in the Business section as both a reporter and editor. She grew up in San Diego and is a graduate of MIT and Columbia University.

Company to Bring Enhanced Sounds to Net

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