Some of you may have noticed that posts have been a bit sporadic lately and the time has finally come to reveal a project I have been working on. Late in 2011 I made a Silicon Valley entrepreneur aware of a flat panel speaker technology first patented in 1984. The concept of thin wall-mounted loudspeakers that look like any other picture hanging on the wall had promise but because they use exotic materials like kevlar and carbon fiber in unusual ways, (meaning nothing is off the shelf), some engineering was required to make it possible to mass produce. 
Since the entrepreneur is also an engineer with strong ties to Asian manufacturing, after some R&D and much trial and error a great product is born and an initial run of 200 units in five colors with personalized images have been produced in order to test the market. Visual Art Speakers is headquartered in San Jose and expects to be selling a million units within a year.
The frames are made of spruce, known for its resonant qualities, with a high lacquer finish. The first run were manufactured in China with spruce imported from Scandinavia but Oregon spruce will work just as well. So I am tasked with the happy chore of finding competent Oregon woodworkers using Oregon spruce, (does not have to be clear grade), to manufacture the frames that house the driver and diaphragm for sale and distribution to China and the Pacific Northwest. My search for a local shop has thus far been unfruitful, so unless some Norse god woodworker living in Coos County magically appears the frames are most likely to be built closer to the I-5 corridor. Because sourcing for the other components are limited between now and Christmas the volume will be relatively low. As volume picks up next spring there may yet be job opportunities for Coos County woodworkers.
Originally the product was designed to be a piece of furniture or art that also played music but the sound quality has been highly praised by audiophiles and musicians alike. One surprising feature of the speaker is how much well it sounds outdoors and how much bass is produced from such a small structure. The speakers can be driven with any amplifier or receiver but as you can imagine, the more expensive the amp and the more wattage per channel produces the best effect.
My gift to my son and his bride – high-end sound quality disguised as a wedding photos
Congratulations! I’m a Ghandi fan. General Patton also. Ten years ago I gave Ms. McCaffree some Ghandi quotes. Most have come true for her. All now for you. If I was young I would send resume – for pro bono employment of course. Nobama gets enough.