Ohm, the measured frequency of the elliptical orbit of the Earth as it travels around the sun, as well as our musical centre of gravity. Ohm is said to be the purest of sounds — the vibration and resonance created first and foremost by our place in the universe. But how many of us have actually heard the subtle tone created by our planet? And what about the possibly millions of other undetected sounds that surround us each day?

Duncan Wilson knows that sound resonates from every surface in our environment — if even in the form of the must subtle whisper. Wilson wondered how many of these undetected sounds could be identified, combined and amplified to create a new sonic experience in the form of ambient music.

OTTO (meaning ‘ear’ in Greek), created by Wilson, along with Manolis Kelaidis at the Royal College of the Art, is a device that uncovers diminutive vibrations by placing magnets and suction mechanisms on various surfaces and magnifies them through an integrated speaker. By placing several units on your window, a glass of melting ice water, a goldfish bowl, or any other unassuming item in your surroundings, OTTO devises a multidirectional audio atmosphere. By Andrew J Wiener

The venerable Italian brand Brionvega thinks the 60s and 70s are worth bringing back, or that at least some of the design sensibilities of the era warrant new life. The classic, groundbreaking Radiofonografio, divined in 1965 by two of the three Castiglioni brothers, Pier Giacomo and Achille, is making a new entrance as RR226. In 1965, the ‘musical component robot’ was a home electronic marvel that in one sleekly designed device included a radio, amplifiers and a record player (for both 45s and 33s).

The modernized model has also a CD and DVD players but otherwise it is as close as possible to the original. The amplifiers are moveable which makes it possible to create different configurations both for visual and listening pleasure. Showcased at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April, RR226 may be a while coming to a store near you. But like so many of the Castiglioni brothers’ objects, still produced and/or displayed by Zanotta, Flos, Artemide and MoMA, the Radiofonografio is most likely going to stay with us for yet another long period.