Portable Speaker Uses Surfaces to Transmit Huge Sound

"Hey, man, this cardboard box is producing some pretty sick bass sound!" — said nobody, ever. At least until now

A new Kickstarter project, called Yaba, is raising funds for a portable device that doubles as both a speaker and a guitar amplifier. The kicker: the gadget uses surface sound technology, which means whatever surface it's placed on — be it a countertop, end table or cardboard box — is used to transmit sound waves, sort of like a makeshift speaker cone.

Placing Yaba on different surfaces produce different sounds.

Placing Yaba on different surfaces produce different sounds.

Mike Morales, director of sales and marketing for PLX Devices, the California-based company behind the gadget, said his team stumbled across the concept while brainstorming ideas for a new speaker.