据美国科技网站GigaOm报道，前卢卡斯影业THX技术总监汤姆林森·霍尔曼(Tomlinson Holman)已经加盟苹果，负责改进MacBook Air和iPad的麦克风。THX是“Tomlinson Holman Experiment”的缩写，它与DTS或杜比数位音效不同，并非一种音效标准。它是由卢卡斯影业创立的一种认证，为家用视听器材提供完整的品质规格规范。霍尔曼是THX的发明者，曾在卢卡斯影业担任要职。
苹果MacBook Air和iPad的外放效果一直差强人意，因此霍尔曼的加盟有望大大改善苹果产品的声音品质。
简介回目录
Tomlinson Holman is an American film theorist, audio engineer, and inventor of film technologies, notably the Lucasfilm THX sound system. He developed the world's first 10.2 sound system. Earlier, Holman developed what was known as the Holman Preamplifier, for the Apt Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1968).[1] Tomlinson Holman is the author of some books including Sound for Film and Television (2001) and Surround Sound: Up and Running (2008).
One of the first 10.2 implementations for public demonstration was installed in 2001 at Bjorn's Audio Video in San Antonio, TX in the Bjorn's "Ultimate Theater Experience", alongside a high-end 6.1 home theater system. Initially, the 10.2 system at Bjorn's used the Mac OS to store and run the demonstrations. This system uses 14 Whise speakers and 6 Whise subwoofers which are tuned using a complex equalizer that fills a hidden rackserver about three feet tall.
Some demonstration soundtracks were developed exclusively for the 10.2 system, while others were mixed (under Tom's direct supervision and instruction) by taking original, unmixed recordings and splicing them together into a unique 10.2 soundtrack. One demonstration that showcases the 10.2 system's capability to envelope the listener is a soundtrack that has a ping-pong ball hit back and forth at different points around the room, and then rotates around the room in complete circles. The added ability to switch between un-equalized 10.2 sound and equalized 10.2 sound with this setup allows listeners to experience demonstrations without custom configuration, or exactly as Tom intended. Tom claims that places in the demonstrations where audio was cut and/or put together are entirely undetectable and challenges listeners' ears to hunt for any imperfections.
Tom Holman currently teaches film sound at the University of Southern California, and his book Sound for Film and Television is required reading in many college film courses.
In 2002 he received the Academy Award for Technical Achievement.In 2007 he received the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Award.
Tomlinson Holman在电影音响技术领域成名已久，曾在乔治卢卡斯的Lucasfilm公司工作15年。1983年，为了保证《星球大战：绝地武士归来》在不同影院放映时的音响效果，他创造了THX系统。实际上，THX名称中的“TH”就是他名字的首字母缩写。2001年，Tomlinson Holman获得了奥斯卡技术奖。进入苹果公司前，他的工作是在南加州大学教授电影音响课程。另外，他本人还是一位苹果忠实用户，其在2001年打造的全球首个10.2声道影院，后台就是采用Mac OS系统进行管理。苹果虽然在全球数字音乐播放器市场拥有垄断性的超高市场份额，但iPod、iPhone、iPad的音质却一直为发烧友们诟病，Mac电脑的的内置音响效果也算不上出色。在Tomlinson Holman这样的专家加盟后，苹果在音频技术上有望提升一个层次。
奥斯卡获奖音效大师Tomlinson Holman投身苹果回目录
他也著述甚丰，包括了业界必读的Sound for Film and Television 与Surround Sound: Up and Running 两书在内。 Holman 在2001 年获得第74 届奥斯卡金像奖（Academy Award for Technical Achievement）； 2007 年更获得IEEE 消费电子研究奖（IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award）。
若这个消息属实，那么放眼前程，真不知道大师级的Holman 会为未来的苹果带来什么令人惊喜的革命与创新呢？
参考文献回目录
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomlinson_Holman
