mcdonald’s mcflurry turned 22 last week and to celebrate its birthday the fast food company has developed the mcdonald’s boombox. created in collaboration with the university of waterloo’s audio research group and stacklab, this portable speaker is made from the cup holders that once folded, transform into a speaker for any smartphone. the disposable boombox was available at an event in toronto, as surprisingly, the mcflurry was invented in canada.

mcdonald's boombox mcboombox designboom

 

 

the mcdonald’s boombox works as an amplifier, increasing the sound emitted from your phone’s speakers once you insert it into the cardboard folded box. the launch was accompanied by a promotional video that promises to amplify the sound coming from the smartphone by 101 percent thanks to its 10-sided cone design.

 

‘when we changed the shape of the cones of the mcboombox, the difference in sound levels was 50 percent,’ says janelle reach, PhD candidate and entrepreneur at the university of waterloo to mashable. ‘when we used the reflective material, you increase the sound by 43 percent. inserting your phone increases the sounds level by 101 percent.’

juliana neira I designboom
jul 31, 2017

  • Why is adding extra ‘disposable’ paper packaging (waste) to an already disposable product which serves no other purpose than to contain beverage containers a good idea? The drink tray doesn’t even serve an acoustic purpose in this iteration. Why not print dotted lines on the drink cups (which are the necessary item) so a dock/slot for the smart phone can be cut out, and the cup acts as the speaker? It would be a much smarter and less wasteful concept.

    Kent Gration says:
    Aug 01, 2017
    Reply

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