Standing in line at my local coffee shop, I heard a shrill beeping sound coming from the customer behind me.

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Plans for a new Costa Coffee shop on Gloucester Road in Bristol will sound the "death knell" for the area, according to a 3, 000-name petition.

BBC: Gloucester Road Costa Coffee shop opposed by petition

Set the company's iPhone-sized speaker on a desk, coffee table or even a surfboard and it transfers sound waves into that material -- creating an on-the-fly subwoofer.

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CD-quality sound on the company's instant-messaging service could provoke even steamier gossip around the coffee pot.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR: Instant messaging joins the firm | The