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ChatterBlocker — Block Distracting Speech at Work

An anonymous reader writes "ChatterBlocker is a PC program that uses digital audio technology to neutralize the sound of speech and other distractions so you can stay focused at work or elsewhere." Personally I just crank the tunes. Anyone know if this actually works or if it's a scam? Or is it just a white noise generator?

20 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Free Speech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I dunno. Sounds like it would have a chilling effect on free speech to me.

    1. Re:Free Speech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Hear that "whooshing" sound? That's the joke/subtle jab going right over your head.

    2. Re:Free Speech? by stunt_penguin · · Score: 3, Funny

      Oh, phew! I thought it was the sound of my latest deadline whizzing by!

      --
      When the posters fear their moderators, there is tyranny; when the moderators fears the posters, there is liberty.
    3. Re:Free Speech? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment..."
      "Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment..."
      "Corporate accounts payable, Nina speaking. Just a moment..."

  2. obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nothing to hear here, move along.

  3. Earplugs by owlman17 · · Score: 4, Funny

    This http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earplugs ought to work just as well, if not better.

    Cheaper too I'd suppose.

  4. useless by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

    I downloaded the demo, turned on all the options, set the reverb to high, and now I can't concentrate on anything at all. This thing is totally useless.

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    This guy's the limit!
  5. perfect by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

    After playing with it for a few minutes, I think I've found the perfect setting to keep people away from my desk--turn everything off except for Cypress Goats.

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    This guy's the limit!
  6. Can you hear what my mouth is saying? by rjamestaylor · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just keep a bowl of crunchy cereal at my desk AT ALL TIMES.

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    -- @rjamestaylor on Ello
  7. Re:Noise cacellation? by cnettel · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hey, that's simple enough. If the boss is screaming from the other end of the corridor, you just put the microphone there. If the corridor is long enough, that gives you a plenty of time for the OS to get the sound at the signal propagation speed, while it reaches your ears from air. Then, you'll just need to tune the system to model the time-frequency response distortions through mic, corridor sound reflections and the pecularities of your amplifiers and speakers.

  8. Hardware version by ConversantShogun · · Score: 5, Funny

    My computer came with a hardware version. It sits near the back and blows air out a vent to create speech-canceling noise.

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    --When you buy proprietary software, you don't get better software. What you get is the right to complain about it.
  9. Re:Noise cacellation? by baadger · · Score: 2, Funny

    That does sound simple I would like to subscribe to your newsletter...

  10. Re:Taco Taco Taco by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    Anyone who's taken even 15 seconds to look into this will instantly know the answer.

    So what it it?
  11. Re:Worst. Article. Ever. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Say what?

  12. Re:From the site: by ectal · · Score: 3, Funny

    Do you have any idea what kind of energy is released when chatter voices come into contact with anti-chatter voices?

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    http://nerdcartoons.com/
  13. In the old days... by rannala · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... we simply used walls for that.

  14. Re:pure snakeoil by suv4x4 · · Score: 1, Funny

    ChatterBlocker includes bell sound loops that can be used as periodic reminders to breathe

    Pretty cool right? In version 2.0 upcoming:

    - reminder to eat
    - reminder to drink
    - reminder to pee
    - reminder to blink ...

    the possibilies are endless

  15. Re:pure snakeoil by LordEd · · Score: 2, Funny
    - reminder to pee
    Don't forget the reminder to relocate yourself to the bathroom.
  16. Re:Earplugs and leet skillz! by vidarh · · Score: 2, Funny
    Whenever someone interrupt me when writing e-mails, I'll often continue to write the e-mail while turning to answer their questions. I don't think I could keep it up for a lot of time - I can type the e-mail out while talking about something else, but I'm not good at actually focusing on both the content of the e-mail and a conversation at the same time.

    For me at least it partially just began with getting to the stage where I can type fully without watching the screen or the keyboard as a side effect of usually having the TV on while programming. Once I got to that stage, getting to the stage where I could hold a conversation at the same wasn't that difficult. I usually find it harder to focus on what someone else is saying and typing at the same time if I don't look away from the screen.

    It's not something I've put much effort into, and so my limit before I have to look back at the screen to check that I'm still on the right track is probably on the order of a paragraph or two.

    I wrote most of this message while watching/paying attention to a movie, for example, but I had to occasionally glance back at the screen.

    It's not something I do often, though - but it's a fun way of annoying people... The implication if you continue typing while talking to someone is that you're not paying attention, but if you actually look them in the eyes, and carry on a coherent conversation with them, they can't "get you" for it, and that seems to annoy and confuse people a lot more than if you actually don't look away from the screen and just grunt at them.

  17. Glowing praise if I ever heard it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    less distracting than listening to pop music

    Also, more comfortable than a sofa made from bricks and nails, shinier than a black hole, more accurate than a blind man at a dart board, and with fewer moving parts than a V8 with a 7-speed transmission!