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Amazon Patents Noise-Canceling Headphones That Could Automatically Turn Off When It Detects Certain Sound Patterns (thenextweb.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report via The Next Web: Noise-canceling headphones are great for tuning out the din around you when you just want to focus on listening to music or enjoy some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, they also mute sounds that you might need to hear -- like someone calling your name. Amazon has a pretty cool idea for solving that problem. It was recently granted a patent for headphones that not only cancel out noise, but also listen to specific sounds or phrases (like 'Hey Ben') and respond by automatically turning off the feature so the user can hear sound from their surroundings. That should make it safer for use in noisy environments where you might actually need to pay attention to the occasional alert, such as a construction site or an industrial facility. In addition, the headphones can also listen for phrases to turn noise canceling back on again, so the user can resume their listening experience hands-free.
like someone calling your name
or attempting to use these headphones in an area where marketing teams are using subaudible markers in video media to disable the headphones for a "brief" advertisement. Remember, this is the same company that brought you a talking plastic tube that spies unaccountably on your every action and may, or may not, be tapped by the NSA.
unrelated: ive found locking an Amazon Echo in a closet with an ipod shuffle full of muslim nasheeds causes an intense need for icecream in the neighbourhood that can apparently only be fuelled by round-the-clock ice cream truck drivers.
Good people go to bed earlier.
Peril sensitive headphones, FTW!
The Joo Janta 200 Super-Audio Peril Sensitive Headphones have been designed to help people develop a relaxed attitude to danger. They work by completely tuning out at the first sign of danger, thus preventing you from hearing anything that might alarm you.
The Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses have been designed to help people develop a relaxed attitude to danger. They work by turning completely dark at the first sign of danger, thus preventing you from seeing anything that might alarm you. This does, however, mean that you see absolutely nothing, including where you're going.
(With apologies to Douglas Adams)
Is there option not to turn off feature when my boss or my mother is law is speaking?
hilarious
As an example, my GPS has voice controls. Very handy, except if the radio is playing at even the faintest volume levels the GPS simply can't recognize the activating words 'voice control'. Hell, even with the radio off I sit there like a fool repeating 'Voice control. Voice. Control. Voicecontrol. VOICE CONTROL DAMMIT!' to get it to work.
Oh, it hears you. It's just passive-aggressively ignoring you. I can imagine its internal computer voice quietly muttering to itself, "You're not the boss of me." or screaming into the electronic abyss, (as Cheryl from Archer "You're not my supervisor!"
On the up side, it's good practice for when/if you ever have children.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .