stockbroker / 123RF Stock PhotoThere’s no product or even a product announcement yet, but a new Amazon patent that intelligently suspends noise cancellation could be a lifesaver.
Noise-canceling headphones can be a blessing when you want relief from a noise-laden background. The steady cacophony of trains, planes, and automobiles can be tiresome, especially if you’re trying to rest or concentrate. There are times, though, when this can put you in danger because, along with all that unwanted noise, warning sounds are also blocked. A recently published patent awarded to Amazon Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, describes technology to suspend noise cancellation when specified sounds are detected, as reported by International Business Times.
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Titled “Suspending Noise Cancellation Using Keyword Spotting,” the patent describes several ways in which the technology could be implemented. One common scenario could be the use of a person’s name. Noise-canceling headphones with keyword spotting technology, for example, could temporarily suspend or shut off noise suppression when someone calls your name. Other applications could be based on the sounds of bells or alarms, train station announcements, or a ringing phone or doorbell. You could also potentially program the device to hear someone say, “Excuse me” when trying to get your attention.
The patent also refers to the ability of the device to learn, or “refine,” noise-cancellation suspension based on interactions and actions that happen after the switch-off. For example, if you immediately switched noise-cancellation back on after a device-activated suspension because the incoming keyword or audio signal wasn’t correctly recognized, in theory, the system could learn from the mistake. Sirens and other audible alarms could be used to trigger the “off” switch as well as non-audio signals received from peripheral devices.
As the International Business Times mentioned, just because a company is awarded a patent doesn’t mean it’s going to produce a product that uses it. This technology, however, does have an interesting business case to offer by adding a much-needed level of protection to noise-cancellation devices.
Next-gen AirPods could let others override your ANC
Ever since Apple debuted its now-iconic AirPods true wireless earbuds, it has been expanding what these handy devices can do. The list now includes hands-free access to Siri, enhanced hearing with Conversation Boost, head-tracking spatial audio, and the super-popular combo of active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode. But if a recently published patent application is any indication, Apple could soon let a trusted person remotely disable ANC mode, just by uttering a pre-determined word or phrase.
The patent application, entitled "Interrupt for noise cancelling audio devices" was first spotted by AppleInsider, and it details -- at great length -- how AirPods owners could allow their attention to be grabbed by another person, by automatically shutting off ANC mode when that person says a specific passphrase.
Amazon brings Matter support to several smart home devices
At CES 2022, Amazon announced that it is adding Frustration-Free Setup to several smart home devices supporting Matter. Last year, Amazon announced that Matter support would be coming to most Echo devices and that the Echo 4th gen and eero devices would work as Matter Thread border routers. The Frustration-Free Setup is part of the matter specification.
Matter is a new smart home protocol that allows for advanced interoperability between different manufacturers. Think of Matter as a way for your Amazon Echo device to communicate with your Google Nest device, all the while talking to your Homepod Mini fast and efficiently. Once Matter starts becoming more widely available, there will be less pressure on your smart home to be ruled by one manufacturer and it will allow you to customize your smart devices for your unique needs. With companies such as Google, Apple, and Amazon behind the movement, you can be sure that this protocol will become a staple in smart home tech.
Should you buy Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 on Black Friday 2021?
Now that it's November, that can only mean one thing: It's time to start thinking about the best Black Friday deals! Yes, it does feel a bit early to be discussing it, given that Black Friday is still a few weeks away (we'll explain why below), but trust us -- it's not too early if you want to grab one of the best Black Friday headphone deals, and especially if you're looking for one of the best Bose Headphone deals, including Bose 700 deals.
But before we get into why you should consider the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 this holiday, check out the deals at these three major retailers:
