Tag: NOISE

If you live in the city, noise-canceling headphones are a must-have accessory. But the thing that makes them so great -- the ability to block out surrounding noise -- also makes them dangerous for navigating busy streets. The new 'Awareness!' app for iPhone plays external noises that are louder than a preset threshold via the headphones' microphone (or the iPhone's mic) while you listen to music, ...

Ceci Moss over at Rhizome recently did a studio visit with Brooklyn-based musician/artist Steven Litt of CrudLabs, whose home-built CrudBox machine "allows users to plug electronic or electromechanic devices [including power tools and solenoids] into a 16 step, 8 channel step sequencer." Check out Rhizome's coverage and a video of Litt's delicious noise at the link. ...

Just a few dozen miles north of the Switched headquarters, in Beacon, New York, lies the Retro Arcade Museum, a storefront on the corner of Main and Schenk Streets loaded with the sorts of vintage arcade goodies that would make even the most steel-willed nerd weep. But an archaic law, one that is more widespread than you might believe, has caused the life's work of Fred Bobrow to be shut down, at ...

The electro-punks among you will fondly recall Atari Teenage Riot and their hyper-distorted blend of political techno noise. The recently regrouped band has developed an iPhone app (sellouts!) to promote their reunion single "Reactivate," but the app is causing as much ruckus as the German punks did back in the '90s. ATR devotees will also recall a May Day protest at the Berlin Wall back in ...

On the list of "Things We Hate To Do," cleaning house ranks right up there with going to the dentist. If only there was some way to make dusting, scrubbing, or vacuuming more fun... Well, fret not. According to Engadget, Electrolux recently introduced "Silence Amplified" -- a vacuum cleaner that's so quiet you can listen to music while sweeping across the floor. But how will I hold my iPod and ...

Television shows often employ pounding bass lines and hip synthesizer beats to set the mood of a scene or to engross viewers. Sometimes, though, that "ambient noise" can detract from the action, or it can even drown out character dialogue completely. In the U.K., distracting and obtrusive sounds have created such a backlash among some viewers that the BBC is backing a study to determine if ...

Does your neighbor's dog bark incessantly all day and night, or worse, tell you to kill? Put down the arsenic-laced Scooby snacks and instead pick up Bark Free, a nifty little gadget that silences the sound of a dog barking from 30, 50 or 60 feet away depending on the model. When Fido barks, Bark Free flips on and emits ultrasonic sound waves, which are undetectable to the human ear. When the ...