Don’t download these apps — or any that look or sound like one of these examples.
Pump up the volume
🔈 A good soundbar enhances dialogue clarity so you don’t miss a word. Here are three solid choices.
- Budget-friendly: The super-compact 40-watt Saiyin soundbar delivers big sound for smaller spaces, and it’s under $30 (22% off).
- Powerfully simple: This easy-to-set-up Sony S100F 2.0ch soundbar (25% off, $98) gives you rich, room-filling sound in a slim, mountable package.
- Best overall: For ultra-clear voices and robust audio, this Bose TV speaker/soundbar (22% off) is a smart pick. Plus, it comes with just one cord to connect to your TV.
🚣 Amazon Resale: That’s what they call used and open-box items. If you don’t mind that it’s not brand-new, you can save a boatload. Pro tip: Check the condition so you know what to expect.
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Want to get into podcasts (ahem, like mine)? You need a nice set of earbuds like these that sound great, have a 32-hour battery life and are a fraction of the price of AirPods.
How to make money in podcasting
We talk with Rob Walch from Libsyn about the current state of podcasting and get his top tips for starting your own podcast. Plus, X makes your ‘likes’ private, SoftBank uses AI to make angry customers sound calm, and nobody likes being called a bot.
Return of the Sith: James Earl Jones signed over the AI voice rights to his Darth Vader character before he died. At 91, he was ready to step back from the role. AI company Respeecher cloned his voice using sound bites he’d recorded over the years. As it turns out, this tech was already used in the 2022 “Obi-Wan Kenobi” miniseries.
Which word is most frequently corrected for typos by Microsoft Word’s spellchecker? Is it … A.) Accommodate, B.) Definitely, C.) Separate or D.) Receive?
Struggling to drift off?
🥱 These will help you sleep better. Dreamland misses you!
- Nasal strips (19% off, $11) are a game changer for flu season. No more sleeping vertically when you have a stuffy nose!
- Attention, hot sleepers! Before these get expensive for summer, grab a cooling mattress topper (25% off). Pair it with cooling pillowcases, and you’ll be a lot less sweaty.
- A warm amber nightlight ($10) makes any room cozier … plus, less bedframe toe-stubbing. Win-win.
- Seal yourself away from the world with a door draft stopper (23% off, $10). It blocks light, noise and cold air.
- For heavy-duty sound blockage, try noise-canceling earplugs (10% off, $22). Fingers crossed they block out the neighbor’s Harley.
🤧 If sickness is messing with your shut-eye, Amazon’s Same-day Store has a health and wellness section. This white noise machine (42% off) arrives in a couple of hours and is under $20! Neat.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
What is that? Right-click on a tab in your browser and select Mute Tab or Mute Site. In some browsers, you can also click the microphone on a tab playing noise to stop it. Ah, silence.
🫡 Greetings, colleague: Dreading writing an email for work? Open ChatGPT or your favorite AI chatbot. Give it a headstart by typing who you are, your recipient and what the email needs to communicate. If the first draft is awful, give feedback (e.g., “Make it sound more conversational” or “Be more confident”) until it’s ready for your edits.
Dropped your phone in water? Forget the bowl of rice. The collective internet is going bonkers over this video. It uses low sound frequencies to literally pull the liquid out of speakers. Caveats: It won’t help with water trapped in the USB port or SIM card slot, and you’ll need to turn your phone on for this to work. Let it dry out for 24 hours before you try.
📧 Write a hard email in the right tone: This AI tool can transform it for you. Choose from professional, emotional, to the point, easier to read and lots more. FYI, you can do the same thing with any of the AI chatbots, including ChatGPT. Just say, “Rewrite this to sound more …” followed by whatever you need.
“Hey, it’s-a-me, Mario!” Here’s how to set a custom ringtone for a contact so you know who’s calling before you pick up:
- iPhone: Head to Contacts, select the contact and then tap Edit > Ringtone. Choose your custom sound and tap Done.
- Android: Under Contacts, select your contact and tap the “i” icon > three-dot icon > Edit > Change ringtone/vibration > Ringtone. Select your sound and tap Save.
Recall alert: Over 900,000 Hatch Rest first-generation baby sound machine adapters are being recalled, because the adapter housing can come off, exposing power prongs. If yours has model number CYAP05-050100U stamped on it, get a free replacement here.
Have a YouTube channel? Check out the awesome eraser tool. It uses AI to detect and remove copyrighted music without affecting dialogue or sound effects. It’s not perfect (the tool might struggle if the song is “hard” to remove), but it beats losing money because your video got flagged.
🤖 Glimpse into the future: AI has replaced 52% of copywriters, but there’s a new role to fill: Making content sound more human. ChatGPT and others generally sound too formal, choose odd words and invent facts. Writers, all is not lost!
What inspired the iconic ding sound that welcomes you when booting up a Mac computer? Was it a … A.) Tibetan singing bowl, B.) Beatles’ song, C.) Cash register opening or D.) Classical piano key note?
Affordable, quality tech: You don’t have to spend $200 or more for high-quality earbuds. Raycons have studio-quality sound, noise cancellation, 32 hours of battery life, and they fit comfortably in every ear with precise fittings. They also pair with two devices so you can share them. Grab ‘em for 20% off (and free shipping!) right now at BuyRaycon.com/kim.
A cold-brew cup of Joe is made by steeping the grounds in cold water, a process that takes between 12 and 24 hours. But Australian scientists say they’ve gotten that down to 3 minutes using what technology? Is it … A.) Ultraviolet waves, B.) Ultrasound waves, C.) Radio waves or D.) X‑rays?
Echo sound muffled? You’ll know — it’s like your smart speaker is underwater. To fix this, unplug the Echo, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in. The magic restart trick! Yep, it works.