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.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
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.
“What’d you say?” If you find yourself asking this more and more, make a change. Today’s tech is so much better than the hearing aids other generations wore. These hearing aids have two tiny processors that analyze the sound around you to make conversations crystal clear. Incredible.
2 days
Your workweek in 10 years. Bill Gates thinks that’ll happen thanks to AI (paywall link). It may sound lazy, but we’ll be getting even more done. Cities like Tokyo are already testing a four-day workweek to boost birth rates. Next time you feel burned out, just picture those five-day weekends ahead.
👂🏼 AirPods aren’t the only option: Check out Raycon. Their earbuds sound great, get a ton of battery life and are a fraction of the price.
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’d you say?” If you find yourself asking this more and more, it’s time to make a change. Forget the hearing aids your grandpa wore; today’s tech is so much better. These hearing aids have two tiny processors that analyze the sound around you to make conversations crystal clear. Incredible.
SpellRing can translate sign language: This is something. Researchers developed a ring for your thumb, and as you sign, it sends out sound waves. A microphone picks them up, AI analyzes them and gestures become letters on a screen. It’s already 82% to 92% accurate.
🎙️ Want to record your voice on Windows 11? The Voice Recorder app is gone, but you can use Sound Recorder, which is even better. It shows audio wavelengths while recording and lets you mark important spots. In the three-dot menu (top right), you can also tweak Recording Format and Audio Quality.
$150 million
That’s what it’ll cost to live next door to Jeff Bezos on Indian Creek Island near Miami Beach, Florida. Sound ridiculous? The lot was actually listed for $200 million in December, so technically, it’s a discount.
AirPods aren’t the only option: Check out Raycon. Their earbuds sound great, get a ton of battery life and are a fraction of the price.
🎵 Royalty-free music: If you’re a content creator, you don’t want your background music to get flagged. Check out Uppbeat for royalty-free tracks and sound effects. Oh, and remember to follow their licensing terms.
“What’d you say?” If you find yourself asking this more and more, make a change. Today’s tech is so much better than the hearing aids other generations wore. These hearing aids have two tiny processors that analyze the sound around you to make conversations crystal clear. Incredible.
Echowriting: That’s teaching AI to sound like you. Feed in a piece of writing (an email, a blog post, a text, whatever) and say, “This is my writing. I want you to analyze it, so you can sound more like me in the future.”
🥴 “What’d you say?” If you find yourself asking this more and more, it’s time to make a change. Forget the hearing aids your grandpa wore; today’s tech is so much better. These hearing aids have two tiny processors that analyze the sound around you to make conversations crystal clear. Incredible.
Why you hate your voice
Think you sound bad? I tell you the scientific reason behind that, in one minute.