speaker

YouTube videos that claim to fix a waterlogged phone really can work according to a semi-scientific test. But results are not guaranteed and it's not a reason to take excessive risks. Numerous videos (and some dedicated phone apps) all claim to fix ... a soggy phone in the same way. The theory is that the main risk is liquid getting into the phone through the speaker, which inherently can't be airtight - rather, quite the opposite. The videos "work" simply by playing a specific oscillating tone at a deep frequency that causes the speaker to push air at just the right force to dislodge the water. ... (view more)

Google has admitted that staff listen to some recordings from the Google Home smart speaker. It says it's only for quality control purposes. It made the comments after a contractor in the Netherlands went to local media to talk about his work, in ... which he was paid a "few cents" to transcribe comments and questions made by people using the voice controlled device or phone app. According to the worker, some of the clips he heard did not appear to be people intentionally using the device. This included one case of a mother scolding a child and another clip which the worker suspected ... (view more)

Nearly 47 million Americans have a 'smart speaker' device in their home according to a new survey. If true, the devices' user base has gone from almost nothing to one-in-five people in just two years. While models vary, smart speakers are small ... devices that perform two main functions: playing music (often from online streaming services) and answering spoken questions as a quicker alternative to typing something into a smartphone or computer. In some cases they are also used to control home devices such as lights and heating. The study says 19.7 percent of people have access to a smart speaker ... (view more)