Let's Talk Tech
iPhone users have a Siri command that will automatically start recording interactions with police. We can create a similar voice command for Google Assistant. Here’s how! Continue reading “OK Google, I’m Getting Pulled Over: How to automatically record an interaction with Police!”
It wasn’t that long ago that I started using the Focals. When crazy situations happen, it’s an incredible opportunity to see what gadgets live up to the marketing, and which gadgets fail.
When I originally reviewed the Focals, they seemed like a pricey luxury. Today, they might be the most rational direction for the future of consumer electronics… Continue reading “Focals Long Term Review: Smart Glasses in the Age of Social Distancing”
I suffer from hidden hearing loss. My ears aren’t so damaged that I need a hearing aid, but I have an extremely hard time following conversations in busy environments. The IQBuds Boost are NOT cheap, but they aim to correct EXACTLY the situation I’m in. They’re not hearing aids, but hearing “assistants”. Do they get the job done? Let’s take a listen! Continue reading “NuHeara IQBuds Boost: True Wireless Earbuds Give You Superhuman Hearing!”
Better Siri support! Better audio quality! An optional wireless charging case for $40!
But, I’m sad to see the same “open ear” design, which does nothing to block or reduce surrounding noise.
As rates of hearing loss continue to rise in all age demographics (but fastest in kids in young adults), it’s always worth pushing back against a fashion trend, and sharing good data with people you care about.
Even though they look ridiculous, and will make you go deaf sooner, it’s pretty likely that the AirPods2 will be one of the most popular wireless headphone solutions of the year. If that’s the case, we can at least share tips and tricks on how to use these earbuds (and Apple’s wired EarPods, and Google’s lame PixelBuds) as safely as possible. I made a video on setting volume limits in iOS, to show where those volume and normalizing settings live on your iPhone.
And for more information on hearing loss, please check out my interview with Dr. Alison Grimes, head of Audiology at UCLA.
Remember, once you damage your ears, they never really fully heal or recover. Even if your hearing is already damaged, it can always get worse. And, while BT headsets are relatively cheap and convenient, hearing aids often cost around $5000 a pair, and usually aren’t covered by insurance.
Listen healthier. Listen happier.
Are smartphones making you deaf? The modern smartphone has only been in existence for ten years, too brief a time to properly study all of the behavioral and physiological effects of such a new technology, especially for how quickly it changes and evolves. Yet over this window of time, from the Walkman to the iPod, and through the reign of the iPhone, we are starting to see increasing rates of hearing loss in children and young adults. I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Alison Grimes, Director of Audiology at UCLA, to discuss some of the more recent trends in hearing health and lifestyle technology.
Listen to the full half hour conversation by subscribing to the #SGGQA podcast in iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast service, episode 32 – http://goo.gl/oSUjvi
Taking a quick look at an awesome Doctor Who VR TARDIS, asking some creepy questions about Facebook scraping your data, and the Orwellian present of Sinclair Media and local news. Happy day after Easter!
Download this week’s podcast – SGGQA 033
Stories this week:
TARDIS VR simulator! https://youtu.be/WaBLT_osVE8
Zuckerberg in 2006 talking about not selling user data https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/97…
Sinclair Media’s Orwellian mission statement to local news https://www.reddit.com/r/television/c…
Dr. Alison Grimes interview, smartphones and hearing loss https://somegadgetguy.com/2018/03/27/s…
The smartphone as we understand it today is a creation only ten years in the making, but over that decade it rapidly reached a critical saturation point. For many consumers, a phone is their primary media consumption tool, and these pocket computers can supply uninterrupted entertainment all day, with little need for a break.
At the same time, we are starting to see some disturbing emerging trends in health and etiquette. One trend to watch, increasing numbers of teens and young adults experiencing significant hearing loss.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Alison Grimes, director of Audiology and Newborn Hearing at UCLA, to discuss some of the misconceptions surrounding hearing loss, the current state of research as to what might be causing this damage, and to ask for her best practices in protecting your hearing.
BACtrack C6 review! A rad piece of lifestyle tech. A night out drinking with friends can be fun, but we want to make sure it stays fun. There’s a stigma to using products like breathalyzers out in public, but BACtrack delivers one of the most discrete products I’ve ever tested. The C6 is a breathalyzer you can keep on your keychain and it delivers police grade accuracy for a crazy low price. Track your results with an app on your phone, or help your friends and family track their drinking when out and about. I put the BACtrack C6 through its paces out in Las Vegas, here were my results!
Shop BACtrack on Amazon http://amzn.to/2DRmKeZ
BACtrack home site https://www.bactrack.com/
Continue reading “BACtrack C6 Review: Keychain Breathalyzer – Drink Responsibly!”