This story appears in the
November 2016 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Open offices can be hotbeds of creativity and collaboration, as well as noisy distractions. Spotify-blasting headphones can block it all out but will also make you deaf to stuff you still need to know.
The Doppler Labs Here One earbuds fix all that: They stream music via Bluetooth while acting like a literal filter for wanted and unwanted noise -- blocking out bad sounds (the copy machine, Frank in accounting’s personal calls) and letting through the necessary ones (your business partner talking directly to you).
Here’s how: Built-in microphones take in all the sounds around you, which are processed by an internal computer, and then only the noises you select via an app are actually played into your ears. The app also features a volume control, so you can jack up specific sounds or frequencies (such as those associated with the human voice). You can even take phone calls using the device -- but keep your voice down, out of respect for all your poor earbud-less coworkers. ($299 via preorder; hereplus.me)
