Giving Phones Better Ears

Special chips for smartphones and tablets can separate a speaker’s voice from surrounding noises. If you are in a noisy place and have a phone with Audience’s EarSmart chip, the person on the other end of the line will hear you clearly, without the sounds from the background. Similar technology could be in two-thirds of phones in the next four years - and could help advances in hearing aid and cochlear implant technology. The founder of Audience is Lloyd Watts, who earned his doctorate by creating computer models of how the ear and brain distinguish sounds. Find out more here.