Amazon are planning a set of noise-cancelling headphones that recognise certain keywords or phrases and adjust the volume accordingly.
The Guardian report that the online shopping giant has been awarded a patent for the technology, which would analyse outside noise patterns and listen for specific trigger words. The headphones would then temporarily cancel noise reduction, allowing the user to hear when, for example, someone calls their name.
The company have already entered into the audio technology market by releasing their Amazon Echo in North America.
The cylindrical speaker is controlled using voice recognition and also “answers questions, reads audiobooks and the news, reports traffic and weather, gives info on local businesses, provides sports scores and schedules.”
Late last year, Iron Maiden release their Ed-Phon3s in conjunction with bassist Steve Harris and Japanese electronics company Onkyo. They’re sold in the UK exclusively through Richer Sounds stores, while in the rest of Europe they are available online at www.maidenaudio.com.
Harris said: “My main objective was for a balance that wasn’t just top and bottom heavy with hardly any mid range like a lot of headphones these days that are basically designed for dance music. I wanted a good balance across the widest bandwidth incorporating a lot more mid range frequencies, something I strongly feel is vital to appreciate the complexities of our music and rock and metal in general.”
