Trying to hold a conversation in a crowded room like a restaurant, at a party or even during a tech conference can certainly be a chore, especially if you’re the type that easily gets distracted. It’s situations like these that the Scoop, a small earpiece from a company called Soundhawk (comprised of former Amazon, Apple and Palm engineers), was designed for.
The purpose-driven wearable resembles a Bluetooth headset and in fact, it can handle those same duties like making and receiving calls and even connects to your smartphone using the wireless standard. But that’s essentially where the similarities end as the Scoop is primarily designed to filter out background noise and other annoyances when having a conversation.
Scoop connects to your Android or iOS smartphone, using a companion app to select different preset “sound scenes” for filtering. Driving mode, for example, will boost the environmental noise reduction while Indoor mode will make people’s voices sound more comfortable.
Those with a knack for tinkering can adjust the output on a virtual sound field right in the app. You’ll be able to adjust volume, highs and lows to your liking. The idea is to adjust when necessary then tuck the phone back away and continue your conversation unabated.
It is worth pointing out that the $299 ($279 if you pre-order now) device isn’t meant for those with hearing impairments. Instead, it’s being marketed as a lifestyle enhancer that’ll arrive later this summer.
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