The noise cancelling headphone pair your choose can have positive reviews all over the place when you buy it. But you might end up being disappointed that it didn’t meet your own expectations. 

This is why we will go over all the important things you need to know before you make your choice: 

• How do noise cancelling headphones work? 
• What noise cancellation types are there? 
• What type of noise cancellation is best for you?
• How you choose the right headphones?

Let’s get started then.

Noise cancelling headphones: The basics

Active noise control dates back to the 1930s, and noise cancelling headphones were part of the story for a while now. The first companies that started producing them were Bose and Sennheiser. The full story is exciting, but that’s an entirely separate post.

Let’s address the types of noise cancellation first: 

• Passive noise cancellation
• Active noise cancellation
• Adaptive noise cancellation

Passive noise cancellation is more widespread and common, while active and adaptive noise cancellation stepped into the game way later. People often confuse active and adaptive noise cancellation, so we’ll go over each of them.

1. Passive Noise Cancellation (Noise Isolation)

The bulky headphones you see that seal around your ear with the massive earcups are exactly what passive noise cancellation is about.

It’s all about blocking the noise through some material and isolating your ear from the noise. There is no technology involved in this, the passive noise cancellation works thanks to the physical features of the headphone.

This can be done through almost all headphone types:

Over-ear headphones – These headphones cover your ear entirely creating a slight pressure where no air flows through the earcup. The padding or the earcup cushions help block the external noise to some extent which is otherwise referred to as “passively cancelling the noise”. 

On-ear headphones – These sit right on your ear, they don’t cover it. If you were to put them on you would feel how your ears press against your head as the headphones seal tight around it. The passive noise cancellation works the same way, with slightly less bulky cushions and more pressure on your head.

In-ear headphones – Regular earbuds that come with your new mobile phones. This mostly have plugs that fit into your ear canal and block out the noise covering your ear canal. You will get the same effect if you cover your ears with fingers. 

Which headphone type is best?

When you choose between these, note what kind of environment you are gonna be using them in. If you’re not interested in listening to music or having any sort of audio support, then your alternative is cheap and quality earmuffs. This provide no audio but great passive noise cancellation to protect your hearing. 

If you plan to wear headphones for long, try over-ear headphones because they are the most comfortable out of all. They may be bulky and heavy, so you’d have to choose the pair that is more lightweight for you. If you opt for on-ear headphones you might experience headaches at some point after a couple of hours. 

In-ear headphones are not the best when it comes to very noisy environments, because they don’t provide as good of passive noise cancellation as the padded options. Besides you will have more pressure on your eardrums which may result in damaging your hearing. Short periods with moderate volume will work best here.

2. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

Active noise cancellation can work along with passive noise cancelling. Let’s say you choose the same over-ear or on-ear headphone pair which also provides you with active noise cancellation. You get both passive (earcup padding) and active (built-in mics, noise cancelling circuitry) cancellation.

Note: In-ear headphones or earbuds can also have ANC.

There are built-in microphones on each earcup, which receive the external sound before it reaches your ears. Then the noise cancelling circuitry (built-in audio processor) detects the microphone input and notes the amplitude and frequency of the soundwave.

Later it creates an anti-sound to the original sound. The noise cancelling circuitry mixes the original and anti-sound together and transfers it to the speaker of the headphones. 

To make the process work, you will have to have energy, which is provided by a battery (also an important indicator for choosing headphones).

The battery affects the weight and the price of the headphones and once it runs out, you can keep using the headphones regularly without ANC.

As a result of this entire process, the anti-sound removes the external low frequency annoying noise but the desired audio still stays and you get to listen to what you want to listen. 

3. Adaptive Noise Cancellation

This is the regular active noise cancellation which has a bit of a modified concept. Simply put, it’s a new term used in the headphone industry for more customized noise cancellation. 

What it does essentially is adjusting the cancellation strength based on the type and intensity of noise. Noise cancellation gets more intense if the surrounding external noise is loud. So the lower the noise, the lower the adaptive cancellation.

Usually, with Krisp noise cancelling headphones, you are able to control the amount of noise cancellation you need through a mobile app of the company you buy the headphones from

Some pairs adjust the cancellation in real time, so they automate the process and you can’t interfere. You have to be cautious though, if noise cancellation gets more intense it might have an impact on the quality of voice. 

If you choose this type of cancellation you will be aware of the surrounding world a lot more. You will be able to hear some conversations or announcements that are important, and in some cases it’s easier to stay alert. 

What noise cancelling headphones do you pick then?

Let’s go step by step by what you have to pay attention to when you get your own noise cancelling headphones. 

Step 1: Type

You need to choose whether you want over-ear, on-ear or in-ear headphones or whether they should be wired or wireless. For both passive and active or passive and adaptive noise cancellation, your best pick would be either over-ear or on-ear headphones.

This could work great for a noisy office, or remote work or traveling if you deal with noise on the daily. 

In-ear headphones could work for less noisy environments and for shorter wear periods.

Also pay attention if the headphones can be folded, if the headband can be extended and if the earcup padding material is the one that you like. The most competitive and expensive noise cancelling headphones right now are Sony vs Bose. 

Step 2: Price

If you need a noise cancelling headset with decent noise cancellation, outstanding sound quality, great design, and comfort, you will have to pay up a lot. Besides, every single headphone excels with their features in their own way.

Some pairs can have great sound quality and average ANC, while others can have an awesome design but be quite uncomfortable.

If you are not ready to invest in noise cancellation, there are average affordable headphone options that still do the deed. Still, you will get the feel of real noise cancellation with more advanced and expensive models. 

Step 3: Battery life & Accessories

The battery life of the leading noise cancelling headphones pairs exceeds the 20 hours. So make sure that the pair you pick allows at least 15 to 20 hours of playback with the ANC on. Long battery life will only benefit you if you need to travel a lot, or won’t be able to charge them anytime soon. 

Accessories can be pretty handy as well, whether it’s a headphone case, a replaceable battery, or a cushion kit. You can check for other accessories like a USB cable, audio cable, adapter or maybe a clothing clip. However, even if you don’t end up getting those you can still purchase them online later.

Always make sure you are given a warranty so that you have a possibility to get them repaired or replaced if any issues arise. 

Step 4: Sound leak

This is a serious issue when it comes to the usage of headphones. If you work with plenty of different people in the same room, it’s possible that if your headphones leak sound, others will also hear the awesome song you listen to.

Sometimes, you just want to keep the music to yourself, so make sure you check whether the headphones leak sound or not. The primary way to do it is to ensure that the headphones are closed-back.

Regular over-ear and on-ear headphones are closed-back, but if there are any vents or perforations then they will definitely leak sound. 

Headphones with such vents that let the air flow in and let you see through the earcup are called open-back headphones. These don’t have noise cancellation and leak the sound super well. Their best use is for solo listening somewhere peopleless  for outstanding musical and sound quality experience. 

Other than that, if you choose good noise cancelling headphones with no sound leak check the durability of the material and the seal around your ears.

Step 5: Comfort

Try them on. Make sure you can cover your ears, especially in case of on-ear headphones. They have to sit tight and you should immediately tell the difference when they’re on as you can sort of “hear” the pressure.

You can listen the music and experience the sound quality on the spot. You will also be able to tell if the headphones are comfortable, and if they pressure you too much or don’t pressure at all.

Walk around or even jump around in them to see if they’ll pop right out or if they’ll stay put. Don’t skip this step and take your time. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.

Bonus Tip:

If you want to upgrade your noise cancelling headphones specifically for your remote work experience, you can get a noise cancelling app for windows. When you combine noise cancelling headphones with Krisp or similar noise cancelling software, you can enjoy a work environment free from distracting sounds. 

Noise cancelling headphones + Krisp = no noise whatsoever.

[demo-new]

So you can speak and listen without noise and use it with any noise cancelling headphones or conferencing apps that you choose. You will be able to take calls from anywhere, with no need of any meeting rooms or quiet places. 

We hope this guide will help you find your future favorite pair of noise cancelling headphones. Happy shopping!

Read next: Pros and Cons of Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones

The post Noise Cancelling Headphones and How to Choose Them appeared first on Krisp.

Noise cancelling technology is applied to headphones, and its also the most widespread use which concerns people regarding their health.

There are many type of headphones so first of all, let’s see how noise cancelling headphones work, so that we can get the full picture if noise cancelling damages hearing or not.

The basics of noise cancelling headphones 

There are small built-in microphones in the earcups of noise cancelling headphones. The microphones receive the sound before you do, which is later processed by the noise cancelling circuitry (again in the earcup).

The noise cancelling circuitry notes the frequency and amplitude of the sound and then creates an anti-sound. The latter is mixed with the original sound and fed to the headphone speakers. The noise is cancelled and you are able to listen to your desired audio. 

Now this works with low to mid frequency sounds in noisy environments like traffic noise, airplane and train noise, and more. However, there’s another type of noise cancellation which doesn’t involve active noise control – passive noise cancellation. 

Passive noise cancellation mainly happens thanks to the padding of over-ear or on-ear headphones that seals tight around your ear and isolates the surrounding noise. This is also possible in case of in-ear headphones or earbuds which go into your ear canal and block the noise from going through. Different types of headphones have different ways of cancelling noise, whether passively, actively or both. It’s up to you to choose the right noise cancelling headphones that fits you best.

Does noise cancelling damage your hearing?

Overall, noise cancellation in headphones doesn’t affect your hearing negatively. You may hear a slight hissing sound when you the ANC is turned on, but that’s about it. However, for some people this can be irritating and even result in dizziness. In this case it’s better not to use it too frequently or keep ANC switched off if it’s not too noisy. Keep in mind, that this hissing sound does not damage hearing.

Another important thing to note is that noise cancelling headphones do not emit radiation like our mobiles phones do. 

By the way, you can add up to the noise cancellation from your headphones, if you have frequent conference calls or remote meetings. You can use noise cancelling apps like Krisp which will ensure that the noise is removed on both ends of the conference call. 

[demo-new]

In fact, noise cancelling headphones are even good for your health. Let’s take a look at that as well.

Are noise cancelling headphones good for health?

Dealing with constant noise if you happen to work in a noisy environment is a real struggle. In this case, if you use noise cancelling headphones, those will actually help protect your hearing. Being exposed to low frequency noises for a long period of time is also harmful. We’re used to thinking that loud noises do the most damage, but long term low frequency noises are impactful as well.

Loud noises mostly do the damage to your hearing by interfering with your sleep, raising your stress levels and resulting in awful headaches.

Low-level noises that are constant are just as dangerous as loud noises if not more. For people who live and function in a noisy environment the stress hormone levels are higher than for those who work and live in quiet area.

The increased level of stress hormone called cortisol is linked to high blood pressure and cholesterol – this increases the risk of heart diseases. Low-level noises can also cause noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). 

Noise increases the level of stress hormones…

According to the study published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, children who live in noisy neighborhoods with low-level noise have higher levels of cortisol than children who lived in quiet neighborhoods.

Now, if you wear noise cancelling headphones, you minimize the chances of your stress hormone levels increasing. You protect your hearing and possibly reduce the risk of gaining noise induced hearing loss. 

The coolest part is that since noise cancelling headphones cancel the surrounding noise, you don’t feel the need to crank up the volume to enjoy your music more. Listening to music on high volume is yet another big risk for your hearing.

If you want to get the best effect from noise cancellation, you may want to choose headphones that have good padding along with ANC, which will provide you with both passive and active noise cancellation. 

What can you do to preserve hearing?

Remember to always  keep the volume moderate as you listen to your headphones. That’s one of the primary issues that pose a health risk. 

Here is how you can figure out if the volume on your headphones is moderate. The intensity of noise is measured in decibels and the maximum intensity of noise that won’t harm your hearing is up to 85 decibels (according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration). If you listen to anything above that it will start to impact your hearing. 

Casual conversations in office or somewhere quiet are about 60 decibels. Try to keep your volume as much as to that – a casual conversation. And make sure that conversations don’t get too intense either. Loudness from all the speaking parties can get up to 95-100 decibels. 

Another way to find out if the volume is too loud for you is to listen to your own body. Take your headphones off and pay attention to what is going on. If you hear a slight hissing sound or ringing in your ear, or if all the other sounds seem dull and muted, then the volume is too high for you. 

Wrapping up…  

There is no risk for your health involved with noise cancelling headphones. The noise cancelling technology is safe for hearing and there is no need to worry about any possible radiation, because there is none.

Noise cancelling headphones actually to a great deal with protecting your hearing from the surrounding noisy environment. They help remove the noise and improve your listening experience.

All you need to pay attention to is the volume level on your headphones. The higher the volume the bigger the risk of damaging your hearing.

Now you can go and enjoy your noise cancelling headphones in peace and quiet. And remember to keep the noise level not higher than a casual conversation of 60 decibels. You will thank yourself for that one!

The post Is Noise Cancelling Bad for Your Ears? [Spoiler Alert: Maybe] appeared first on Krisp.

1. Download Zoom for Mac

If you got a Zoom invitation that looks like this https://zoom.us/j/212911269, click on it and you will encounter a pop-up box in front of you. It will ask you to download Zoom for Mac application and run it.

After it’s done, you can register and log in using your Facebook or Google account.

3. First Zoom Call

 

Welcome to Zoom! You will be able to create an account and complete your registration.  Fill in your first and last name and click on Create Account.

 

Afterwards, pick a meeting topic, choose the Host name and invite the participants through the Invitation URL. You can also learn all the features that Zoom meetings provide, such as screen recording, screen sharing, whiteboard, chat and other options which will let you manage the call participants as a call host.

You can also pair Zoom with Krisp, which is a noise blocker app that removes background noise as you are in a call with others. It not only removes the noise on your side, but on all the other participants’ side as well. You will be able to benefit from the remote meeting and stay productive in a noiseless environment at anytime without much effort.

The post Download & Setup Zoom for Mac [Quick tutorial] appeared first on Krisp.

So we found 6 pairs of budget noise cancelling headphones that might benefit you by providing decent active noise cancellation, sound quality and comfortable wear.

Take a look, and maybe you’ll find your best pick right here:

1. COWIN E7 

• Type: Over-ear
• Wireless: Yes
• Noise cancellation: Yes
• Price: $59.99

Source: cowinaudio.com

If you’re looking for the best budget noise cancelling headphones, this is for you. These buddies got a great bass boost and a great crispy sound quality. However, this may not be the best option if you’re not a bass lover.
The design is simple and a bit bulky.

These are not the best lightweight option, however they are still comfortable to wear. The battery lasts at least 30 hours after a full charge and you will also get a reminder to have a break if you listen to headphones for too long

Thoughts:  Great sound quality and noise cancellation, comfortable wear, decent battery life but a bit bulky design.

2. Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B 

• Type: Over-ear
• Wireless: No
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Price: $99.95

Source: audio-technica.com

If you are traveling a lot this pair will be helpful in terms of folding and comfortably packing it in your backpack.
These are great for travel especially since they can hold up for at least 40 hours with ANC (but still, they’re wired).

The headphones are simple in terms of design – they have big and comfortable padding which can mostly isolate the noise from you. ANC7B has pretty decent noise cancellation which makes up for the sound quality, if you happen to listen in a slightly less quiet environment. So you can get these if you value active noise cancellation over the sound quality. 

Thoughts: Simple design, comfortable wear, good ANC, but wired and not the best sound quality.

3. TaoTronics TT-BH22

• Type: Over-ear
• Wireless: Yes
• Noise cancellation: Yes
• Price: $57.99

Source: taotronics.com

This pair is for the people who need active noise cancellation way more than an exceptional sound quality. These best budget noise cancelling headphones will offer decent active and passive (good padding) noise cancellation if you happen to travel. They will cancel low frequency noises like humming or the rumbling of the car or airplane engine. The battery life is also sufficient for traveling as it allows up to 30 hours of playback.

The design is nice with comfortable soft ear pads. The headphones are foldable which makes it easier to carry around for trips. TT-BH22 is ready to be used both wired and wirelessly, so you get to choose that as well. 

Thoughts: Comfortable wear, long battery life, great noise cancellation, but average sound quality. 

4. Mpow H5

• Type: Over-ear
• Wireless: Yes
• Noise cancellation: Yes
• Price: $46.99

Source: xmpow.com

Another bass boosted pair of best budget noise cancelling headphones which is great for the heavy bass lovers. The design is nice, with easy control options for noise cancellation. The earpads are soft and isolate the noise easily. If combined with the active noise cancellation, you actually get rid of annoying low frequency noises. 

The battery power with ANC on lasts up to 30 hours, so Mpow H5 can be used for traveling, especially since you can fold them and easily carry them in your bag. The headphones can be connected to 2 devices at the same time, allowing you to share your music with others.

Thoughts: Fit for heavy bass listeners, comfortable wear, but average ANC.

If you are looking for a way to upgrade your best budget noise cancelling headphones, you can opt for trying noise cancelling apps.

If you travel and work remotely, chances are you participate to a lot of remote conferences. So get yourself the noise cancelling app called Krisp and it will do a greater deed with cancelling the incoming and outgoing noise in your conference calls. It will help you work and stay productive in your calls wherever you are and you will get the most out of your favorite headphones, too. 

5. Sony MDRZX110 NC

• Type: On-ear
• Wireless: No
• Noise cancellation: Yes
• Price: $37.53

Source: sony.com

This is the cheapest pair of one of the greatest noise cancelling headphones you might need. Let’s start of by saying this is another pair that’s great for traveling as its compact, lightweight and foldable. Even though the passive noise cancellation is slightly less than that of over-ear headphones, the ANC is still there.

Of course, the noise cancellation could have been a bit better, but taking into consideration the price point, this sounds like a great deal still (especially with this cool design). The battery life with ANC lasts up to 80 hours and the batteries are AAA. 

Thoughts: Foldable, great for traveling, nice design, good sound quality, but weak ANC.

6. Monoprice Over-Ear Headphones

• Type: Over-ear
• Wireless: No
• Noise Cancellation: Active
• Price: $64.88

Source: monoprice.com

This pair of noise cancelling headphones will come in handy for its comfortable wear and good active noise cancelling.  The ear pads are soft and big, fully sealing your ear without applying much pressure.

You will have a great sound quality with bass boost. The only thing is that the battery life can hold up to 20 hours, not much more than that and these headphones require AAA batteries. 

The noise cancelling of these headphones is both passive (thanks to the padding) and active, cancelling low frequency noises of 15 dB.

Thoughts: Fair sound quality & noise cancellation, quite comfortable to wear, but wired and have short battery life.

Picking budget noise cancelling headphones which are also high quality is not that easy. We hope this list will help you find yours!

The post Best Budget Noise Cancelling Headphones [Under $100] appeared first on Krisp.

Note: You need to install Skype first. 

Contacts 

Skype calls work both locally and internationally, including all the Skype members. If you want to find your contacts, search the username or email address of the person in the search bar.

You can view your Contacts through the contact tab below your profile picture. It’s also possible to import contacts if necessary. You can view the chats and profiles of your contacts and instantly send messages whenever you like. 

Chats & Notifications in Skype for Mac

If you click on Notifications you will be able to access recent conversations, favorite contacts and all the other chats. In case you miss any messages, you will see a red bubble hovering over the Notifications tab. You can also quickly access all your incoming and outgoing calls from other Skype for Mac members and contacts by clicking on the Calls tab. 

If you want to communicate with someone, all you have to do is click on their profile or chat thread. Once you do that, the home screen will switch to a chat window of the given person.

You can write instant messages, share documents, media files or other attachments, recordings and your location. If you click on the More icon, you will be able to see all the features right on the message thread. 

If you click on Gallery, you will see all the media files that you have previously shared with the caller. You can locate Gallery below the Caller’s username.

Click on Find to search for specific messages in the caller message history. To increase your chances of finding the message, try to remember keywords that were included in the conversation. This will help you avoid scrolling through the messages every single time. 

Hover over the Call icon if you want to call without video, or choose the Video icon if you want to have a video call. 

Call Screen

As you call the person, you will see the following call screen.

Video & Audio features in Skype for Mac

You can mute/unmute yourself using the Microphone button on the very bottom. You can also choose to turn your camera on/off through the Camera icon right next to the Microphone. 

To avoid muting/unmuting yourself over and over because of surrounding noise, you can install a noise cancelling app called Krisp. It will remove the noise instead of you from both ends of the call without much effort. You will be able to concentrate on the call and listen to others perfectly. 

[demo]

Chat features

If you want to send texts while you’re in a call, you can do so through the Chat icon, which is located in the bottom left corner of the Skype window. Once you do that, you will see the chat window pop in from the left side. 

Emoji features in Skype for Mac

If you want to react to the caller with specific emotions you can use the reaction emojis in form of a heart. You can press the Heart icon on the bottom right corner of the screen and see all the possible emojis for different moods. The emojis will pop up both on your and the caller’s screen and twinkle for a while before going away. 

Skype Call Settings

Call settings can be accessed through the + icon right next to the Heart emoji. Settings will enable you to enter/exit full screen, change audio/video settings, share screen or take a snapshot.

You can also follow the speech easier by turning the subtitles on/off, or recording the call to come back to it later.

Inviting others to call

To switch to a group call directly from your ongoing call with the other person, click on the Participants icon next to your profile picture on the very top.

Once you do so, a new popup will appear over the call window where you can choose which participants you would like to invite. As you choose them, click Add and they will be invited to the ongoing call. 

These are all the important features you need to know and we hope this guide will help you have better calls in Skype. Good luck!

The post Everything You Need to Know About Skype for Mac appeared first on Krisp.

So here are 5 of them that will help you deal with procrastination and keep up with your nomadic lifestyle.

1. Organize everything

Once you make a schedule of your tasks for a given period of time, it will be easier to visualize what needs to be done. You can use different project management or time management tools, websites or apps such as Trello, Jira, or Asana.

Choose a technique that better fits your style. Kanban board will show the task stages and processes in cards, so you get to move them around and track their progress and completion.

You can also use a Gantt Chart to see how much time each task will take and plan accordingly.

What’s just as important is your working hours. If the working hours are not set for a specific time for each day, you get distracted between work and life more frequently.

You may work during less productive hours, while on some days you may find yourself overworking out of the blue. Determine your productive hours and adjust your working hours accordingly.

2. Have your separate work corner

Another point that emphasizes the line between work and personal life and is one of the most important productivity hacks. As a digital nomad, most of the time you work from home. Turn an entire corner of home into a tiny office space. It can be a desk with your laptop, and other necessary devices. You can have other remote work gadgets, and make sure you have good lighting not strain your eyes.

Keep everything else to a minimal – the point is to get an office vibe whenever you pass by.

This little change in your home will help you concentrate a lot easier and will help increase productivity. You are less likely to get distracted when you have a designated space for getting work done, since you will start to associate it with work time alone.

Note: If you are living with other people, you might have to agree to having quiet working hours. If not, you can take a look at some coworking spaces or quiet locations for getting your work done.

[demo]

3. Use productivity apps

If you want to increase productivity while you work from home, productivity apps will help a great deal. You can use apps to track your working time and help you take breaks.

They are absolutely necessary for you not to feel overwhelmed with work. The famous Pomodoro technique will help you split work into intervals and have short breaks in between.

Some apps offer ambient noise as a way to stimulate your brain to focus on your tasks. You can use static noises that are otherwise known as noise colors. Another option is listening to wind, rain, fire sounds or anything that fits your preference best and will help you concentrate more.

Also utilize different gadgets, especially noise cancelling headphones or noise cancelling earbuds to make sure that you minimize every possible noisy distraction.

4. Change your workplace

Sometimes it can be hard to concentrate even if you do have dedicated work corner in your home. Productivity is a tricky thing and it needs change as well. Whenever you feel like you’re stuck with work, it’s better to change your workplace and go outside.

Here’s one of the necessary productivity hacks:

Try to find coworking spaces near your area, or work from coffeeshops that have stable WiFi. Do this once in 1-2 weeks to make sure you feel refreshed and motivated to get work done. There are a few quiet locations that will definitely help you concentrate.

Make sure you have noise cancelling headphones with you in case you have to deal with noisy environments. And if you have to take frequent conference calls, get noise cancellation app called Krisp.

It will help you remove the background noise both from your side and other call participants. Just switch it on once and it will do everything on its own.

5. Final productivity hack – Travel less frequently

For a digital nomad, frequent traveling means frequent trip planning and extra time to get accustomed to the new place. When you spend time planning for new trips and exploring the new area once you move in, it’s difficult to set time for work and do it productively.

Boost your productivity by actually slowing down and taking a break from traveling. Stay in the city for a couple of months and settle in. Once you feel like you’re ready for new adventures, start planning your next trip. Until then, rest, explore and work!

We hope that these hacks will help you enjoy your nomadic travels to the fullest! Don’t forget to use noise cancelling headphones and get your Krisp noise cancelling app!

The post 5 Productivity Hacks for Procrastinating Nomads appeared first on Krisp.

In case of working from home, we also spend extra time planning our working hours and trying not overload ourselves with too many tasks and deadlines.

To make this entire process of working from home easier, we have compiled a list of 10 apps just for you.

1. Stay Focused

• TomatoTimer

Have you heard about the famous Pomodoro technique? It’s a timer which helps you separate all of your work into chunks and take necessary breaks between your work. Every interval is referred to as Pomodoro and usually lasts 25 minutes.

Source: tomato-timer.com

This Pomodoro technique is the essence of TomatoTimer app and allows you to visualize your work plan and be able to track and process everything a lot quicker.

• Noisli

Sometimes it’s difficult to keep working from home and procrastination seamlessly steps into the game. We’ve discovered a wonderful app called Noisli that helps you stay focused and work productively by listening to different sets of ambient noises.

Source: noisli.com

You can choose a random set of noises like rain, thunder, wind, seaside, or simply click on “Productivity” or “Relax” tabs for specific noise sets. The ambient noises will help stimulate your brain to focus on and complete specific tasks without procrastinating.

• Krisp

Now noise doesn’t always help us focus, especially if it’s background noise in your conference calls. You can use Krisp to remove it for you without any effort. It has 2 main features which are Speaker and Microphone. Use them and all the problems with conference call noise will go away.

If you toggle Microphone, Krisp will remove background noise going from your side to other call participants.

If you toggle Speaker, it will remove background noise coming from other call participants to you.
This app works great with any type of headphones, headset and earbuds. It’s also compatible with any conferencing and messaging apps, whether it’s Skype, Zoom, WebEx, Telegram, Slack or other apps.

• Forest

Coming back to the topic of distractions, here’s an app that will help you fight them in a creative way.

Whenever you need to focus on your work, open the app and plant a tree. It will keep growing as long as you don’t get sidetracked. Leave your phone alone with the app open, but once you quit it you’ll kill the tree.

Source: forestapp.cc

For every tree you grow, you’ll have a full forest representing your focused tasks. You’ll also gain virtual coins which you can later use to plant a real tree and help the planet!

2. Be productive

• 10,000ft

If you want an all-in-one app to better manage your team, try 10,000ft. In terms of visualization, this app will help you instantly see who does what with a Gantt Chart-like formation.

Source: 10000ft.com

It’s also useful for tracking time, creating predictive timesheets, scheduling and forecasting projects,  building and sharing customized reports and much more.

• Asana

Another cool project management app. It enables you to organize your work and projects along with your team members. You can visualize tasks and track their progress however you want – move them around, make a Gantt Chart out of them, or view them in the calendar.

Source: asana.com

Asana will help you keep an eye on all the projects and report on progress anytime together with your team.

• Nozbe

This app is all about productivity and management. Use Nozbe to organize all of your tasks and reminders, prioritize them and manage them easily at any time.

It will also help you manage your team and share projects, tasks and comments.

Source: nozbe.com

The coolest part is you can get trainings on productivity and even share productivity reports as well.

Another important thing about Nozbe is that they can offer all time seamless service security and safety in mind.

3. Work efficiently

• Basecamp

We all have a bunch of important files, docs and media scattered everywhere and no single location to keep it in. You can get Basecamp to do it. All the necessary tools for your team will be included in one location.

You can manage your projects and track the progress and timeline of each project. Team members can check in and update the work they complete for the day.

Source: basecamp.com

If you need to assign tasks, the team members will get notified and receive notifications and reminders about the due dates.

The coolest part about Basecamp is that you can share your projects with other people who are not included in your team and have them as guests.

• Teamviewer

This is a handy app if you want to remotely connect and control a device no matter the distance. You can share screens and turn on your mic and camera right in the process of remotely controlling the device for more engagement.

Source: teamviewer.com

You can highlight and draw on the screen in real time to provide more visual guidance. It works with 3G and better internet connections.

If you want to get someone to access the screen of your device, all you have to do is share the ID number and password with them.

• OfficeVibe

A great tool if you’re managing a team and need to get all sorts of feedback from your team members. OfficeVibe will help assess their happiness and satisfaction through asking questions from the app.

The questions can be related to feelings about the work, team tasks and overall working atmosphere.

The app anonymously delivers the answers to the team leader. Build a strong workplace culture by gaining valuable feedback and empower your team members.

We hope that these tools will make your work from home more interesting and productive!

Read next:

Top 5 Relaxing Sounds To Help You Focus

Next section: Conferencing at Home: The Do’s and Don’ts

Go back: Work From Home Guide

Useful Links:

Tomato Timer

Forest App

Noisli

Krisp

10,000ft

Asana

Nozbe

BaseCamp

Teamviewer

OfficeVibe

The post 10 Unique Apps for Working from Home appeared first on Krisp.

The trouble is, which noise cancelling earbuds do it better? We have a list of 4 noise cancelling earbuds with full reviews to make it easier for you to pick. Let’s check them out!

1. Bose QuietComfort 30

• Noise Cancellation: Active
• Battery life: ~ 10 hours
• Wireless: Yes
• Price: $299.95

Source: bose.com

Design & Comfort: 4/5

These earbuds are wireless which eliminates the trouble of detangling cords. The overall look on the neck gives a subtle feel. On the other hand, it isn’t relatively lightweight and comfortable to wear given the fact that there’s a neckband that connects the earbuds together.

Ease of use: 5/5

There are 5 buttons which include the volume controls (Up, Down), playback controls (Play/Pause/Skip) and 2 buttons to adjust the level of noise cancellation that fits you best. There are 2 LED lights that indicate the Bluetooth connectivity and battery life.

You can use NFC to connect your device to the earbuds. There are 3 sizes available, and you won’t experience your earbuds popping out and random times.

Sound quality & ANC: 4/5

Not the absolute best sound quality, but these earbuds compensate it with strong adjustable ANC. Overall the mids and highs sound very balanced while you can slightly feel the bass in the lows. The trouble is, it’s difficult to keep track of all the highs as soon as all the instruments step into the game.

Verdict: Consider Bose QuietComfort 30 if you value noise cancellation over sound quality.

2. Plantronics Backbeat Go 410

• Noise Cancellation: Active
• Battery life: 8-10 hours
• Wireless: Yes
• Price: $120.36

Source: Plantronics.com

Design & Comfort: 5/5

The earbuds are lightweight and compact with a soft and bendable neckband made of silicone. The earbuds are magnetic and can stick to each other. It’s comfortable to wear and doesn’t feel heavy on the neck. Although it’s not quite fit for working out as it can easily bounce on your neck as you jog.

Ease of Use: 5/5

There are 3 buttons. You can toggle the smart magnets using 2 buttons (minus and multi function buttons) which in its turn will turn the active noise cancellation On or Off.

Sound Quality & ANC: 4/5

You can use the Backbeat application to EQ the sound either “Bright” or “Bass”. You can also use the app to toggle the noise cancellation to On/Off. Overall, the highs are distinctly audible, mids are balanced and lows can be a little overbearing at times. Despite the decent sound quality, the ANC is still average being able to cancel nearby conversations, low frequency rumbling and such.

Verdict: Plantronics Backbeat Go 410 earbuds function better in terms of providing good sound quality rather than perfect active noise cancellation.

3. B&O Beoplay H3 ANC

• Noise Cancellation: Active
• Battery life: 20 hours
• Wireless: No
• Price: $172

Source: bang-olufsen.com

Design & Comfort: 5/5

The earbuds are minimalistic and lightweight. They are made of metal and look elegant on the ears. Different sizes of the foam plugs will help keep the earbuds in your ear and not fall out at anytime. They are fit for walking and running. If you value exceptional design in earbuds, you will appreciate the looks of these earbuds.

Ease of use: 4/5

There is a circular control unit on the cable close to the headphone jack for active noise cancellation. There are also 3 buttons for volume controls (Up/Down) and taking calls.

Sound quality: 5/5

Mids and highs are both audible and distinct, the bass is punchy. The overall sound quality is rich, detailed and solid. The earbuds provide only subtle active noise cancellation by blocking out partial external noise.

Verdict: B&O Beoplay H3 ANC will be a great pick for you if you care for design and sound quality.

Meet Krisp!

If you’re using your noise cancelling earbuds during work or in noisy environments, or maybe you’re a digital nomad who has a conference call to join from a coffeeshop, we got a better idea! Upgrade your noise cancelling earbudsto a new noise cancelling level with even bigger opportunities with Krisp. (Psst! We won a Golden Kitty Award on Product Hunt recently)

It’s a noise cancellation software that will help you get rid of noise during calls with just one click.

You switch on 2 buttons in the Krisp application and leave them switched on the entire time, and all the background noise during the call is removed in real time.

It works for both sides – no noise from you, no noise from other participants. That way you won’t even need exceptional noise cancellation in your earbuds, or ANC headphones. Let Krisp do the entire job!

4. AKG K391 NC

• Noise Cancellation: Active
• Battery life: ~ 40 hours
• Wireless: No
• Price: $199.95

Source: akg.com

Design & Comfort: 4/5

The design of these earbuds is minimalistic and plain. They’re all about comfort and simplicity. They fit in the ear canal nice and don’t fall out. The wires with the control panel on the cable can take extra time to manage on the go. But overall it’s fairly comfortable for use.

Ease of use: 5/5

There are volume controls (Up/Down), microphone for calls and a separate compartment with a switch for active noise cancellation. Simple feel that is similar to regular earbuds except for the easy controls for noise cancellation.

Sound quality & ANC: 4/5

Clean audio performance with distinct and rich sounding bass, and balanced mids and highs. There is no sound distortion and the sound quality is crisp. Noise cancellation is average, it reduces external noise however you can hear a hissing sound throughout the music every now and then.

Verdict: AKG K391 NC is certainly for bass lovers. Although that’s not a limitation, since they provide crispy sound quality and ANC.

We hope this article will help you pick the earbuds that fit you best and make your every day life experience much more pleasurable. Don’t forget to use Krisp to level up in your noise cancellation game!

The post 4 Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds for 2022 appeared first on Krisp.

This guide will break down everything you need to know to enjoy Telegram to the fullest!

Home Screen

Telegram’s home screen includes all the contacts on the left and the chat window of the selected user on the right. This enables you to instantly see and click the user you need to have a conversation with. You can also see all the groups and communities.

To open up your own profile info, simply click on the hamburger menu icon next to the Search Bar on the top left corner. This will also give you access to all the Telegram Settings. Let’s go over each setting real quick.

General Settings

On the top you can see your own name and activity status. If you wish to change up some things in your profile, click on Edit profile. Other than that you can go through your notification settings and set them up.

1. Privacy & Security Settings

If you click on Privacy and Security settings, you will be able to all the users that you’ve blocked. You can also control who sees your Last Seen time by changing the users on the right. It’s also possible to choose who can have voice or peer-to-peer calls with you. You can change who adds you in groups or channels as well.

Another handy feature is controlling all the sessions from any other devices that you’ve logged in from.

2. Chat Settings

Choose any color or theme that works best for you and makes Telegram chat look more pleasant. The themes have really cool names too – Blue, Classic, Midnight and Matrix. Or you can simply launch Theme Editor if you want to change some looks.

You can upload a desired image and use it as a background in your chat window. An alternative to this could be choosing an image directly from the Gallery.

Scrolling down, you can also manage your sticker sets and check the boxes for replacing emojis, or adding suggestions for emoji replacements. Popular sticker suggestions that are activated by emoji are available too!

On the very bottom of the Chat Settings, you can choose which way you’d prefer your messages to be sent. This can be useful if you’re typing a long text and need to indent a new paragraph.

3. Advanced Settings

Next setting is called Advanced, where you can choose a connection type and configure your Data and Storage settings. If you always download in different locations, you can toggle to switch on Ask download path for each file. If not, simply choose a folder you want all your media to go to by clicking on Default Folder.

It’s possible to export all the Telegram data in case of necessity.

As you scroll down, you can check the box in System Integration section if you need for the Tray icon to show. There are also toggles available if you want to enable animations and have GIFs autoplaying in the chat window.

4. Interface Scale

Now if you want to make your Telegram window bigger or smaller, you can use the Interface Scale to choose the size.  There are multiple sizes available, so play around and see which one works best for you.

Keep in mind that every time you change the scale you will encounter a pop up that requires the application to restart.

All you have to do is click Restart and the application will open in your desired size.

Chat

To start a conversation, search for the user or simply click on their thread and start typing a message. You can attach any media you prefer using the Paper clip icon on the left side of the Message Bar.

You can use the hamburger menu icon on the very top right corner to share, edit or delete the contact. You can also export the message history or get rid of it permanently. The last option is blocking the user which will refrain them from messaging you again.

1. User Info

Once you view the profile, a window with the contact info will slide in on the right. Here you can see the username, mobile and activity status all at once. You can choose to keep the notifications On or Off. You can also apply the same actions as in the Chat Settings menu.

2. Telegram Emojis

If you click on the Emoji icon on the Message bar, another window with all the emoji collections will slide in on the right. You can choose whether you want to send Emojis, Stickers or GIFs from the very top sections and the emoji types on the bottom sections.

3. Search

If you need to search for some specific messages in the message history of you and your contact, simply click on the Search icon on the very top, and type some keywords that would relate to the message you’d like to find.

4. Record

You can also send audio recordings by pressing and holding the Mic icon on the very right of the Message Bar. To send it, simply release once you are done recording.

If you want to disregard the recorded audio, drag the cursor outside of the message bar field and release it.

Telegram Call

If you would like to have a call with your preferred contact, simply click on the Call Icon on the top of the chat window. A small window will pop up, requesting for microphone access. Click OK to proceed with the call.

Telegram supports audio calls and you can mute/unmute yourself anytime you need to. If you’re muting yourself to avoid background noise from kicking in, you may consider getting yourself Krisp.

It’s a noise cancellation software that mutes background noise during calls. You can even mute the noise coming from other call participants as well. It works great with Telegram and any other app you choose.

When the call connects you will see a set of 4 emojis. These emojis will also be displayed on the other speaking party’s call window. If you both see the same set of emojis, it means that the Telegram call is completely secure.

You’re all set! If you are interested in installing other conferencing apps like Zoom for Mac or Skype for Mac, we got your back!

That’s pretty much all you need to know to get your Telegram calls. Happy chatting! 

The post Detailed Guide for Using Telegram Desktop App on Mac appeared first on Krisp.

1. Download & Install 

Go to the App Store and type Telegram Desktop in the search bar. Choose the social networking application in the list and proceed to the app screen in the store.

Click on the Get button to install the app and open it from the Applications folder or use the Finder to locate it.

2. Register & Login

Once the Telegram window pops up click on Start messaging.

Choose your country from the drop down menu, fill in your phone number and click Next. You will get a verification code on your phone to complete the login process.

After the confirmation is complete, you will be redirected to Telegram Home Screen.

3. Use

Telegram home screen includes all your contact chats, channels and notifications.

To view your profile, click on the Hamburger menu button. You can also view your contact list, calls, configure Night mode settings, create a new group or channel.

To chat with your contacts, simply click on the chat thread and the chat window will slide in on the right.

Telegram is equipped with plenty of features allowing you to exchange media files, send voice recordings and videos, have audio calls and search through conversations.

Bonus tip: You can use Krisp AI software for Mac which mutes background noise in calls from both sides. This will help you take calls from any noisy environment and use it with Telegram with ease.

[demo]

You can configure your chat and notification settings, privacy and security as well as language and other advanced tools directly from the Settings window. You can also set an interface scale ranging from 100% to 150% –  we’ll talk about that in more detail later.

For now you’re all done, enjoy Telegram Desktop app and have a great time with your friends!

The post 3 Steps to Get Telegram Desktop App for Mac appeared first on Krisp.