Amplify Your Speakerphone With A Cereal Bowl

if you're in the bathroom, I just point the speakers towards the corner of the sink counter. Change angles and distance to adjust sound quality.

LangleyJibsy

You can make yourself a dandy remote for another room too. Simply take a pair of tin cans and poke a hole in the bottom of each. Next, take a piece of string, thread it through the hole and tie a knot in the end so it doesn't slip back through. Now put your phone in one of the cans and hand it to your spouse. Take the other can into another room, making sure the string is stretched tightly. Walla! Remote speaker!

seiun

@silver-bolt: Thanks. :)

@ssj4Gogeta: Reverberation Amplification. Like a speaker phone or loud speaker.

silver-bolt

In the manual of most phones (as if anyone reads it), it usually specifies that your speakerphone is intended to be used on a hard surface (when the speaker is on the rear of the phone). This is why speakerphones tend to suck when cradled on your lap or you're just holding it in the air when you're driving

joeny1980

@ReverendLoki: I've noticed the same thing. It can't be resonance because I've tried it on surfaces of many difference objects, and it always seems to work.

Nice idea. How long before someone makes a virtual cereal bowl iPhone app?

@nefnet13: Eww I was an English major and I used the wrong to/two/too. It was a typo I swear!

nefnet13

Sometimes in the bathroom I'll start a podcast playing and toss the phone in the sink (dry, of course). Similar effect, and not to bad for just listening to voice.

nefnet13

This may give some bad reverberation or echo. When I have my blackberry on speaker phone sitting on the counter in the kitchen it echoes slightly and can bother the people on the other end. I would make sure you check with who your talking too and be careful using this with important conversations.

coffee mugs work REALLY well for this. the sound is a bit distorted if you're using the speaker for music playback but that's getting nitpicky. it's definitely louder and great for voice calls.

MelanieLumpa

Frank- you're brilliant! I'll try this soon=

VerdaEscardon

@ReverendLoki: I've noticed that, as well, especially if you have a cheap, crappy Ikea computer desk, with fairly flexible wood. That seems to resonate louder than more solid surfaces.

masskonfuzion

@Tokeloshe: Many phones will also get ridiculously loud with a simple registry hack. The quality of the speaker is terrible already, so why not?

nolabar10der

@puka_pai: You know, he kind of has a point. That has to be the worst phone in recent memory, aside from mine (Motorola Q9c).

And to be fair, I only complain about my gadgets online :)

nolabar10der

I just cup my hands around it, or face it speaker down towards the counter if my hands are taken.
It does just the same thing.

Great trick! When driving I place the phone in front of my speedometer (speaker facing away from me). The recessed space makes a great sound reflector too!

QabilKlient

I just cup my hand and hold the phone in it so the inside of my hand acts as the amplification cone.

silver-bolt

@m-p{3}: All I hear is *Snap Crackle Pop*

silver-bolt

Wow, this is actually a really clever and useful hack. It takes no time at all and who doesn't have a cereal bowl lying around the house? Easier than finding my headphones...

CuriouslyMagenta

uhm, thanks. now my phone doesn't work and has milk and crumbs all over it.

EzraKhayln

That's hysterical! I never would have thought of using a breakfast bowl to help with my gadgets. Going to try that for my next conference call. Hopefully it's not a video conference :)

ShashiMerula

I've noticed that my phone's speaker (Blackberry Storm, if it matters) sounds better when I place it on a table than when I hold it so the speaker is facing me. The speakerphone speaker on this phone, like I believe for many smart phones, is on the back, aka the side that is facing the table when you put the phone down. Could it be that these speakers were designed to operate best when the output is being reflected off of another surface? Anyone tried a bowl-vs-table comparison?

ReverendLoki

For my phone (Samsung e250) there is a code that you put in to set the volume higher than the default. We also cut up plastic bottles and put the small end of the funnel over the speaker (lid off). Very loud but terrible sound quality.

Tokeloshe

@bloknayrb:

and that doesn't give you jock itch?

@slater: In all seriousness, though, it depends on whether you want a new phone.

@slater: I think V8 works better than milk. Those carrots have to count for something.

@nolabar10der: Yeah, especially when he bitches about his new smartphone.

::squints into tiny Centro screen, reaches for eyedrops::

puka_pai

I put my phone in a sandwich box to listen to tunes on the beach last weekend.. it was lovely

TobyDaedalion

@collegekid13: Been there and done that, my friend. I did it at work one night when our amplifier blew out. It wasn't particularly effective, but everyone got a kick out of it. Of course, they were drunk so they would have laughed no matter what. Or punched me. It all depends.

nolabar10der

With the way my smartphone has been running lately, I may put cereal and milk in the bowl, too. It's too early to wait for "new every two" promotions, so I need an excuse to get a phone.

Interestingly, I used to get plastered and lose my phone every few months or so. Now, no matter where I go or what I do, I always wake up with the damned thing. can't get rid of it. a few of you may feel this way about your spouse.

nolabar10der

unless you have one acoustically engineered piece of crockery, you'll also add some distortion with this technique, but it might very well be acceptable levels.

Dalhamir

-Ok I'll put you on speakerphone
*put cellphone in cereals*
-Do you hear me? Oh crap..

this is just like what i used to do in our restaurant kitchen after close. throw the cell phone speaker into one of the steel holding containers and ghetto blast the beats

collegekid13

I've used a cup, never used a bowl though. Sounds like it would work better...

bloknayrb

@jnhagerm:

I mean loud

jnhagerm

This could be useful I often over sleep my alarm if am really tired because it is not load enough.

jnhagerm

I just cup my hand around the speaker so the sound comes to me. Seems to work just fine, and my speaker is really quiet to start with.

Charles Ip

I find that a smart water bottle makes the speaker phone sound louder and clearer.

OliviaEileithyia

@slater: It works better with orange juice I heard, more Vitamin C which help to have a clearer reception also

Wait wait wait.. so I do this with or without the milk in there?

I never really use the speakerphone, but if I do, I'll remember that clever trick