Android: There are plenty of people who don't need bells and whistles when an easy-to-understand, well-designed app will do. And that's my impression of Google's new Podcasts app - teased for some time and finally made available for download as of yesterday.

Dolby Atmos is the latest evolution in surround sound technology that puts audio from movies and games not just around you but above you too, allowing you to hear sound from every direction. It also assigns individual on-screen elements their own audio track that the system can position in the listening space beyond the limitations of traditional 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound channels.

In the beginning, the laurel-or-yanny clip said laurel and nothing but laurel. Here is the original version of the clip, recorded by an opera singer working for Vocabulary.com. Chances are, you'll hear it as laurel too. Let's compare it to the viral clip and we'll see exactly what changed, and why half of us hear the viral clip as yanny.

A sound clip of the word "laurel" sounds like "yanny" to some people (people who are wrong) in a new, auditory counterpart to The Dress. Already heard it? Great! Here are some more mind-bending audio clips you should listen to.

For many of you, a single pair of speakers or headphones is all you probably need for your desktop or laptop system. For others, rocking out, gaming, and listening to movies is a constant battle with Windows over which connected audio device the operating system should use to blast noise.

Google's latest update to Chrome came with big changes about how the browser treats autoplaying videos, but it's now causing a lot of audio issues with various web apps and games.

Here's the bad news: If you're an aspiring sound designer or you're looking for some random noise to insert into a big project you're working on, the BBC's new archive of more than 16,000 free sound effects won't help you much. They're all bound by a RemArc licence that prohibits using these files in commercial work.

iOS: As a reporter, I end up taking a lot of notes pretty much everywhere I go. Audio recordings are great for not missing anything, but one thing has proved true for me pretty much across the board: The part of the interview I want to find is always the part where I was paying so much attention to the person talking that I failed to note the time code.

There are plenty of existing soundboard apps (and sites), but the new app Farrago may be the best.

Broadway superstars Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt dropped a bomb for theatre geeks early this morning, remixing two songs from their always-sold-out musicals into a lovely duet you can purchase or stream for free across a number of different online services, like YouTube.

As Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen fans burn through their data plans putting this hot track on loop, it's a great time to revisit all the different ways you can save YouTube content offline for obsessively watching later.

iOS: Not everyone has a list of favourite podcasts like the nerds at Lifehacker. If you're new to podcasts, the available apps for managing them can feel needlessly complex - especially if all you want is the latest episode of that one show your friend mentioned. If you don't want to worry about things such as storage cache and playlist generation, check out 'sodes, an easy-to-use podcast app.

Sure, you've heard of binge-watching shows on Netflix, but how about binge listening?

At the tail end of 2017, I had the good fortune to babysit some adorable children for a few hours, during which they proceeded to ask all sorts of (mostly PJ Masks-related) questions. One actual question was: "How does the TV make sound?" As I explained how sound and air interacted, what I really wanted was something tangible I could use to show them exactly how it works - specifically, I wanted this guide on waveforms.

This review is about the Sonos Play:5 but it's a little more than that. I've had various bits of Sonos kit running in my home for several years so it's also about the user experience that comes from being a long-term user of Sonos' kit. While Sonos gear is priced at the premium end of the market, the quality it delivers in terms of sound quality and usability means any new entrants (this means you Apple with your HomePod) needs to be very good.

Get ready to fill your eye holes with the best Christmas gifts for people who want to fill their ear holes these holidays. We've got some of the best gifts for music lovers, audiophiles and those who love to dance.

Ever walked into one of those 'home cinema' showrooms? It's mad fun.

You wander in, sit on those custom leather chairs. Look up at that world class projector and the crisp audio. You imagine yourself kicking back after a long day at work. Ah, this is the life. You sip on a nice cold drink.

Then you look at the price tag and have coronary.

"So how can I do something kinda like this that doesn't cost $AU400,000?"

Uh, good question.

Do you have an audiophile in your life - that person who takes their love of music and high quality sound to the next level? And are you at a loss when it comes to buying for them at Christmas time?

We've compiled some gift ideas for audio-obsessed people that will quite literally be music to their ears.

Dear Lifehacker, After going through my third pair of earphones for my mobile in recent times, I was wondering if there is a "preferred" way to keep the phone in your pocket? Do you have the lead facing upwards from the outside of the pocket, or down towards the groin? I'm sick of my earphones not lasting a year before the connection becomes sketchy.

Google's Pixel Buds are more than a pair of wireless earbuds. Equipped with an inbuilt language translator and assorted Google AI tricks, they promise to be essential travel accessories - particularly when holidaying or working abroad. If you're keen to get your hands on some, here is the pricing, specifications and release date for Australia!