Among the many portable gadgets that the smartphone has killed off -- digital camera, PDA, sat nav -- is the MP3 player. Phones are now very competent jukeboxes with some great apps, but are you putting up with an average-quality listening experience when you don't need to? Here are four ways to change that.
We've seen little DIY volume knobs before, and they're a handy way to add means to finely adjust the volume on your computer. Instructables user Trochilidesign's made their own, and it's pretty futuristic looking.
Weighing ingredients gives you the most accurate, reproducible (and tasty) results (especially in baking), but not all recipes list their measurements by mass. Luckily, King Arthur Flour has put together a handy weight chart for a wide variety of ingredients.
Android: You're in a quiet place, you get a phone call and a loud ring roars out of your phone. Volume Scheduler is a free app that can help you out when you've forgotten to silence your phone or set it to vibrate.
Android: Google has improved Android's handling of volume controls, but it's still a hassle to change volumes every time you change apps. App Volume Control lets you change volumes based on which app you're in.
Have a sound system that you sit far away from, but hate remotes? Instructables user Kris S shows off how to build a soft volume control knob using cheap components.
Mac: Not all apps have the same base volume, and sometimes one app likes to really scream at you while another is too soft. Volume Mixer allows you to independently control the volume of apps.
Mac: A Mac's startup sound volume is tied to the internal speakers output volume. It's easy enough to mute it completely, but considering that tone is a troubleshooting feature, it's usually best to leave it on. Regardless, if you have speakers plugged in, that tone seems to do whatever it wants. Here's how to fix that.
Android (rooted): Many Android phones have a popup that nags you whenever you turn your volume up to a certain level. If you're rooted and have Xposed installed, you can disable this with a simple tweak.
iOS: Siri, Apple's personal assistant for the iPhone 4S and above, can be a little bit of a chatterbox. Redditor iQuitter notes, however, that Siri has separate volume from the rest of your phone -- so if you want to turn her down, you'll have to do it independently of your ringer volume.
Android: I've been known to just set my phone to vibrate because I don't want the ringer going off in a silent room, and then I wind up missing a call if the phone is on my desk and I'm watching a movie. RingDimmer for Android is a new app that uses your phone's microphone to automatically detect the noise level where you are, and sets the ringer appropriately so you never miss a call.
Having your iPhone (or other iDevice) blasting at full volume is not only annoying for others, it can potentially damage your hearing. If you're using an iPhone (or iPod), you can restrict and lock the volume with a simple tweak.
Android: One of the complaints I hear from people who switch from the BlackBerry to Android is that they miss the ability to customise "profiles" of system sounds they can switch between based on where they are or whether they want to be disturbed. Volume Rocker for Android is a utility that has those profiles and lets you tweak them so they're just right for you.
Windows: SimpleSndVol adds balance controls to the volume control popup you get when you click on the sound icon in the Windows systray. The utility also allows you to bind volume and balance controls to keyboard shortcuts for quick access.
Windows: Some sound card software packages provide it and some laptop hardware vendors include it, but for the majority of Windows users the only on-screen volume display they see is the tiny speaker icon in the system tray.
Windows only: Freeware application VolumeTouch controls your system volume through your mouse's scroll wheel and customizable keyboard shortcuts. VolumeTouch may appear very similar to previously mentioned Volumouse, and it is, but a few features set it apart in the pros column. Most notably, VolumeTouch adds a great live-preview volume meter that displays your volume level in meter or percentage form as you change it. On the flip side, it's not quite as robust on features as Volumouse, so if you use Volumouse for more than basic system volume control, it may not be for you. Whichever you prefer, both apps are great for adding more control and quicker access to your system volume. VolumeTouch is freeware, Windows only. VolumeTouch
