This bracelet prevents who from hearing what you say?

More and more of the technological devices that we increasingly consider to be everyday essentials are being built with microphones, so that the devices can listen to us in order to better serve us. But this causes as many concerns as it solves.

That’s why a research team from the University of Chicago wants to add yet another device to that increasing list of tech that we can’t live without. They have developed a tech wearable that, when activated, jams any microphones within the immediate vicinity. 

Fashioned as a bracelet, the device randomly emits white noise within a range of 24 kHz to 26 kHz. It’s outside the auditory range of the average human being, but any nearby microphones will pick it up easily, drowning out any sounds of conversation. And it doesn’t just work on smart speakers — smartphones and smartwatches and anything else you can think of that contains a microphone will be unable to hear you, even if the microphone is hidden or obstructed.