5 ms·

Mutator silences your iPhone, no exceptions

pinko 13y ago
This is such a glaring weakness of the iPhone's current mute function. I can't believe we need a hacky hardware dongle to provide it. But given that we're at that place, this is about as good a solution as I've seen for those times when you can't turn your phone off but absolutely do not want it to make noise.
- danhixon 13y ago
  I agree! In the video Ron says he created out of necessity and frustration.
- shurcooL 13y ago
  A hardware solution to a software problem. So sad. That said, I personally have no issues with the mute mode. I works as intended for me. Also, this entire product lime can be made obsolete by a simple software update from Apple.
  - pinko 13y ago
    > Also, this entire product line can be made obsolete by a simple software update from Apple. True, but it sounds like the project team might actually consider that a success, since they designed this to work around a problem they wish they didn't have.
mrmekon 13y ago
My 3GS has a broken Ring/Silent switch that is permanently on 'ring'. I've been trying for a year to find a reliable way to make it shut up -- I'm a 'silent always' kind of guy, and that switch failure made me hate my phone. This looks like a pretty great solution!
- 6d0debc071 13y ago
  Can you set ringtones on the iphone? If so can't you just record nothing and set that as the text acknowledgement tone?
  - mrmekon 13y ago
    You can set most, but not all, of the sounds to 'None'. There still seem to be a bunch of sounds that you can't control. And manually configuring the whole phone to be silent is quite time consuming, especially since you have to may have to do it for individual apps, which may or may not even support it.
moron4hire 13y ago
This one is cheaper and has more features https://dx.com/p/3-5mm-splitter-plug-2716 https://dx.com/p/3-5mm-splitter-plug-2716
- DHowett 13y ago
  It is also not even in the same category of things as the Mutator.
- austingulati 13y ago
  It's a bit unwieldy to carry around attached to your phone even though it can achieve the same task (as well as others)
youngerdryas 13y ago
My phone mutes texts, I don't get it.
- danhixon 13y ago
  It's about accidental user interactions - like when Siri launches when you don't expect - or if you forgot that you had a game running that makes sounds when you were last using your phone and you unlock it in class and the angry birds music starts playing and your teacher looks at you... and you know.
mwc 13y ago
Wait, there's a problem with the mute function? Excepting alarms (from Clock.app), my iPhone is silent when it's switched to mute. I'm guessing people have a bunch of third party apps installed that don't respect the mute button?
- danhixon 13y ago
  Videos, Games, Siri can/do make noise when "ring/silent" switch is engaged. I usually don't have a problem but sometimes Siri launches when I don't expect her to - quit an app... wait... pling-pling-pling!
  - thedrbrian 13y ago
    Yes that's how silence works on iOS. Mute mutes thing you have no control over calls,texts etc. why the hell would I fire up a video and not want the sound?
gte910h 13y ago
Just want to point out for everyone who wants that switch to be a mute button instead of a "less noise switch": I LOVE the way it works now. There are many of us out there.
devindotcom 13y ago
Do you really want this little dude sticking out of your phone 24/7? I get the feeling people will take it in and out rather than do the twist thing. And in that case, wouldn't carrying around the snipped-off end of any random 1/8" audio cable do the same thing?
mdesq 13y ago
"In the Off position it does absolutely nothing, allowing you to use your iOS device as usual, but twist it into the On position and it mutes all sounds coming from the device apart from alarms you have set manually." Those sound like exceptions to me.
- danhixon 13y ago
  Misleading headline! Alert the media! ... see what I did there?
- mprovost 13y ago
  With those exceptions it wouldn't have prevented something like this famous example: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/nyregion/ringing-finally-stopped-but-concertgoers-alarm-persists.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/nyregion/ringing-finally-s...
jsherry 13y ago
Buyer beware if you have a case on your phone - it states in the FAQ on his Kickstarter page that this will only work with low-profile cases (which is hard to gauge qualitatively).
AdrianRossouw 13y ago
including the camera sound? thinking here of the privacy issues (ie: why all digital cameras still make the noise) i was actually wondering that about the HTC one's video + picture functionality too.

pinko 13y ago

This is such a glaring weakness of the iPhone's current mute function. I can't believe we need a hacky hardware dongle to provide it. But given that we're at that place, this is about as good a solution as I've seen for those times when you can't turn your phone off but absolutely do not want it to make noise.

danhixon 13y ago
I agree! In the video Ron says he created out of necessity and frustration.
shurcooL 13y ago
A hardware solution to a software problem. So sad. That said, I personally have no issues with the mute mode. I works as intended for me. Also, this entire product lime can be made obsolete by a simple software update from Apple.
- pinko 13y ago
  > Also, this entire product line can be made obsolete by a simple software update from Apple. True, but it sounds like the project team might actually consider that a success, since they designed this to work around a problem they wish they didn't have.

mrmekon 13y ago

My 3GS has a broken Ring/Silent switch that is permanently on 'ring'. I've been trying for a year to find a reliable way to make it shut up -- I'm a 'silent always' kind of guy, and that switch failure made me hate my phone. This looks like a pretty great solution!

6d0debc071 13y ago
Can you set ringtones on the iphone? If so can't you just record nothing and set that as the text acknowledgement tone?
- mrmekon 13y ago
  You can set most, but not all, of the sounds to 'None'. There still seem to be a bunch of sounds that you can't control. And manually configuring the whole phone to be silent is quite time consuming, especially since you have to may have to do it for individual apps, which may or may not even support it.

moron4hire 13y ago

This one is cheaper and has more features https://dx.com/p/3-5mm-splitter-plug-2716 https://dx.com/p/3-5mm-splitter-plug-2716

DHowett 13y ago
It is also not even in the same category of things as the Mutator.
austingulati 13y ago
It's a bit unwieldy to carry around attached to your phone even though it can achieve the same task (as well as others)

youngerdryas 13y ago

My phone mutes texts, I don't get it.

danhixon 13y ago
It's about accidental user interactions - like when Siri launches when you don't expect - or if you forgot that you had a game running that makes sounds when you were last using your phone and you unlock it in class and the angry birds music starts playing and your teacher looks at you... and you know.

mwc 13y ago

Wait, there's a problem with the mute function? Excepting alarms (from Clock.app), my iPhone is silent when it's switched to mute. I'm guessing people have a bunch of third party apps installed that don't respect the mute button?

danhixon 13y ago
Videos, Games, Siri can/do make noise when "ring/silent" switch is engaged. I usually don't have a problem but sometimes Siri launches when I don't expect her to - quit an app... wait... pling-pling-pling!
- thedrbrian 13y ago
  Yes that's how silence works on iOS. Mute mutes thing you have no control over calls,texts etc. why the hell would I fire up a video and not want the sound?

gte910h 13y ago

Just want to point out for everyone who wants that switch to be a mute button instead of a "less noise switch": I LOVE the way it works now. There are many of us out there.

devindotcom 13y ago

Do you really want this little dude sticking out of your phone 24/7? I get the feeling people will take it in and out rather than do the twist thing. And in that case, wouldn't carrying around the snipped-off end of any random 1/8" audio cable do the same thing?

mdesq 13y ago

"In the Off position it does absolutely nothing, allowing you to use your iOS device as usual, but twist it into the On position and it mutes all sounds coming from the device apart from alarms you have set manually." Those sound like exceptions to me.

danhixon 13y ago
Misleading headline! Alert the media! ... see what I did there?
mprovost 13y ago
With those exceptions it wouldn't have prevented something like this famous example: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/nyregion/ringing-finally-stopped-but-concertgoers-alarm-persists.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/nyregion/ringing-finally-s...

jsherry 13y ago

Buyer beware if you have a case on your phone - it states in the FAQ on his Kickstarter page that this will only work with low-profile cases (which is hard to gauge qualitatively).

AdrianRossouw 13y ago

including the camera sound? thinking here of the privacy issues (ie: why all digital cameras still make the noise) i was actually wondering that about the HTC one's video + picture functionality too.