Hear! Here! Headphones will now help you navigate the world

YOU heard it here first. When it comes to navigating information, headphones may be about to put screens in the shade. A handful of start-ups are creating devices which promise to transform not only how you hear the world, but also the way you interface with the gadgets in your life. Here One, launched this week by New York firm Doppler Labs, is one example. Looking like a pair of outsized earplugs, it samples the audio environment and plays back an augmented version. Using a smartphone, users can tweak the levels of individual sounds – adjusting the bass and treble at a concert, for example – or silence intrusive noises such as traffic and wailing infants.