Mr Howard's speech came against a background of feverish debate about the performances of the various the leadership contenders.

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But at least, after this speech, he would be entitled to take this man's background into account.

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The model also included a microphone which can monitor background noise and determine whether to amplify certain sounds - such as speech - to improve the listening experience.

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Watching the same show with Speech Enhancement made Dame Maggie Smith's character's words louder than the background music and other sound in a scene, so we didn't have to strain to hear.

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