What is it about coffee shops that seem so conducive to getting work done? Is it all that caffeine? Maybe the social aspect of actually having to face other human beings, instead of blogging in your pajamas until two in the morning? Maybe it's just the noise.

Coffitivity is a new beta service that seems to think you might work a little harder from home if you just had some of that ambient coffee shop sound surrounding you. You know; the opening of doors, the clanking of mugs and pots, the general buzz of half-heard chatter. According to the three-person team behind the emerging site Coffitivity.com, all of those bits of aural clutter combine to make you more alert, more focused, and more responsible when it comes to managing your own time.

All you have to do is press play on the looping ambient sound file at the top of the website, then minimize the screen while it plays on in the background. Put some headphones in and adjust your own music to slightly above the din to really capture the essence of working away from home, or let the rolling sounds murmur on solo in the background while you dig in for a late night cram session. Plus, with enough jostles and snippets of conversation leaking in underneath your mouse clicks and keyboard clacks, you won't find yourself tempted to wile away your precious time watching videos of adorable baby sloths flirting with girls.

The fledgeling site's research on the subject of coffee shop noise and productivity comes primarily from this paper out of the Journal of Consumer Research, which posits that “a moderate … level of ambient noise enhances performance on creative tasks,” among other such science-y things. In practice, Coffitivity seems to succeed at giving you that slight boost of alertness you feel when surrounded by other laptop hounds at your popular coffee spot. And the best part is? You never have to put on pants.

See also:

– 10 Best Coffee Shops in Los Angeles

– Opening Soon: Tierra Mia Coffee in Echo Park

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