hear
Latest
ReSound's Bluetooth-infused Alera hearing aid: finally, you can toss that Loud N' Clear
It ain't the first hearing aid to sport Bluetooth, but it's probably the first one to make you think seriously about tossing that Loud N' Clear you purchased in a haze at 3:30AM last year. Operating on the 2.4GHz frequency, the ReSound Alera (and the accompanying Unite wireless accessories) actually allow those who are hard of hearing to pipe in audio from TVs, stereos, cellphones and PCs without any funky cables or fancy setup procedures. Better still, there's no blockage of environmental noise, so folks can continue yelling speaking to their grandkids while Judge Judy tears someone's soul apart in their left ear canal. There's nary a mention of price (we're guessing that doesn't bode well for bargain shoppers), but there's certainly a demonstration vid hosted up after the break. Just make sure to jack the volume to 11, cool?
Bone-anchored hearing aids filter out noise, finally ready for human implantation
Think those noise-canceling earbuds are hot stuff? Imagine if said technology was applied to an advanced type of implantable hearing aid, and you'll have an idea of exactly what Earthlings with severe hearing loss now have to look forward to. For years now, we've watched as cochlear implants became more effective in lab tests, and up until recently, we've had strict medical testing procedures to thank for the inability to actually get one. Now, one Colin Hughes will soon be amongst the first Australians to enjoy a "new bone-anchored hearing aid designed to adjust to noisy environments, quiet conversations and the varying rhythms and pitch of music." Due to a birth defect that left him with atypically narrow eustachian tubes, Colin was never able to take advantage of traditional hearing aids for any length of time, but now these $12,000 (per pair) devices are promising a new life for the 70-year old bloke. Our favorite feature? MP3 players can be directly (and discretely) attached, enabling old geezers to tune out old hags without them ever noticing.[Thanks, Mike]
Sprint WebCapTel On the Go brings call transcription to the mobile
Sprint has just made its WebCapTel service even better. In an effort to provide greater accessibility to Americans with hearing loss, the carrier has introduced the aforementioned service to allow "hard of hearing customers to read word-for-word captions on Windows Mobile 6 web browsers," and for what it's worth, it's also compatible with Safari 2.0. The free web-based system enables hearing impaired individuals to make a call using two phones -- one of which is used for reading captions while the other is used for listening and speaking. The process seems simple enough; before making a call, the user would log onto www.sprintcaptel.com on one device in order to receive the transcription of the discussion on the other. It's available now for calls made within the US (and its Territories).[Via RCRWireless]
Songbird intros $79 disposable flexfit hearing aid
Though not quite as inexpensive as the SolarAid, Songbird Hearing's $79 flexfit is still much, much cheaper than most professional hearing aids. Designed for spendthrifts dealing with "mild to moderate hearing loss," the flexfit is disposable in nature and requires no doctors visit for fitting. In fact, it can actually be ordered directly online (right now) or by phone and can be "easily adjusted to fit almost anyone without the need for a hearing exam." Also of note, the built-in battery is good for 400 hours of active use, which should last most infrequent users two to six months. Got all that, or were we typing too quietly?
DS Daily: Headphones?
The DS Lite's speakers are certainly nothing to be ashamed of. They deliver fairly crisp sound (Elite Beat Agents is a wonderful example) at a decent volume. Still, is this enough in public places? Or are you simply too embarrassed for some games' vibrational happiness to be transmitted to the people around you?Certainly, headphones can offer a more immersive experience in a game. However, the inconvenience of having to carry around an extra device may outweigh the benefits for some. Do you use headphones, and if you do, are they a quality set? How often do you use them? Let's hear it, people.And if a tree falls in the woods, it totally makes a sound. That question is ridiculous.
