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There's a connected hearing aid, and it actually sounds useful
With every new gadget seemingly connected to the internet to automate your life, the question arises if a lot of those items are really useful. Now there's a hearing aid that connects to the Internet of Things, and before you dismiss it, this device seems like it will definitely lend a hand. London-based Oticon announced the Opn: a connected hearing aid that ensures the user knows when someone rings the doorbell, the smoke detector goes off or a baby monitor is chiming. Thanks to TwinLink technology, the Opn doesn't sacrifice size or battery life for connectivity.
Oticon's ConnectLine hearing aid accessories stream your tunes right into your head
While we've seen plenty of prototype and conceptual aids that might some day revolutionize the lives of those struggling with hearing loss, it's rare that we see something real holding just as much potential. That's what we have here with the ConnectLine wireless streaming system from Oticon (no, gamers, not Otacon). We've seen the company tap into the Bluetooth craze before with aids that can be synced with mobile phones, and now it's taking that a step further, enabling them to be paired with a base station (pictured below) that can connect to your TV, stereo, or even a landline phone to send audio right into its compatible hearing aids. No word on cost, but just think: if ol' Snake had one of these Otacon might not have had to yell so much.[Via MedGadget]
Oticon Epoq binaural Bluetooth headset doubles as hearing aid
Oticon's no alien to the niche world of overly useful hearing aids, and while it's been a few years since we've seen anything fresh from the company, its newest offering looks to help those aging ears deal with hearing loss while staying connected to modern technology. The Epoq lineup of "hearing instruments" allows a pair of Bluetooth earpieces to be worn simultaneously, and proprietary binaural high speed wireless technology allows the pair "to communicate at data transfer speeds 100 faster than hearing instruments now on the marker." In essence, the devices transmits "stereophonic auditory information that is in sync with a user's visual experience," and it also tries its hand(s) at being a Bluetooth headset that enables handsfree calling and music streaming when used with the "Streamer" add-on. Oticon will reportedly be rolling out the Epoq W (about $8,000) and Epoq XW (closer to $9,000) early next month.[Via Slashphone, photo courtesy of Stuff]
