GN ReSound LiNX™- the Made for iPhone® Hearing Aid

The GN ReSound LiNX™ is the world's first made for iPhone® hearing aid. This means the audio of the iPhone can wirelessly stream to both hearing aids without the use of an intermediary device like a streamer. The GN ReSound LiNX™ also contains several features:

• Enhanced bluetooth (wireless) connectivity without additional battery consumption
• Improved 2.4 gHz transmission technology makes this possible
• GN ReSound's new strategy for frequency compression     
  • This feature promotes the audibility of higher frequencies without causing distortion.
• Programming options to make voices clearer and more understandable in difficult listening environments like restaurants
• Whistle-free technology
  • Feedback is eliminated before it becomes audible
• User-friendly programming that gradually acclimates the individual to amplification

GN ReSound plans to make LiNX hearing aids available for purchase within the first quarter of 2014.

 

For more information, click here to visit GN ReSound's website.

 

 

 

iPhone is a trademark of Apple, Inc.

 

Photo provided courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Read Conversations on Your Smartphone with the CapTel® App

Do you have difficulty participating in conversations on a smartphone? Would you benefit from having the words of your conversation scrolled on the phone as you talk? The Hamilton CapTel® App was designed for this purpose. Available on both Android™ devices and iPhones®, the Hamilton CapTel App provides captioning for your conversations. The text of your conversation scrolls on the screen of the smartphone as you speak.

For more information on the Hamilton CapTel App for iPhones, click here.

For more information on the CapTel App for Android devices, click here.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple, Inc.

Android is a trademark of Google, Inc.

Image provided courtesy of adamr of freedigitalphotos.net

Should I buy wireless accessories for my hearing aids?

Most modern hearing aids are bluetooth compatible devices. This means the hearing instruments can wirelessly connect to multiple devices through the use of a streamer. A streamer is a small device that transmits the audio of a device directly to the hearing aids. Wireless accessories can provide numerous benefits to the hearing instrument user:

• The audio of a television, smart phone, cell phone, landline phone, mp3 player, and computer can be streamed directly to both hearing aids. Hearing the audio in both hearing aids can dramatically improve the clarity of what is heard.  
• The settings of the hearing aids can be adjusted using a remote control. Siemens, Oticon, Phonak, Unitron and other Tier 1 hearing aid manufacturers have remote control devices that can access and adjust the settings of hearing aids. This empowers the hearing aid user to adjust the settings of the hearing aids in multiple listening environments. 
• Siemens and Phonak hearing aid manufacturers have released a small bluetooth microphone that can be worn by a family member or friend of the hearing aid user. When the individual uses the microphone, the audio is sent directly to both hearing aids in distances beyond 30 feet! This is ideal for conversations in difficult listening environments like restaurants, places of worship, etc.

Wireless accessories are inexpensive devices that can be used to help individuals hear better in noise, listen to the TV without extreme volume adjustments, participate in phone conversations, and promote the clarity of conversations in difficult listening environments. If you feel you would benefit from these features, investigate the wireless accessories available for your hearing instruments by clicking on the links below:

For information on wireless accessories compatible with Siemens hearing aids, click here.

For information on wireless accessories compatible with Phonak hearing aids, click here.

For information on wireless accessories compatible with Oticon hearing aids, click here.

Image provided courtesy of photoexplorer of freedigitalphotos.net

The World's First "Made for iPhone" Hearing Aid

GN ReSound has announced the world's first truly "made for iPhone®" hearing aid. The GN ReSound LiNXTM is the first hearing aid to earn the "made for iPhone" label. This means that the audio from an iPhone can be directly transmitted to both hearing aids without the use of a streamer or intermediary device.

More details (such as when the hearing aid will be released for purchase and what other features it will contain) will be forthcoming as GN ReSound makes them available. 

To read more about the world's first "made for iPhone" hearing aid, click here.

iPhone is a trademark of Apple, Inc.

Image provided courtesy of sippakorn freedigitalphotos.net

The Link Between Hearing Loss and Heart Disease

Numerous studies point to a link between heart health and hearing health. If the cardiovascular system shows signs of restricted blood flow, the individual's hearing can be detrimentally impacted. In fact, many experts are beginning to call the ear a "window to the heart" because of the correlation between cardiovascular and hearing health. Researchers are unclear as to which condition comes first- heart disease or a loss of hearing. However, many physicians are now calling for patients over 40 to have their hearing evaluated as a normal part of a routine medical exam.

For more information on the link between hearing loss and heart disease, click on the links below:

• Article from the Better Hearing Institute (source of information for this blog post)

• American Journal of Audiology Article

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How to Know if You Have Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

In a recent interview with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Dr. Sandra Gordon-Salant suggests that about 50% of adults over the age of 60 have some form of hearing loss. Of this 50%, it's estimated that only 20% actually take action to address their hearing health. That's why the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association decided to launch the "Identify the Signs" Campaign- a publicawareness program designed to help people recognize the signs of untreated hearing loss and learn how to address it. 

Here are some signs of noise-induced hearing loss as presented by ASHA and the "Identify the Signs" campaign: 

• You feel like people are mumbling all the time
• It's difficult to understand conversations over the phone
• People tell you the television volume is too loud
• It's difficult to follow conversations in a group or a crowded room
• Children and women are particularly hard to understand
• You frequently ask for people to repeat themselves

If you feel like you or a family member are experiencing one or more of these signs, visit our website for information on how to address your potential hearing loss.

Image provided courtesy of David Castillo Dominici of freedigitalphotos.net

Hearing Aids, iOS7, and the New iPhone® 5s and 5c

With the release of the new iOS7 operating system and iPhone® 5s and 5c models, Apple appears to be taking another step closer to "made for iPhone" hearing aids.

iOS7 provides a few advances with the hearing impaired in mind:

• Additional support for “made for iPhone” hearing aids (in preparation for when they become available)
• Support for stereo audio for iPhone 5 and iPod Touch (5th generation)
• Improved integration with Bluetooth® 4.0 accessories (BLE or Bluetooth Low Energy)

Bluetooth 4.0 technology could eventually lead to three important advances in hearing instrument and iPhone compatibility:

• Direct connection between hearing aids and iPhones (without the use of a streamer)
• Clearer, more natural sounding audio (due to improved wireless transmission of the audio)
• Lower power consumption (leading to improved battery life)

Jordan Kahn of “9to5 Mac” predicts that hearing aids and Apple designed hearing aid technology with Bluetooth 4.0 will be released by the end of 2013. Click here to read his blog on how advances in Apple's new operating system could pave the way for “made for iPhone” hearing aids.

 

Bluetooth 4.0 technology is not currently available in hearing instruments. However, GN Resound has released technology featuring a 2.4 gHz low-power communications protocol in line with Bluetooth 4.0 functionality. Also, Oticon's new Inium technology boasts of faster processing speeds and lower power consumption than the 2.4 gHz protocol. Three hearing aid manufacturers- GN Resound, Oticon, and Starkey, are working with Apple to release technology with the “made for iPhone” label by the end of 2013.

 

 

Image provided courtesy of sippakorn of freedigitalphotos.net.

iPhone, iOS7, iPhone 5s, 5c, 4s, and 4 are trademarks of Apple, Inc.
Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG.