Wireless hearing aids? How technology continues to improve our lives
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[March 29, 2011]
(ARA) - "Any sufficiently
advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," wrote
physicist and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. Imagine what
our ancestors, who relied on telegraphs or landline telephones,
would make of today's wireless communications technology.
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You can navigate a new city using nothing more than a palm-sized
device that talks to a larger device orbiting far above the earth.
You push a button in an upstairs office that orders a printing
machine in the kitchen to print out the recipe for tonight's dinner.
And you can wear hearing aids that allow you to watch a movie with
others by having the sound streamed directly into the hearing aids
at a volume that's right for you, while your family can watch
comfortably at the same time.
Whether or not you understand the mechanics of how the technology
works, it's easy to feel the effect wireless communication has had
on our lives is downright magical. From mobile phones that allow us
to speak with others from virtually anywhere on the planet to garage
door openers that save us from having to exit our cars in the
soaking rain, wireless devices are everywhere in American life.
The technology and its application are developing at a breakneck
pace. For many of us, it's becoming easy to imagine that wireless
technology can have practical use in virtually every aspect of our
lives. New developments like two-way transmission capabilities that
will make Wi-Fi networks even faster and more fluid will influence
how - and how often - we use wireless technology.
In particular, wireless technology has widespread implications for
our health. It facilitates communications among medical
professionals, allows a doctor in a different city to view your MRI
readings in real time, and even makes it easier for hearing impaired
individuals to share in high-tech entertainment that might have been
problematic for them with traditional hearing aids.
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In the simplest sense, hearing aids are designed to amplify sound.
Now, new wireless hearing aids by hearing aid maker Starkey stream
sound directly from your TV, radio or computer to your hearing aids,
allowing you to hear these devices at the volume you want without
disturbing others in the room.
Wi Series hearing aids can be customized to fit your ears. And they
provide the high quality features including an advanced noise
reduction and speech preservation system and feedback canceller that
Starkey is known for. The hearing aids eliminate the need to wear
headphones in order to enjoy certain media, like TV or radio. Once
you plug the aid's companion device into your TV, radio or other
media device, you can begin streaming sound immediately without
pairing or the need for a body worn device. You can learn more at
www.starkey.com.
"Baby boomers and many in the older generation are increasingly
comfortable with technology," says Barry Freeman, Ph.D., of Starkey.
"They don't want to give up enjoying media because of hearing
impairment or hearing aids that conflict with media use. Now,
wireless hearing aids ensure they don't have to." |