Bluetooth enabled hearing aid
Jan 2008
20
Free idea for anyone who wants it.
My girlfriend uses hearing aids. She also buys Nokia cell phones, because they have the loudest speakers, and sets it to the highest volume. When she receives a call off comes a hearing aid.
How about manufacturing hearing aids with a bluetooth connection? Might draw a little more power, but batteries are getting better all the time.
And a secondary idea for bluetooth headsets: Come up with a standard for a visible indicator. Maybe a red light means that you are on the phone, and a blue light is for listening to music. I’ve had too many awkward moments initiating a conversation with someone who is zoned out on bluetooth.
# Jon on February 14th, 2008
Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids exist.
1) Starkey makes a device called ELI which attaches where FM receivers attach–so if GF uses FM, she can hook into this.
2) Also, if GM uses FM and she doesn’t like ELI, she can check out Phonak’s Smartlink FM transmitter.
3) The most expensive but hippest solution would be Oticon’s new Epoq hearing aids, which come paired with a streamer device which acts as a direct bridge between bluetooth transmitters and the hearing aids themselves, and actually transmits a binaural feed (as opposed to 1) and 2) above, which don’t).
And if GF is willing to wait a little longer, other options will no doubt begin to flood the market as well.
That help?
# Matt on February 14th, 2008
Thanks for the comment Jon. The Oticon Epoq is exactly what I was thinking of. I’d even like something like that for myself so that I could listen to music during boring meetings
# Stefanie on February 14th, 2008
Hi there…this would be the GF.
Thanks for the input Jon! This sounds great! I had a look at the website for the Oticon gizmo and I’m salivating to get one! Probably will wait and see what else pops up…but not gonna forget about this thing!