Today’s Hearing Aids––Keeping You Connected to Everything

By Elizabeth Brassine, Au.D.

Several years ago we talked about the advent of wireless technology with hearing aids. As the whole world has gone wireless, so have hearing aids. In general, wireless devices allow the hearing aids to communicate with TVs, stereos, telephones, iPads, MP3 players, etc. Now, hearing aid technology has taken another major step forward with the introduction of Made for iPhone® hearing aids.

Humans love technology. Its allure is easy to understand. It comes from technology’s promise to improve our lives by simplifying and enhancing everything we do. Few companies have made good on that promise better than Apple. They are the first name that comes to mind when the world thinks of innovation and they have cornered the market on technology that people seek out and want to use every day.

Now, we have the Made for iPhone Hearing Aid, a product that combines superior hearing aid technology with the world’s most popular and desired smartphone. Everyone loves his or her iPhone. Why is easy to understand. The iPhone is a phone, calendar, camera, contact list, entertainment center, communication hub, and time killer all in one. It keeps us connected to everything important to us and now connects with our hearing aids.

Taking advantage of the intuitiveness and versatility of the iPhone, these hearing aids meet the needs of today’s consumer by:

  • Enabling carefree communication (and hands free with phone signal in both hearing aids simultaneously)
  • Delivering pristine audio streaming of any music or media played through their iPhone, iPad, and iPad touch
  • Letting patients personalize and “geotag” memories to match what they do and where they go
  • Changing memories automatically based on personalized geotags (e.g. Starbucks® memory kicks in when they walk into a Starbucks)
  • Automatically adapting when riding in a car
  • Allowing users to record, play back, and e-mail live sound sources
  • Allowing Siri® to read e-mails and texts through their hearing aids
  • Allowing control of hearing aid volume and memories via iPhone
  • Use the GPS locator capability in the phone to find missing hearing aids

All of this wonderful technology can be done without an intermediary device like so many of the original wireless hearing aids available on the market. Of course, we still have other wireless hearing aids available for those who don’t use iPhones. To learn more about one of these new hearing devices, go to www.trulinkhearing.com or contact Dr. Brassine at 972-838-1300.

Dr. Brassine is a doctor of audiology at Hearing Services of McKinney. www.hearinmckinney.com.