Hearing News Watch

Featured image for “Possible Relationship Between Caffeine Use and Hearing Recovery Exists”
Jul. 06, 2016

Possible Relationship Between Caffeine Use and Hearing Recovery Exists

Brian Taylor
That bottomless cup of morning joe you enjoy the morning after a late night concert might be preventing your ears from recovering. More than three-quarters of American adults enjoy a jolt of caffeine, typically in a cup or two of morning coffee, but recent research, conducted by Dr Faisal Zawawi, Otolaryngologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health
Featured image for “New Zealand’s Abano Healthcare Agrees to Sale of Stake in Audiology Business”
Jul. 02, 2016

New Zealand’s Abano Healthcare Agrees to Sale of Stake in Audiology Business

HHTM
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – In May it was reported that Abano Healthcare Group had received an unsolicited offer to purchase the company’s 50% stake in Bay International, a retail network of audiology clinics across Australia and southeast Asia, from an undisclosed “international hearing device manufacturer”. The offer, approximately $32 million NZ (approximately $22.7 million US), is nearly three times the
Featured image for “New York Dispenser to Serve 4 to 12 Years for Hearing Aid Scam”
Jun. 29, 2016

New York Dispenser to Serve 4 to 12 Years for Hearing Aid Scam

HHTM
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joshua Miller, a licensed New York hearing aid dispenser and owner of Syracuse Hearing Aid Centers, LLC, has plead guilty to first and second degree grand larceny. Miller will now spend the next 4 to 12 years in prison for his crimes. In November 2015, Miller was indicted by a grand jury on charges that he was
Featured image for “Phonak to Offer Industry-First, Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Hearing Aids”
Jun. 27, 2016

Phonak to Offer Industry-First, Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Hearing Aids

HHTM
Swiss-based hearing aid manufacturer, Phonak, has announced that it will soon be launching a new hearing aid platform Belong, which will include rechargeable lithium-ion technology. The new recharging technology will be included in Phonak’s upcoming Audeo B-R Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) product line. While rechargeable batteries themselves are certainly not new to hearing aids, the use of lithium-ion technology is. Citing the
Featured image for “Is 2016 the Year of the Hearable? Status of Apple and Samsung Gadgets”
Jun. 21, 2016

Is 2016 the Year of the Hearable? Status of Apple and Samsung Gadgets

Brian Taylor
With launch details recently reported by the fashion technology website, Fashnerd.com, Apple and Samsung have plans to launch their own hearables. Samsung recently gave us a glimpse of their latest gadget, the Gear IconX, as reported by HHTM in early May. However, we now have more details from the company about what the devices will have to offer, expected release date and pricing.  
Featured image for “U.S. Military Deploys 20,000 Smart Earplugs”
Jun. 17, 2016

U.S. Military Deploys 20,000 Smart Earplugs

HHTM
WASHINGTON, DC — The US Department of Defense reports that half of all troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from some degree of permanent hearing loss. A National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast on June 3 featured the development and deployment of a smart hearing protection system, called Tactical Communication and Protective System (or TCAPS). Currently, 20,000 TCAPS are being
Featured image for “After Major Acquisitions by Sonova, GN, William Demant Eyes “Defensive” Retail Acquisition Opportunities”
Jun. 14, 2016

After Major Acquisitions by Sonova, GN, William Demant Eyes “Defensive” Retail Acquisition Opportunities

HHTM
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — After seeing two of its biggest competitors make major acquisitions in recent months, hearing aid maker William Demant is seeking ways to minimize the impact on its global sales. According to a June 8 Reuters article by Ole Mikkelsen, the company (which owns major hearing aid brands Oticon, Bernafon and Sonic Innovations) says it “will not hesitate” to purchase retail chains if
Featured image for “Audiology World News: Link between hearing impairment and rheumatoid arthritis”
Jun. 12, 2016

Audiology World News: Link between hearing impairment and rheumatoid arthritis

HHTM
A review on the association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and hearing impairment (HI) was recently published in the Open Rheumatology Journal and highlighted that patients with RA are at a higher risk during the course of their disease. The review was carried out by researchers from the Odense University Hospital in Denmark. They performed a comprehensive search of all specialized
Featured image for “Apple Receives Patent for Headphones Using Bone Conduction to Improve Hearing in Noise”
Jun. 09, 2016

Apple Receives Patent for Headphones Using Bone Conduction to Improve Hearing in Noise

HHTM
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — Tech industry titan, Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), was awarded a patent this week by the US Trademark Office for a headset that utilizes bone conduction to deliver improved hearing in the presence of ambient noise. The patent, #9,363,596, was originally filed in 2013. The earphone device uses an accelerometer-based voice activation detection and microphone array, which measures
Featured image for “Organizations with Differing Agendas Support Making Hearing Loss a National Priority”
Jun. 07, 2016

Organizations with Differing Agendas Support Making Hearing Loss a National Priority

Brian Taylor
The groundbreaking June 2 report, Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability, issued by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), continues to generate a broad range of opinions from a variety of sources. Although these opinions vary on the final recommendations of the NAS report, it is the judgement of many key stakeholders that the report