Category: Hearing aids

Hearing Economics is always scouting out new ways for in-ear devices to multitask for the general good of mankind. Emerging technologies in new patents provide fertile ground and occasional low hanging fruit. Here are a few thoughts for future in-ear apps, taken from January patent offerings.   Beauty: In the Ear of the Listener or…

Ear devices, like other wearables, continue to track multifunctionality.  Two cases offer new opportunities for future add-on features and connectivity: Muzik Inc.’s wireless earbuds (Fig 1, USPTO #D835602) are indeed wireless but that’s where their resemblance to earbuds-as-we-know-them ends. Intead, they use the head as shelf space for an onboard power supply and integrated speakers, with plenty of…

Once again, communications giants weigh in on the November patent list, which features wearable audio devices from Google and Samsung (0129635 and 10123137) and audio processing for people with hearing loss by Dolby Labs (#10136240).    Ears, Fingers, Eyes and Toes   Time was, grownups maneuvered through life with ears, eyes, hands and feet. Hands and…

As long as people have been wearing hearing aids, and as long as audiologists have been fitting and tailoring them to individual users, there has always been one intractable problem. That is that hearing aids are standalone devices with (relatively) high IQs and (lamentably) low EQs.   What is the Intelligence of Smart Hearing Devices?…