Who among us hasn’t dreamed of becoming a cyborg? …
Anyone? Well, maybe it’s just me. If there are any more of us out there, you will soon be able to get a small step closer with the help of Bluetooth hearing aids.
ReSound’s next line of hearing aids, the Alera, has a pretty impressive list of features packed into a barely-visible package. For starters, they describe it as a surround sound system that can:
- Map sound to the citical bands in the cochlea to mimic the human ear.
- Reduce amplification of unwanted noise.
- Recreate the unaided human ear’s natural directivity patterns.
- Remove feedback without removing other high-frequency sounds.
The big draw here though is that this thing is a Bluetooth device. They’ve got a series of ReSound Unite accessories so that, in true cyborg fashion, you can wirelessly connect and listen to devices like your TV, computer, and mobile phones without carrying around bulky accessories.
There are still some hurdles to overcome; you can’t yet wirelessly connect to devices using the power of your mind, for instance, and you’re still limited to the traditional human range of hearing. No bionic hearing here. Small steps though; I’m sure we’ll get there in time.
For now, aurally-challenged geeks or those with hearing impaired relatives can soon enjoy the benefits of a Bluetooth earpiece and a hearing aid in one compact, technologically advanced device.
(via Engadget)
QNAP has donated a 
Belkin has donated a new WiFi router for every participant! You can use it to get your QNAP NAS online!
ProPrompter is donating an 
I want one! My hearing is terrible. If a person isn’t facing me its iffy if I can understand them. I also have tinnitus in both ears; different pitches, so I get feedback in the middle of my head. That’s what this hippie gets for playing in her father’s auto repair shop and listening to loud rock.
Ahhh, first of all, I ‘am’ kind of a cyborg. In 1978 my leg was torn off 5″ above the ankle by a motorcycle. I was one of the first successful complex micro surgery patients in the US, (though not at all noted). All kinds of braces, brackets, screws & pins are installed in my right leg. Thinking along those terms, this new Bluetooth device ranks No. 3 for me. I say No. 3 above all other senses, for even if I couldn’t hear at top levels, I could at least see, feel & taste what’s presented before me. But this little beauty will soon join my large & growing inventory of gadgets, toys & devices which are already firmly planted in my two homes, cars & belt mounted cases.
Now if only someone could come up with a device for the ‘Thinking Impaired’, I’d be set for life. Keep em rolling guys, the Bluetooth as well as all the other cool stuff you report & review have captured not only my heart, but my wallet as well. Google Ballistic thanks to the entire GeekBeat team!!! “B”
I’ll throw myself into the ring myself, actually; I’m a little tempted by this. I have non-awesome hearing and the addition of bluetooth makes the geek factor pretty high.
I am a bit put off by the lack of pricing, but I assume that’s because you’d generally get them from your hearing-care specialist, not from ReSound directly.
GM Gord!!!, I looked as far as I could, couldn’t find a cost, not even a projected one. This unit may not be off the final design concept or has approached the pre-shipment order platform yet… “B”
It’s definitely still on the “coming soon” list. I don’t know what the value of “soon” is.
I just hope when it does reach market, we have a better spokesperson & not like The “Lee Majors Rechargeable Bionic Hearing Aid”. Not that theirs anything wrong with that!!!, but I think Steve Austen needs a few tweaks in *his* 37 year old bionic arm & legs, after all, Rudy Wells is dead
“B”
I was just issued a pair of these, and a pair of tinnitus maskers by VA. (Im 34 by the way)
Running price on these is somewhere in the range of 5500-6500 a pair.