Oticon, one of the most innovative companies in the hearing aid business, has unveiled what it describes as “the world’s first internet connected hearing aid.” What that means is that smart devices around the house, such as thermometers, electronic locks, and smoke detectors, can be made to talk with the new Oticon OPN hearing aids. A lock opening can trigger a notification just in case you don’t hear a family member coming in, for example. What actually happens is really up to the user to program using the IFTTT (If This Then That) online service. You can even have your hearing aids do something as a result of online activity, such as a favorite friend posting a tweet.
While the wireless connectivity of the Oticon Opn is pretty cool, the firm touts the ability of these devices to let users hear multiple sound sources. This helps avoid the common problem of hearings aids focusing on only one speaker that’s near the listener. As the name implies, it is intended to relay sound coming from sources anywhere around the listener. This is made possible thanks to a fast processor analyzing sounds hitting the microphone one hundred times a second.
Product page: Oticon Opn…
Via: Oticon…