World's First 'Made for iPhone' Hearing Aid

I am very excited as I write this post because the world of hearing aids is about to be given a shake up. For some time hearing aids have had an negative image attached to them, but a new technology advancement is about to make hearing aids very cool indeed!

Danish hearing aid manufacturer, GN ReSound, has just launched its latest product 'LiNX' over in the United States and is due for release here in the UK later this year.

This new hearing instrument connects directly to iPhones and other iOS devices, allowing wearers to talk on the phone or listen to music, without any intermediary devices, and is the first of it's kind.

Launching alongside the LiNX is a new iOS app that works as a remote for the hearing aid, allowing wearers to adjust volume levels, equalisers, and switch between preset environments for the hearing aid, allowing the device to optimise to the user's environment.

Hearing aids can have several different modes, adjusting to the acoustics of each environment -- the app even uses geofencing to automatically change sound profiles based on the location of the wearer, changing for work, home, or a favorite restaurant. There is also a "Find My Hearing Aid" function to help users find their device if it's lost.

Previously, hearing aid wearers would need to carry a pendant or other wireless device in order to make changes to settings on a tiny hearing aid -- adjusting volume or switching between profiles -- now, users can make those changes directly on the iPhone, a device that many are carrying anyway in a significant quality of life improvement.

It also allows users to listen directly to games, calls, FaceTime conversations, music, and any other audio directly from the iOS device, without a handheld dongle or other intermediary devices.The technology will be available in hearing aids from both GN ReSound and its sister-brand Beltone.

Who said that hearing aids couldn't be cool?