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posts about #hearingaids more →
New Hearing Aids Double As Headphones, Reduce Grandpa to a Living, Breathing iPod Accessory (UPDATED)
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The Goldfish Hearing Aid

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infmom
08/12/09

In reply to New Hearing Aids Double As Headphones, Reduce Grandpa to a Living, Breathing iPod Accessory (UPDATED)
There are bone-conduction hearing aids on the market already--they are used for specific kinds of hearing loss. No reason why that technology couldn't be combined with the bone-conduction headphones.

However, given the outrageous prices for hearing aids already, and the fact that almost nobody's insurance covers them, any early adopters of the technology better have deep pockets.
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Sinecure
08/11/09

In reply to New Hearing Aids Double As Headphones, Reduce Grandpa to a Living, Breathing iPod Accessory (UPDATED)
For the ultimate old people cross-pollination of ideas you could include a laser pointer that spells out "Get Off My Lawn" at the press of a button.
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dimsum4u
08/11/09

In reply to New Hearing Aids Double As Headphones, Reduce Grandpa to a Living, Breathing iPod Accessory (UPDATED)
So after I have taught my grandparents how to use this new fandangled doohickey, I then have to teach them how to use the other fandangled doohickey that speaks to them without any wires. I think the reason they price it so high is because they know they won't sell many in the beginning, but once our generation becomes old and need to wear diapers we are gonna need something like that. Hopefully it changes our diapers at the same time.
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Hello Mister Walrus
08/11/09

In reply to New Hearing Aids Double As Headphones, Reduce Grandpa to a Living, Breathing iPod Accessory (UPDATED)
"consumer tech accessories meant to indirectly plug into your bone"

So, by "bone" do you mean the skeletal parts of your body or your penis? The former would be sort of disturbing. The latter would be just weird...
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Edited by Hello Mister Walrus at 08/11/09 6:10 PM

J0hnP
08/11/09

In reply to New Hearing Aids Double As Headphones, Reduce Grandpa to a Living, Breathing iPod Accessory (UPDATED)
As a lifelong hearing aid wearer and gadet user, I've been eagerly awaiting this type of integration (hearing aids/bluetooth). Since most cell phones generate a lot of interference with hearing aids, having bluetooth integration (sort of like the current tele-coil capability) would be awesome!
Of course, I think the battery drain would be pretty significant. And the price sure seems very significant. ;-)
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John Herrman
08/11/09

@J0hnP: Aren't most fitted hearing aids quite expensive anyway? I always assumed a few grand was par for the course, at least for the mid-to-high-end stuff.
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Nick
08/11/09

@J0hnP: i wonder if this equipment would be covered by most insurers.
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Nick
08/11/09

In reply to New Hearing Aids Double As Headphones, Reduce Grandpa to a Living, Breathing iPod Accessory (UPDATED)
It's a great time to be an old.

adjectives . . . the new nouns.

sorry, just givin' ya a hard time john.
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Edited by Nick at 08/11/09 6:06 PM Nick was starred Nick was unstarred

John Herrman
08/11/09

@Nick: I love Nick: Admittedly I stole the phrase from Gawker, but it's a thing! I promise!
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Nick
08/11/09

@John Herrman: well, now i feel dumb. i was sitting here asking myself, "what if it's a thing i don't know about. then i am gonna look mighty dumb. ahh, what the hay." but the good news is that i now know it's a thing and i will do my best to further perpetuate it.
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Edited by Nick at 08/11/09 6:25 PM Nick was starred Nick was unstarred

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