Tech Reviews
PuroPro headphones review
The PuroPro is the latest product from Puro Sound Labs, a family-run business focusing on high quality, sound limiting headphones. For this family business, it’s personal. The company founder’s son has a noise-induced hearing loss attributed to headphone use. With...
Communication in the age of universal masking: speech-to-text apps to the rescue
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has touched nearly every aspect of our lives, including how we interact with patients. At this point, it is almost hard to remember a time when we didn’t have to wear masks during clinical encounters. Though...
SoundPrint: an app for finding quieter restaurants
"Is there any chance the music could be turned down a bit”, I asked our server politely on a rare evening out with my husband. We had spent the previous half-hour shouting at each other, only to have the other...
How loud is too loud? Smart ways to monitor noise exposure through your headphones
As an audiologist, an increasingly common concern patients have is noise exposure from their headphones and how it will impact their hearing over time. It’s a legitimate worry considering the average adult is streaming audio content on their mobile devices...
Coros: can a smart helmet make listening to audio content safer for cyclists?
The popularity of mobile phones has made listening to content while on the go – whether it be music, audiobooks, podcasts, or voice calls – a seemingly universal practice. Earbuds and other headphone styles adorn the ears of nearly every...
British Tinnitus Association: a site to add to your bookmarks
What is your reaction when a patient reports having tinnitus? With the exception of audiologists and otolaryngologists who have developed expertise in the area of tinnitus, many of us feel ill-equipped to provide our patients with appropriate guidance. Trying to...
What Plug?
For decades, audiologists have encouraged people to wear hearing protection when they attend concerts. Traditionally, the most accessible options have been foam plugs, which have limited appeal due to their poor sound quality. Disposable foam plugs absorb high frequency sounds...
Misophonia
Decreased sound tolerance is a common audiologic complaint. Unlike the classic characteristics of hyperacusis whereby a patient is sensitive to the frequency or volume of a sound, misophonia is a strong emotional and psychological reaction to a sound with a...
Industry update: rechargeable hearing aid batteries
They may be similar in size to a watch battery, but there is a drastic difference between the frequency with which hearing aid batteries need to be changed compared to the simple watch battery. Unlike a watch battery, which may...
Connecting healthcare
In recent years, there has been a definite shift toward the acceptance and use of smartphone technology in the delivery of healthcare. Within the fields of ENT and audiology, there is considerable appeal in the portability, simplicity, affordability, and connectivity...
Back to the Future
Normally my objective for this column is to highlight an innovation that is already fully realised and on the market. Sometimes it can be fun instead to look forward to what innovations are coming down the pipeline. With that in...
IFTTT.com: a recipe for success with hearing aids?
Technology simplifies our lives: agree or disagree? For me, the answer to that statement can vary quite a bit throughout any given day. As much as I am now able to communicate, check my bank account, share photos, and find...
