Forget text-messaging. In future, phones will filter out extraneous noise to help hearing-impaired people to communicate better, according to a team of German scientists. [...] more »

Deafness, which refers to partial or complete loss of hearing, is one of the most common congenital disabilities in the ... [...] more »

On the bus, or in any other public situation -- even having lunch with associates, friends or family, point at your ears and shake your head while saying, "Sorry, I'm deaf." Then just watch the conversation. Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/using+earplugs+understand+deafness/3401496/story.html#ixzz0wjrlS3Gs [...] more »

DEAF actress Genevieve Barr had to lip-read through all her scenes in BBC1 thriller The Silence - because her hearing aid didn't fit in with her costumes. [...] more »

A NORTH Melbourne product designer is a contender on the world stage for his invention that enables the deaf to feel sound. Swinburne University industrial design graduate Jack Allwood has created the Outer Ear, a non-surgical alternative to the cochlear implant and hearing aids. “It enables anyone to feel a knock on the door, a fire alarm sounding, a person calling out from behind,” Mr Allwood, 21, said. Working on a similar principle to a human eardrum, which receives and translates sound waves into signals that the brain can interpret, the device is worn between the wrist and the elbow on the inner forearm. [...] more »

Metro Designer hearing aids 'to challenge stigma of deafness' Metro The fear of having to wear an unsightly hearing aid deters a lot of people from admitting they could be going deaf. But partially deaf audiologist Kate Cross has teamed up with a jewellery designer to beautify hearing aids and help people overcome the stigma attached to wearing one. [...] more »

RNID said it was delighted to hear that the BBC was considering using red button technology to reduce the impact of background noise, following a large number of complaints about the problem. [...] more »

An innovative iPhone application that allows people to check their hearing has been launched by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). ... and more » [...] more »

Samy is working with an investigational device that will enable people who have lost hearing in both ears to still be able to process certain types of noise. The device bypasses structures within the ear and works by stimulating the brainstem, which sends a message to the brain that a noise has been "heard." [...] more »

A bionic sound amplifier that can be implanted in the human ear to restore hearing has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. ... [...] more »

I have relatives going deaf with age, watching TV with them is not fun. TV volumes set at a level wear I have to wear ear protectio. [...] more »

Today's deaf and hard of hearing kids have it SO good. Now they can choose earmolds with SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, or other characters. Starkey Laboratories just signed a deal with Nickelodeon/Viacom to feature these figments of the imagination on co-branded earmolds. This may make kids more accepting of their earmolds. I have to admit, if Batman and Robin had been available on my earmolds when I was a kid, I might have looked forward to getting new earmolds instead of dreading it! [...] more »

uHear Created by hearing-aid manufacturer Unitron, the app basically replicates the primary hearing test used by audiologists. Wearing earphones, you listen for a series of tones at different frequencies and loudnesses to each ear. You tap a button whenever you hear tones. It also has a mechanism to measure how well you can hear speech in a noisy room. The result is a simple chart of hearing acuity versus frequency range. There’s also a questionnaire that asks how your hearing is in different environments and situations. [...] more »

National charity Deafness Research UK’s 22ft high bionic ear is coming to York Science Festival to teach people about how important and delicate their hearing is and remind people of the risks they face to their hearing from loud music, among other important educational messages about hearing. [...] more »

Tired of the same old, boring hearing aid? Over-ear pieces getting in the way of your glasses or sense of style? Design Affairs has come up with a hearing aid molded to look like the ear tunnels that are growing in popularity again. Read more: Deafinite Style: Not Your Father's Hearing Aid | Walyou http://www.walyou.com/blog/2010/03/01/deafinite-hearing-aid-design/#ixzz0gzzDdy7H http://www.walyou.com [...] more »