Hearing Aid Technology

GN ReSound Reveals ‘Made for iPhone’ LiNX Hearing Aid

Danish company GN ReSound has officially unveiled its new iOS-controlled hearing aid, dubbed the ReSound LiNX.

The ReSound LiNX uses Bluetooth technology to pair an ear piece with Apple gadgets to stream voice communications and music. In a demo video, ReSound framed them as “wireless stereo headphones that just happen to be your hearing aids,” and showed users placing FaceTime calls and listening to Music on iOS devices, both of which were much easier to hear with the LiNX.

“We saw an opportunity to create the world’s best hearing aid by combining the capability of GN ReSound’s life-changing technologies with the compatibility and global prevalence of iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch,” GN ReSound CEO Lars Viksmoen said in a statement.

ReSound said the LiNX is a “Made for iPhone hearing aid,” a reference to Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) licensing program, which provides accessory makers with the hardware components, tools, documentation, technical support, and certification logos needed to integrate with iOS devices.

ReSound said the LiNX is the smallest wireless device it has ever manufactured, but promised it is “powerful enough to address 90 percent of all hearing losses.” The LiNX comes in 10 hair colours and skin tones to reduce visibility when placed behind the ear. It also sports five receiver lengths for a precise physical fit and an iSolate Nanotech coating to repel water.

The accompanying ReSound Smart App for iOS allows users to set preferred volumes, as well as treble/bass, and use geo-tagging to save adjustments made in frequently visited places, like home, work, favourite restaurants, or the movie theater.

The application also features a “Find My Hearing Aid” function to help pinpoint a misplaced speaker device.

“We are committed to improving people’s lives through use of innovative technology and look forward to more people correcting their hearing with this new technology—a triumph in accessibility for the hearing impaired”.