hearing

Along with testifying in front of the U.S. Congress about location data tracking, Apple today responded to a letter from Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) about the company's location data practices.

In a letter (PDF) signed by Bruce Sewell, Apple's general counsel and senior vice president of legal and government affairs, the company addressed seven questions from Rep. Markey that had been sent to Apple before it made that information public in its "Q&A on Location Data" document published late last month.

"I am pleased that after my letter Apple announced that its … Read more

It's hard to make a hearing aid sound cool, but it helps to refer to it as a "personal sound amplifier." Meet RCA's Symphonix RPSA10.

RCA isn't targeting the Big Band generation with the new device. It's geared more for younger buyers, some of whom, the company notes, may have damaged hearing from spending so much time hooked up to blasting headphones and exposed to booming car stereos.

RCA and its parent company Audiovox already make plenty of speakers and headphones and it's not a stretch to jump into the hearing aid realm … Read more

Next week, CEOs from some of the nation's largest wireless companies will be testifying on Capitol Hill for and against the proposed $39 billion megamerger between AT&T and T-Mobile USA.

On Wednesday, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson and T-Mobile USA CEO Philipp Humm will argue in favor of the merger in front of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing titled "The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger: Is Humpty Dumpty Being Put Back Together Again?"

Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse and regional carrier Cellular South CEO Hu Mena will be there to testify against the merger. … Read more

Siemens is unveiling a suite of new products at the American Academy of Audiology 2011 conference in Chicago this week, including what it claims is the world's first fully waterproof (and dustproof, and shock-resistant) digital hearing aid.

Called Aquaris, the aid's housing is made of one solid piece, so the only opening is to the battery compartment, which is fitted with a membrane designed to let air in but keep water out.

Siemens lists a whole range of activities that have until now been difficult for those wearing hearing aids that can be ruined by not just water but sweat and dust: sailing, swimming, kayaking, golfing, gardening, cycling, and jogging.

Because the device can be fully submerged in water up to 3 feet deep for 30 minutes (rendering it more than merely water-resistant), shallow snorkeling should be added to the list. Whether we will ever be able to scuba dive with hearing aids remains to be seen.

Aquaris also features a non-slip, textured surface that holds the Aquaris behind the ear; a "sport clip" to further secure the device during intense activities; and a water-resistant Aquapac for added protection.

Siemens has yet to release pricing or availability details.… Read more

This week, Donald and Eric explore the idea of hearing with your mouth, seeing in 12 dimensions, and shooting lightening with a wave of your arm. Yes, it's wizard tech week, apparently. To that end, we show off an illuminated staff that can divine the strength of your Wi-Fi signal and a DIY project for all you pinball wizards out there.

Subscribe in iTunes SD Video | Subscribe in RSS SD Video… Read more

Julian Assange should have been arrested in Sweden as soon as a prosecutor there decided he should be questioned on rape allegations, according to a defense witness in the WikiLeaks editor's ongoing extradition hearing.

Sven-Erik Alhem, a former Swedish prosecutor, told the second day of the hearing at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court that Assange should have been allowed to give his version of events once it was alleged that he had had coercive sex with two women.

"When [prosecutor] Marianne Ny decided to change the original decision not to prosecute [for rape]... in my opinion she should have made … Read more

A two-day hearing has begun in London to determine whether WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange should be extradited to Sweden for questioning on sex-crime allegations.

On Monday, Assange appeared at Belmarsh Magistrates' Court in Woolwich before district judge Howard Riddle. Lawyers for both sides presented their opening arguments in the extradition hearing, which has attracted conspiracy theories suggesting the US government is working through the Swedish authorities to bring Assange into its jurisdiction.

Defense barrister Geoffrey Robertson told the court that Assange would face a closed hearing in Sweden if extradited, as is customary in rape trials there.

"The Swedish … Read more

Body device developer IntriCon is now selling its tiny new hearing aid, which manages to pack a few punches into a gadget that's smaller than a dime.

Called APT, the hearing aid can be reconfigured to fit the left or right ear quickly and easily (this feature is patent-pending) and comes with a wax guard system that is replaceable, so if you fall into a fountain while texting and damage the shell, you can just swap it out for a new one.

The hearing aid is small enough to not obstruct the ear canal (these are called "open-ear" hearing aids), so the user doesn't suffer through that blocked-up feeling so common in bulkier ones. It also includes what the company calls the AcousTAP Switch, which lets the user toggle between settings by patting the ear instead of the hearing aid.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Clarity, a leading provider of amplified telephones and assistive listening devices for seniors and those with hearing loss, has learned over the years that many seniors (75 and older) need new tech to be simple. Really simple.

An example: it's removed the plastic around its phone cords in packaging because so many reported having a hard time doing it themselves.

So the company's new customer service platform, ClarityLogic, gives their customer service call center access to each customer's phone so that, with the click of one button, they can get help for any phone issues without … Read more