Category Archives: Bluetooth

Finding Auracast™ Assistive Listening?

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Auracast™ is the latest hot topic in audio & hearing research and technology. Articles are written about it. It is debated and discussed in hearing loss and accessibility meetings. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are sold as Auracast-ready. But what does this all mean? What is Auracast™ and where can we find it to experience it?

New technology in a worldwide market.

Commonly referred to as Auracast™ Broadcast Audio, this is a new and evolving Bluetooth® trademark Assistive Listening System (ALS) for public and personal use. The technology is added to the list of already existing access options, such as FM, IR, hearing loops and WiFi. That said, all currently available technologies remain relevant and Auracast™ will coexist with them into the future.

In this emerging and competitive worldwide market, it takes time for manufacturers, installers and venues to catch up with Auracast™ broadcasting and for audiences to become ready for Auracast™ receiving. Right now, we still need it all. Note that those with telecoils in their hearing aids or CIs will also be able to connect to Auracast™ Broadcasting by plugging a neckloop into the provided Auracast™ receivers.

Broadcasting and receiving

Auracast™ uses L.E. (Low Energy) Bluetooth Audio to broadcast (transmit) sound wirelessly from one Auracast™ transmitter to many Auracast-ready receivers (listening devices). Bluetooth compatibility between Auracast™ transmitters and Auracast™ receivers enables people to share their audio with others. The technology promises improved sound quality. But those who are hard-of-hearing may wonder how well Auracast™ will perform in background noise, their archenemy?

Transmitters can be anything from integrated commercial Auracast™ broadcasting units to Auracast-enabled TVs, laptops, pads, computers and smartphones. Receivers are Auracast-compatible listening devices and instruments, such as earbuds, headsets, hearing aids, cochlear and bone-anchored implants and smartphones.

So, where can one listen to Auracast™?

This is a bit of an issue. In the State of Minnesota, no Auracast-broadcasting venues are currently known to Loop Minnesota nor to the people who contact us because they want to listen to the advertised clearer sound with their Auracast-ready hearing aids or cochlear implants.

As of this writing, one could say that public broadcasting installations lag behind advertising & sales efforts, media attention and people’s expectations. Of course, practical issues like pricing and the availability of reliably trained local installers may also contribute to delays.  

That said, Auracast-listening opportunities might already be out there. But where?  If anybody knows of an Auracast-equipped broadcasting venue in our State, please let Loop Minnesota know. Contact us through this website. We want to establish an Auracast™ location list for our website – as we have done for Hearing Loops.

Getting ready

Eventually, Auracast™ will come to venues near us. Meanwhile, consumers are advised to check on the Auracast™ status of new purchases, such as hearing & listening technologies, home entertainment equipment, smartphones etc.  Although Auracast™ access in public places will happen gradually over time, we want to get ready. But for now – we watch and wait.

Assistive Listening Technologies – Present and Future – to Coexist

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

 

COVID-19? Need for Hearing Loops & T-coils

We still need it ALL!  This conclusion came out of the discussions at the World Congress of the International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH). The World Congress was held in September 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

Worldwide, the ongoing challenge is to help those with hearing loss understand and communicate better in background sound, especially in larger venues. This is when hearing aids and cochlear implants (CIs) are typically not enough. So far, hearing loops & telecoils are the universal, wireless way of providing clearer sound signals and of connecting many people to one sound source, such as a speaker.

As the search for new technology is on, all eyes and ears turn towards Bluetooth®. The new buzzword of the World of Hearing Loss is Auracast™.

A different kind of Bluetooth

Auracast ™ is based on a totally different Bluetooth version from what we have in our hearing instruments right now. This has led to many misunderstandings. In the future, people with hearing loss need re-designed and re-engineered hearing aids and CIs that are Auracast-compatible.

Auracast™ is a wireless, universal broadcast audio using Low Energy Bluetooth as a means of transmission. Besides other helpful and innovative features, it will allow for broadcasting from one Auracast-capable sound source to many Auracast-compatible receivers. Such receivers will include hearing aids, CIs, earphones etc.

On a smaller scale, our “Auracast-capable” phones, TVs, pads and computers will act like mini radio stations. And so, many people can listen at the same time to the same phone call, music or podcast with their “Auracast-compatible” hearing aids and CIs.

But how about large venues, such as conference halls and places of worship? Must they be fitted with Auracast-broadcast technology? At what cost?  Obviously, it is a gigantic project to make the world Auracast-accessible and there are many unanswered questions.

One thing is for sure: It will take time, patience and money. Also, we might expect a lengthy transition period. Not everybody will be on board at the same time. This is one of the reasons why present technology will continue to serve us well. We still need it all.

Hearing Now! 

Meanwhile, we all need to hear and understand better now. IFHOH recognizes this by stating that “it is important that the globally used and proven systems of Hearing Loops, FM, IR + Telecoils not be dismissed.”

In its “Budapest Declaration,” IFHOH recommends that hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturers continue to integrate telecoils in their products. “Telecoils need to come with clear user instructions and with clear information and training to the hearing health professionals.“  Also, it will be important for future hearing aids and CIs to include both Telecoil and Auracast™ technologies for some time.

In the end…

Yes, change is coming but it will be a while. For clearer sound in loud places, telecoils and hearing loops are still very much needed. And therefore, assistive listening technologies – present and future – will indeed coexist for quite some time.

Reference: Budapest Declaration.pdf (dropbox.com)

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For information on Hearing Loops and Assistive Technologies, contact us on this website.

Also, visit my website where I post blogs on all sorts of issues concerning hearing loss. https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

 

Hearing Loops and Telecoils or Bluetooth? We Need Both!

Loop Minnesota Posted on by

Bluetooth Headset

It is all about access to communication

Recently, the question was asked in a meeting why we keep talking about the need for telecoils in hearing aids and cochlear implants and the installation of hearing loops in venues when Bluetooth is in and telecoils and loops are out.

This is a very timely question as it talks to the confusion about current and future use of Bluetooth for those with hearing loss.

Hearing loops and telecoils work together anywhere in the world. They work in venues of any size, from TV dens in homes to convention halls. No synching needed.

While Bluetooth enables wireless connections between smartphones, hearing aids and other Bluetooth devices, even the latest version of this technology is not ready for public, large-scale signal broadcasting. That type of connectivity is still at least another 10 years out, according to technology specialists.

Loops and telecoils versus Bluetooth? At this time, these are two very helpful but different types of technology that coexist and complement each other.

Telecoils and Bluetooth can be installed together in the same hearing instruments, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants. They have their pros and cons but for the foreseeable future, we need both types of technology.

Because in the end, this is all about quality of life through equitable access to communication for those with hearing loss.

Bluetooth changes by leaps and bounds

In 2014, Bluetooth became a popular feature in hearing aids. People with hearing loss immediately appreciated having a direct, wireless, hands-free connections between their smartphones and their hearing instruments.

Nowadays, cochlear implants, earbuds and devices known as “hearables” are also routinely Bluetooth-enabled. Hearing devices can link up with laptops, TVs and computers and more. Accessories like Bluetooth adapters and streamers help bridge connectivity and compatibility issues.

Overall, Bluetooth is technology that allows wireless, one-on-one, short distance connections between different devices that recognize each other. So far, it is mostly helpful for private, personal use.

Enter Bluetooth LE 5.2

With its new coder-decoder (CODEC) LC3, Bluetooth LE 5.2 is fast becoming the new hype of the town. Within the next year or so, this technology will be found in smartphones, hearing instruments and other devices. While it offers some great advantages, converting to this latest Bluetooth version, or protocol will NOT be a simple software upgrade of existing technology.

And so, people must prepare themselves to invest in new phones and hearing instruments capable of handling this newest Bluetooth edition. In order to get ready for Bluetooth LE (LC3), manufacturers are busy adapting their device hardware and software. Particularly, instrument “chips” must be redesigned and re-licensed.

No overnight magic

Although hearing technology changes very fast, there will be no overnight magic. Getting high-quality, reliable Bluetooth connectivity in large spaces is a worldwide undertaking. Progress is expected within the next 10 years or so.

For the time being, the Bluetooth emphasis is still on short-distance connections. Even the latest Bluetooth LE 5.2 (LC3) version is not ready for public audio broadcast in big venues, such as places of worship, airports, lecture and convention halls etc. There are many kinks to be worked out.

Also, as venues must have hearing loops installed for telecoils to function, so venues must be equipped and readied for Bluetooth LE 5.2 (LC3) transmission and reception.

So far, Hearing loops and telecoils are our best and only bet for understanding speech in large, noisy places. And so, there is a continued need for this technology. It is ready and available to help us hear better NOW as well as throughout the lengthy Bluetooth LE 5.2 (LC3) transition period.

Read more: Bluetooth streaming instead of induction?

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To learn more about all sorts of topics on ears and hearing, visit my website at hearing-loss-talk.com