I was recently socializing with a group of people, most of whom were about my age, or a little older. The topic of conversation came around to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, and one of the people said, “I wonder how big Haiti is?” I took my iPhone out of my pocket and one member of the group immediately said, “oh, I hate those things. They are just too complicated for me to use.” Some of you know that I am infamous for my ever readiness to make a point. This situation was no exception, so I lifted the iPhone to my face, and spoke to it: “what is the area of Haiti in kilometers?” The phone immediately displayed the results, which I read to the group: “Haiti has an area of 27,750 square kilometers, slightly smaller than Maryland.”
The iPhone has several applications that can be operated by voice. As I illustrated to my friends that evening, Google search is one of them,. IPhone users can also make phone calls and play music without pushing any buttons. For example, when I want to call my wife I simply say to my phone, “call Marcia at home,” and the phone will dial up Marcia. If I forget to tell the device which of Marcia’s numbers I want to call, it will ask me whether I want to call her home phone or cell phone! I can also play my music by using my voice: ”Play Roy Orbison, Blue Bayou” will work. In my opinion these methods of obtaining results are far simpler than the traditional ways. Voice control is not specifically a senior technologybut it is especially useful for seniors.
These technologies are improving very quickly. I want to invite you to spend four minutes watching the above video to see what is coming next. If you think that this is far in the future, watch all the way to the end.
Complete gadget overload…between the lights of Las Vegas and the toys at the Consumer Electronics Show(CES) this weekend was sensory overload, even for a technophile. Sexy products and gadgets? Yes. Practical? Some yes, some no.
In three years several demonstration houses should be finished. They will be equipped with a robot and the domestic systems of a ’smart home’ — think of self-opening curtains. The central role is played by the ‘domestic robot’. It follows patients through the house, learns their habits, watches them closely, gives sound advice, turns the air conditioning up or down a bit, and warns a doctor when the patient is not doing well. In addition, the robot also provides entertainment in the form of the Internet and videos.
I am racing past my mid-60s. Like many people of my age and generation, I cannot ignore the fact that I don’t hear as well as I did when I was younger. I know I am not alone, and I know that Baby Boomers are especially vulnerable because we were the first generation that systematically blasted unhealthy noise levels directly into our ears, on purpose.
Hearing Loop Illustration
As a result, I pay more attention to news and information about hearing loss and remedies. I recently listened to a radio broadcast that described a very promising use of technology for people who suffer from hearing impairment. It is called the “Hearing Loop.” The website HearingLoop.org is dedicated to this technology. Here is a quote from that site:
People with hearing loss can dream of a future when hearing aids might also serve as wireless loudspeakers, delivering clear, customized sound from inside their ears. They can dream of communities where worship places, auditoriums, business windows, and home TV rooms all broadcast their sound through these in-the-ear loudspeakers. Thanks to the refinement of “induction loop” systems–which magnetically transmit sound to hearing aids and cochlear implants with telecoils (T-coils)– that future can be now!
The “loop” part of the system is a wire loop that is large enough to encompass the area in which an assembly of hearing-impaired people might want to hear amplified sound clearly. Examples are church auditoriums, airline terminals or even your living room or office. The signal generated by the loop is received by a tiny special circuit built into sound receivers, like hearing aids. The advantage of the loop system is that it receives the broadcast signal directly and not by means of a microphone. This eliminates the echo, or reverberation, that is familiar to hearing aid users. For example, if you equip home media area with a Loop, your hearing aid will act as the speaker for the television set directly. Previously, the television set broadcasted its sound signal through its own speakers, which produced a sound. Then your hearing aid received the sound by means of a microphone and rebroadcasted it through the hearing aid speaker, potentially resulting in significant distortion and feedback. With the Loop system, your hearing aid receives the electronic sound signal directly from the television set. The result is amazing.
The radio broadcast I mentioned included a couple of sound demonstrations illustrating the difference between a regular hearing aid and a hearing aid equipped with a Hearing Loop. Click here to listen to one of those demonstrations. I think you will be surprised.
Loop systems are currently much more common in Europe than in North America. This is surprising because there is a large population of hearing-impaired people in North America. However, the number of locations that are loop-equipped is growing rapidly in the United States and Canada. The number of devices that can receive loop signals is increasing, as well. For example, The New York City Taxi and Limosine Commission has issued a request for public comment from interested parties on how to address the needs of persons with hearing loss in public for-hire vehicles. Specifically, it aims to explore induction loop technology. Anyone who has even a slight hearing loss can appreciate this!
Telecoils are relatively inexpensive additions to hearing instruments. When they are within a hearing loop, they double their usefulness. In additional to their traditional use they enable the instrument to serve as a customized, wireless speaker. They also enhance phone listening. All landline phones currently manufactured in the United States are equipped with loop transmission capability. More and more cell phones are available with the technology, as well. The U.S Federal Communications Commission now requires digital phone manufacturers to make telecoil-compatible phones available at every price level.
Hearing-impaired individuals should try to ensure that any kind of sound receiver they purchase is equipped for this new technology. People and organizations who advocate for the hearing impaired should vigorously promote the equipping of public places for the techology, too. It is going to have a significant effect on our quality of life!
I have used and evaluated lots of iPhone and iPad apps for senior citizens but I think this one is my all-time favorite. Here is the description from the Apple iTunes Preview:
Dragon Dictation is an easy-to-use voice recognition application powered by Dragon® NaturallySpeaking® that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your text or [...]
The iPad has become a phenomenon among senior citizens. This is a portal to a full-time, up-to-date source of news for senior citizens who are interested in it.
