The iPhone 16 took center stage at Apple’s “Glowtime” event, but the most interesting tidbit came from a different line entirely. Indeed, among a sea of new hardware came an intriguing software update to one already on the market: the AirPods Pro 2.
Apple announced that its most premium earbuds would double as an over-the-counter hearing aid, courtesy of a software update, pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA on Thursday announced that it has granted what it calls “the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device, Hearing Aid Feature.” Specifically, it has approved the software update that enables that functionality.
“Hearing loss is a significant public health issue impacting millions of Americans,” the FDA’s Michelle Tarver notes in a statement. “Today’s marketing authorization of an over-the-counter hearing aid software on a widely used consumer audio product is another step that advances the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.”
The news was made possible in part by the FDA’s October 2022 move to allow for the sale of hearing aids without a prescription. That move has given rise to an new industry of more easily accessible hearing devices.
Earlier this week, TechCrunch went hands-on with a demo version of Apple’s new hearing test. The feature will be accessible via settings in iOS 18 when a pair of AirPods 2 are connected. Users will have to receive a result of mild to moderate hearing loss in order to take advantage of the new feature. Alternately, they can also upload test results from a doctor.
The hearing aid functions by adjusting different frequency levels, in order to amplify key sounds such as the human voice.
The Australian government wants to introduce powers to fine social media platforms up to 5% of their global revenue if they fail to stop the spread of misinformation under a…
Indian antitrust regulator has found that Amazon and Flipkart, owned by Walmart, violated local competition laws, according to a report. The finding presents a new challenge for the e-commerce giants…
Tune.FM is a decentralized music streaming service where users pay for each song they stream using Tune.FM’s crypto token JAM.
DeepMind employed a new learning platform, ALOHA Unleashed, paired with its simulation program, DemoStart, to teach robots by watching humans.
The FDA on Thursday announced that it has granted what it calls “the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device, Hearing Aid Feature.”
Google announced on Thursday that it’s introducing new Wallet updates for travelers and commuters. Most notably, Google Wallet will soon start beta testing the ability to create a Digital ID…
The White House says several major AI vendors have committed to taking steps to combat nonconsensual deepfakes and child sexual abuse material. Adobe, Cohere, Microsoft, Anthropic OpenAI, and data provider…
Microsoft is laying off around 650 employees from its gaming division, according to an internal memo shared online by IGN. The latest cuts come eight months after the company laid…
In an attempt to prevent suicide and self-harm content from spreading online, the nonprofit Mental Health Coalition (MHC) today announced a new program, Thrive, aimed at encouraging online platforms to…
The U.K. government has introduced a new bill to Parliament which proposes new legal protections for digital assets such as Bitcoin.
Elon Musk’s social network X is exploring a new feature that would allow users to block others from direct messaging them, but in a way that’s separate from the account…
Figure is testing Figure 02’s efficacy for helping out in the kitchen and picking up around the house.
Is a business coach really worth the investment? Execs often seek coaches to bolster aspects of their work, like communication skills and their productivity. At least anecdotally, these skills do…
Humanz, a marketing platform for content creators and brands, has entered the U.S. market, the company announced on Thursday. Having launched in Israel in 2017, Humanz has gained strong traction…
iFixit, everyone’s favorite gadget repair gadfly, is launching a portable soldering iron. The gadget is designed to make component repair more accessible for home users. The timing of the announcement…
Ireland’s media regulator said it is reviewing how major platforms let users report illegal content, following a high number of complaints.
Novatus helps financial companies manage their data for risk and compliance data, and it has now raised $40M to expand into new markets.
Small businesses are the unsung heroes of the American economy, employing nearly half of America’s workforce and making up 44% of the country’s GDP. But when it’s time for small…
Google’s lead privacy regulator in the European Union has opened an investigation into whether or not it has complied with the bloc’s data protection laws in relation to use of…
Video games are some of the most lucrative apps in the world, in part because of how they lure people into spending money on credits to buy digital goodies, to…
WhatsApp is now letting small businesses in India sign up for a Meta Verified badge and giving them the ability to send customized messages to customers.
OpenWeb, a New York startup whose tools help publishers engage users, has a unique problem. Its co-founding CEO reportedly won’t leave, even though it announced a new CEO. According to…
In a development that will surprise few, former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann’s climate/crypto/carbon-credit startup Flowcarbon appears to be in the process of curling up to die, Forbes reported today. Buyers…
Rufus, Amazon’s recently launched, shopping-focused chatbot, is getting ads soon. That’s according to a changelog published by Amazon this week (first spotted by AdWeek), which states that sponsored ads could…
No one likes standing in line. I was reminded of just how awful the experience can be last Saturday, while being herded like cattle through a two-hour queue for a…
OpenAI is reportedly in talks with investors to raise $6.5 billion at a $150 billion pre-money valuation, according to Bloomberg. The new valuation is significantly higher than OpenAI’s previously reported…
Along with biological organisms, the robots were inspired kirigami, a variation of origami wherein objects are cut in addition to folded.
YouTube confirmed on Wednesday that its collaborative “Add Yours” sticker for YouTube Shorts is now fully rolled out. The Google-owned company first announced the feature back in July. The sticker…
Source: Techcrunch
