FDA OKs Apple hearing aid software
Though it didn't grab the biggest headlines from Apple's "Glowtime" product launch, an upcoming free software update for the company's AirPods Pro 2 could be major news for users with hearing difficulties. On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Apple's Hearing Aid Feature as the first over-the-counter hearing aid software. The update allows users to customize frequency levels on their AirPods, boosting specific sounds such as the human voice. The FDA's Michelle Tarver called the authorization "another step that advances the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support for adults.”
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As someone hearing impaired since birth, this is a huge deal. I likely won't be swapping my hearing aids for airpods anytime soon, but one of the biggest issues with audiology has been that a much greater share of the population needed them, than actually wanted to do something about it. Mainstreaming this tech, brings awareness, and solutions en masse and will hopefully bring quality and price more in line with other peripheral devices. This is a huge win!