ReSound LiNX Launches as World’s First ‘Made for iPhone’ Hearing Aid

A new hearing aid launched today connects directly to iPhones and other iOS devices, allowing wearers to talk on the phone or listen to music, by GN ReSound, a Danish hearing aid manufacturer.

The ReSound LiNX is the first Apple-certified “MFi” or Made for iPhone hearing aid that connects directly to the iPhone or other iOS device without any intermediary devices.

Launching alongside the LiNX is a new iOS app that works as a remote for the hearing aid, allowing wearers to adjust volume levels, equalizers, and switch between preset environments for the hearing aid, allowing the device to optimize to the user’s environment. Hearing aids can have several different modes, adjusting to the acoustics of each environment — the app even uses geofencing to automatically change sound profiles based on the location of the wearer, changing for work, home, or a favorite restaurant. There is also a “Find My Hearing Aid” function to help users find their device if it’s lost.

A company representative told MacRumors that the app was an attempt to connect the hearing aid to the Internet for the first time. By using GPS geofencing, the hearing aid can change and adapt to its environment for the first time without user intervention. The 2.4GHz protocol used by the LiNX is also unique — the company worked closely with Apple to develop a special protocol specifically for communication between iPhones and hearing aids, and that GN built a new hearing aid processor to support it. It is much smarter about turning on and off quickly, saving battery life and delivering five to six days of battery life in normal use, even with the added technology.

ReSound LiNX launches in global markets today as a revolutionary hearing aid capable of streaming high-quality stereo sound from an iPhone, iPad and iPod touch without the need for an additional pendant-like device. Users can also customize their hearing experience through the ReSound Smart App. ReSound LiNX advances a number of ReSound technologies which already lead the hearing aid industry.

“We saw an opportunity to create the world’s best hearing aid by combining the capability of GN ReSound’s life-changing technologies with the compatibility and global prevalence of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch,” said GN ReSound CEO Lars Viksmoen. “We are committed to improving people’s lives through use of innovative technology and look forward to more people correcting their hearing with this new technology – a triumph in accessibility for the hearing impaired.”

Previously, hearing aid wearers would need to carry a cumbersome pendant or other wireless device in order to make changes to settings on a tiny hearing aid — adjusting volume or switching between profiles — now, users can make those changes directly on the iPhone, a device that many are carrying anyway in a significant quality of life improvement. It also allows users to listen directly to games, calls, FaceTime conversations, music, and any other audio directly from the iOS device, without a handheld dongle or other intermediary devices.

The technology will be available in hearing aids from both GN ReSound and its sister-brand Beltone, available through the company’s network of dealer audiologists. Interested parties can sign up for the company’s mailing list on its website.

Apple Sues Chinese Government Agency and Shanghai Company Over Siri-Related Patents [iOS Blog]

Apple is suing both a Chinese government agency and a Shanghai technology business over patents involving the company’s Siri voice assistant, said Xinhua, the official state press agency of the People’s Republic of China (via AFP).

Apple launched the case against the State Intellectual Property Office, which is in charge of patent rights protection in China, and Shanghai’s Zhizhen Network Technology, which developed software similar to Siri, the report said.

This lawsuit involves a voice recognition patent owned by Zhizhen that covers its Xiaoi chat robot system. Xiaoi began in 2003 as a chat bot for MSN, Yahoo Messenger, and other similar chat networks. It has expanded to other platforms including iOS and Android, where it bears a striking similarity to Siri.

Zhizhen was awarded patent rights for the underlying Xiaoi technology in 2006 and used these rights in 2012 to sue Apple for patent infringement. The case was heard in July 2013, but a decision from the Shanghai court was never announced. Apple failed to block Zhizhen’s infringement claim when a request to invalidate the company’s voice recognition patent was denied by the State Intellectual Property Office

The first hearing in this latest case will be held later this week.

Profile of Apple CEO Tim Cook Gives Insight Into His Alabama Roots

Details on Apple CEO Tim Cook’s early life in Robertsdale, Alabama have been shared by Alabama news site AL.com, giving readers a look at Cook’s high school years and detailing the place where one of the most well-known CEOs in the world grew up.

Don and Geraldine, Cook’s parents, moved to the small town of Robertsdale, Alabama with Tim and his three brothers in 1971, when Cook was 11 years old. Cook attended the local schools and is said to have had a “studious nature.” He joined the yearbook staff, taking care of the business end of things, and was a part of the band, where he played the trombone.

Tim Cook’s senior yearbook photo, 1978

“You didn’t go around calling him a nerd,” said Barbara Davis, who taught Cook math. “He was just the kind of person you liked to be around.” She added, “He was a reliable kid. He was always meticulous with his work, so I knew it would be done right.”

Cook, who was salutatorian of his graduating class, was voted “most studious” and he was also selected as a Baldwin EMC Youth Tour candidate to take a trip to Washington, D.C. in 1977.

Tim Cook and yearbook staff, 1978

The Robertsdale school yearbook staff started its tasks very early, in the summer months. In his senior year, Cook was the staff’s business manager, keeping the books and reeling in the ads. He was, said Davis, “the kind of person you need” for such a job.

Following his graduation from Robertsdale High School, Cook went on to attend Auburn University, a longtime goal of his. After working at IBM, Intelligent Electronics, and Compaq, he moved on to Apple in 1998. Following Steve Jobs’ illness and subsequent death in 2011, Cook took over as CEO of the company, aiming to continue on with Jobs’ legacy.

According to the Alabama newspaper, Cook still returns home to Robertsdale for holidays, and visited last December. That month, Auburn University also presented Cook with a lifetime achievement award at an event in New York City, and he gave a speech to attendees on equality. The full account of Tim Cook’s childhood, which has additional details on both his high school years and his later impact, can be read at AL.com.