First Fully Implantable Cochlear Implant Launches allows hearing 24 hours a day

Good news!

"... A new, fully implanted cochlear implant from Austrian company Med-El now offers the prospect of round-the-clock hearing without any visible sign. ...

The device has received European regulatory approval and the first four commercial implantations were carried out on the morning of the announcement, though it’s not yet available in the United States. ..."

"

• The world's first and only commercially available cochlear implant with all components, including the microphone, implanted beneath the skin
• Provides people with severe-to-profound hearing loss with continuous access to sound throughout daily life, including during sleep
• Combines complete invisibility with hearing performance designed to be comparable to established cochlear implant solutions

"

First Fully Implantable Cochlear Implant Launches - IEEE Spectrum "Users get round-the-clock hearing with no visible external hardware"

MED-EL Launches TICI UNICO, the World's First and Only Totally Invisible Cochlear Implant (original news release)

Med-El’s new cochlear implant places its microphone, sound processor, rechargeable battery, and receiver coil beneath the scalp.

Sonova launches hearing aid with real-time AI, first in market

Good news! "I can hear you now" (song)!

Will it effectively separate background noise and speech?

"Switzerland's Sonova on Tuesday introduced a hearing aid that utilises real-time artificial intelligence to improve speech clarity from background noise, the first such product in the global market, sending its shares 5% higher. ..."

"Understanding speech in background noise (‘speech-in-noise’ problem) is the most pressing need to solve for people with hearing loss. Sonova is now addressing this challenge with the launch of Phonak Audéo Sphere™ Infinio, a unique hearing aid using real-time Artificial Intelligence (AI). Its proprietary AI chip instantly separates clear speech from background noise and allowed users in a clinical study to more than double their speech understanding in noisy environments, compared to current products in the market. ...  According to the WHO, hearing loss affects 430 million people worldwide, a number that is expected to rise to 700 million – 1 in every 10 people – by 2050. ..."

Sonova launches hearing aid with real-time AI, first in market

Sonova announces two new hearing aid platforms, including the first hearing aid with real-time AI to address most pressing need in hearing loss (original news release)

Credits: Last Week in AI

Be My Eyes AI offers GPT-4-powered support for blind Microsoft customers

Seems to be a wonderful idea!

"Microsoft is working on offering a better customer service experience powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4 for its visually impaired users through a partnership with Be My Eyes, a company that helps visually impaired individuals tackle everyday tasks with the help of sighted volunteers.

Microsoft is integrating a digital visual assistant tool Be My Eyes created — Be My AI — into its Microsoft Disability Answer Desk, allowing visually impaired Microsoft users to resolve technical issues or perform tasks like updating software without needing the assistance of a call center agent. After testing the tool earlier this year on Microsoft users, Be My Eyes said the tool resolved inquiries in four minutes on average, which is less than half the average call time with human agents. In addition, only 10 percent chose to talk to a human customer service representative after interacting with the AI tool. ..."

Be My Eyes AI offers GPT-4-powered support for blind Microsoft customers - The Verge / The tech giant’s using Be My Eyes’ visual assistant tool to help blind users quickly resolve issues without a human agent.

Credits: Last Week in AI

The robot boot that learns as you walk

A glimpse at the future of walking assistance!