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Hearing aids 101: How they work and Kim’s top tech pick

Last year, my husband Barry got sick. We thought it was just a cold, but then, the strangest thing happened: He lost hearing in one ear because of a virus. After months of waiting, endless consultations and a lot of research, we learned how common this is.

About 1.5 billion people suffer from some kind of hearing loss, and viral infections are a major cause. That whole time, we struggled to talk to each other. Barry couldn’t hear me, and he didn’t want to try hearing aids.

One conversation changed that. “I use glasses to see. What’s different about using hearing aids to hear better?” He agreed to try them if I could find a good option he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable wearing. I got to work and found one I wanted to share with you, too.

First, how do hearing aids work?

The old clunky models you probably think of did one thing: Amplify sound. The microphone captures sound, the amplifier makes it louder and the speaker delivers it to your ear. Done.

Some of today’s hearing aids have an added high-tech component: Tiny processors that analyze the sound around you.

This means they don’t just make everything louder; they focus on the sounds you want to hear, like your friend’s voice in a loud restaurant. They even reduce annoying background noise.

Here’s where it gets cool

New hearing aids are packed with features you’d expect in a pair of high-end earbuds:

Bluetooth connectivity: Stream music, podcasts or phone calls directly to your hearing aids. It’s your own personal sound system.
Directional microphones: These focus on sound coming from specific directions, like zeroing in on a conversation and muting the chatter around you.
Automatic adjustments: Some models can detect if you’re in a quiet library or a bustling restaurant and adjust their settings accordingly.
Feedback suppression: No more awful high-pitched whistling.

Not all models are created equal

Barry asked for the best, and I took that seriously. Now, AirPods can work if your hearing loss is mild to moderate, but for anything more severe, you need tech built for the job. I looked into a lot of brands and found hear.com.

Continue reading →

Fun kitchen gadgets

🍝 Because you guys and gals freakin’ loved the Fasta Pasta …

Transform your boring work sammy with a microwave panini maker (18% off). Did you know a microwave cake maker is a thing, too?
Get rid of the random jar of bacon grease. This grease strainer and collector ($17) is dishwasher-safe and won’t melt.
If you also hate throwing away half-full cans, soda can lids (25% off) to the rescue. I’m totally bringing these to the beach for my seltzers.
Slicing a banana is easy. What’d make it even easier? A banana slicer (39% off, $7). Good for kiddos!
I found this pancake batter dispenser because I’m not ready to say au revoir to crepes after a week in Paris. If anyone has a good recipe, let me know.

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