The Winter 2008 issue of Hearing Health offers a gift guide of products to preserve and improve the hearing health of your friends and loved ones. Need more ideas? Here are the editors' pick of products and books we've reviewed this year. Happy Holidays! (All books available from online booksellers.) Beamer Videophone
This videophone is compatible with any standard (analog) phone and landline at no additional cost compared to a regular phone call. In order to use the videophone, both parties must have the Beamer. Use is as simple as plugging the phone and Beamer into each other, then hitting the "start" button. Video is sent to the other party at up to 15 frames per second and viewed on a 3.5- inch LCD screen. When not in use as a videophone, Beamer FX™ allows callers to display digital photos directly from a digital camera memory card. Find Beamer products at www.vialta.com. Listen With the Heart: Relationships and Hearing Loss by Michael Harvey, Ph.D. 2001. 198 pages. ISBN: 1581210191, $19.95. Drawing on counseling sessions in which Dr. Harvey delves into the complexities of how hearing loss affects our communication, self-identity and interpersonal relationships, this book examines how personality may be more of a factor in communication than actual hearing loss. A Web cam for Video Relay Service
Video relay service (VRS) enables real-time, two-way communication between telephone users and D/HH or speech-disabled individuals using a videophone. It was developed as a method for sign language users to communicate via the telephone. Using a Web cam and high-speed Internet connection, users log on to a relay Web site and connect with a video interpreter who calls any landline or cell phone number. Video calling is made possible through the use of two video boxes on the Web site. A number of relay centers provide video relay services including Hamilton (www.hipvrs.com), AT&T (www.attvrs.com), Hands on VRS (https://secure.hovrs.com), Sorenson (www.sorensonvrs.com) and Sprint (www.sprintvrs.com). Hearing Aid Sweat Band
This product by Van B Enterprises comes in six colors and nine sizes and works great for children involved in sports, particularly those requiring helmets, such as football. The Hearing Aid Sweat Band absorbs perspiration which then evaporates without harming the hearing aid or CI processor. The soft, hypoallergenic fabric will withstand a few launderings when hand washed in a mild detergent and air dried. www.vanbenterprises.com Coping with Hearing Loss by Susan Rezen. 2001. 217 pages. ISBN: 978-1569801659, $19.95. This comprehensive book is especially good at explaining how hearing loss affects you and those around you. There are also excellent sections on speech reading and on standing up for your hearing needs. Kuddl-Snug Undergear Vest
Designed for active babies and toddlers with body-worn cochlear implants, the processor stays snug in a pocket which has a hidden button-hole for the cord and closes with velcro. Made of white cotton jersey, it can be worn under or on top of clothes. Three standard sizes are available with one or two pockets, adjustable waist and shoulders and optional monogramming. By Kidly Fyx Kreations, www.kidlfyxkreations.com. Your Child's Hearing Loss: What Parents Need to Know by Debby Waldman and Jackson Roush. 2005. 216 pages. ISBN: 0399530770, $15.95. When her daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss, Debby was devastated. She shares her story (and the stories of a number of other parents and their hard of hearing children) as she explains the practical issues of raising a child with hearing loss. The Murine™ Earigate™ Ear Cleansing System
Made by Prestige Brands, Inc. this product helps prevent problematic ear wax build-up with a patented reverse-spray action that cleans the ear canal without putting pressure on sensitive eardrums. Murine Earigate Ear Cleansing System for Kids delivers the hypoallergenic solution made of isotonic, desalinated, 100 percent natural-source sea water but with 50 percent less force. Both products are available at $16.99 for 50 applications. Visit www.murine.com. VisiPhone™
Affordable, stand-alone broadband videophones utilizing VoIP have hit the market! These video-equipped home phones enable callers to view real-time video of the person on the other line, provided that the other party is similarly equipped. A user hooks up his videophone to a DSL or cable modem or home router, then just plugs in the power cord, turns on device and dials a phone number the same way one is dialed with regular phone lines. The VisiPhone by Viseon (www.viseon.com) is a smart phone that can also play movie trailers and display news headlines. In addition, the VisiPhone can be hooked up to a television set to allow users to videoconference with more than one person at a time – great for family communication! FM Holster Sling
This FM accessory was designed by an audiologist to accommodate a child's FM transmitter and microphone, cell phone, keys, change or whatever a pre-teen or teen might need to sling around to keep their hands free. They are available in a Pink Cheetah/Denim or Zebra/Denim or in custom designs. By Kidly Fyx Kreations, www.kidlfyxkreations.com. |
