Crave

(Credit: Able Planet)

Here's something we haven't seen before: a headset designed to lessen the damaging effect loud music and gaming can potentially have on the ears. Able Planet introduced the PS500MM gaming headset back in December of 2008, claiming that the device's onboard "Link Audio" technology will soften the blow to your eardrums.

Basically the technology is supposed to prevent the user from having to raise the volume in order to drown out background noise. Interestingly enough, it was first developed for those with mild to severe hearing loss. AblePlanet claims it's patented Link Audio technology delivers all of the original audible content at a much softer volume by altering audio signals and "remixing" the original source on the fly.

The PS500MM is primarily designed for hardcore PC gamers who spend hours at a time fragging away. The included onboard microphone has built-in noise cancellation, and works with in-game chat as well as other applications, such as Skype conferencing. For the $100 price tag, you'll also get a wireless USB dongle, which will eliminate the need for a wired connection, and a soft carrying case. We'll be comparing the PS500MM with a pair of PC headsets we looked at last year.

Is this sort of technology something you'd want? Check back with CNET Reviews in the coming days for a full review to see if it's worth your hard-earned cash.

The Flexfit costs $79 and offers 400 hours of usage.

(Credit: Songbird Hearing)

With all of us destroying our ears listening to our iPods--and other portable music devices--chances are we're all going to need hearing aids someday. Well, there's some good news for those of you looking ahead to your golden years: Songbird Hearing, Inc. has officially released its new inexpensive disposable hearing aid, the Songbird Flexfit.

According to the company's press release, "Traditional hearing aids can cost as much as $6,000 and involve professional office visits and fittings to be effective." The key development here is that Songbird is selling the Flexfit for $79 and it lasts 2 to 6 months (400 hours) before you have to exchange it for a new one. Songbird Hearing also says that the Flexfit can "be easily adjusted to fit almost anyone without the need for a hearing exam." In other words, you can order it right over the Internet or by phone without having your hearing tested by a professional (I'm not sure whether that's good or bad).

The release also notes:

Research indicates that people will use the aid for situational use, such as during business meetings, while watching television, at family gatherings, or participating in worship services. When used this way, Songbird will last for two to six months, and then can be simply replaced with a brand new unit, eliminating the need for the professional maintenance traditional hearing aids often require.

Anybody worried they're going to need one of these soon? Are iPods destroying our hearing as computer screens are destroying everyone's eyes--or at least bloggers' eyes?

(Credit: Nokia)

Headset makers probably aren't hurting for business these days, at least in California and Washington state. But even without the new laws, Nokia may have found another market.

Its "Wireless Loopset" is a device designed to hang around the neck that basically turns a t-coil-equipped hearing aid into a Bluetooth headset. In addition to providing the wireless connection, the Loopset includes such features as vibrating alerts and single-button dialing, according to Gearlog, and willl also work with cochlear implants.

While looped around the neck, the device greatly reduces the chance of interference because of its close proximity to the hearing aid. Nokia expects the Loopset to ship next year, selling for about $315.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

"Justin...Justin...JUSTIN!!!"

This happens at least once a day...I'm at my desk, typing up a review or blog post on my computer, when all of a sudden someone sneaks up behind me and unintentionally make me jump 10 feet in the air with a simple tap on the back. How do I allow this to happen? Am I deaf? Well, not right now, but it's quite possible that I might be if I continue to constantly blast music out of my Princess Leia headphones.

A recent report out of Australia titled "Is Australia Listening?" reported 70 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 34 experience a constant ringing in their ears, which can be a symptom of permanent damage to the ear canal. The report goes on to claim that 76 percent of young adults in Australia listen to music through headphones on portable MP3 players, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a higher number in relation to the United States.

At 24, I represent the first generation to see the rise of portable music players. I remember when the headphones to my first Sony Walkman cassette player might as well have been glued to my ears. Since then, I've been addicted to personal, portable audio and I fear that I, along with the rest of my generation, will soon experience severe hearing loss due to years and years of listening to loud music through headphones. Professor Harvey Dillon of the Hearing Australia program says his general rule of thumb is if "people have to raise their voice or actually shout at you to make themselves understood while you are listening to music in your ears, then that is loud enough to be potentially damaging." As a self-professed audiophile, I take every opportunity to listen to my music. It moves along a boring work day, drowns out crazies on the subway, and helps put me to sleep at night. Some days, I feel like I spend more time with my headphones in than out. I also listen to a lot of different kinds of music, from hip-hop to metal to classical to Disney, but no matter what the genre, I must admit that I crank up the volume to the highest possible level to experience the bliss of surround sound. It sounds like my days of listening to music might be numbered...

But what about these new noise-cancelling and inner ear-canal headphones that are starting to pervade the industry? I wonder if those particular types of monitor earphones pose a greater danger than the over the ear style? Either way, my future doesn't look very bright. Are there any Millennials out there who have already started to experience hearing loss? I'd love to hear other opinions on how these listening trends will affect our health down the line.

Can you hear me now?

(Credit: Sensear)

There's not a lot of talking on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Yelling, yes. Talking, no. It's so noisy, everyone wears military-grade hearing protection.

If you work in a similar acoustic environment--maybe on a factory floor, at construction sites, or in the stands at rock concerts--you might want to check out the Sensear SP1, which protects your hearing by blocking out damaging noise while allowing speech through.

The rig consists of noise-blocking earpieces with embedded microphones for picking up outside sound.

The SP1 doesn't actively cancel sound. In fact it is designed to make sure the wearer can hear alarm bells and other danger noises, like approaching airplane engines. The electronics in the device serve the purpose of picking speech out of horrendous background noise and amplifying it for the listener.

It is, in other words, much like a hearing aid, except designed for ultra-loud environments and with no concession to style or size: the control unit is a safety-orange box you wear around your neck.

The SP1 (about $300) has a microphone for connecting to two-way radios. The SP1x model also has Bluetooth so it can work with mobile phones. You can plug your MP3 player into either.

(Credit: Digital Recordings)

If you occasionally experience "ringing in the ears" after exposure to loud sounds or concerts, you may be losing your hearing. To find out where you stand check out Digital Recordings' hearing test CD. It can be used to set a baseline of your hearing, and if you're geeky enough, retest yourself the day after attending a loud concert, working with power tools, or riding a snowmobile. A few hours or even a day later your hearing acuity will be significantly reduced. It's kinda like a preview of what's to come, if you don't stop abusing your ears.

That short-term deafness is sometimes referred to as Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS). But repeated episodes of temporary hearing loss, with insufficient recovery times between exposures will eventually lead to permanent hearing loss. At that point there's no need to keep reading the Audiophiliac blog.

(Credit: FirstStreet)

If there were a polar opposite to the sleek good looks of Philips' home phones, this might be it.

Granted, the "Pro Amplified Phone Center" may well be packed with useful functions, including four tone levels amplified up to 50 decibels for those who may be losing their hearing, according to GeekAlerts. (We were tipped off by the fact that this came from FirstStreet, the catalog that carries such items as the "Lite and Motion Head Lite Cap" in fulfilling its mission to serve "Boomers and Beyond.")

But does it have to look like some kind of DIY ham radio contraption? As products like fashion hearing aids show, not everything made for the middle-age market needs to fall in company with tennis-ball walkers.

Tesla Motors is an innovator in electric cars--and it's got a lot of lawsuits, too.

Earth2Tech has dug up a lawsuit filed by Magna on February 22, 2008 that alleges that the car company failed to pay Magna for transmission work it accomplished. The suit, filed in the Superior Court of San Mateo County, seeks $5.6 million in damages.

The Tesla Courtster

(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)

This should be an interesting one to watch. Magna no doubt will try to bring a lot of details to light behind the delays that Tesla faced in bringing its Tesla Roadster to market. Tesla, for its part, will also likely highlight the problems it had with Magna's transmissions. Transmission problems were at the heart of the lawsuit.

Ultimately, Tesla swapped transmission suppliers and is working on one of its own. The company also replaced its CEO.

News of the suit follows on the heels of a suit filed by Tesla against Fisker Automotive. Tesla claims that Hendrik Fisker, founder of the eponymous auto company, unlawfully took trade secrets and other intellectual property while performing some design work for Tesla.

(Credit: NaviGadget)

Other than lowering prices and (hopefully) improving quality, one positive effect of intense product competition is that it sometimes leads companies to target consumers who might otherwise be left on the fringe.

The "GPS Ranger" is one product trying to distinguish itself in its own crowded market by catering to the deaf and hearing impaired. In addition to its GPS functions, the handheld device uses a tool developed by BarZ Adventures that can offer virtual tours with both captioning and American Sign Language options. The technology was launched this month with a multimedia tour of Austin, Texas, according to NaviGadget, and will be available in other cities, parks, and zoos.