Tis the Season to be jolly!  No matter the celebration—Christmas, Hanukah, Ramadan, Independence Day, etc, how can you make sure to get the most out of any holiday season? Keri Reynolds, a bilateral cochlear implant user shares some ways to enjoy this holiday season with your CI, including helpful communication tips. #10 Advocate for yourself! Actually, self-advocacy is important all year...

I recently obtained some very nice Bose headsets (Quiet Comfort 35) and have been experimenting with the audio settings. A bilateral CI user or bimodal user (CI and hearing aid) can enjoy some very interesting stereo sound from high-end products like Bose. Consider headsets that have large earcups that cover your entire audio processor for the best sound quality. A “stereo” sound is simply a...

EarGear offers a variety of products — for SONNET, OPUS, and RONDO. Their site is clearly labeled and easy to navigate. I have used their cochlear implant product and it has never failed me. However, I did find it to be a little bulky from time to time. I frequently use the Mini Cordless product for my SONNET or OPUS 2. This product is actually designed for hearing aids, but provides a perfect and...

Have you tried using a telecoil accessory when playing along to music? I connect my telecoil neckloop to my computer, select MT (Microphone/Telecoil) on my FineTuner, and strum my guitar to the music played off my computer. I can turn the volume as loud as I want on the computer (via Telecoil) and can still hear my guitar accompaniment (via Microphone). It works very nicely and I prefer this...

As I mention in my workshops, electromagnetic interference (EMI) is quite strong in airplanes and automobiles. EMI can restrict the use of telecoil in these environments, and is usually characterized by a loud hum or static that can interfere with listening. I have often said that listening with telecoil can be extremely difficult in these environments and recommended using an audio cable instead. However,...

After a recent presentation to parents and professionals at at camp for children with hearing loss, the parents brought their kids to experiment with the equipment (via telecoil neckloops). I counted eleven kids – most of them teens – and some of them brought their own iPods and tablets to listen from. When I asked them to turn on their telecoils to start listening with the...

I bought a media streamer, called a ROKU, that I connected to our TV in the family room. Media streamers connect directly to your TV and to your high-speed Internet service via your home network. There are hundreds of free channels, subscriptions services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and convenient ways to rent or buy a favorite film or show with M-GO, Amazon Instant Video, VUDU or Redbox. But...