Reading Glasses and Hearing Aids. Smart or FDA-Approved. Pick One.

Making Audio Augmentation useful for everyone, or pursue the regulatory requirements of OTC hearing aids. This article offers a useful perspective regarding the guidance documents published by the US Food and Drug Administration regarding improved access to hearing aid technology. The agency proposes a rule to establish a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids - to be sold directly to consumers in stores or online without a medical exam or a fitting by an audiologist. But most audio manufacturers are better off by not pursuing this FDA-approved OTC market. Doing so will simply hinder critical experimentation and innovation.

See Better. Hear Better. Play Better. That is what inspired leading gaming accessory brand Turtle Beach to partner with Oakley, the leading brand in optical innovation for sports. As a brand rooted in competition, Oakley is expanding its lineup of eyewear developed for gamers and the new partnership pairs Turtle Beach's expertise in creating high-quality, glasses-friendly gaming headsets. The resulting Oakley x Turtle Beach Collection optimizes vision and gaming performance.

JLab Audio is determined to solve major issues consumers have in the wearables category with existing audio-integrated eyewear with the launch of its new JBuds Frames. Opposite to many existing product concepts already launched in the market of eyeglasses frames with built-in speakers, the San Diego, CA-based company decided to offer clip-on wireless speakers that can be added to any existing frames. The new JBuds Frames are also much more affordable.