BioAid | Hearing Aid App

Slowly but surely our smartphones are becoming a device that can do just about anything. Things we used to have a separate item for can now be done by a smartphone. Magnifiers, pedometers, compasses, cameras, maps, and alarm clocks are just a few examples. Now we can include hearing aids into the category. A group from the U.K. has developed the BioAid hearing aid app for the iPhone.

Ready To Go
With a microphone, audio output, and software, the iPhone has everything needed for a hearing aid. At this point you may think all the BioAid app does is just magnify sound. That is very wrong because the app uses algorithms to deliver sound efficiently. Small detail sounds are made louder while loud sounds are softened. All while background noise is reduced.

Before Starting
After downloading BioAid, the user plugs the earbuds into the iPhone but not into the ears yet. Earbuds with acoustic seals is strongly recommended to keep out loud background noise. The user then adjusts the volume to about halfway before putting the on the earbuds. Then the user can adjust the volume accordingly.

Choose Your Setting
On the home page are six different presets the adjust sound differently. The user then chooses the preset that works best for them. Each preset has a separate screen the user can swipe to for further customization. At the bottom is a noise gate slider which is used to filter out hissing and background noises.

Conclusion
As of now the BioAid is only available for the iPhone. Apparently Android devices don’t transmit the sound as efficiently. BioAid is free on iTunes and since it’s still in beta, improvements will be coming. For more information on BioAid watch the video below and visit BioAid.org.uk. To download BioAid visit its iTunes page here.