
awareness
Octogenarian jazz sax virtuoso Charles Owens, who keeps on giving and getting from music thanks to his hearing aids, has been named a WHO World Hearing Day ambassador.

world hearing
A strident call has been issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a stat-rich report recommending government strategy and prioritisation action to scale up hearing care for 90% of the global population by 2030.

chains
Audika, the Demant-owned chain of hearing centres in Spain, has acquired Audifón, strongly positioning the Danish group’s network on the Iberian peninsula with 123 practices.

technology
In the first 2021 technology article compiled by the British Irish Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (BIHIMA) for the UK audiology magazine Audio Infos, Oticon’s Thomas Behrens is interviewed on the subject of deep neural networks and how they can improve the sound experience of hearing devices.
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appointments
Widex USA has announced the appointment of retail branding expert Kerrie Coughlin as its new Vice President of Marketing.

conferences
A call for online submission of papers—with a March 28 deadline—has been issued by the organisers of the 65th International Congress of Hearing Aid Acousticians, which is scheduled to take place face-to-face in Hanover, Germany from September 15 to 17.

awards
Starkey will see no possible hearing damage resulting from the clamour of gongs falling its way for the Livio Edge AI hearing aid platform, for which the latest accolade has come in the form of a Consumer Technology Association (CES) Innovations Award honoree in the accessibility category.
Company Directory
New products

children
Phonak has extended the reach of its technology for child hearing with the release of the second generation of Roger Focus, which uses a tiny ear-level receiver that couples with any Roger microphone to bring sound from teachers or parents to children at a distance.
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cochlear implants
Marvel, the most successful product launch in Phonak’s history, will be available to users of its sister firm Advanced Bionics’ cochlear implants (CIs), following an announcement by their parent group Sonova of TUV approval bringing international safety recognition.
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power aids
Phonak has announced Naída Paradise, a power hearing aid for people with severe to profound hearing loss, bringing essential wireless connectivity within a tiny casing.
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