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Surprised at silence from other Hearing Aid Manufacturers about ASHA

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“Continuing Education”

Hearing professionals need 10 hours a year of continuing education to retain a license in most states.

I was talking with someone from Oticon Canada a couple of weeks ago and she confirmed that there will be a firmware update with support. The date of the firmware release is TBD.

Oticon seemed like they would be doing it, but the big question is when. They’re Connect Clip was just about to be released for over a year.

Was looking at OnePlus SmartPhone forum. Their recent phones already have Android 10, but do not support .

In reply to @MDB

The connect clip works with a lot more than just android phones. It works with the home phone connect 2 that I have, it also works with most newer laptops with bluetooth, and if necessary the dongle works great.

Let me see if I understand all this correctly…

For me and I think for most it’s dependent on the devices you want or need to connect with. is great for Apple users but leaves out the rest of the world. is great for Android users but as far as I can tell also leaves out the rest of the world.

I went with Phonak Marvels simply because I can directly connect using Bluetooth Classic to all the devices that use Bluetooth Classic. This includes Android phones, Apple iOS phones, Microsoft Windows computers, Apple computers, anything that is capable of connecting using Bluetooth Classic.

It seems to me then that ASHA and MFi are proprietary solutions and Phonak’s Bluetooth Classic solution is a non-proprietary universal solution.

It’s universal in that it works with any bluetooth device (Both and work with any LE Bluetooth device), but it’s proprietary in that you’ll only find it on Phonak (or other Sonova) hearing aids unless Phonak licenses the tech to other hearing aid manufacturers. (Note: when I say “any” bluetooth, I mean within the restriction of versions specified.)

I want to directly connect with both my Android phone and my Windows computers. Windows is never going to use LE or . Wouldn’t Bluetooth Classic then be the only non-proprietary, universal solution for me?

I don’t know about Windows not supporting LE. From this it seems like it’s possible: https://help.kano.me/hc/en-us/articles/360002246660-Checking-Bluetooth-Low-Energy-Support-on-Your-Device3

I think we use “proprietary” differently.
However to get to the point I think you’re trying to make, if you want a hearing aid that can stream directly from a Windows computer, Phonak’s Bluetooth Classic is the only game in town.

I was gonna say…:slight_smile: I’m with TraderGary. It’s not that the Marvels are being proprietary in their connectivity. It’s that they’re the only full-on, prescribed that uses open standards for connectivity.
MFI and would be proprietary connectivity solutions.

@Sierra said:

I believe MFi and ASHA could be enabled in the same aids, to make them suitable for either? Can’t the ReSound Linx Quattro do both?

For me Bluetooth Classic is the only solution that works with ALL of my devices. Your Mileage May Vary! :nerd_face:

In reply to @Sierra

Yes, the Quattro can do both, but at least currently, is limited to Pixel 3 and 4 phones. I don’t think there’s any mention of Windows trying to implement. Theoretically it could be implemented in Chromebooks.

Edited

In reply to @TraderGary

@TraderGary said:

Windows is never going to use LE or ASHA.

Microsoft is very big on accessibility and goes to great lengths to make Windows 10 accessible. Perhaps they just haven’t realized yet that hearing loss is an accessibility issue! (:rofl:) Maybe we all should encourage them to do something about it, those of us who are Windows users, by sending them feedback via the Windows Feedback Hub. Microsoft probably wouldn’t be able to incorporate MFI into Windows (but maybe if the Your Phone app ever works with an iPhone or iOS device?).

Actually, that’s an additional thought. Microsoft working with Android and also especially partnering with Samsung can allow direct access to one’s Android phone. One can make and receive phone calls through one’s PC via a Your Phone app connection to one’s Android phone - so if one can stream voice from the PC back to and through the phone to a caller (and your phone is connected to your ’s), why not with a little engineering be able to have streaming from the phone (receiving audio from the computer via whatever Bluetooth) directly to your HA’s?

Here’s is a link to the Your Phone app for a Windows PC. The current version of Windows (1909) does not support phone calling and limits one to viewing the last 25 pictures taken on your phone. The next version of Windows (1st semester 2020) will support calling and allow you to view directly on your PC the last 2,000 pictures taken on your phone via the Your Phone app.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/your-phone/9nmpj99vjbwv?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

P.S. If you use the Your Phone app, in the store info Microsoft says the following:

Tell us what features you’d like to see next by selecting “Send feedback” in settings in Your Phone.

Jim, I have the “Your Phone” app installed on my Windows 10 computer and have had for some time. It is currently quite useful for texting as I can type better than 120 WPM on my computer keyboard and I can promise you I can’t come close to that speed “two thumbing” my phone. :smile:

I would certainly like to see Microsoft do the things you’re talking about, but as long as Bluetooth Classic already has this communication capability between devices, my thinking is that Microsoft will take the path of waiting for all the other phone manufacturers to catch up with Phonak.

Back in the fifties I was the only boy in my high school to take typing class. My Dad told me that he would buy me one of those new-fangled portable electric typewriters if did, and I got the electric typewriter. I then typed everything for all my papers in all my classes and I was the fastest typist in typing class. It got to where I could simply type stream of thought just like talking. I never think about letters or keys, I just think words and sentences and they transfer to my fingers. It’s kind of like when I play the piano, I just think of the sounds I want and it all transfers to my hands on the keys without thinking of individual fingers or keys. I think it all just becomes like another language.

In reply to @Raudrive

Yep on those old mechanical typewriters I was doing really well to do 40 wpm, especially after that mean old typing teacher subtracted for errors!

Strange now as I think back. I am not sure what made me take typing back in high school in the 1960’s. Perhaps it was to meet girls as I think I was about the only guy in the class… At the time girls were expected to be secretaries and only they NEEDED typing. It probably was the best single class I ever took in my life. My only regret was not learning to touch type numbers. I still have to look for those… In comparison the finger thumb typing on a smart phone is pretty crude!

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