Thursday, May 21, 2015

MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-x Review

If you are wondering what kind of headphone you should choose to support your shooting practice, whether it is for training or for recreational purposes, then MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-x is a perfect ally for you. It is amazing even in the noisy condition and provides excellent ear protection while using it.

Let’s look at the most attractive features of this amazing device.



Most attractive features

What sets this device stand out is its amazing features and user-friendly application. If you look at the benefits you would receive out of it, you would immediately go and order.



  • Two separate and waterproof microphones: What are most important in this device are its two separate microphones. They are very useful in directional hearing while shooting and the sound quality is excellent. If you wear this while shooting practice or for playing or for theatrical purpose, nothing can pass through without you hearing it first. They are also waterproof which means you can use it anywhere you choose even amid the worst weather condition.


  • 300 hours of battery life: The people who have used it have reported that this device has more than 300 hours of battery life which is beyond anyone’s expectation from this range of headphones. MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-x has 2 x AAA batteries which support the hearing without any need to connect it for recharging the batteries.


  • Excellent design: What most people look at especially shooters are slick designed head phones because all the time they need to wear it. They also want both of the cups to be slim so that it would be easier for them to carry it. In this device both cups are slim which is perfect for both right hand and left hand shooters.


  • Black fabric headband cover: This device comes up with black fabric headband cover which increases the attractiveness of this device. The band protects the headphone from scratches and dust and it is also a perfect fashion statement for the people who use it.


  • Provide high amplification: The ear head would be such that nothing can pass through without creating a penetration in the ears of the users. This device provides high amplification which means that every minute sound also reaches the ears of the users. In this range of headphones, it is magnificent.


  • AUX Input: This device is provided with AUX input meaning 3.5mm through which one can connect the other device. For example, if you are going for tracking a dog, you can connect the dog tracking device with the AUX input of this device. If you are on hunting, you can connect your hunting radio with it. Or else if you simply want to listen to music you can do that too, just attach the CD player with the AUX input. The advantage is that with this device the mono cable is also included.


  • Waterproof battery compartment: Not only the microphones, the batter compartment of this device is also water proof that means you don’t need to worry about the battery as well. If you need to go out in a situation where the weather is not good enough, you don’t need to think about your battery compartment. They are already secured.


  • Long duration wearing time: Due to its high ear protection, the people who love to play recreational games or love shooting can wear it for more than 6 hours a day without having any issues. And if you are shooting a rifle it also doesn’t act as a hindrance while shouldering the rifle.


  • Noise cancelling is excellent: Most people who have used it have reported that the noise cancelling of this device is excellent. When they wear it they can hear everything clear and as it is. Noisy environment cannot affect their hearing while wearing this device.


  • Warranty: The electronic parts of the device are warranted for 5 years meaning you can use it as much as you want for 5 years.


  • NRR: The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) for this device is 18 dB which is very quiet level. As already mentioned having 18 dB as rating means excellent noise reduction mechanism.


  • While only rare devices have no weaknesses, MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-x is one of them. According to users there are no demerits whatsoever in using this device. It is easy, reasonably priced, provides excellent sound quality and perfect partner for people who love shooting and recreational games. Now they can experience the benefits of this amazing, smart device.

How a Digital Walkie Talkie Works?

The Digital Walkie Talkie is the best way to communicate other than cellular phones on the world market. These devices are still widely used by the military personal, police officers, public event organizers, etc.

You might be quite interested how the digital Walkie Talkie Works? A walkie-talkie is a hand-held portable radio which communicates wirelessly using the radio wave signals on single and shared frequency bands.

Each of the battery-powered units of the device contains an antenna and transmitter/receiver for sending and receiving of the radio waves. It also contains a loudspeaker that doubles up as loud as a microphone when someone talks into it. There is also a "push-to-talk" or PTT button for this purpose.

The loudspeaker/microphone of the device works following the same mechanism as that of the intercom. The microphone and speaker contains almost the same components viz. a magnet, a wire coil, and a plastic or paper cone to pick up and generate the sounds.

You can also use any single device to do both jobs by switching electrical circuit and reversing the current flow. Walkie talkies manufactured by big companies include separate microphones and loudspeakers. Thus, it is based on a very simple mechanism.

How to use the Walkie talkie?

Groups of People who talk on the digital Walkie Talkie don’t need to tune into the same frequency band. Thus the Digital element of the Walkie Talkie. The radios of these walkie talkies are all receiving. Thus, the microphone/loudspeaker units work as a conventional radio.

If you want to talk with others via a walkie talkie, then you need to hold the push-to-talk button on the handset. After that, the radio becomes quiet as the loudspeaker switches over to the microphone.

As you talk into it, your words are converted into the radio waves and are then beamed out on a prearranged channel. Typical frequency of this channel is around 400 MHz. The radio waves are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, they travel at the speed of sound.

The high-speed sound waves are very easily picked up by the other handsets. The radio waves are converted back into electric currents and are used by the loudspeakers to reproduce the sound of the voice of the person who is talking.

When the talking is finished, the talker says “over” and releases the “push-to-talk” button.

The radio now switches back into listening mode and someone else can talk. After this, the radio switches back into the listening mode.

The most distinct feature of the digital Walkie Talkie that makes it quite different from the normal radio is that it is a 2 way radio that is you can talk as well listen with the help of this device.

What are the benefits of using these devices?



The digital Walkie Talkie is a simple, robust and easy to use device for indoor as well outdoors. These devices are also very much suitable for the children as these are very light and easy to carry and handle.

The kids can keep in constant touch with their parents with the help of these devices. These are very much suitable for the business application purposes.

What are the major specifications?

A Digital Walkie Talkie is very convenient and weighs 100-200 grams and can work over a 5 to 10 square kilometer or 2-4 square miles. These electronic devices also have a very long battery-life of almost 20 hours.

The Walkie-talkies have multiple channels. So you can easily switch from one to the other easily. Some walkie talkies also have baby monitor intercoms.

What are the various parts of this device?

Variois parts of the digital Walkie Talkie include antenna, LCD displays, select buttons, monitor, menu buttons, loudspeaker, PTT button, volume control, on/off switch, microphone, LED indicators, etc.

The radio waves are sent and received by the antenna. The LCD display shows the channel number, battery life, etc., baby monitors are sometimes fitted within the device, the menu buttons are used to change the settings and functions of the device.

The LED indicate light glows showing that the channels are all busy.

The digital Walkie Talkie is offered at very reasonable and affordable prices by the best online shops. These are also very durable and flexible when in use. Therefore, it is a very useful telecommunication device for the people of all ages and backgrounds.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Bill Would Allow Coloradans To Use 1 Earphone Behind The Wheel

Cellphone makers have come up with lots of devices that make it easier to drive with both hands on the wheel while using their technology, but in Colorado one common setup for going hands-free is illegal.

Using earphones while driving is illegal in the state, even if only one ear has an earbud in it or the headphones have audio coming out of only one side.



Rep. Jovan Melton, a Democrat who represents Aurora, says that’s a problem.

“I definitely understand and respect that they’re following the letter of the law, but people shouldn’t be punished for trying to drive safely by keeping both hands on the wheel,” he said.

Melton says Denver police has written 172 tickets in the past three years for people wearing earphones or a single earbud.

“It’s important that we clean this piece of the statute up,” he said. “Allow people to drive safely without having to worry about being fined or ticketed or pulled over for wanting to do the right thing.”

This is illegal in the US, and is also illegal here in the UK, it's not common to see drivers in the UK doing this. But the worrying rise in touchscreens in cars could increase the chances of more accidents.

Melton is carrying a bill that would allow motorists to use one earphone or earbud while driving.

“A lot of the earbuds that you get with your phone will come with two for music listening, but we wanted to make sure that you are only using one earbud so you can still hear emergency vehicles,” he said.

Melton’s bill doesn’t require hands-free devices like earphones when talking on the phone behind the wheel. Melton tried and failed to get such legislature approved last year. But he says he’s not giving up.

“I think if we can get this passed it’s just one more step in that conversation which will hopefully lead to a successful (hands-free) bill next year,” he said.

The one earbud bill has passed in the House of Representatives and it was approved unanimously in a Senate committee on Thursday. It now moves on to the full Senate.

Colorado has several laws currently on the books related to distracted driving:

â€" It is illegal to text and drive

â€" If you are under 18, you can’t text or talk on the phone

â€" You cannot have a TV or computer that shows entertainment, social media or email in a position in the vehicle where the driver can see it.

Source - http://denver.cbslocal.com/2015/03/05/bill-would-allow-coloradans-to-use-1-earphone-behind-the-wheel/

Monday, May 18, 2015

Formula One Pit Crews Embrace 3D Printed Noise Cancelling Earpieces From Minerva Hearing

The sound of a racing motor at full throttle is a singularly powerful noise. While changes in Formula One motors, from V8s to the turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 motors of this season, mean they generate 15,000 RPM, which is 3,000 RPM less than last year, and though the smaller engines have made them significantly quieter, they’re still loud.

Now that scientists are warning people around the world of the dangers of prolonged exposure to high levels of noise, a Welsh company is using 3D printing to create earplugs to prevent hearing damage to everyone from musicians to Formula One mechanics.599468_513770338658254_1536909041_n

As a point of reference, you can tolerate the noise generated as you ride in a car â€" around 85 dB â€" for about 8 hours before hearing damage begins to occur. An average motorcycle generates 95 dB, and you can take about 47 minutes of that, and a loud rock concert can pound out 115 dB.

While the new generation of F1 cars creates some 80 dB of sound, the old V10-based cars pumped out 130 dB. At a level of 128 dB, your hair can actually begin to detect vibration from sound, and at those levels, hearing can be altered in a matter of seconds. A very small hand grenade or bomb can create up to 210 dB.

All this is important as one part of the inner ear, the cochlea, contains some 17,000 small hair cells called stereocilia which float inside cochlear fluid. When sound waves enter the cochlea, the stereocilia move, and that triggers an electrical impulse in the auditory nerve. The nerve passes those electrical impulses to the brain where they’re decoded as “sounds.”

Here’s the problem: once damaged, stereocilila don’t grow back.

Kevin Davies, operations director at Minerva Hearing Protection in Cardiff, Wales, says his company’s custom hearing protection devices built with 3D printing technology have been used for everything from providing protection for the pit crews on the F1 circuit to musicians on stage.

The products are custom molded to an individual’s ear canal to completely eliminate external sounds, and they’re formed in 3D printed hard acrylic. The earplugs feature tiny, built-in acoustic filters which take into account the natural response of the ear.IF

“With Formula cars producing volumes over 100dB under race conditions, multiplied many times over in a busy Grand Prix pit lane, the need for hearing protection as well as safe communication are paramount,” Davies says. “We have been working with the majority of Formula 1 teams over the past three years, and we are really proud to be part of a world that demands the highest standards of engineering technology.”


The devices are made from a soft, medically-approved silicone, and they can also be made from a firmer acrylic material which can be plated in silver, gold, or titanium.

The production process begins with a technician making an impression of a client’s outer ear canal, and then pouring in liquid silicon. The resulting molds are then digitized for input into a 3D printer, and the company says it produces more than 4,000 ear pieces per week. Davies says 3D printing technology has advanced well beyond simply the ability to produce prototypes.

1889080_698346236867329_8772122851610298217_oThe company has produced more than one million 3D printed products at their Cardiff manufacturing center. Minerva was one of the first companies to embrace additive manufacturing as a commercial proposition, and Davies says they acquired their first 3D printer in 2004 “at a cost in excess of $150,000.” They also receivedMHRA approval for medical-grade resin they use to 3D manufacture the ear-pieces.

“Having been one of the first UK producers to take the plunge and switched over entirely to this form of additive manufacturing, we believe we have proven the case for 3D printing as a serious manufacturing process,” Davies says. “It has well and truly arrived as a cost-effective and efficient production technology that brings us many advantages, and has truly stepped out of its technological novelty phase of recent years. We will continue to invest in new and improved 3D systems ensuring our products stay at the leading edge of our field.”


Davies says 3D printing technology has also helped Minerva produce over 8,000 variations of color and materials, and he adds that in-ear monitors and ear plugs are now laser-printed with logos, names, or images according to a customer’s preference.

Additional Information - As we see the advent of 3D printers we will see more and more products that are relatively expensive to produce in small quantities and to see one of the most technologically advanced sports using this shows that it will have a bright future, you can find the original source of the article here

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Icom Announces New Digital Land Mobile Radios at IWCE 2015

Icom America is showcasing new land mobile radio equipment at the 2015 International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE). The company will be displaying new products promoting digital and IP radio technology. The IWCE conference will be held at Nevada's Las Vegas Convention March 16-20. Icom will be exhibiting at Booth 621 during exhibit hall hours on March 18-19. Icom associates will also be participating on weekday panels highlighting P25, NXDN™, next-gen communications, and systems deployed in Latin America.

New products on display at Icom Booth 621 include the F1000D/F2000D the F3200DEX/F4200DEX, which belong to the Icom Digital Advanced System known as IDAS™. The F1000D Series is a compact entry-level radio featuring enhanced emergency functions. The F3200DEX Series is a rugged handheld that meets Intrinsically Safe standards. For IP solutions, Icom's VE-PG3 RoIP gateway and IP100H wireless LAN radio will also be on display.

Icom is also announcing the F5122DD Series transceiver. This data modem features MIL-STD construction and is ideal for field monitoring and remote system management. Additionally, the company is exhibiting its exclusive IC-7850 amateur radio as well as the ID-5100A and ID-51A PLUS D-STAR radios.

Sponsored by Penton Media, IWCE 2015 will host Icom and more than 7,000 dealers, distributors and end-users from various industries. IWCE's conference program comprises five days of workshops, training courses and short courses. Keynotes, general sessions and networking events are also scheduled throughout the week.

Icom America Vice President Chris Lougee is participating in two IWCE events:

    • "Project 25 Foundations and System Technology Updates for 2015" workshop on March 16


    • "An Update on P25 Compliance Assessment Program (CAP)" short course on March 19


"The P25 Compliance Assessment Program is critical in the equipment procurement process for government agencies," says Lougee. "It is the best way to ensure interoperability."



The following Icom America associates are participating as panelists for IWCE courses on March 18:

    • Mark Behrends (Senior Manager of Marketing) for "Next-Generation Push-to-Talk Roundtable: Cellular, Satellite, Wireless LAN and LTE"


    • Edwin Cortes (Technical Sales Manager, LatAm) for "Estudios de Caso: TETRA, LTE y P25"


    • Rodney Grim (Business Development Manager) and Chris Lougee for "A NXDN Deployment Review"


We are really interested in where Icom have going with their digital radios, the IP stuff is nothing new but Icom have a great history with Two Way Radios, you can find the original source of the article here - http://www.policeone.com/police-products/police-technology/press-releases/8413508-Icom-Announces-New-Digital-Land-Mobile-Radios-at-IWCE-2015/

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Bluetooth Earpieces Do Battle With the $3,000 Hearing Aid

One night in June 2010, New York composer Richard Einhorn went to bed in a motel feeling stuffy and woke up almost completely deaf. At the time, Einhorn, who wrote the oratorio Voices of Light, had limited ways to deal with his nightmare condition, known as sudden sensorineural hearing loss. He visited an audiologist and bought a hearing aid for $3,000. (His insurance plan, like most, didn’t cover it.) Unhappy with the expense and the limits of the earpiece’s technology, which struggled to adapt to different noise levels, Einhorn began searching for alternative gadgets that could restore more of his hearing for less money.

Today, he has a backpack full of them. To supplement his old-school hearing aid, he favors a $350 iPhone-linked earpiece made by Sound World Solutions, a hearing-hardware maker in Park Ridge, Ill., for whom he’s begun to consult. With the Sound World device on, he can amplify phone calls and streaming music as well as his surroundings. A third, $500 earpiece was custom-made by Ultimate Ears in Irvine, Calif., to help him detect a wider range of musical tones while composing. For restaurants and theaters, he has a $45 directional microphone that pairs with a $5 app to isolate desired voices. And for especially cacophonous places, he has spare $700 microphones, made by Etymotic Research in Elk Grove Village, Ill., that he can strap to companions.

Einhorn credits the audio patchwork with saving his career and his life. “It’s incredible,” he says over lunch in a busy restaurant, as he toggles the proper setting on his phone.

The Bluetooth-connected earpieces aren’t classified as hearing aids by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They’re called personal sound amplification products, or PSAPs. Basic versions of such devices have existed for more than a decade in lonely RadioShack aisles and a handful of other places. But in the past 18 months, advances in circuitry and low-energy Bluetooth transmission have helped developers radically improve the designs to make high-quality, long-lasting alternativesto hearing aids while keeping pricesat a fraction of the industry standard.


Whatever regulators or insurers call them, PSAP manufacturers are angling to expand the $6 billion global market for hearing technology. Largely due to the cost, 75 percent of the 34 million Americans with hearing loss don’t use aids, says David Kirkwood, the editor of industry blog Hearing Health & Technology Matters. “A lot of people will continue to pay for traditional hearing aids,” he says. “But there are now inexpensive, easy-to-get alternatives.”



Part of the reason PSAPs are cheap is that they’re unregulated. Hearing-aid fittings and audiological calibrations account for much of the cost of aids from the big six makersâ€"Siemens, Sonova, Starkey Hearing Technologies, William Demant, GN ReSound, and Widex. A midlevel pair that retails for $4,400 costs about $440 to manufacture, according to AARP. Research and development spending is also a factor: Unlike the free Bluetooth standard used by upstarts such as Sound World, old-school hearing aids run on proprietary signal processing and transmission technology. Siemens, Sonova, and Widex declined to comment; GN ReSound, Starkey, and William Demant didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Still, being kept out of doctors’ offices has been a huge problem for PSAP makers, says Venkat Rajan, who tracks medical devices for researcher Frost & Sullivan. While the size of the market can be difficult to gauge given the lack of regulation, anecdotal evidence suggests sales have been soft, he says. It doesn’t help that, according to industry journal the Hearing Review, the average American buying a hearing aid is 71 years old. “Trying to find that customer base has been difficult,” Rajan says.

The marketing of hearing aids, classified as medical devices by the FDA since 1977, is strictly regulated in the U.S. According to agency guidelines that predate the latest generation of equipment, PSAP makers aren’t allowed to market their products as medical devices. Instead, they’re supposed to be used recreationally by people who can already hear comfortably. The FDA, which wouldn’t say whether it plans to change its rules, occasionally issues warnings to companies it believes to be violating them, so PSAP ads tend to include at least one verbal somersault. An ad for Etymotic describes its latest product, the Bean, thusly: “Not a hearing aid but has many advantages.”

The $300 Bean is the brainchild of Mead Killion, the co-founder of Etymotic. He invented the analog hi-fi amplification technology behind the device back in 1988, but says it’s only since 2013 that circuitry has become cheap enough for the product to be worth manufacturing en masse. His company uses the same technology in adaptive earplugs designed for orchestra musicians or infantry troops to keep music or conversation audible while dampening loud noises. A decade ago, Killion failed to persuade the FDA that early PSAPs should be sold over the counter. He’s lobbying for a contract with the Department of Defense.

Normally, I hear fine, but I conducted a hands-on experiment shortly before an interview with Killion. It became clear that having professional help putting these things in is a good idea. Initially, one Bean in each ear made it easy to hear faraway gossip in a noisy Whole Foods. Then I pushed them too far, and suddenly could hear nothing at all. Killion said the problem was waxy buildup in my narrow ear canals, so the next step was a $150 cerumenectomyâ€"that is, getting a doctor to scrape out gobs of wax and clear the blockage.

The era of Internet diagnosis hasn’t eliminated the need for medical professionals, says Erin Miller, president of the American Academy of Audiology. “This is our biggest problem with the PSAPs in general,” she says. “We want to make sure someone has looked in the patient’s ear.” All the more reason, PSAP makers argue, to put their products in medical offices next to those from Starkey and ReSound. For now, the companies’ sales will be limited to true believers like Einhorn, the composer. “You have to remember that I’m a maniac,” he says. “I will do anything to hear as best as possible in any situation.”

What we say: Whilst Bluetooth is regarded as an old technology now the reliability can't be questioned. It would seem that this type of technology is a log time coming to a thirsty industry for inventive technology. Source - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-05/hearing-aid-alternatives-get-cheaper-more-powerfulÂ