Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Hear, hearHistorically, the act of covering or blocking our ears was about turning inward and shutting out the world. But headphone and earbud technology has changed that. Embedded microphones, initially designed for noise cancellation, can help pass outside sound through to our ears. EQ settings can compensate for deficiencies in our hearing, while AI tools can assess what sounds we need to hear and make sure that we do. This kind of tech has been accumulating for years, but Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 now gathers much of it together, and with little of the stigma of a traditional hearing aid.More than 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss – with some of us not aware of itAccording to the WHO, more than 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss. Some of us aren’t aware of it, some of us choose to ignore it, but the vast majority of us haven’t had a hearing test since childhood. “The technologies in AirPods Pro gave us the building blocks to create something that could genuinely help,” says Dr Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple’s VP of health.New iOS 18.2 software gives Airpods Pro 2 owners the option of a hearing test that generates an audiogram, a db HL rating for each ear and a hearing classification based on WHO categories (from no impairment to profound). That data can then be applied correctively to your AirPods to affect not just the media you’re listening to (music, podcasts etc) but also environmental sound – so they actually become a hearing aid, at least for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. The charge lasts around five to six hours as against 24 hours or more from a rechargeable prescription aid, so they’re not a full-time alternative, and being clinical grade, regulatory approval for the hearing aid function is needed: it’s been granted in 100 countries but is still pending in the UK. In the meantime, there are other helpful iOS features for those with hearing difficulties. Sound Recognition listens out for electronic sounds unique to your environment – eg, a doorbell or microwave – and can alert you via your iOS device. Conversation Boost amplifies sounds in front of you while reducing background noise (perfect for noisy restaurants), while Live Listen, ideal for meetings in large rooms, uses your iOS device as a microphone and passes the sound to your AirPods. Loud Sound Reduction, meanwhile, intelligently attenuates the noisy environments that are the cause of so much hearing loss. It’s easy to assume that people who sport AirPods all day aren’t listening to the world around them. In fact, they might just be listening better. Walk this wayWandercraft has spent the past decade realising its vision of an alternative to the wheelchair: a stable, self-balancing robot that can walk reliably while supporting someone who can’t use their legs independently. Its first product, the Atalante X, has been used since 2019 for rehabilitation and treatment programmes, but this, its newest prototype, is the first ever exoskeleton of its type to offer complete freedom of movement, and is designed to be used by patients at home and in the community. One of its first public outings was at the Paralympic torch relay in Paris, a very moving spectacle. It’s now in the process of getting regulatory approval. Keep it simpleThe gap between smartphones and dumbphones just got narrower. Emporia’s most recent model doesn’t skimp on hardware (5G connectivity, 6.58in touch screen, decent camera, NFC for contactless payments) but lets you switch from a standard Android interface to “Easy Mode”: a simpler version with larger buttons, streamlined comms (all notifications appear in one place rather than strewn across multiple apps) and a built-in coach to assist with day-to-day operation. It’s augmented with a panic button to alert relatives or carers in an emergency, and you can add an optional smart cover that enables everyday functions (eg, answering calls, turning on a torch) even when it’s closed. Catch my fallBelgian “agetech” firm Nobi describes its stylish, ceiling-mounted light as the “world’s smartest lamp”, and it has won multiple awards for its fall-detection capabilities. It monitors people’s “poses” within the room and can alert caregivers in the event of an accident, but its real skill is preventing them happening in the first place (an 84 per cent reduction, according to a recent NHS pilot). The light turns on as soon as you enter the room or when you get out of bed at night; and it records images of how a fall happened (a trip over a table, for example) so that a carer can take proactive steps to prevent it happening in the future. Consumer sales will begin later this year.Look and listenCurrently the only B Corp-certified audiobook platform, Cornwall-based Xigxag provides a compelling alternative to the constraints of the subscription-based audiobook model while also making books more accessible for the one in five who struggle with traditional reading. If a title is available in its proprietary X-book format, you get an audiobook and e-book rolled up in one; so, the convenience of audio, played back at a comfortable speed of your choosing, with the option of switching to the written word and accompanying illustrations whenever you like. A neat search functionality lets you get straight back to a passage you’d like to hear again. @rhodri
