By Larry Medwetsky Mobile Device Apps for People with Hearing Loss Expanding the Horizons of Hearing Access Wherever one goes nowadays, people are using mobile devices or tablets. One of the virtues of these devices is the ability to download from the myriad applications (apps), in effect, allow- ing mobile devices to literally become an all-in-one system. This is part two of Dr. Medwetsky’s article on exploring the world of smartphone apps for people with hearing loss. In the last issue of Hearing Loss Magazine I discussed various hearing screening/testing and personal sound amplification apps. In this issue I review some of the incredible apps that have made life more convenient for individuals with hearing loss. It truly is an amazing time and all of us should take advantage of the oppor- tunities that have opened up to us. These apps not only can help make communication easier but also allow for greater access to important alerts, and even for addressing hearing related issues such as tinnitus. Writing this article has been a tremendous learning experience. As someone who witnessed the introduction of the personal com- puter into the marketplace, I have been astounded by what is now available. Any mention of specific products does not imply any form of endorsement. And, in many cases I am relying on the accuracy of the product’s website, thus, I apologize for any false claims. Communication Enhancement Applications This category includes a variety of apps that enhance communica- tion access for individuals with hearing loss. Face-to-Face Communication This category only includes apps that allow for direct communica- tion without any augmentative support, such as captioning or the use of an intermediary. The latest Android and Apple operating systems provide high-quality video and a fast frame rate, which in turn, allow for effective communication for people with hearing loss 26 Hearing Loss Magazine Visit us at hearingloss.org and follow @HLAA on Twitter who benefit from speechreading when time of this article, the software was using the phone. in beta-testing. Another app that is not yet • FaceTime is an app that is included available but offers unique features is among the various iPhone/iPad op- RogerVoice. With RogerVoice, the tions and works right out of the box. individual with hearing loss calls or • Google Hangouts is an app that receives calls on their smartphone that allows for up to 10 individuals to are instant transcriptions of what the communicate with each other and other speaker is saying, regardless of can be downloaded from either the their language. Unlike other speech rec- App store (for iPhone or iPad) or ognition software that involves being Google Play (for Android devices) trained to a single voice, this software • Skype is another face-to-face app is meant to work with any voice, thus that can be downloaded to either errors can occur in the transcription. Apple or Android mobile devices. However, basic conversations—such as Video calls are available for 1:1 An example of mobile captioning ordering on the phone or making an communication (and more than appointment are less prone to errors. 1:1 on laptops/desktops, although An app that supplements the does allow for group audio calls) Real-Time Voice Recognition aforementioned mobile communica- Imagine going to a lecture or noisy tion apps is VoxSci for Mobiles. This All of the above are generally restaurant and catching all of the spo- app transcribes voicemails into text and free, except for some options of which ken information on the screen of your delivers them to the mobile device as a user might want to take advantage smartphone or tablet. Live Caption is a text (SMS) message and/or email (e.g., long distance audio calls). an example of a voice recognition app with MP3 attachment. A related app that has been developed for use in is Glide, which allows for video mes- Mobile Captioning everyday settings, whereby an individ- saging—be it live or kept for later. One recent innovation is analogous to ual speaks into the mobile device with voice-over, real-time captioned services the voice transcribed into real-time for landline phones (such as CapTel text. An adaptation of this approach is and CaptionCall). In this scenario, to have the talker speak into a Blue- individuals who use their voice but tooth microphone paired with the can’t hear well on the regular voice mobile device, thus, allowing a talker phone talk into their mobile device to be up to 30 feet away from the user’s or tablet and communicate with smartphone, yet still being able to see others via the use of a relay service. the text on the phone. Rather than the communications Let Me Hear Again is an assistant (CA) typing what the hear- app that allows for face-to-face chat, Transcence Voice recognition app ing person is saying (which requires converting voice into text (up to 41 allowing for group conversations a highly trained stenographer), the languages). The app can also transcribe CA who has “trained” the software instructions or directions into text mes- to recognize his or her voice, repeats sages for later recall, and even save class (shadows) what he or she hears from lectures to phone in the form of text. the hearing person. One voice recognition app that The software then transcribes appears to be promising for use at the CA’s spoken information for relay meetings or large group settings is to the screen of the mobile phone or Transcence. This app can transcribe tablet used by the person with hearing speech from various individuals onto loss. These apps are free upon regis- screen in near real time. To make this tration and depending on the service possible, the app connects to several chosen are available for either Android phones and activates their mics to cap- and/or iPhone. Companies providing ture what everyone is saying, then uses RogerVoice voice-to-text allowing for this service include ClearCaptions, voice recognition software to assign transcription in multiple languages CaptionCall Mobile, and Hamilton the text for each person in the group a Mobile CapTel. color for their speech bubbles. At the continued on page 28 Like HearingLossAssociation on Facebook November/December 2015 27 Mobile Device Apps • ViBe app allows one to choose RECREATION ENHANCEMENT APPLICATIONS continued from page 27 contacts and set different vibration patterns for each of them, thus, allowing the user to know who is Subtitled Apps for Movies Alerting Apps calling without even taking the and Television shows Hearing the doorbell, the phone ring, phone out of their pocket A number of apps, many of them or the fire alarm are everyday sounds free, allow you to download and view that are important to detect but might Hearing Loss Simulator subtitles for movies and TV shows. be difficult for an individual with The Hearing Loss Simulator app A downside to these free apps is that hearing loss. A number of apps have developed by Starkey is a wonderful they have some limitations and the been developed that enable the mobile tool to demonstrate how speech and presence of ads. Some of these apps do device user to be alerted to important environmental sounds might sound to not play the actual show but display environmental sounds. These apps can different individuals with hearing loss. synced subtitles while one is simulta- be used not only as a support at home, One can choose to use this as a general neously watching a movie or show on but also in a hotel room or any other education tool or find an audiogram television, or when one is at a movie enclosed environment. The following that most closely resembles your hear- theater. Some of these apps support are some of these apps: ing loss to demonstrate how speech more than 20 languages so it not might sound to you. restricted only to English users. • Braci Pro is an app that according to its website is able to detect up to a Synced Lyrics thousand sounds at a distance up to I have always loved listening to music. 35 meters away and recognize these However, it has always been frustrating sounds within 2-4 seconds. It is also to me that my hearing loss usually does compatible with the Pebble smart not allow me to understand the words watch or any other Android wear. in most tunes. Recently, downloadable apps have been developed for syncing • MyEardroid has been developed to lyrics to music on media sites such as detect and identify common sounds. Pandora, Shazam, Spotify, YouTube, Diverse sound notification modes etc. Some of these sites provide lyrics are incorporated, such as vibration, as an inherent feature of the app (such text and image. as Pandora, Shazam, and YouTube). Hearing loss simulation using the There are also a number of sites • Otosense comes with a general Starkey Hearing Loss Simulator app that do not provide lyrics, but one can library of sounds as well as be trained overcome this by using an external app to identify unique alerts in one’s to sync lyrics with the music site (such home or elsewhere. as syncing Musixmatch to Spotify). In addition to syncing the lyrics to the music, these apps have the ability to identify the name of the song title and music artist. Having this feature truly has added to my enjoyment of music. Tinnitus Relief Tinnitus (i.e., ringing in the ears) is defined as the perception of sound in the absence of an external sound source and affects approximately 10 percent of the population (Kochkin, Tyler & Born, 2011).