CES 2023
It is that time of year again. Well, actually the show has not taken place fully in person for a few years. It was the last show I attended before the Pandemic in January 2020. In hindsight, it was probably one of the early spreader events based on what I heard after the event
This year there is a resurgence and early estimates suggest there are somewhere on the order of 70,000 or so people attending. That will put a strain on some of the local resources but certainly shy of peak traffic from past shows
As in the past, there are some interesting announcements from a variety of companies, and the Digital Health Hall is filled with plenty of shiny new developments and plenty of technology companies
Hearing Aids
Post the FDA announcement relieving the requirement to consult with a licensed clinician to obtain hearing aids was great news. I’ve watched my own parents navigate this challenge as well as my wife’s as they continue to be inhibited from using readily available technology. It was so bad in the case of my mother-in-law she found herself completely excluded from the conversation because she could not hear, that despite spending *thousands* of dollars on prescribed hearing aids
I was expecting great news and there are several of the existing providers are there and showing new innovations, many using your phone as an integral part of the setup. It can be used to change settings, sense the environment and even use the microphone to listen and apply some simple signal processing that will exclude background noise and amplify the audio you are wanting to hear – typically conversation. I expect plenty to come in the coming months but unfortunately, the pricing is still eye-watering and it won’t be offering much-needed help to the swathes of the population that struggle to pay their bills.
EarGo has been in this space for some time and until the FDA intervened required a licensed individual to prescribe. Now that’s no longer a requirement it would be nice to see significant price reductions and it could still happen as there is no pricing on their latest release EarGo7. But their older models still run in the thousands so I’m not hopeful.
And the potential for truly affordable hearing aids may get crushed by the patent process as companies seek to prevent any other entrants into a market. I talked about this The Re-Appreciation of Science and specifically the success of the CD as an example where multiple patents were applied to create cheap affordable technology with fractional pricing that was fair and everyone signed off on it.
Meantime if the prices continue at these rates I’d advocate you go out and buy a pair of Apple Ear Buds – for sure not cheap but fractional to the costs in the current slate of offerings. Their last generation offers long battery life, and noise canceling and can really elevate your ability to hear using their “Live-Listen” feature
Hits
Valencell’s Fingertip Blood Pressure monitor – a sure-fire winner if it gets FDA approval. High blood pressure (hypertension) continues to be a major silent killer
Maybe
Snoring is a problem and there are lots of solutions out there – this one is interesting in the same way that personal airbags was/is from a few years ago – Anti-snore pillow: 10Minds. But see above on pricing. There are cheaper effective options and all this could have underlying pathology or disease that needs treatment (Obstructive Sleep Apnea for example)
Urine analysis in your own toilet – a concept that has been in play for some time and now with a unit that goes into your toilet from Withings – U-Scan
Misses
The Self-Driving Stroller Glüxkind’s “Ella” – really to what end?
Dyson Air Purifying Mask and Headphones – I get the idea but the look just doesn’t fly. We had enough problems with plain surgical masks
I’ll keep watching to see what else emerges – but in the meantime reach out if you see anything worthwhile or interesting
