When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

blog

Want To Listen To Music Without Going Deaf? Stick These In Your Ears

[rebelmouse-image 27088352 alt="""" original_size="700x304" expand=1]

Photo: Kickstarter

One in five American teens suffers from a slight hearing loss and one in 20 from a more severe loss, in what are respectively 30% and 77% increases compared to 20 years ago, according to a study by the American Medical Association. The cause of this increase is believed to be the mass use of headphones that began to spread in the 1990s.

Hearing loss, which is permanent, can have dramatic consequences, especially for a teenager. It can lead to reduced speech perception, affect the ability to learn and hinder the development of social skills.

With this in mind, the World Health Organization will host the First World Congress on Ear and Hearing Care in India’s New Delhi in February 2015.

But more concrete measures are already being taken. The American company 1964Ears is launching its new product called “RealLoud Technology”, which its founders say is “the world's first and only patented in-ear technology that safely delivers a louder, more spacious and richer sound — all while minimizing the risk of hearing loss from personal listening devices.”

The particularity of this device is that they include a secondary artificial eardrum to protect our natural eardrums. These shields will absorb “the harmful pneumatic pressures produced by earbuds,” all the while delivering deeper bass, clearer midrange and richer highs than ever, the company declares.

[rebelmouse-image 27088353 alt="""" original_size="560x296" expand=1]

Photo: Kickstarter

Unlike traditional headphones, RealLoud technology does not tighten in-ear muscles or compress the volume. This makes it possible to listen to clearer music at a lower but more dynamic level.

These headphones are currently being funded through a Kickstarter campaign. For those who pledge at least $1,000, the company also offers custom hand-made sets to perfectly fit the ears of the listener.

With 25 days to go until the end of the backing period, the project, which was launched by Stephen D. Ambrose, the founder of Asius Technologies and the inventor of the wireless in-ear monitors used by musicians, has already raised more than $320,000, smashing its initial target of $200,000. This latest expression of the desire to enjoy music without worrying about one’s ears is something we hear loud and clear.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Economy

A Cold French Shower On All The De-Dollarization Hysteria

Sur, financial instability in the U.S. and the weaponization of the dollar have raised crucial questions about how long the dollar can remain the world's de-facto currency. But France's leading business daily says don't expect major changes any time soon.

Image of a ​close up of a one dollar American bill.

Close up of a one dollar american bill.

Les Echos

-Analysis-

PARIS — Americans are a strange bunch. Fifteen years after allowing the eruption of the largest global financial crisis in nearly a century, they were not even able to prevent a bank with more than $200 billion in assets from collapsing in a few hours.

These people are as careless with their public accounts as they are with their private finances. This year, the U.S. public deficit is expected to approach 6% of GDP, almost double that of the European Union. As if this impasse were only a minor problem.

Can we continue to trust a country's currency so inconsistent with money?

More and more countries are answering this question by buying gold. After beginning their return to the yellow metal in 2009, just after the great financial crisis, central banks acquired 1,136 tons last year. A record for over half a century!

And if they have increased their purchases, especially in emerging countries, it is not only to protect their reserves from inflation or banking crises. It may also be with monetary plans in mind.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

The latest