Like Streaming to Your Hearing Aids, PSAPs or Bluetooth Headset?! Get on Your WiFi and Try These App

I like working in my yard.

It is my meditation; my take a break from the world time.

I have a pretty decent size yard and it takes at least a couple of hours on my John Deere to get it all cut.

To help pass the time, I typically will stream music to my hearing aids with the microphones for external sounds muted.

I have several accessories that I can use to accomplish this, depending on what device I want to listen to, however I typically stream via Bluetooth and just put my iPhone in a Ziploc bag and stick it in my pocket. (that grass/dirt dust can be insidious and the touch screen still works through the plastic - also the Mrs. can get a hold of me by calling my phone if she needs to)

Like many people I have been working on cutting costs and so I stopped using Sirius XM radio on my phone and switched over to Pandora (I just deal with the adds to keep it free).

Now, a lot of these streaming apps can use a LOT of your data from your monthly phone plan. So, if you have not already done so, get on your home WiFi!

As I mentioned, I have a large yard so my basic WiFi router does not cover much beyond my house floor plan, but I have purchased a WiFi extender that allows my signal to cover my yard (yard is approx 0.8 acre or 35,000 square feet/3,250 square meters).

With this additional piece of hardware, (costs around $50-$100), you can increase your WiFi streaming range without having to dip into using your phone's data plan.

Once you have the WiFi range set up, the choice is yours what you want to listen to. Pandora, Spotify, Ted Talks, The Very Best of Polka....

I did hear about a new app I have been enjoying if you want to try streaming your TV.

Tunity (http://www.tunity.com/) is a free app that will allow you to stream audio from muted, live TVs that are in your home, restaurants, hospitals, gym, etc. directly to your smart phone.

What I enjoyed about this app is that sometimes I enjoy listening to the news or talk TV, but since I gave up my Sirius XM app, I can't always get access to cable news. However, with Tunity, I was able to scan the news channel on my TV, have it stream to my phone and then with my WiFi range, I was able to hear the TV all around my yard. Was a nice workaround for those who may want something a little different.

This should work with all hearing aids that use streaming with either a hardwired accessory, a Bluetooth streamer or a direct Bluetooth streaming connection. It should also work with Bluetooth enabled headsets, wired headphones/earbuds and or Personal sound amplifiers (PSAPs) that have Bluetooth functionality.

Also, don't forget a lot of the places you may like to use this app, such as the gym or neighborhood sports bar may have free WiFi as well which will keep you from using up your data as well.

New ideas keep coming everyday, hope this one helps you or your clients enjoy a little more access and flexibility.