This Is An Ad For Something

Via PC Magazine:

Sometimes marketing gives us actual nice things and not just the illusion of them. To promote the launch of Samsung's new video call center for the hearing impaired, Samsung Türkiye and advertising agency Leo Burnett Istanbul spent a month preparing to surprise a young Istanbul resident named Muharrem with an extraordinary morning — and a heartwarming advertisement for the rest of us. The ad, called "Hearing Hands," begins with Muharrem and his sister leaving their home for a walk through their neighborhood. Muharrem, who is hearing impaired, is pleasantly surprised when strangers on the street and in shops communicate with him using sign language.

You'll like this. Over 1M views already.

ASAP Science: How Old Are Your Ears?

According to this test, my hearing is age-appropriate. Pity. However, commenters on YouTube note that your result may be affected by the speakers or earphones you are using.

Ben Cohen: Elton Helped My Deafness

Retired rugby star and straight ally Ben Cohen is clinically deaf in both ears and he told the press this weekend that he's been greatly helped by new hearing aids provided by Elton John.

Ben said: "He called me out of the blue and said, 'I hear you're going deaf. I love the work you're doing and I'd love to help you. When you're next in America, I'm going to send you to Starkey to fit you with new hearing aids." Ben added the new technology "changed my life". He said: "The hearing aids are directional, they pick up the sound in front of me, like a person I'm talking to, more than background noise."

In addition to his AIDS advocacy, Elton is the ambassador for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which helps children in Third World countries.  Cohen explains the technology:

"I’m into the profound hearing loss category. I’m going deaf,’ says Ben. "Certain sounds – such as the letters T and K – I can’t really hear at all. But my new hearing aids are directional, so they pick up the sound in front of me, like the person I’m talking to, more than background noise. I’ve got a remote control with it that can muffle the sound in, say, a crowded bar, so it’s not too intense. They also gave me headphones that fit into your ear that I can link up to the TV."

Cohen says that his hearing loss is unrelated to having played rugby and that his father is also hearing-impaired. He adds that he had previously rejected hearing aids as he found them cumbersome and ineffective.