Grab Bag #2

It’s another grab bag this time with a “smart” garage door and Apple’s OTC hearing aids. Let’s get into it!

A “Smart” Garage Door Opener

I recently had to replace my garage door opener. We won’t get into why or how much it cost - this is, after all, a tech newsletter. No, I want to discuss the “smart” features included with my new opener, https://www.liftmaster.com/smart-opener-with-dual-led-lighting-and-battery-backup/p/84602MC. This particular model has a couple of features that aren’t “smart”. Where I live we’re required to have a “close fail-safe” which prevents the door from closing if something is in the way It has that by way of a small laser that shines across the bottom of where the door closes. We’re also required to have a battery backup so the door can open and close in the event of a power failure. The battery for this unit fits right into the side of the unit itself. It also has a set of bright LEDs built into the opener motor housing so no more changing light bulbs! And it has a motion sensor built into the wall switch which will cause the LEDs to illuminate for 3 minutes. The motion sensor is quite sensitive and I doubt I’ll need to ever turn on the overhead lights in my garage again.

OK, those are not the smart features but I still think they’re pretty handy. The smart feature this opener has allows it to connect to my home WiFi and that enables the smart features. Besides using the wall mount control and the included remote for the car, I can control the opener from my phone using the MyQ app. Of course, I can open and close the door. I can see the current state of the door, how long it’s been in that state, see a history of open and close events, give temporary access to someone, and set a schedule to open and close the door. If I want to buy an add-on camera I can see everything that goes on when the door is opened.

Here’s another nice feature: I have Amazon Prime and with this smart opener, I can give the Amazon delivery driver the ability to open the door to deliver a package (some details at https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Key-In-Garage-Delivery/b?ie=UTF8&node=21222091011).

You can add the smart features to most garage door openers for about $30 right now with MyQ hardware (currently available at Amazon for about $18). And, of course, there are other add-ons besides the camera I mentioned earlier. The most useful add-on in my opinion is the battery powered keypad with camera that you can mount on your garage door jamb so it’s accessible from outside your garage. You can use to give temporary or scheduled access to open and close your garage door. But there is a whole range of compatible products at https://www.myqx.com/.

Apple adds hearing aid functionality to AirPods

Announced at the recent “Glowtime” event on Monday, September 9, Apple has gotten FDA approval to introduce software for their AirPods Pro 2 to turn them into over-the-counter hearing aids. Suitable for those over 18 with mild to moderate hearing loss, an upcoming software update for iPhones, iPads, and Macs will test the user’s hearing and automatically apply the results to everything coming to the AirPods - ambient sounds like speech along with music, streamed content like movies, and phone calls. The AirPods 2 Pro were previously known as good PSAPs (Personal Sound Amplification Products) which I talked about last year on March 23 and June 30 (search for PSAP on https://tonystakeontech.beehiiv.com) but now they’re full fledged OTC (over the counter) hearing aids.

Now, these are in ear buds - they are inserted into your ear canal - which may not be something that everyone prefers. I know many people who don’t prefer having something inserted IN their ear because of discomfort or just because they don’t like the feeling of being cut off from ambient sounds. Honestly, with the current state of technology, OTC hearing aids need to cut off ambient sounds because there is a delay introduced by processing ambient sounds to apply the processing necessary for your hearing profile. If you have open ear buds, ambient sounds can reach your ears directly in addition to sounds coming through the earbuds and that processing delay can be jarring or disconcerting.

Note that there are a number of other over the counter hearing aids which are not Apple specific but they cost more. If you’re an Apple user there’s a reasonable chance you already have the AirPods 2 Pro but if you’re not an Apple user you do have alternatives, most are much more expensive but some aren’t and most all of the others look like traditional hearing aids which is an absolute non-starter for some people. I suspect that Apple’s move will force other manufacturers to reconsider their form factor and pricing.

That’s all for this time

I hope you’ve gotten some insight into Apple’s announcement as well as what I consider to be an interesting and useful smart garage door. Don't hesitate to write to me if you have questions!

As always, my intent is to help you understand the basics and equip you to search for more detailed information.

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