Best Inventions 2005: Healthy Options

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NICHOLAS EVELEIGH FOR TIME

Can You Hear Me Now?
Inventor: Randall Roberts
Availability: Now, at audiologists' offices; up to $299
To Learn More: starkey.com & elihearing.com
This device makes it easier for hearing-aid users to go cellular. The tiny ELI plugs into the bottom of most behind-the-ear hearing aids, essentially turning them into wireless cell-phone headsets and eliminating the static that often occurs when hearing aids and mobile phones interact. A miniature microphone transmits the wearer's voice back to the phone. And for people who use in-the-ear hearing aids, there's another version of ELI that hangs on a cord around the neck.
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