What is Auracast?

[What Hi-Fi?]

The Bluetooth technology has its eyes on transforming audio sharing on a large scale...

What is Auracast? : Read more

 

[Corpus_Chain]

Sounds good, but am I going to have trouble using my own device with my own headphones, as I walk past such a set up? Is my music going to be interrupted every time I walk past a pub?

 

[Wales1]

How does it help the deaf?

 

[mahutie]

How does it help the deaf?

hearing aid manufacturers will be able to implement auracast into their hearing aids (Beltone is the only US hearing aid company thus far featuring it), which will allow for hearing aid users to have audio in public spaces streamed directly to their ears. This will be especially helpful to hear gate changes or departure announcements in noisy environments such as airports or train stations, which is the hardest type of environment for hearing aid users to properly hear around them. However, think concerts, religious sermons, speeches, gyms, movie theatres etc. where people with hearing aids haven't been able to enjoy the same listening experience as those with normal hearing around them.

 

[Wales1]

Deaf people are deaf. Hearing aids won't work if you are deaf.

 

[Ranson]

Sounds good, but am I going to have trouble using my own device with my own headphones, as I walk past such a set up? Is my music going to be interrupted every time I walk past a pub?

No, your headset plays the audio from your phone until you set it to a nearby broadcast (similar to connecting to a public WiFi on your phone).

 

[Corpus_Chain]

No, your headset plays the audio from your phone until you set it to a nearby broadcast (similar to connecting to a public WiFi on your phone).

Okay, thanks.
I do also wonder about the strength of the signals. My bluetooth is interrupted when I walk past a mobile phone mast on my way to work every day, but I expect and hope the Auracast signals won't be strong enough to do that.

 

[Ranson]

Okay, thanks.
I do also wonder about the strength of the signals. My bluetooth is interrupted when I walk past a mobile phone mast on my way to work every day, but I expect and hope the Auracast signals won't be strong enough to do that.

We set a high signal power (15dBm) in our Auracast transmitter since it's designed to share audio with more people. I assume other vendors would do the same for similar reasons. However, the power is still lower than that of a common WiFi access point and may cover up to 300 meters.