The creators of the Wear Kickstarter want everyone to have a better hearing experience. Users with a hearing problem can get an electronic assist and those with high levels of hearing ability can filter out sounds when in a crowd.
The Wear is a directional microphone, designed to be small and amplify sounds in a six foot zone around the user. Ambient sounds are heard but at a lower level. The microphone uses analog technology and is intended to improve your understanding of nearby conversations.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/771490867/wear-a-wearable-personal-assistive-hearing-device
Beyond a conversational aide, the Wear can be used as a commentator's microphone for interviews or as a recording microphone. The entire Kickstarter video was filmed using the Wear device.
Any headphones can be plugged into the Wear's jack, and a light then glows to show that the device is powered and in use. A rechargeable battery inside the unit takes around an hour to get a full charge and then can be used all day. When headphones are not plugged in the unit is off and no power is being drained from the battery.
The device functions as an attractive necklace when not in use and the Kickstarter campaign features a few different configurations to maximize fashion points.
Eric Rosenthal and Michelle Temple launched the Kickstarter campaign to complete the case design and begin tooling. The device is in the prototype stages, having built around seventy units and undergoing extensive user testing.
The creators stress that Wear is not a medical device or a hearing aid replacement but rather an assistive device. The goal is improve the quality of conversation for people and deliver an affordable high quality technology.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/771490867/wear-a-wearable-personal-assistive-hearing-device