Able Talker Personal Communicator

First Fully Wireless Personal Communicator for the Hard of Hearing: New 'Able Talker' Eliminates Cables & Eases Conversation

Winner of CES Innovations Award for Personal Electronics

LAS VEGAS -- 2007 International CES, Booth# Sands/69453 -- Until now, all personal communication devices used by people with hearing loss require a wire to connect the handset to a headphone or hearing aid, creating an awkward setup with limited range and usability that also draws unwelcome atte ntion to the user's disability. The new Able Talker(TM) Assistive Listening System from Able Planet Inc. is the first completely wireless system of its kind, the first equipped with patent-pending technology that enhances speech intelligibility, and the first to offer a listening range of 35 feet without obtrusive cables and extension cords.

Designed for use in settings ranging from at-home conversations to cars, restaurants, lecture halls and beyond, Able Talker is a palm-sized radio frequency transmitter with a low-noise microphone that beams sound directly to Able Planet's Clear Harmony(TM) Wireless Headphones or a hearing aid without tethering the user to a cord. A small docking station included in the package allows the transmitter to be plugged into a TV, MP3 player, stereo, radio, telephone or other audio device for cable-free sound delivery to the hearing instrument without the line-of-sight requirement of infrared systems.

The microphone built into t he Able Talker handset filters out background noise and reduces reverberation from the sound source, boosting users' ability to participate in conversations even in noisy rooms. The Clear Harmony Wireless Headphone and soon-to-be-released Able Planet hearing aids further enhance speech clarity through a proprietary Able Planet technology called Linx Audio(TM) that increases the intensity of higher frequency harmonics as well as increasing perceived loudness without boosting volume.

Together, these radio frequency-based components offer better sound quality than FM-based assistive listening systems by providing a true digital solution delivering 16-bit audio precision.

The Able Talker transmitter can be attached to a belt with the built-in clip, worn around the neck with a lanyard, or placed wirelessly on a table, podium or any other sound source at a distance of up 35 feet from the user. It transmits in mono mode for speech or stereo mode for entertainment; r uns on one rechargeable AAA battery that delivers 15 hours of battery life between charges; and recharges in the docking station.

Pricing and Availability

The Able Talker Assistive Listening System includes the Able Talker handset, Clear Harmony Wireless Headphones and docking station/charger. It will be available for $699.99 (MSRP) at http://www.ableplanet.com and leading retailers, catalogs and Internet stores late in the first quarter. Later this year, Able Planet will release wireless-ready hearing aids as well as a DAI boot for third-party behind-the-ear hearing aids, enabling the Able Talker to be used with hearing aids as well as headphones.

About Able Planet Inc.