Showing posts with label hard of hearing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hard of hearing. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Sonic Alert Sonic-Connect 2 review

Having a deaf husband and being hard of hearing means we don't always hear or notice things going on. So sometimes we turn to companies such as Sonic Alert to help bridge the gaps of things we miss. They sent me another product to review for you all.
In the deaf community, staying connected is a huge thing. Whether its a message, email, text, call or instant message its very much about getting the message quickly and staying in touch with everyone else. The Sonic-connect 2 helps us do just that. It's a USB device that plugs into your computer. You download a simple program, put in your email address and other program information. Then when you receive a call or message, the Sonic-connect 2 device will ring, vibrate, or light up depending on which settings you choose. My husband in particular finds this helpful since he has a business email account that he checks several times an hour most days. With the Sonic-connect 2, he doesn't have to check. He was able to adjust the settings so that it will automatically check his emails every 2 minutes and if there is something new it will begin to alert him. It even allows you to add more than one email address in case you want a signal from all your accounts. At first we had some difficulties with adding the email addresses. I wasn't sure which things to type in some of the areas. The customer care group was extremely helpful. They provided step-by-step instructions that were easy to follow.

Then we tried the Skype setting. Any time someone calls us on Skype now the Sonic-connect 2 will light up. My husband really enjoyed this setting since he often calls his best friends back in Texas with Skype. Now he won't miss their calls.
This is not just good for deaf and hard of hearing folks though. It has a high pitched sound alert, vibrate alert, and flashing light alert. So even hearing people have options for those important emails or calls coming through.
There are some important things to know about the product. Sonic-connect 2 only works with a Windows PC running Windows XP or higher. It does not work on Apple computer products. Its compact, which makes it easy to take on the go when you are travelling. Red lights stay on while there is a message awaiting your attention. It uses a standard USB port on your desktop or laptop. You can find updates for your device at www.sonicalert.com/sec. And it comes with a one year warranty! Can't get much better than that for us.

I wasn't able to get a good video but as soon as I do, I'll post it for you guys to see how well it works.
***I did not purchase this product. It was sent to me in exchange for a review. This review is strictly my opinion on the product and services received and may vary from your opinions.***

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Sonic Alert review

Being married to a deaf guy, I've spent the past 6 years or so learning about and seeing different products that deaf people use. The technology they have made for deaf and hard of hearing (HoH) devices is getting better all the time. One of the most notable devices is a signaler.
I was given the chance to test the USS360 Universal Sound Signaler from Sonic Alert. It's a small device that you plug into the wall then you plug a lamp into it. Put it in a room you spend a lot of time in and any time there is loud sound - knocking on the door, baby crying, alarms, etc. your lamp will begin flashing. This is so helpful for our family. I have hearing issues as well but I'm able to hear my daughter cry or someone knocking on the door. However, when I'm not home my husband needs to be able to know what's going on too. This USS360 works with all other Sonic Alert receivers. Once plugged in, this device will submit a signal via the power lines in your home to any other Sonic Alert Receivers you have plugged in as well. 

Devices like these are great not only for deaf but also for those who have other degrees of hearing loss. Or maybe for those who tune everything out and drift into their own minds and need a reminder to come back to realty...


There is another awesome thing I should mention about this device; it has various degrees of sensitivity to sound. It catches my son whispering across the room just as easy as my daughters cry depending on the setting we pick.
Now as a warning, you should not use power strips or surge protectors with the Sonic Alert Signalers or Receivers because they block the signal that is transmitted from the signaler to the receiver. They must be plugged directly into a working outlet without any adapters getting in the way.
They have other things as well. Alarm clocks, other types of signalers, amplified clocks and phones as well as listening devices.
Want to learn more about their technology? Check them out on their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sonic-Alert/ or at their website http://www.sonicalert.com/.

This technology is called X-10 technology. I found a link where you can get a little more info about what that means.  http://www.smarthome.com/about_x10.html



If you are looking for more specific information about this particular signaler, check out this link: http://sonicalert.com/products-signaling-systems-USS360.html
The other receivers they have available can be viewed here: http://sonicalert.com/signaling-systems-receivers.html

I'd love to hear what you guys think about this. So leave me a comment below!