Well actually you didn't, but couldn't resist the title, given the subject matter.
About five years ago (while exiting Embankment tube station if I remember rightly), I wondered why hearing aids were so ugly. In a vain attempt to blend in with skin colour (as long as your skin is a sickly sludge colour), instead they seem to stand out. They always struck me as akin to the age-old National Health glasses in terms of their appearance.
Older people may not be too bothered about the look, but I figured that younger people who rely on the devices must feel very self-conscious. So, I mused, instead of trying to make them blend in, why not make them stand out? Produce them in bright colours with the option of skinning them to suit different outfits. The idea was sufficiently inspired to share with my now wife, but also sufficiently radical to prevent me from acting upon it.
Today, I read of the very same idea on (where else) the BBC's website. The RNID is teaming up with some design bodies to launch an exhibition to showcase new technologies and designer hearware. There's even a device with a remote control to block out irritating sounds. Could be useful in the office on occasions, and I'm sure my colleagues would concur.
