Hello and welcome to Future Ear!
I created this site to help serve as a repository of all the interesting developments happening as our in-the-ear devices evolve into ear-worn computers, also known as, hearables. To get a better idea of who I am and what’s contained on this site, here’s a quick synopsis:
- I write and podcast about hearables and all the cool new use cases that they’re able to support, such as voice-assistant integration, biometric monitoring, and machine learning.
- Hearables include Bluetooth hearing aids, AirPods, and many other truly wireless, smart earbuds.
- Hearables’ unique use cases are helping to support the rise of broader trends, such as, “The Longevity Economy,” and, “Aural Attention Economy.”
- Today’s hearing aid innovation is transforming the whole notion of what a hearing aid can be, which is timely considering that 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 each day.
- I publish one podcast episode per week (usually on Wednesday or Thursday) and write a companion blog post that is 500-700 words.
- My podcast guests come from a myriad of backgrounds pertaining to the worlds of wearables, voice technology and the audio internet.
Occasionally, I write long-form essays, which are usually derived from my super intelligent podcast guests.
I’m a contributing author on the website, Voicebot.ai, where I write from time to time.
I also have appeared on a number of podcasts and webinars speaking on the topics I write about.
10 Second Bio
- Born and raised in St. Louis, MO
- University of Kansas alum with a Journalism degree
- Business Development Manager at Oaktree Products
- Favorite City in the World: Florence, Italy
- Favorite Book Series: Game of Thrones
- Best Karaoke Song: Rosanna
Why I Write
There’s a lot of noise out there these days and I’ve found that the best way to make sense of everything is to talk through these progressions with subject matter experts and write down my takeaways.
My goal is to help curate all of the interesting news and information that pertains to the various trends converging around the ear.
I hope that this site helps keep you informed and stay abreast of the rapidly changing world of hearables and the various use cases these new devices support.
About Oaktree Products
Oaktree Products was started in 1992 by my parents, Margy and Bob Kemp. What began as a true Mom & Pop shop in our basement distributing one line of products (our brand, Audiologist’s Choice), has grown to become the largest distributor of clinical supplies and assistive listening devices to the hearing healthcare professional.
We’re a family company through-and-through, employing my brothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and friends. We take great pride in our team and level of service to the hearing care professional.
Over the course of 28 years, we’ve found that in addition to great service and competitive prices, providing insight to the professional can be tremendously valuable. By serving as an educational resource to our industry through informational videos, blog content and infographics, Oaktree helps to consolidate important information for the busy professional.
Future Ear is my attempt at creating a resource for the hearing healthcare professional by aggregating and distilling down the most relevant information that pertains to the intersection of hearing healthcare and technology.