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Dealing With Hearing Loss? These Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Could Help

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Dealing With Hearing Loss? These Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Could Help


If you’re spending hundreds or thousands of dollars buying an OTC hearing aid, make sure you’re getting a product that offers a sustainable long-term solution to your hearing loss needs. Aside from the obvious things like sound quality, take a few minutes to look into these specs.

What size and style works best for you? Most hearing aids on the market are classified as either behind-the-ear (BTE) or in-the-ear (ITE). BTE hearing aids are probably what you think of when you picture a hearing aid, consisting of a plastic case that contains the electronics, a thin cable that goes over the ear and inside the canal, and a tiny speaker known as a “receiver,” which sends boosted audio from a person’s surroundings into their ear. By contrast, ITE models are self-contained units that look like a standard pair of wireless earbuds. In-the-ear hearing aids are popular for their incognito aesthetic, and they tend to be a lot easier to pop in and out than their behind-the-ear counterparts. Still, contemporary BTE hearing aids are significantly smaller than the ones “back in the day.” It just comes down to what fits you most comfortably.

Replaceable or rechargeable batteries? Much like wireless earbuds, most OTC hearing aids are equipped with rechargeable batteries and (usually) a portable charging case for easy transport. If you take the case’s battery life into account, you’ll find most OTC models last about a week before you need to connect to a power source. Without the case, rechargeable hearing aids offer anywhere from 10 to 24 hours of battery life per charge (but this goes down by a few hours if you’re using them to stream via Bluetooth). Replaceable batteries, such as those found on the Sony CRE-C10, can last for 70 hours or more before the battery dies. Sounds great, but it means having spares on hand and wrestling with tiny cells, which can be difficult for people with dexterity problems.

Are you comfortable making adjustments? While prescription hearing aids are fitted in-office by a licensed hearing care specialist, OTC devices are self-fitting. In most cases, OTC hearing aid users are expected to be able to tune the devices to their ears, usually with the help of a smartphone app. It’s certainly nice to make your own adjustments on the fly, but it may cost you in the way of personalized care.

What’s the company’s customer support like? If only you could count on quality support from every hearing aid manufacturer! Unfortunately, OTC hearing aid companies are just that—companies. There’s no “standard” for customer service in the industry. Companies like Jabra offer patients comprehensive support, but other brands may leave you on your own.

Is there a trial run? If you’re not happy with your hearing aids, you’ll probably want to have the option to return them without writing all that money off as a sunk cost. Most states require manufacturers to provide patients with a minimum trial period, but I recommend playing it safe by seeking out this info before buying.

What about warranties? Equally important to a reasonable trial period is the inclusion of a comprehensive manufacturer’s warranty. Most brands cover manufacturing defects for up to a year, but it goes without saying that the longer the coverage period, the better the deal. No matter which OTC hearing aid you end up with, make sure the warranty covers loss, damage, and wear and tear.



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HostGator Coupon Codes: Save Up to 76% on Hosting in April 2026

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HostGator Coupon Codes: Save Up to 76% on Hosting in April 2026


Whether you’re starting a small business or just want a public profile outside of LinkedIn to showcase your work, HostGator is the place to come for your web hosting needs. With affordable introductory pricing, a wide range of plans, and beginner-friendly user interface, it’s been in the game for over 20 years, powering over 700,000 websites to date. Hostgator is a good entry-level choice for folks like me that have no experience creating or running a website, but want a place to showcase their work or make their small biz more accessible.

With affordable hosting services like WordPress, VPS, shared budget-friendly, and dedicated servers, HostGator has a plan for every type of client, from beginners to growing small businesses. You’ll have peace of mind with 24/7 support and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t happy with the plan you’ve chosen. With HostGator, not only will you get help with a website builder, you’ll also receive a free SSL certificate, domain registration, and professional email addresses. It couldn’t be easier—launch your website today (for so much less) using an updated, always-changing HostGator coupon or HostGator promo code here.

Score Up to 70% Off With This HostGator Coupon

Creating your own website can be stressful and confusing, especially if you’re a novice like me. The Baby HostGator plan is best for most people who need web services and additional help with plans, but maybe don’t need all the bells-and-whistles that the expanded business plan needs. With this HostGator coupon, you’ll get 70% off the Baby web hosting plan, which has everything you’ll need as a jumping-off point, including up to 20 websites, 20GB of memory, one year domain registration, one-click WordPress installation, and more. If this tier of service seems right for you, get it at 70% off (based on a 36-month plan) with HostGator promo code SNAPPY.

Unlock HostGator Promo Code for 76% Off WordPress Hosting

The HostGator Business Plan is ideal for users who have multiple sites that need increased storage, security, and backups. And right now, it’s 76% off at $5.25 per month (based on 36-month pricing). This plan acts as a WordPress staging site with managed WordPress updates, and includes 50 websites, 50 gigs of SSD storage, a free domain for the first year, site migration tools, and advanced security measures and enhanced marketing tools. Read here to see all the details of the differing HostGator plans. Be sure to use HostGator coupon code SNAPPY for the 76% discount.

Save Up to 53% Using HostGator Discount on Top Plan

The HostGator Pro Plan is its top tier, with the most advanced processing power and speeds, and it’s now 53% off—only $14 per month (for 36 months). This expansive plan is ideal for 400,00 visits per month, and includes 100 websites, 100 gigs of SSD storage, and advanced security, marketing, and caching features. Be sure to check out the four different plans to see which is best for your business, including this deal for 53% off the top Pro plan—no HostGator hosting coupon needed.

Get Hassle-Free Domain Registration from $0.99 at HostGator

Have a great idea for a business that isn’t quite up and running yet, but you don’t want to lose out on the million-dollar domain name? Fear not, HostGator’s hassle-free domain registration starts at only $0.99. To start, you’ll search availability on your favorite domain name, or have AI create one for you if you’re stuck. Plus, you can get your HostGator domain included for free for one year if you bundle it with a HostGator hosting plan, no HostGator discount code is needed for this less-than-a-dollar deal.

Up to 36% Off VPS Hosting and Free Migration Tool

Thinking about cybersecurity is no fun, but VPS hosting on your website is a necessary step to protect the privacy and data of both you and your users. This provides next-generation AMD EPYC servers with NVMe storage, stabilized performance, increased control, and advanced security, no matter how much traffic you get. There are various VPS hosting plans, which Hostgator calls ‘Snappy,’ which are priced on a tier system. Right now, you can get up to 36% off the most popular mid-tier plan, including a free migration tool to make the transition safe and seamless.



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The Real Losers of the Musk v. Altman Trial

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The Real Losers of the Musk v. Altman Trial


Attorneys delivered closing arguments in the Musk v. Altman trial on Thursday in a final attempt to convince a judge and jury that their respective clients, Elon Musk and Sam Altman, are the most well-intentioned, truth-telling stewards of OpenAI’s founding nonprofit mission. A judgement could be delivered as soon as next week, ending a decade-long battle between two of the technology industry’s most influential entrepreneurs.

But regardless of the outcome, there is a wide set of losers in this case. Based on ample amounts of evidence, it appears that the people worst off are the employees, policy makers, and members of the public who believed in the mission of a nonprofit research lab—and supported OpenAI because of it. What seemed to take precedent for Musk and OpenAI’s other cofounders at almost every turn was building the world’s leading AI lab—even if that meant creating a multibillion dollar for-profit company in the process.

“It’s hard to see how the public interest is being protected by either of these parties, and that is really what is ultimately at stake in a case about a nonprofit,” says Jill Horwitz, a Northwestern University law professor with expertise in nonprofits and innovation, who listened to the closing arguments. “The public interest in the nonprofit is at risk no matter who wins.”

OpenAI’s stated mission is to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits humanity, but humanity is not a party in this case. In practice, OpenAI has spent the last decade attempting to rival multitrillion dollar companies like Google, and build AGI first. Additionally, Musk and Altman have fought tooth and nail to be the ones who control OpenAI.

“Musk and Altman are basically locked in a race to be the first to build superintelligence, and they both rightly fear what the other will do if they win. The rest of us should fear them both,” says Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI researcher who joined in 2022 and has raised concerns over the company’s safety culture. He was part of a group of former OpenAI researchers that filed an amicus brief in this case against OpenAI’s for-profit conversion, arguing that the nonprofit structure was critical in their decision to join the company.

At trial, OpenAI’s nonprofit was discussed as if it were yet another corporate investor. OpenAI’s lawyers argued that giving the nonprofit a $200 billion stake in the for-profit company is proof that OpenAI is fulfilling its mission. Public advocacy groups disagree that funding alone is sufficient.

“I am among the many people who are glad to see how many philanthropic resources the OpenAI foundation has at its disposal to do good work,” says Nathan Calvin, VP of state affairs for the AI safety nonprofit Encode, which filed an amicus brief opposing OpenAI’s restructuring earlier in this case. “But it’s worth remembering that the nonprofit also has a governance role, and that the mission of the nonprofit is not that of a typical foundation, it is specifically to ensure that AGI benefits all of humanity. Money is important for that goal and is useful all else equal, but it is not the goal in and of itself.”

Origin Story

Evidence revealed in this case suggests Altman and Musk were in agreement about OpenAI launching as a nonprofit and operating much like a typical startup. They shared the goal of beating Google DeepMind in the race to AGI. But creating OpenAI as a nonprofit turned out to be a horribly inconvenient means to winning that race.

Musk has accused Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, and Greg Brockman, its cofounder and president, of straying from the nonprofit’s founding mission. He claims the founders used his $38 million investment to turn OpenAI into an $850 billion company and make several of its cofounders billionaires.



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We Now Know How Many People the CDC Is Monitoring for Hantavirus

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We Now Know How Many People the CDC Is Monitoring for Hantavirus


The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring 41 people in the US for the Andes hantavirus after a cruise ship was hit with a rare outbreak, but the risk to the public remains low, according to health officials.

This includes a group of 18 passengers from the cruise ship who are now in quarantine facilities in Nebraska and Georgia. The agency is also monitoring passengers who returned home before the outbreak was identified and others who were exposed during travel, specifically on flights where a symptomatic case was present.

“Most people under monitoring are considered high-risk exposures, and CDC recommends that everyone under monitoring stay at home and avoid being around people during their 42-day monitoring period,” David Fitter, incident manager for the CDC’s hantavirus response, told reporters during a media briefing on Thursday. “We emphasize not to travel across all these groups.”

The Andes virus is a strain of hantavirus found in South America that can be transmitted from person to person. Typically, hantavirus is passed to humans when they come into contact with rodent droppings or urine. A respiratory virus, the disease can cause difficulty breathing and carries a fatality rate of around 35 percent. As of Thursday, the World Health Organization has confirmed 11 cases of the Andes virus among passengers of the MV Hondius cruise ship, including three deaths.

A Department of Health and Human Services official confirmed to WIRED that all Americans who were on board the Hondius at any point during its journey are now back in the US.

The CDC has legal authority to issue federal quarantine and isolation orders to prevent the spread of certain communicable diseases into or within the US. Fitter said on Thursday that the CDC is not using that authority to manage all 41 of the individuals who were potentially exposed to the hantavirus.

“Our approach is based on risk and evidence,” he said. “We are working closely with passengers and public health partners to ensure monitoring and rapid access to care if symptoms develop. Our goal is to work with them and alongside them, building plans based on their specific situations to protect the health and safety of passengers and American communities.”

Individuals will be monitored for 42 days, which is the amount of time it can take for hantavirus symptoms to appear after exposure. Symptoms begin as flu-like, with fever, muscle aches, and fatigue, then rapidly progress to severe respiratory distress.



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