【推荐1】Hearing aids will become more accessible thanks to a new rule. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday that people can now buy hearing aids directly from a store or online, said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf. Before, Americans could only get a hearing aid with a prescription, visiting a hearing health professional and having a custom fitting. The new rule will help those with hearing loss to buy hearing aids over the counter.

Dr. Robert Califf said, “Today’s action will not only help those with hearing loss gain access to more affordable and innovative production options, but it’ll release the power of American industry to improve the technology in a way it’ll impact the heavy burden of disability from hearing loss that affects the world.”

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) lauded the new rule made by the FDA. “ASHA fully supports the creation of this new category of over-the-counter hearing devices, which will increase the availability and affordability of hearing aids for many Americans,” said Janice R. Trent, a leader of ASHA.

The new rule still doesn’t ensure hearing aids are covered by insurance. Hearing aids often burn a huge hole in people’s pockets with a pair costing $4,000, according to a study published in JAMA. Considering that five large companies control 90% of the global marketplace for hearing aids, FDA is counting on the new rule to bring down prices by inviting more players into the market.

“I have a big smile on my face right now,” said Dr. Frank Lin, director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health. “In 1977, the only way for hearing aids to be safe and effective was that they were programmed, fitted and professionally adjusted by a licensed provider. Now the new rule could change the market. This allows more companies that are already making innovative earbuds to enter the market.”

【推荐1】As Tiger King 2 appeals to viewers, some fans feel sad about having to pay much for another streaming service subscription. And they take pity on the once-hot video technology which is now more likely to be a temporary coaster (杯垫) for your coffee: DVDs were once the future, but now the industry can hardly be turned around.

DVD sales once reached $16.3 billion and were 64% of the U.S. home video market. That was 2005.

However, this year just 300 million DVDs are expected to be sold worldwide, down from an average of 2 billion every year between 2005 and 2009. Instead, a rise in customers buying on-demand and digital copies of films and the launch of streaming services are what have reduced the DVD industry to such a state.

But there are still 300 million of the things, even if your collection is gathering dust on the bookshelf. While pop psychology would suggest that older generations hold on to their love of the physical disc, instead, those aged 25 to 39 are more likely than most to watch DVDs. They’re often collectors.

“DVDs are a sign of our identity and our personality,” says Tony Gunnarsson, an analyst of TV, video, and advertising. That’s why England-based radio producer Tom Green still stores around 300 DVDs, including the whole seasons of The Simpsons. They represent a part of my life, and a part of me,” Green says. Others continue to keep DVDs because of the excellent audio (声音的) quality.

For DVDs, to undergo a renaissance (复兴) similar to that experienced by cassette tapes will require a big shift. “We need to wait for the generation that have a fascination with DVDs to control the mainstream culture, but it seems to be nowhere in sight,” says Tom Green. “And the public see DVDs as nothing but outdated media.” Even so, there is a solid group of DVD consumers. And that’s perhaps why producers keep making DVDs and why committed collectors collect their discs.

【推荐3】Created from natural materials such as mulberry leaves and bamboo, the earliest umbrella in China was used to protect themselves from dangers. Sometime in 1st century BC, first paper umbrellas appeared and they very quickly found their way to the hands of wealthy females who by then accepted the sun-shade umbrella as a necessary part of their fashion accessory (配件) like animals’ skin and fur. Even though carefully produced and delicate umbrellas from paper and silk weighed only few hundred grams, they were capable of protecting their bearers from the rain because of the special process of applying oil on their cover.

Because of their shortage and high cost, umbrellas quickly became a symbol of power in China and surrounding Asian countries. To differentiate themselves from the rest of the population, Chinese royal members carried only red or yellow umbrellas, while the rest used blue ones. As the centuries went on, the cost of Chinese umbrellas went down, which enabled them to be used by general population and even males. Personal use was not the only application for umbrellas, and many creative designs were introduced even as early as 3rd century AD.

Surrounding countries adopted the umbrella into their tradition, often showing beautiful designs and artwork with great pride, especially by royal members in Korea, Burma and Siam. Travelers from the West soon carried Chinese umbrellas to continental Europe which was just exiting Dark Ages and was eager to adopt new fashion from distant lands. Umbrellas soon took over the female nobility (贵族) in Italy, France and England, where they managed to slowly evolve umbrellas into the general accessory that is used by everyone today.

Even though modern plastic umbrellas represent the majority of worldwide sales, traditional Chinese umbrellas are still respected by many. They are always in great demand. Fujian and Hunan Provinces are still making millions of them every year and the most respected Hangzhou-style umbrellas are now known for their quality and beauty.