Engineers from the University of New South Wales in Australia are working on a prototype solar panel implant for the retinas to restore sight. The implant converts light into electrical signals that can be directed to the optic nerve, enabling vision. Users may need to wear special glasses or goggles that amplify sunlight for the device to work. The device is still in a proof-of-concept stage - a lot more work still needs to be done before it is ready for human implantation.

Neuralink plans to implant its system into a second patient within the next few weeks. The company is aiming to implant its device in 'high single digits' of patients this year. While only around 15% of the channels in the first patient are still functional, the patient is still about to use the device to watch videos, read, and play chess or other video games, sometimes up to 70 hours per week. Neuralink will be making changes to address the hardware problems it encountered with its first participant, with a focus on mitigating retraction.

A feature in Apple's new AirPods Pro allows the device to be used as an over-the-counter hearing aid designed for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. Users can take hearing tests on devices running iOS 18 after which their AirPods will make personalized dynamic adjustments allowing them to properly hear their immediate listening environments. The test takes about five minutes and the results are stored privately within the Health app. The AirPods also have a passive noise-reduction hearing loss prevention feature that automatically dampens ambient loud noises while retaining audio integrity.