A new feature in Apple’s AirPods Pro hearing aid could help people face a problem they’d rather ignore

Some wireless Apple AirPods can be used as hearing aids with a new software update available on Monday. It’s a big step that experts are applauding, even if it only covers a small fraction of the millions of Americans with hearing loss.

About 30 million people—1 in 8 Americans over age 12—have hearing loss in both ears. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders, millions of people would benefit from hearing aids, but most have never tried them. Many others have tried them but don’t use them because of cost, poor quality, poor fit, appearance, or other reasons.

Oil prices fall as reality of weak global demand outweighs risk of wider Middle East war

Global oil prices are plummeting after Israel’s retaliatory strike over the weekend targeted Iranian military facilities rather than its energy infrastructure as feared.

Global crude oil prices surged on October 2 after Iran fired nearly 200 missiles at Israel, part of a rapidly escalating series of attacks between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies that threatened to push the Middle East into a regional war. .

Iran is the world’s seventh-largest oil producer, but the wider conflict in the Middle East could affect some of the world’s biggest energy producers in the region.

As many see that threat receding, at least in the near term, the price of U.S. benchmark crude and Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell 6% on Monday. US oil fell below 70 dollars per barrel.