With most sports around the world on pause, revisit iconic sports moments from the past to help fill that void.

On this day in Chicago Bulls history back in 1985, Michael Jordan electrified Chicago Stadium in his first home playoff game, taking matters into his own hands with a game winner in the waning moments.

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The last few months have certainly been challenging. We are all creatures of habit and we have been forced to jump outside of our comfort zone. We’ve had to find new ways to complete even the most ordinary activities like going to the grocery store or putting gas in the car. Perhaps the most impactful change has been the way we communicate with one another. I have always favored face to face interactions over a telephone conversation. Now phones and computers are what we depend on to keep us connected to the outside world.

Enter into this picture all of the modern video platforms to make communication possible. By now, many of us have utilized at least one of these apps to connect to friends, family members, social groups, work, or healthcare provider. Connecting this way allows us to provide a personal touch without violating the social distance rule of six feet. Navigating video chat rooms can be a tremendous source of stress and anxiety. Even under ideal conditions, video conferencing can be impacted by audio distortion, video lag, or small picture windows, all of which make it difficult to follow a conversation. When we add hearing loss to the mix, communication becomes a greater problem. Imagine the added stress one might face. An employee at their daily work Zoom meeting, praying that their boss doesn’t directly ask them a question. The grandparent straining to hear what their 6-year-old grandchild is telling them about their day in kindergarten, watching with a smile, yet having no idea what was said. Does this sound familiar?

While I don’t have all the answers, here are a few tips to give you the best chance to hear on those Zoom chats. Try using a standard computer rather than your phone. There are more capabilities to enlarge the screen and get better visual cues on your computer. If you do not wear hearing aids, use headphones, and connect them directly to the source. Any time you bring the sound closer to your ears you will have a better chance of catching all the words. If you wear hearing aids, maximize your experience by streaming the sound directly to the hearing aid wirelessly. This can be easily accomplished on today’s Apple or Android devices. Don’t be afraid to ask the other people in the chatroom to look at the camera, not to cover their mouths, and speak towards the microphone. Establish the rules early and you’ll hear them better throughout the conversation.

If you need a more personal consultation regarding your specific situation, don’t be afraid to reach out to your audiologist. We’re always up for new challenges and love helping you stay connected.

Written by
Mark Christian, Au.D.

Adaptive cruise control is another one of those wily features that often gets called different things depending on the automaker. I’ve heard it called dynamic cruise control, radar cruise control and intelligent cruise control — among other things. In fact, if there’s anything in front of “cruise control,” it’s likely some variation of adaptive cruise.

In its most basic sense this feature operates similar to regular cruise control because it allows you to set your preferred speed, but the adaptive part takes it a step further because it will slow down if the vehicle in front of you slows down. It will also slow down if someone cuts in front of you to adjust the following distance.

How does it do this? Through the use of radar.

One of the big tells as to whether the vehicle you’re driving has regular or adaptive cruise control is a button on the steering wheel that looks (to me) like a ladder. This will adjust your following distance tolerance — the least distance is usually around one car length and the most is around three or four.

While this is great for a long highway trek, it can be a bit frustrating in traffic, because the space the vehicle leaves is usually bigger than what you’d leave if you were modulating the speed, and people will continually cut in on you. If you are ok with that, it’s actually a nice relief to let the car do the heavy lifting.

The functionality of adaptive cruise control systems vary between vehicles and automakers. Some only operate in speeds more than 30 mph, some will operate in stop-and-go traffic taking you all the way to a stop. Some, once stopped, will automatically start you up again when the car in front moves, and others will require you to tap a button on the wheel or the gas pedal to get going.

There’s also a huge variation in the quality of adaptive cruise control from automaker to automaker. Some systems operate smoothly, others are a bit abrupt — alternately slamming on the brakes and flooring it depending on traffic flow.

So, if this is a feature you want and think you’ll use (Hint: If you drive on the highway a lot, you will use it), make testing adaptive cruise control a part of your test drive during rush hour.

Other items in the Feature Friday series:

• Track pads and touch controllers
• Winter Tires
• Rear Camera Mirror
• Lane Keep Assist
• Passive Entry
• Automatic Reverse Braking
• Hyundai’s Remote Smart Parking Assist (aka Smaht Pahk)
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Around-View Backup Cameras
• Mazda’s Infotainment System
• Hyundai’s Blind View Monitor