HearAtLast Holdings, Inc. (Pink Sheets: HRAL)

Dear Reader,

I was going in to a Costco store last week and I ran into a friend of mine as he coming out. He had bought a hearing aid 'off the shelf.'  We chided each other about our age and went about our way. As I was driving away, it occurred to me that he was 'taking a shot' that the hearing aids he purchased were right for him and that he would probably have to wing it in learning how to operate the hearing aids. 

Last week, we brought you an advance piece on HearAtLast Holdings Inc. (Pink Sheets: HRAL) a chain of hearing aid clinics  now operating in Canada Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs, which  recently opened its flagship U.S. store in Florida. HearAtLast now has 15 stores operating within the walls of Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs.

The significant point of this story is: it's at the the ground floor. Timing is Everything. Everybody in the market wishes they had bought stock in a company when it was affordable and gaining in its marketshare. HearAtLast is trading around $1.30 and has a substantial operating foothold in Wal-Mart and Sam's Club - and that speaks volumes about potential growth. 

Wal-Mart and Sam's offer customers Vision Centers in over 2,000 stores that offer the following services: A wide range of brand name frames, lenses and contact lenses, Personalized fittings for frames and contact lenses so you and your family look and see your best, and Independent Doctors of Optometry that can offer the following services: Complete eye examinations and care for all ages, Expert advice on vision corrections and other eye concerns and Referrals to eye specialists in the event of more serious issues. 

Vision and Hearing. The 2,000 plus Vision Centers are in place. Now the HearAtLast 'Hearing Stores' are expanding into Wal-Marts in the U.S. If my friend had visited one of the Wal-Marts or Sam's with a HearAtLast hearing center, he would have gotten just what he needed and would have left with the knowledge on how to operate his hearing aids. We encourage you to read the following profile on this dynamic company...
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About HearAtLast

HearAtLast Inc., ("HRAL") offers a bold and fresh new approach to hearing tests and the dispensing of the “Next Generation of Hearing Instruments.” HRAL offers state-of-the-art hearing solutions using the latest in clinical testing equipment to pinpoint hearing loss. HRAL offers a wide variety of brand name, high quality digital hearing aids including open fit and PAC (Post Auricular Canal) units at extremely competitive prices. Upon completion of a clinical assessment and approval from a third party signing authority or administrator, HRAL licensed, professional staff of audiologists are able to dispense a hearing aid in “about an hour.” 

HearAtLast is conveniently located in select Wal-Marts in Canada and now in the U.S. HearAtLast Holdings, Inc. is a Nevada corporation that owns and operates its wholly-owned subsidiary HearAtLast Inc., In addition to high quality brand name hearing aids and complimentary screening tests, clinical hearing tests, instant custom MP3 headphones and custom hearing protection are available through HearAtLast Hearing Stores. 

Hearing Loss and Marketing Hearing Aids

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in North America, affecting nearly 40 million people, 28 million of whom are over the age of 45. The numbers are increasing significantly due to the aging baby-boomer population, MP3 players, and environmental noise. Fortunately 90% of hearing loss can be helped with hearing instruments. Yet astonishingly, less that 20% of those who could benefit from a hearing aid actually use one. This means that over 75% of those who could possibly benefit from a hearing aid are missing the important sounds of life and are having difficulties in their communication with others.

...there are over 30.8 million people (2002)* in the US who have some loss of hearing 
...people with hearing loss wait an average of seven years before seeking help 
...75 percent of people who could benefit from hearing aids are not using them 
...many people don't purchase the hearing aid that is best for them because of cost 
...by age 65, one out of three people has a hearing loss
...hearing loss is second only to arthritis as the most common complaint of older adults 
...30 of every 1,000 school-age children have a hearing loss 
...60 percent of people with hearing loss are of working age, between age 21 & 65 
...more and more people are experiencing hearing loss at earlier ages

Worldwide, an estimated 500 million people experience hearing loss. 
In the U.S., one out of 12 30-year-olds is already hearing-impaired and one in 8 50-year-olds suffer from hearing loss. 
Of the 10 million Americans aged 45 to 64 who have a hearing loss, 6 out of 7 do not benefit from wearing hearing aids. 
Hearing loss is second only to arthritis as the most common complaint of older adults. 
90% of hearing losses can be treated with the use of hearing instruments. 

HEARING

Noise induced hearing loss is caused by loud sounds damaging the cilia in the inner ear. Once these nerve endings are damaged they cannot be repaired and will diminish your hearing ability forever. This can occur from a one-time event like an explosion or gunfire too close to the ear; or it can occur with repeated exposure to loud sounds such as music, power tools or machinery.

• 0 dB - the faintest sound that a human ear can detect 
• 60 dB – normal conversation 
• 90 dB – lawnmower 
• 96 dB – crying baby 
• 100 dB – chainsaw 
• 110 db – jack hammer 
• 115 dB – rock concert 
• 140 dB – jet engine 
• 180 dB – launch of a rocket into space 

The human ear is a precision system that outperforms the most sophisticated and expensive sound system ever developed. The complex hearing pathways create many different systems that can be disrupted and lead to hearing difficulties. No two hearing losses are identical - the pattern of frequency loss is unique to each individual. The two main types of hearing loss are conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss.

The primary cause of sensorineural hearing loss is the natural process of aging and is also called presbycusis, or age-induced hearing loss. Hearing aids can effectively treat this type of hearing loss and are custom designed and computer programmed to solve the unique problem that each individual requires.

Anvil – a tiny bone also called the incus that passes vibrations from the hammer to the stirrup.
Cochlea – a spiral-shaped, fluid filled structure in the inner ear lined with cilia (tiny hairs) that move when vibrated and cause a nerve impulse to form.
Eardrum – officially called the tympanic membrane, it is a thin membrane that vibrates when stimulated by sound waves.
Eustachian tube – a tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose; it equalizes the pressure between the middle ear and the air outside. When the air pressure in your middle ear is equalized during changes in altitude your ears will “pop”.

Hammer – a tiny bone also called the malleus that transfers vibrations from the eardrum to the anvil.
Outer ear canal – the tube through which sound travels to the eardrum.
Pinna – the visible part of the outer ear (also called the auricle). It collects sound waves and directs them into the ear canal.
Semicircular canals – three loops of fluid-filled tubes that are attached to the cochlea in the inner ear and help us maintain our sense of balance.
Stirrup – a tiny, u-shaped bone that passes vibrations from the stirrup to the cochlea. It is also called the stapes and at a length of 0.25 to 0.33 cm is the smallest bone in the human body.

The outer ear made up of the pinna (visible part of the ear) and outer ear canal captures the sound waves due to its unique anatomical structure. Sound waves flow through to the eardrum causing it to vibrate. The vibrations are picked up and continue in the middle ear by three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup). The vibrations move on to the cochlea which is the snail-shaped capsule which consists of liquid filled tubes and is lined with sensitive hairs (cilia). 

Sound waves cause the liquid to move and sets thousands of tiny hair cells in motion. Movements of the hair cells are transformed into electric impulses that travel along the auditory nerve to the brain. The brain translates the electronic impulses into speech sounds or other sounds. 

The ear is a sensitive and robust device, able to perceive the faint sound of flowing water and the thunderous blast of an air plane. Like a microphone, the ear transforms a complex, mechanical stimulus (sound), into an electrical signal, a voltage change in a nerve cell, that can be understood by our brain. This transformation is called "mechanotransduction" and is accomplished by a series of amazingly minute devices that each connect a soft spring to an ion channel, both located in specialized sensory cells, the hair cells of the inner ear. The springs, through their vibrations agitated by particular sound frequencies, control ion currents passing through the channels, thereby, modifying the hair cell internal electrical potential. This leads to neural signaling to the acoustic cortex of the brain. Recently reported molecular dynamics simulations using NAMD, some of the most extensive simulations accomplished to date both in size and duration, showed that the mechanical characteristics of hair cell signaling might be traced to a single protein, ankyrin, that acts as a helical spring. Imagine a soft spring that is extended several inches by the weight of a feather! Ankyrin is such a spring, but a billion times finer, and found in the inner ear. It's role in hearing is not established yet, but even if it is not involved in hair cell mechanotransduction, its remarkable elastic properties (first predicted using molecular dynamics and later confirmed through AFM experiments) are likely relevant for other cellular processes.

HRAL Products and Services

All of HearAtLast hearing instruments are Name Brand, state-of-the-art digital devices, approved for dispensing in North America. Retail selling prices for hearing instruments are set and regulated in many instances by provincial authorities, as in Ontario by the ADP. HearAtLast provides our clients that deal with hearing loss with suitable affordable solutions to their hearing needs. We offer a wide spectrum of products, from digital programmable instruments to assistive listening devices. There are several different styles of hearing instruments, all of which are available at our conveniently located HearAtLast the Hearing Store locations.

Behind-the-Ear (BTE) 

Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing instruments fit comfortably and snuggly behind your ear. BTEs are attached to a custom earpiece molded to the shape of your outer ear. They are the most versatile hearing instruments, with models that can aid people with all types of hearing loss – from mild to severely profound. For children, BTEs are most often recommended since the earpiece can be easily changed to accommodate their growing ears, and can be connected external devices, which can assist them in the classroom.

BTEs can be connected to other sound sources such as televisions and infrared listening systems. Infrared listening systems can be helpful in public gatherings and for children in school. Volume control and other listening adjustments can be made manually or determined automatically by your BTEs, offering you the most control over your own hearing instruments. Your Hearing Care Professional can help you decide what type and style hearing instrument is best for you and your hearing needs.

Benefits at a glance:

• Most versatile to address all types of hearing loss from mild to severely profound 
• Capable of being attached to external sound sources 
• Automatic or manual controls 
• Available in a range of fun, fashion colors as well as those to match hair or skin tone 

Open Fit Behind-the-Ear 

Unlike BTEs which utilize a custom molded earpiece, Open Ear BTEs are small, sleek hearing instruments that attach to ultra-thin, almost invisible tubing and soft, comfortable tips that are inserted into your ears. A common complaint of hearing instrument wearers is the feeling of their ears being plugged up. This is known as occlusion and is caused by the earmold or custom instruments being placed into the ear. By utilizing special tubing and tips, Open Ear BTEs dramatically reduce occlusion by creating a more comfortable listening experience

Open Fit BTEs do not require ear impressions, and therefore you may be able to be tested and fit in one appointment. The flexible tips are available in various sizes for you and your Hearing Care Professional to choose from, ensuring optimal comfort. Since Open Ear BTEs have no visible controls, they function automatically and are easy to wear and use. Your Hearing Care Professional can help you decide what type and style hearing instrument is best for you and your hearing needs.

Benefits at a glance:

• Small, ergonomic design 
• Reduces occlusion 
• Automatic controls 

In-the-Ear (ITE) 

In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing instruments are custom made to fit within the concha – the indented, bowl-like outer portion of your ear. ITEs are the most widely recommended hearing instrument style for adults because of their design and control options. Custom hearing instruments are not usually recommended for children since their ears are continually growing.

ITE hearing instruments are made to fit your unique ear shape. Because of their size, ITEs can have many features and options that make wearing hearing instruments more comfortable and user-friendly. They may have controls for manual adjustment of volume or special listening program, or these features many function automatically – giving you the option of how much or how little you control your instrument.

Of the custom instruments, ITEs can help the widest variety of hearing loss. Your Hearing Care Professional can help you decide what type and style hearing instrument is best for you and your hearing needs.

Benefits at a glance:

• Most widely recommended custom instrument 
• Custom-designed fit to your unique ear size and shape 
• Automatic or manual controls 
• Available in a range of shades to match skin tone 

Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) 

Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) hearing instruments are the smallest, custom-designed hearing instruments. Hidden in the shadow of your ear canal, they fit deep inside your ear and are virtually invisible. Siemens Micro-CIC™ is the smallest CIC available today.

CIC hearing instruments are created to fit your unique ear shape. Due to their small size, CIC hearing instruments don’t usually have any manual controls, so all features and functions are programmed to perform automatically – making them easy to use and comfortable to wear.

CICs are aesthetically pleasing, and can help a variety of hearing losses. Your Hearing Care Professional can help you decide what type and style hearing instrument is best for you and your hearing needs.

Benefits at a glance:

• Almost invisible when worn 
• Custom designed to fit your unique ear size and shape 
• Completely automatic 

Post Auricular Canal 

Post Auricular CanalPhysically, the PAC hearing instrument doesn’t look like a traditional hearing aid. In fact, its innovative, low-profile design makes it virtually invisible from any angle. Which, from a cosmetic perspective, is exactly the point, right?

Yet, that’s just the beginning. InFocus separates the digital sound processor from the speaker, and then properly positions the speaker inside the ear canal to create an exclusive coupler effect not available elsewhere.

The sound processor is connected to the speaker using a translucent wire that runs through a micro-thin tube designed to follow the natural contours of your ear. The speaker is held in position using an acoustically engineered Ultra Soft Tip, which gently seals the canal without occlusion-effect. This dynamic seal, which is designed to move with the ear canal, also eliminates feedback and other bothersome background noise.

Integrated with the power and performance of the most advanced digital technology available, it is this unique coupler effect that ensures superior sound quality, speech clarity, comfort and cosmetic appeal.

Last, but not least, every SeboTek PAC Voice-Q hearing instrument is designed to operate using a #13 battery, which is easy to handle for those with dexterity issues, yet offers dramatically longer battery life.

HearAtLast in the News

Press Release Source: HearAtLast Holdings, Inc.
Thursday January 31, 7:30 am ET 

TORONTO, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- (Pink Sheets: HRAL - News)- HearAtLast Holdings, Inc. is pleased to announce that on January 21, 2008, the Company opened its' first clinic located in The Villages, Florida, America's largest private city with over 70,000 residents, most of which are over the age of 55.

Matthew Sacco, CEO of HearAtLast, Leon Hirsch, Chairman of Vivatone, and audiologist Dr. Al Turri were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony launching the first U.S. HearAtLast location, a product of a joint venture between HearAtLast and Vivatone Hearing Systems LLC, a manufacturer of digital hearing aids.

Vivatone is the creation of Leon C. Hirsch, Founder and CEO of United States Surgical Corporation, and Dr. Nathan Bauman, a former professor of Audiology at Yale University. The company was formed to market Dr. Bauman's revolutionary invention that pioneered open ear technology, making Vivatone an industry leader offering hearing-aids that eliminate the uncomfortable, "echo- chamber effect," previously plagued hearing devices. Mr. Hirsch, who was the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of United States Surgical Corporation (sales exceeding $1 Billion in 1997 when the company was sold) prior to becoming the Chairman and CEO of Vivatone Hearing Systems, is also on the board of Jarvik Heart, Inc.

Dr. Al Turri has been appointed managing director of the HearAtLast location in The Villages. Dr. Turri is a renowned audiologist with a solid background in retail management with a Doctorate in Audiology from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and Audiology, and a Masters degree from the University of South Florida.

"This is a major venture for the two companies" said HearAtLast CEO Matthew Sacco. "We would like to make the location here our flagship store, and use it as a pilot for our future joint ventures with Vivatone," added Sacco.

You may view the entire release HERE

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HearAtLast Holdings, Inc. (Pinksheets: HRAL - News) President Robert Oswald provides a shareholder update. We were quite busy in both November and December as we opened 5 new locations across Canada, including the expansion of our chain into the province of Alberta. We were fortunate to have our Official Spokesperson for Canada, Mr. Walter Gretzky to appear at many of the grand opening events for our new locations. I was very pleased with the warm reception we both received from the media and the public at these events.

HearAtLast clinics posted record sales for the month of November and December in 2007. Gross sales in November were US $159,290 and our gross sales in December totaled US $203,446, our biggest month ever. It is important to note that these are gross sales figures and they do not include deductions for returns or other applicable allowances.

You may view the entire release HERE
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The Management Team at HearAtLast

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Financial Highlights for HearAtLast

To Contact HearAtLast

Investor Relations – Stephen Taylor, Taylor Capital
Email: stephtayl9@aol.com
Phone: (973) 351-3868 Fax: (973) 453-8385 

HearAtLast Holdings Inc.
tel: (416) 622-9207 - toll free: 1-866-432-7285 (432-7285)
Email: info@hearatlast.com 

HRAL Web site: www.hearatlast.com

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