Bluetooth Low Energy Audio (BLEA) is, as the name implies, a way for devices to push sound around without guzzling power. It's been in the works at Apple for some time, and the company even described how it wanted it to work in a patent filing from 2014. With it, users of the Nucleus 7 Sound Processor implant can push audio from their iPhones -- including live speech picked up by its microphone -- without troubling the battery.

The fact that Apple is now comfortable enough talking about it means that BLEA may now make its way into other devices. We've known for a while that the Bluetooth SIG has been pushing for its own way of reducing power consumption for its audio products. With the drive towards wireless headphones and the death of the 3.5mm audio jack, ensuring that gear won't crap out on us on long trips gets ever more important.