New software to allow iPod volume limit

[Guest Stuge]

Apple Computer hopes new software released today may mute criticism that its popular iPod digital music player can cause permanent hearing loss.

The software allows listeners -- or their parents -- to set a ``personal maximum volume limit.'' The update works with the iPod Nano and newer iPods that play videos.

Greg Joswiak, vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing, said in a statement that Apple continuously provides its customers with ``innovative and easy-to-use solutions.''

``I think it's going to be very helpful,'' said Ray Hull, a professor at Wichita State University who is an expert on auditory disorders.

A class-action lawsuit filed earlier this year in San Jose federal court accused Apple of failing to protect U.S. iPod users, even though the Cupertino company knew its device could be played dangerously loud.

In 2002, France ordered Apple to limit the iPod's sound output to 100 decibels. IPods sold in the United States can produce sound as loud as 115 or 130 decibels.

While listeners can easily lower the sound on an iPod by lightly touching a control wheel, the lawsuit criticized Apple for not providing a decibel meter that warned listeners when they were putting their hearing at risk.

Audiologists say people rapidly adjust to loud volumes and even perceive that noise is much quieter than it actually is because the human auditory system rapidly becomes fatigued. Over a period of time, exposure to loud noise can cause nerve cells to transmit less information about sound to the brain, leading to permanent hearing loss.

According to standards set by U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, people can listen to sound at a level 90 decibels for eight hours before risking damage to their hearing. At a level of 100 decibels that period of time is reduced to two hours.

But many people choose to set their iPods -- and other personal music players -- at higher levels.

Hull measured the decibel level of the music players of around 150 students on the Wichita State campus. The most frequently observed level was between 105 and 110 decibels, he said.

The new iPod software does not provide listeners with decibel readouts, however it does allow them to set a volume limit and to lock it with a combination code.

According to a study released earlier this month by the American Speach-Language-Hearing Association more than half of high school students reported at least one symptom of hearing loss, including turning the volume up on their TV or music player.

Forty percent of students and adults played the volume very loud, with students twice as likely as adults to play music very loud.

from here

[JSP62]

HA HA, good article. I read this and thought to myself it was pretty funny.

I have a feeling that we shall be hearing alot of Apple in the next coming weeks.

They are having multiple of issues that need to be addressed:

- Volume limit. There is a suit I think in LA CA, USA

- iTunes. Something about how they cannot use the apple logo

- Proprietary formats. France (Europe ??) is taking Apple to court about DRMs

- ipod functionality problems.

Good luck Apple

[Dinko]

According to a study released earlier this month by the American Speach-Language-Hearing Association more than half of high school students reported at least one symptom of hearing loss, including turning the volume up on their TV or music player.

Forty percent of students and adults played the volume very loud, with students twice as likely as adults to play music very loud.

I assume they mostly covered iPods. The thing with iPods, is that the vast majority of people have them on too loud, not because they necessarily like it loud, but because with iPods, in order to get a good sound when you use the crappy white earbuds, you need to push it pretty high. If these iPod users were using normal earbuds, their sound would be much lower.

It's pretty common around here to see iPod users who have their music so loud, that:

- I'm in the subway (with all the ambient noise that involves)

- between one and two meters away from the iPod users

- have my own noise-isolating earbuds with music playing

and I can still hear the iPod users's music pretty well.

But this only happens with people using the white earbuds. People who either use other earbuds, either with iPods or other devices, rarely if ever play their music that loud.

I think this study needs to be broken up in subsets:

- people with iPods using crappy white earbuds

- people with iPods using other earbuds/headphones

- people with non-iPod devices

I'd be curious as to the differences.

As for twits suing a company because of some imbecility they did to themselves via irresponsible use of a product, the less said, the better.

[JSP62]

I assume they mostly c......ty they did to themselves via irresponsible use of a product, the less said, the better.

CHEERS to a great response!

It makes me wonder how the competition (not really but yea) is fairing? (Creative, iRiver, Panosonic). I wouldn't mind learning more about them.

I have looked at Creative products and was very much considering on purchasing one, still am. The Muvo2 4gb looks very nice and I like that it does not have the DRM.