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The iPod IS a threat to listeners’ ears
February 24, 2006 | 6:07 am
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By David Rothman
Oh, it’s risible on the surface. A Louisiana man sues Apple, saying that iPods are dangerous to American ears. The dummy. Doesn’t he know his way around the click wheel to turn down the volume?
But you know what? I’m hearing a bit of a whine in my ears right now, and methinks it may well be tinnitus. I’m pretty sure of the cause. In the short time I’ve owned an iPod, I’ve often fallen asleep with it set at a low volume, but, lacking a limiter, the gizmo did not protect me from the louder podcasts. While I’m skeptical about the lawsuit, I’m glad to learn that Europeans do have laws addressing this issue. We should consider a 100-decibel cap over hear, pun intended.
A sleeper of an issue
If nothing else, Apple badly needs to include a sleep-timer whose settings won’t vanish after the machine turns itself off or you do. I asked an Apple tech rep and he, too, didn’t know of a way to make the timer persist. American ears shouldn’t wait for the marketplace to settle this issue; let there be a law before more damage is done.
What’s more, until Apple does include a limiter and a decent sleep timer, I would suggest that colleges experimenting with iPods warn students against the hazards. Otherwise they may face legal risks.
An iPod(less) vacation
Meanwhile, except for listens of short durations, I’m going to give my iPod a vacation. I may also consider a Slashdot reader’s suggestion to use a headphone that limits outside noise. If you own an iPod, I hope you do the same while understanding the hazards of walking or jogging in areas where it can be helpful to hear approaching cars.
Memo to Adam Curry: Like your show, but how about turning down the volume a tad?
Detail: What’s really alarming is that I have not used Apple’s ear buds, but rather a bigger, older headset, which is supposedly safer.
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Comments:
You absolutely need to listen to the most recent This American Life episode about what it’s like to have tinnitis. It’s from the show labeled “living without”. Wow! It’s real audio file, but still one of the most amazing audiocasts I’ve ever heard!
I think a lot of the problem is not Apple-specific but just specific to listening to headphones in uncontrolled environments. You just don’t realize how loud the volume is during certain contexts. Also, when working in a cubicle farm, it is comon to be wearing headphones for 6-8 hours a day. That can get fatiguing and it actually hurts my ears.
Thanks, Robert. Will listen. Totally agree re problem not being Apple-specific. – David
Hey, Robert, I enjoyed the audio link–which I heard on my desktop machine.! My vacation from the iPod continues, and, at least so far, my ears are better, just as my arm got better after I gave it a rest via dictation program. Of course, I’m almost certain that the iPod has done some permanent damange; the cause-effect seems pretty evident. I will continue to push for Apple having a persistent sleep setting, if nothing else. – David
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