Apple is developing a volume control device for its iPods that would automatically calculate how long a person has been listening and at what volume, before gradually reducing the sound level, all in an effort to protect users’ hearing, according to the London-based Daily Mail.
Citing a new patent application, the report–to which Apple declined to comment–says the “device will also calculate the amount of ‘quiet time’ between when the iPod is turned off and when it is restarted, allowing the volume to be increased again to a safe level.”
In February 2006, a Louisiana man filed a class action suit against Apple, saying the computer maker failed to take adequate steps to prevent hearing loss among iPod users. That was followed by warnings from politicians and researchers on hearing-loss hazards related to MP3 player use.
Apple responded by releasing a free software update for some iPods that lets listeners set a maximum volume limit. But we haven’t heard much on the matter since.
Let’s turn to rocker Pete Townshend for his foreshadowing quote: “I have unwittingly helped to invent and refine a type of music that makes its principal components deaf,” he said on his Web site two years ago. “Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired. If you use an iPod or anything like it, or your child uses one, you MAY be OK…But my intuition tells me there is terrible trouble ahead.”
Source: Cnet news
2 responses so far ↓
1 Alvin Loh // Dec 26, 2007 at 8:05 am
Well, I’m sure we also had seen the teen on the train or bus who obviously have the volume too high and everyone around him can listen to the music blasting out of his earphones.
But if you think again, should we get the companies to design better earphones that block out some ambient sound rather then designing complex features into the player that “calculates” listening time ?
I think sometimes people blast their music is not because they want head banging volume, but because the train is so noisy that they can’t hear anything (because of the bad design of the included cheap earphones)
2 firdooze // Dec 26, 2007 at 5:45 pm
They have noise canceling headphones already in the market. Creative has one, which is a pretty good one for its price. They use anti-waveforms to cancel out incoming noise from the surrounding allowing for almost total isolation.
Although, I must say that these kinda headphones are bulky. Then again, they have in-ears to isolate the music from external noise. haha..
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