Listening to music non-stop has never been easier since the iPod came along. But future versions of Apple's MP3 player are to be adapted to prevent users from playing tracks at full blast through their earphones for too long. Amid growing fears that listeners could cause irreversible damage to their hearing - the highest setting is as loud as a chainsaw - Apple is developing an automatic volume control. A new patent reveals that the next iPods and iPhones could automatically calculate how long a person has been listening and at what volume, before gradually reducing the sound level. 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. The patent states: "Since the damaging effect on users' hearing is both gradual and cumulative, even those users who are concerned about hearing loss may not behave in a manner that would limit or minimise such damaging effects."
Listening to volumes below 70 decibels is considered safe. But iPods can currently reach volumes of over 100 decibels - the equivalent to standing 10ft from a pneumatic drill - and enough to cause permanent damage after just 15 minutes. Some MP3 players can even exceed 120 decibels. In April, Apple revealed it had sold more than 100million iPods worldwide and was expecting, by the end of this year, to have sold more than 4.5million iPhones. Of those 200,000 will have been bought in Britain. Its patent application, however, is the first time Apple has acknowledged concerns over the risk the iPod poses to hearing and comes after a series of damning studies highlighted the potentially damaging effects. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) has led calls for restrained listening and claimed that more than four million young people aged between 16- and 24-years-old are at risk of hearing damage from listening to loud music.
View: Full Story @ Daily Mail
Not all of us plug out ipods into headphones you know.... I sometimes use travel speakers etc
Its to stop them getting sued in a few years time who will start complaining about losing their hearing due to playing a Ipod and want 50 million in damages
Your joke doesn't work on the internet because you have to READ the story. Even in real life I doubt it would be funny anyways. Sorry lol
I don't understand how people can use iPod earphones on max in the first place the sound must be so distorted I wouldn't think it would be worth listening to it at that level and alot of the time it is people with the stock earphones doing this?
skkkkkkkkkkkkkswwcckkkk < ends up sounding like that imo.
It's just a patent filing folks, and a company like Apple is sure to patent every possible thing they can, whether or not they ever use it.
Have to agree with that, waste of time this new technology, just limit the sound output to 70 decibels if that's the safe level.
It's like "I know I'm producing so much CO2 gas such that it changes the Earth's climate, but that's my choice..." This is very irresponsible especially for the future generation... I wonder what will our grandchildren think in 50 years time from now... "Why didn't they do something about it??" What a pity...
It's like "I know I'm producing so much CO2 gas such that it changes the Earth's climate, but that's my choice..." This is very irresponsible especially for the future generation... I wonder what will our grandchildren think in 50 years time from now... "Why didn't they do something about it??" What a pity...
Again, I know the consequences of my actions. I just happen to enjoy listening to loud music. My hearing already isn't all that great from all the metal concerts I used to go to as a teen at which I used no ear protection. I think it should be my choice. I don't think it should be the MP3 manufacturer's responsibility to be the hearing police.
It's like "I know I'm producing so much CO2 gas such that it changes the Earth's climate, but that's my choice..." This is very irresponsible especially for the future generation... I wonder what will our grandchildren think in 50 years time from now... "Why didn't they do something about it??" What a pity...
It might be irresponsible, but in this situation he's only damaging his own hearing which isn't hurting the health of anybody besides himself. So in my opinion, it might be a bit irresponsible on his end but it's his choice to damage his own health.
It's like "I know I'm producing so much CO2 gas such that it changes the Earth's climate, but that's my choice..." This is very irresponsible especially for the future generation... I wonder what will our grandchildren think in 50 years time from now... "Why didn't they do something about it??" What a pity...
It might be irresponsible, but in this situation he's only damaging his own hearing which isn't hurting the health of anybody besides himself. So in my opinion, it might be a bit irresponsible on his end but it's his choice to damage his own health.
Yeah, but there is other people, (even if warned on the packet) will in the future sue
get off your high horse for goodness sake.
What do you say about your parents who were young 50 years ago? That they were really ignorant **sholes?
Last edited by kezzzs on 24 Dec 2007 - 14:37
First comment my eyes hit, and I honestly laughed out loud
You sound like a whore for Apple. Why are you writing for Neowin?
Also, to the person who mentioned iPods in France, yes their maximum output is firmware limited below that of the maximum output of American iPods. Unfortunately, the limit is also applied to other European iPods.
The iNanny
some programs have this built in for microphone recording levels
I honestly think this is a good thing. When it's to the point where you can hear other people's music blaring while they're wearing earphones/headphones, it's way too damn loud. Earphones/headphones are made for portability, and to keep the sound to yourself. They are NOT so everyone walking by can hear your dumb crap.
Last edited by Xilo on 25 Dec 2007 - 00:01
But if you like me have some real headphones like beyerdynamics, sennheiser, akg, grado or whatever then you don't need this.
Good luck trying to drive my headphones with an ipod. I had to invest in a dedicated headphone amp just to be able to listen at normal levels...
I say put a good ad converter and a good amplifier in the ipod and let the consumer choose their listening level. And to stop the lawsuits stop bundling the crap earbuds and let everyone buy them separate. That way they cant blame the ipod...
and if apple is not gonna incorporate the feature into old ipods....then go ahead and make another one...but while you are at it improve the equalizer settings... i wanna be able to manipulate the setting precisely...no...no presets. and please apple dont go whining around how your ipods do not have enough processing capability for a manual equalizer setting feature.
It's a great program
I'm sure Apple won't go through with it or I will buy an MP3 player from another company.
The headphones that came with my Shuffle are an insult. I'd rather have paid £2 less for the thing.
The iNanny
or the ibigbrother
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