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Congressman Wants Government To Make Sure iPod Won't Hurt His Hearing
from the what-did-you-say-now? dept
It's been nearly a year since we first reported that some doctors were warning that iPods can make you go deaf. No one paid much attention to it until a few weeks ago when The Who's guitarist Pete Townsend warned iPod users that they'd soon be as deaf as he was. He blames the use of headphones in the studio all the time, playing down the tremendously loud concerts he was playing in many nights in a row, which maybe (just maybe) also had something to do with it. Either way, with a non-endorsement like that, it was only a matter of time until Congress woke up. A Congressman from Massachussetts has now asked the National Institute of Health to officially determine if blasting music via headphones from MP3 players is damaging the hearing of today's youth. He'd better hurry up. Apparently, Senator Ted Stevens has been rocking out to his brand new iPod and it's influencing his thoughts on new RIAA sponsored legislation.
Reader Comments
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No Subject Given
Apparently, Senator Ted Stevens has been rocking out to his brand new iPod and it's influencing his thoughts on new RIAA sponsored legislation.
it brings tears of pain to my eyes... damnit, i love america, but i fucking hate RIAA!
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Re: No Subject Given
we should all pitch in to buy senators ipods.. then maybe they... aw hell who am i kidding. we should make them sit through a week-long course explaining the technology they're restricting.
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lol!
EH, WHAT??
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Re: lol!
But seriously... The RIAA is way too big for it's own good. It's head is bloated with self importance, and it's many tentacles invade our very homes. But, if it keeps up the way it is going, they may find that each of those tentacles is holding a firearm that is pointed directly at it's own foot. They seem to be unaware that by their own actions they are on a road to their own demise, at their own hands. Who are we to stop them? Give them enough rope...
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Re: lol! (it's versus its)
http://www.stormloader.com/garyes/its/#top
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No Subject Given
My sister-in-law is an audiologist and I was talking to her about this whole ipod thing.. It's a bunch of crap. Of course if you turn the volume up too loud it can damage your ears just like anything with loud volume but normal use doesn't affect your hearing in any way.
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No Subject Given
just another goverment employee wanting to save us from ourselves. who's gonna save us from them?
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More Important Things
Don't politicians have more important things to worry about?
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Perhaps they shouldn't buy/use them if they don't want to go deaf?!
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What a lame publicity stunt.
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Tinnitus is awful and unrelenting
I am 48 years old and everywhere I go sounds like a server room. This is the result of exposure to loud noises: motorcycles, concerts, and the like.
I have trouble hearing conversations over the noise. There is no way I can carry on a conversation in a restaurant or other place where many people are talking at once.
It interferes with my ability to sleep. In the middle of the night it's like having a million mosquitos in the room with you.
There is no cure.
Please everyone, be careful of your hearing. You do not want to be in my situation.
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Not surprising
I'm not too surprised. I have an iRiver DAP and the european versions of the firmware have a volume-cap because French law says it can't be too loud.
I guess people can't be expected to be responsible for their own hearing health.
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earbuds theorized as most risky
This congressional attention could be an upshot of the recent expert speculation that the iPod's default earbuds are most risky to hearing:
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/ptech/12/30/ear.ipod.protect.reut/
The gist: because of the way they fit in the ear, but don't block external sounds, people are more likely to use damaging volume levels. The article suggests traditional over-the-ear headphones (as Townshend used, no doubt) are better.
I prefer a pair rubbery Sony earbuds, which tend to seal out other noise very well. At a normal listening volume, when the earbuds are out of my ears on my desk, nothing can be heard from them -- in contrast to iPod earbuds, which even when in someone else's ears can often be heard across a room.
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Duh! huh!
Imagine that!
A politician...worried about me!
Really?
I'm touched.
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No Subject Given
There is a form of control to stop damaging your hearing: its a control called 'VOLUME'.
Pete townsend also likes to give his credit card dtails to websites so he can get access to paedophillic images so he can 'research' the subject
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3007871.stm
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If it's too loud, you are too old.
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No Subject Given
RIAA: Please open your wallets and buy our music at ridiculous prices, but since we care so much for you please don't listen to it, it may damage your hearing.
Not that you'll be able to listen to it anyway, we've got our...err your music locked down with our fancy Digital Restric....err Digital Rights Management technology, it's for your own good.
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Being on stage
I have been on stage, and almost all the
volume goes to the crowd. As a result,
you hear very little sound. Ironically it is not
uncommon to add speaker pointing at the
stage to get a reasonable feedback as
to what the audience is experiencing.
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Do they really hurt your ears!!!!!!!!!!!!
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idk
wow i didnt know that thats so so idk ♠
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