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.
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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2006 @ 7:03pm

    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!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2006 @ 7:36pm

      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.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tin Ear, 26 Jan 2006 @ 7:51pm

    lol!

    EH, WHAT??

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Tin Ear, 26 Jan 2006 @ 8:03pm

      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...

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    cwg, 26 Jan 2006 @ 8:02pm

    No Subject Given

    just another goverment employee wanting to save us from ourselves. who's gonna save us from them?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Mousky, 26 Jan 2006 @ 9:23pm

    More Important Things

    Don't politicians have more important things to worry about?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Kevin Dethlefs-Moreno, 26 Jan 2006 @ 10:00pm

    No Subject Given

    Perhaps they shouldn't buy/use them if they don't want to go deaf?!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tim, 26 Jan 2006 @ 10:05pm

    No Subject Given

    What a lame publicity stunt.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Jan 2006 @ 10:18pm

    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.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    moe, 26 Jan 2006 @ 11:33pm

    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.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Gordon Mohr, 27 Jan 2006 @ 1:44am

    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.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    BigRedRushe, 27 Jan 2006 @ 3:54am

    Duh! huh!

    Imagine that!
    A politician...worried about me!
    Really?
    I'm touched.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lopekal, 27 Jan 2006 @ 6:23am

    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

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    haggie, 27 Jan 2006 @ 10:11am

    No Subject Given

    If it's too loud, you are too old.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 28 Jan 2006 @ 10:57pm

    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.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    nonamefive, 28 Jan 2006 @ 11:02pm

    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.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Mar 2006 @ 10:12am

    Do they really hurt your ears!!!!!!!!!!!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mackinley cross, 7 Feb 2007 @ 11:47am

    idk

    wow i didnt know that thats so so idk ♠

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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