Now It's iPods' Turn To Mess With Pacemakers
from the beep-beep-beep-beep dept
At one point or another, it seems like every new technology or gadget gets a story where it's either deemed safe or harmful to pacemakers -- such as when some mobile phones were said to interfere with some older pacemakers, while a flimsy-sounding study said WiFi was safe. Now, it's the iPod's turn, and a study in Michigan (led by a high-school student) says that they can interfere with pacemakers. The oh-so-comprehensive study didn't look at other types of media players, just the iPod, and tested the highly-likely-in-the-real-world scenario of an iPod being held two inches from the chest of a person with a pacemaker. Now, if iPods or other MP3 players do mess with pacemakers, that's no good. But given the way these stories always pop up, it seems that instead of implying there's a problem with the gadgets in question, perhaps it's time to start looking at ways to make pacemakers a little more resistant to interference so every new gadget isn't a cause for concern?Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Can't quite believe that
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(1) Pacemakers are pretty sophisticated. The battery in mine is scheduled to last about 10 years. I wish my iPod battery lasted 1% of that time.
(2) I could easily imagine an iPod, especially a shuffle, being two inches from my pacemaker in a shirt or jacket pocket.
(3) A lot of the warnings about pacemakers are overblown. I carry a card that says I wear a pacemaker and I'm supposed to show that when going through airport security so I can be checked with a wand rather than the regular metal detector. I tried that a few times but it takes longer so now I just go through the regular way and my pacemaker still works fine.
(4) Pacemakers are expensive! I don't even know how much mine cost fully installed because insurance paid for it but it was WAY more expensive than an iPod (even an iPod video).
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Re:
This study is ridiculous and the write up on it is certainly does not help. I can't even understand if these are hard drive based iPods or flash based. It would've also helped to test out other MP3 players and PMP players. And laptops while at it.
I don't have an iPod and could care less about it winning/losing the sales battle, but some of the articles out there seem like paid-for assassination jobs (iPod's cause hearing damage for one) where somewhat reasonable concern is highlighted only when an iPod is used. Ridiculous.
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Hold on...
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but....
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This makes me mad...
But your right, they probably shouldn't have pointed out that someone would die until they at least checked out the same scenario with a Zune. Leave it to a high school kid to test with only the most common MP3 player on the market, using the highly likely scenario of someone having a iPod in their shirt pocket, or around their neck or even using the popular arm band. A true researcher would have started with the least common worst selling mp3 player and worked their way up to the iPod. You can tell this kid must be a PC and Microsoft lover, what other logic could he have for going with an iPod?
And good for you for calling out those lazy scientist for not making their pacemakers foolproof against yet to be determined unique electromagnetic and radiation fields. If they weren't so busy listening to their zunes, I bet they would have come up with the perfect pacemaker by now.
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Wow
Did anyone know that hair dryers dry out your hair, making it fall out faster for men? I did a study on it in my bathroom.. Theres just no other reason for the hair loss..
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I'll check with my dad
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Wondering
FTFA: The study tested the effect of the portable music devices on 100 patients, whose mean age was 77, outfitted with pacemakers. Electrical interference was detected half of the time when the iPod was held just two inches from the patient's chest for five to 10 seconds.
researcher 1:"Awwwright! We got us another twitcher!!"
researcher 2:"Doitagin! Doitagin!!"
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Re: Wondering
FTFA: ...and in one case caused the pacemaker to stop functioning altogether.
researcher 1:"Um....."
researcher 2:[ERROR: Researcher 2 has left the building]
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Typical media issue of not relaying all the information and creating a panic. This morning we have recieved at least 40 calls from concerned patients when there is no need for concern. Leave it to some stupid 17 year old kid who has no understanding of how these devices or wireless telemetry works to create a scare and the associated press to follow right behind him.
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hip-hop grammy
Syncopated arrhythmia never felt so good!
...now safe for NYC jaywalkers...
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How about...
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Well said #7, I'm with you.
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