iPod, deafness, urgent alert

Apple has announced on Wednesday 29th March the availability of a computer programme in the US to limit the volume of iPod MP3 players. According to Apple company the programme which can be downloaded from their Internet site allows owners of iPod Nano and of new iPod models to set the maximum volume of their players. The programme includes a security code which permits parents to set the level of the players of their children which cannot be changed by the children themselves.
A group who have taken legal action against the manufacturers, say that iPod can deliver sound levels up to 115 decibels, the level of sound emitted by a chain saw or a pneumatic drill. In France, Apple is forced to conform to regulations which set a limit for the iPod of 100 decibels since 2002. A representative of those taking legal action expressed satisfaction that Apple has finally admitted that the iPod sound level is a serious problem but is dissatisfied that the sound limiting programme cannot protect the owners of older models.
According to a study published in mid-March by ASHA, an association specialising in auditory and cognitive problems, more than half of American adolescents suffer hearing problems due largely to the use of MP3 devices. The association has expressed alarm over the risk of hearing damage from the widespread use of the new digital devices; in 2005 more than 22 million iPod players were sold. The complaint claims that the concept of iPod is defective and that the players do not carry sufficient warning of the danger to hearing. It points out that at the maximum level of 115 decibels, daily use for 28 seconds is capable of causing permanent damage to hearing.