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iPod Update to Address Volume-Level Concerns
aardwolf64 writes "In an apparent response to the hearing loss lawsuit against Apple, the company has released an update to the iPod nano and 5th generation iPod that allows the user to set the maximum volume level. Parents can even set a lock code that prevents the volume from going above a certain amount." Apple also has instructions at their site on how to implement the changes
My principal complaint with the iPod's volume control is that it isn't fine-grained enough.
When there's a lot of ambient noise, the granularity isn't a big deal.
It really bugs me if I'm in a quiet environment, though. There's a sharp jump from 0 volume to a level that's already uncomfortably loud for me.
The problem with earphones is that you miss a lot of physical cues that the music is too loud.
For example :
If you're sitting in front of your stereo and your innards are thumping in time to the music, you get the idea that it's probably a little loud. You don't get this physical effect wearing earphones.
If the person next to you at a party is moving their lips but you can't hear them, you get the idea that it's a little loud. With earphones, you think "Oh, I've just got earphones in."
All these kinds of missed cues help you to tell when the volume's too loud. If you played music back in a room at the level you normally can achieve with earphones, you'd have people cringing.
You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
There is a lot of hype here.
Cause I did.
Guess what? No Volume Limit.
Ok, I skimmed over the documentation first time round, and it was late, but now I'm looking at the Apple site directions, verifying my iPod software version (20G iPod w/Color Display, v1.2.1) and there's no bloody Volume Limit.
Now, I know I don't need it - unlike many people these days, I at least try to take responsibility for my own actions. I don't leave it loud enough to be uncomfortable - generally low enough that I can hear people talking around me. Still, I'm a nerd, and more importantly, a parent and uncle. My daughter, niece, and nephew all have shuffles, so I should at least know how to work it for them, and of course, I was just plain curious how the new bell worked.
So, did anyone else go looking for it? Did you find it?