MS - Racy new music player, Zune, Zoom!

[Daniel ~]

Microsoft's Zune to rival Apple's iPod
By Ina Fried and Daniel Terdiman
Staff Writer, CNET News.com



update After trying for years to compete with the iPod through an array of partners, Microsoft confirmed Friday that it plans to directly go after Apple Computer with its own rival, Zune.

Confirming weeks of rumors, Microsoft said it will launch music software and players under the Zune brand, though the software maker left plenty unsaid in its confirmation.

Read Front Page!

[cloasters]

On a positive note, whom do I loathe more? SnApple or MicroPITA? Positive, right.

[danrok]

It's a race to see who can make a generation go deaf soonest! Whilst making as many $ as possible selling cheapo devices made by grossly underpaid workers.

[Daniel ~]

Wanna bet one of them will advertise that they can create a higher volume?

How many will turn with a deaf ear from these devices?

[danrok]

Macworld blames the user:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index...ge=1&pagePos=2

They're handing out health and safety advice:

However, it may be unfair to blame Apple's iPod for a future deaf generation. Under European law, iPod volumes are capped at 100-decibels.

This is under the Health and Safety Executive's advice that noise levels exceeding 105-decibels can damage hearing if endured for over 15-minutes. That's louder than heavy traffic, but quieter than a car horn, according to Deafness Research.

They are breaking the law, unless the author of that article is a qualified health and safety instructor - which I doubt!

What he has said their contradicts the training I have had. I won't go in to it since I'm not qualified to do so.

[Daniel ~]

OOOOH! You want to go Front page with this or shall I ? ":O}

[danrok]

They say that iPods are capped at 100db under EU Law. Are they even louder in the US?

Whereas, if you look at The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 for the UK, it indicates that 80db is the lower point at which your hearing should be protected:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051643.htm

Then, if you look at this:
http://www.lhh.org/noise/decibel.htm

It says that 85db for 8 hours can damage your hearing. But the amount safe exposure time reduces very rapidly as the db increases.

At 110 dBA, the maximum exposure time is one minute and 29 seconds.

So, you can't listen to an iPod at 100db for long. Just 1 hour, according to this:
http://www.dontlosethemusic.com/home...ctingyourself/

[Daniel ~]

Looks to me like you have this covered! ":O}

[madcatmk3]

Originally Posted by danrok

They say that iPods are capped at 100db under EU Law. Are they even louder in the US?

Oh ya while I was at my camp in priceton we used some of the headphones as spekers since they went so loud .

[dabaerman]

where I work, hearing protection is recomended at 85 dB. REQUIRED @ 100dB. I already suffer from Tinitus, a loss of hearing, from the time before safety standards for hearing protection. 100 dB from headphones is insane.

Ron

[robbie]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

Wanna bet one of them will advertise that they can create a higher volume?

How many will turn with a deaf ear from these devices?

What?

[xmetrix]

Who the hell would want to listen to music that loud anyways? I mean honestly, the only reason I can see someone turning it up past 50-60 is because they're already deaf.

[aghastpumpkin]

The only music I listen to loudly is Dae. If your a fan of this genre, you'll understand it needs a fairly high volume to create it's impact.
However, I never listen to very loud music for an extended duration!

I had to hack my Sony Walkman to get the EU regulation restriction turned off! I couldn't hear it!

[Rondog]

What is the relationship between dB and watts of a speaker/sub?

Also, how much does an amplifier boost sound levels?

[dabaerman]

watts are the driving force that 'moves' the sound waves. dB is a logrithmic
measurement of the energy created by the 'wave'. energy may may not be
the correct term for it. but my limited vocabulary calls it energy.

Ron

[cloasters]

Tinnitus, woo-hoo! If it wasn't the rock concerts it was the helicopters or the shipyard. Getting more deaf by the day, blinder, too. Tinnitus on one side is annoying, in stereo it's da best.

[Aedan]

Originally Posted by danrok

It says that 85db for 8 hours can damage your hearing. But the amount safe exposure time reduces very rapidly as the db increases.

85dB isn't enough to represent decent classic music in it's full range. Busy roads are already over 90dB. (Local single carriageway main road is about 95dB)

Will Microsoft do the same thing as Apple and incorporate a parent-settable maximum volume limitation to prevent the volume from being turned beyond a parent set limit?