iPod update responds to lawsuit noise

Perhaps it was rocker Pete Townshend and his ominous warning of "terrible trouble ahead" with hearing loss that got Apple Computer working on a new software update that lets iPod listeners set a maximum volume limit.

More likely, however, the update was in direct response to a well-publicized class action lawsuit filed by an iPod user seeking compensation for potential hearing loss and demanding such an update, among other things.

Ever cynical, bloggers tend to believe the latter explanation, and some say it's emblematic of an over-litigious society that defies common sense. Of course, there are also those--parents, in particular-- thanking Apple for responding to the issue, whatever the motive.

Blog community response:

"Thus Apple joins the ranks of lawsuit-paranoid companies such as McDonald's telling its customers that coffee may be hot, plastic bag manufacturers cautioning that you might suffocate if you wrap yourself up in their products, and mirror manufacturers warning you that objects may be closer than they appear."
--Gizmodo

"It seems like kind of a silly discussion to me: of course it can contribute to hearing loss. So, for that matter, can standing next to a jet during takeoff, which is why we don't do that. Hopefully most people are smart enough not to crank the volume on their iPod/CD player/Walkman to the max, but I guess you never know."
--Mac User

"While I'm glad Apple is looking out for me, teenagers and grandmothers everywhere (and not to mention really, Apple's own rear-end), this corporate nanny-ism seems a bit, well, condescending."
--Icarus Fallen

"This is Apple's nicely-done response to criticism that kids are blowing their hearing out by sticking earbuds in all day long."
--The Monday Mac News

"Still, what's interesting here is that this move could be construed as an admission of guilt in some sense, but hey, we appreciate the thought, Apple."
--Engadget