Apple wins appeal over alleged iPod hearing loss

A federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected a class-action lawsuit seeking to hold Apple Inc responsible for possible hearing loss caused by using its popular iPod music player.

The plaintiffs, Joseph Birdsong and Bruce Waggoner, had argued that the iPod ear buds are designed to be placed deep in the ear canal, which increases the danger of hearing damage.

... Apple has sold more than 220 million iPods since their 2001 launch. It provides a warning with each iPod that urges users to avoid hearing damage by setting the volume at safe levels.

[via Reuters]

Related:

-- Headphones linked to hearing loss?

-- Another warning about earbuds

-- iPod warning: turn it down

-- Mobiles could lead to hearing loss among college kids

-- Siemens phones may cause hearing damage

-- Groups Wants Loud Warnings On iPods, MP3s

String trio iPhone app turns your iphone into an air violin

With the StringTrio iPhone app, you can air play three string instruments, violin, viola and cello.

The music loads in, plays based on the strokes of the virtual 'bow'. String Trio uses the motion sensor in your iPhone to detect the angle and length of your strokes, and adjusts the playback of the music accordingly.

[Technabob via Techeblog]

Related: - Cellphone app will get air guitarists wailing

Ford models to offer HD Radio with iTunes tagging

After announcing that in-car WiFi will be available next year, Ford claims to be the first car manufacturer to offer factory-installed HD Radio with iTunes tagging capabilities.

According to engadget, "the implementation will enable listeners of HD Radio to "tag" songs they like via a single button press, and store them within the radio's memory."

Nutcracker Audience Encouraged to Turn Cell Phones On

During several performances of "The Nutcracker" at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, audience members will be encouraged to turn their cell phones on. KYW NewsRadio 1060 reports.

The "Turn Your Cell Phone On" campaign will encourage audience members to turn their cell phones on during the intermission and the end of the Nutcracker performances December 26th through the 31st. Those participating will be asked certain questions, like what was your favorite scene, to encourage audience participation.

Related concerts with audience cell phone participation

-- Chicago Sinfonietta ringtone concert

-- Dialtone Concernts

Mobile mobile plays Christmas music

Experience Mobile Mobile from James Théophane Jnr on Vimeo.

Spotted on Cnet, a "mobile mobile" playing Christmas music.

Accoustic Listening Devices

Spotted on SwissMiss, accoustic listening devices.

50 Cent's Baby By Me Calculator iPhone App

Following 50 Cent's launch of the iphone app "Baby by Me Sound Lab", a mixing board which let users remix the first single from 50's latest album Before I Self Destruct. Now 50 Cent is launching a companion app: The "Baby by Me Calculator" which asks a series of questions that will determine what your payout would be if you did indeed have a child with the 50 Cent.

[MTV and Press release]

Happy Birthday Mobile Project

The Japan Committee for UNICEF has organized a charity project to raise funds via mobile music downloads.

NTT Communications announced that its online music store, Music Ocean, is participating in “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOWNLOAD for children,” through which musicians, recording companies and music retailers are donating money to improve the quality of life for impoverished children around the world.

People can visit a special web page created by MUSICO to download a recording of Happy Birthday to You as a ringtone for their mobile phones. Each day the site offers a new version of the song recorded by a different participating artist. Customers pay 105 yen per download, which MUSICO donates to UNICEF after deducting 5% Japanese consumption tax and the commission owed to the customer’s mobile phone carrier. Starting today, customers can give friends the ringtones as thoughtful presents.

The idea behind the project is to help more children celebrate birthdays. Of the children who die before age five every year, the largest group - some six million children - never even reach their first birthday.

Full press release via Wieless Watch.

Download Bing Ringtones

Microsoft has made available for download a collection of Bing ringtones designed for Windows Mobile phones, but not only, reports Softpedia.

The collection of Bing ringtones, essentially MP3 files can be set to play on any mobile phone with support for the file format. “Bing isn't just a search engine, it's a decision engine. Download these Bing-branded ringtones to your mobile device, then make www.bing.com your new default search engine today,” Microsoft revealed.

[via Softpedia]

2,500 toy phones face destruction over ringtone copyright

A Russian court has ordered the destruction of 2,500 toy phones imported from China as the music they played sounded suspiciously like a pop song written by by Russian rock musician Sergey Shnurov and protected by Russian copyright law.

[via Russia Today]

New Nokia Music Phone

According to engadget and Nokia Conversations , Nokia is launching a new music phone.

With unlimited access to the Nokia Music Store catalogue, users will be able to download, legally, as much music as they like over a 12 or 18 month period.

TuneChecker

The dominance of Apple's iTunes store in the music downloads market could suffer a blow after the launch of a new price comparison site from TV consumer champion Martin Lewis, reports The Guardian.

TuneChecker.com shows music fans where they can get the cheapest downloads from a number of music sites and allows them to click through to buy those songs.

iPhone orchestra performs live on December 9

On December 9, an orchestra will play a live concert with only iPhones as instruments.

Students at the University of Michigan are learning to design, build and play instruments on their Apple smartphones as part of a course called "Building a Mobile Phone Ensemble".

This course is taught by Georg Essl, a computer scientist and musician who has worked on developing mobile phones and musical instruments.

Press release and video. [via 9 to 5 Mac]

Related:

-- Stanford Mobile Phone Orchestra Plays Stairway To Heaven

-- Other cell phone concert performances.

Fiddler Tim O'Brien sings about phantom phone call syndrome

Spotted on boingboing, a video of Fiddler Tim O'Brien singing his song about the phantom phone call syndrome.

From the lyrics: You feel it vibrate, you reach for the cell. But no one's there, that's how you tell.

Related:

-- Phantom vibration syndrome

-- Ringxiety

-- When you hear ringing and there's no one there