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Personal Tech

Turn that iPod down! Don't make this new device ask you twice.

By TIMES WIRES
Published December 11, 2006

Researchers have developed a device that could help protect people from hearing loss: It flashes red when a music player or lawn mower emits deafening noises. Say you're near a tractor and worry the noise is loud enough to cause ear damage. Simply press your thumb on the handheld device's sound port to see whether it's too loud. Likewise, you can press your iPod's ear buds against the port to know whether you ought to turn the volume down. Three staff members with the Hollins Communications Research Institute, a nonprofit organization that does research on speech and hearing, spent about a year developing the device, called Ear3. The group is selling the device for $50 at ear3.info. "We're so concerned about eating properly, exercising and getting physical checkups, and we're idiots about our ears," executive director Ronald Webster said.

EMI tries selling unprotected MP3 music

After years of selling online music digitally wrapped with copy and playback restrictions designed to hinder piracy, major music labels are beginning to make some songs available in the unrestricted MP3 file format. The releases are part of an experiment to gauge demand for tracks that can be played on any digital music player capable of playing MP3s, one of the oldest music compression formats. Normally, copy-protected tracks are playable only on certain devices. By selling MP3s, recording companies can ensure they can be played on Apple Computer Inc.'s market-leading iPod players without going through Apple's iTunes Music Store. The latest such offering comes from singer Norah Jones and rock band Relient K, both signed to labels operated by Britain's EMI Music.

MySpace tries to block sex offenders

MySpace, the popular online hangout that has drawn complaints about sexual predators and other dangers to teens, will develop technologies to help block convicted sex offenders. MySpace is partnering with Sentinel Tech Holding Corp. to build a database called Sentinel Safe that will contain names, physical descriptions and other identifiable details on sex offenders in the United States. The News Corp. site, however, stopped short of adopting Sentinel's technology for verifying the ages and identities of its users.

Outdated domains names may go

Over the past few years, the Internet has seen new domain names such as ".eu" for Europe and ".travel" for the travel industry. Now, the key oversight agency is looking to get rid of some. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has begun accepting public comments on how best to revoke outdated suffixes, primarily assigned to countries that no longer exist. The Soviet Union's ".su" is the leading candidate for deletion, but the former Yugoslav republics of Serbia and Montenegro are transitioning from ".yu" to their own country codes.

No prob if they had parodied pop, we bet

A video of two Bank of America employees singing a version of U2's One to commemorate their company's acquisition of MBNA is making the rounds of blogs, prompting amusement and some ridicule from online viewers. But the intended comic effect of their performance and the retooled lyrics ("One spirit, we get to share it/Leading us all to higher standards") seemed lost on lawyers on the lookout for copyright violations. Universal Music Publishing Grouphas sent BofA a cease-and-desist letter, saying the bank has violated Universal's copyright of the U2 song. Online commentators accustomed to viral marketing said they suspected that the video was the latest corporate attempt to co-opt Internet video for promotional purposes. But bank spokeswoman Betsy Weinberger said it was "absolutely not" leaked by Bank of America as a marketing ploy.

GPS is great, but ...

An ambulance crew ferrying a mental health patient between two nearby hospitals in London drove an extra 400 miles round-trip because they relied on a faulty coordinates in their satellite navigation system.

[Last modified December 11, 2006, 07:04:06]