There have been countless news stories over the past few weeks regarding the dangers posed by portable music players. For those of you old enough to recall the 80's, this is the same campaign that was launched against Sony when they released the first Walkman. Now, the infamous Apple iPod is at the center of the controversy. A fellow in the United States has launched a suit against Apple Computers claiming that the iPod produces sound at a volume that far exceeds conventional safety standards.

The claim is founded on the notion that excessive noise leads to hearing loss. While this may not seem like rocket science to most of us, it is apparently significant news for others. While the claim may appear to possess an element of opportunism on the part of the claimant, when examined the case does have some merit. It would appear that Apple has not made an effort to limit the potential fallout of such a claim