Published on 12/26/2007
A patent application from Apple reveals that an automatic volume control feature would let the device decide what sound volume is safe enough to avoid hearing loss. From the patent:
"Since the damaging effect on users' hearing is both gradual and cumulative, even those users who are concerned about hearing loss may not behave in a manner that would limit or minimize such damaging effects."
Once deployed, it will be hard to sue Apple for hearing losses ;)