Apple's Volume Discount

In a move that may alleviate negative press without universally resolving the problem, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has issued a software update for many of its popular iPod media players that will allow listeners to set a maximum volume limit.

Apple's corporate renaissance has been tied to the company's introduction of the iPod. With 42 million units sold, the runaway hit has helped rescue Apple's fortunes. So when the groundswell over iPods potentially causing hearing loss began to build, Apple had to react.

The bad press started three months ago, after The Who's Pete Townshend blogged about the ills of letting the decibels rip on an iPod. What started out as an aging rocker's rant quickly escalated into headline fodder everywhere.

Does the free software update for the iPod nano and video iPods make everything right? Probably not. Users already testing the limits of safe listening are probably the least likely to download an application that caps the volume levels. This band-aid won't eradicate the problem, but it will at least alleviate any of the negative press cracking down on Apple's iPod.

Then again, it's hard to take digs exclusively at Apple. Companies like Creative Technology (NASDAQ:CREAF), Sony (NYSE:SNE), and iRiver, which have rival media players, aren't being held to the same critical media-policing standards as Apple. Until they too get taken to task, it was an unfair attack on Apple.

It's just media noise in the end. Thankfully, now iPod listeners can turn down the volume on that noise.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz thinks that an Apple a day will help keep the short-sellers away. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story.The Fool has a disclosure policy. He is also part of theRule Breakersnewsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.