iPod's help for ears

Apple Computers is celebrating its 30th birthday this week, but its customers are the ones getting the birthday present, it seems. In response, it appears, to a spate of news stories about how earbuds can damage hearing, Apple now offers free software that lets you limit the volume on your iPod, CNET reports. "The free update, available for video iPods and all iPod Nano models, also includes a parental lock option. After setting the volume limit, parents can lock the setting with a combination code to prevent children from raising the maximum volume without their knowledge." Here's the page at Apple's site where the update can be downloaded.