TECH NEWS: STUDY: iPods Able To Crash Pacemakers

m & c tech ^ | May 11, 2007, 15:10 GMT | By Stevie Smith

[Vinnie]

A friend ,50, loads talk shows on his IPod in the evening and listens while he drives hours to his jobs. No, he doesn’t have a pacemaker. Just wanted to point out other uses and age groups using IPods.

I have a Sandisk loaded with funky tunes, ABBA, Chris Rea, The Ventures, Enya. :^)
While I don’t have a pacemaker, yet, the Dr. is giving me the option for an A.Fib problem.

[dbacks]

“How far away are the transmitters? “
I used to work for Medtronics and I know they tested them to close proximity to ham gear.

[Andonius_99]

So grandpa should put his iPod (or Zen or SanDisk or Zune) in his pants pocket instead of his breast pocket.

maybe a waistband might work better if he's dancing...

[Kieri]

I wonder if iPods interfere with IPGs?? My health isn’t in danger if mine were to be accidentally shut off, but I could really get zapped if the chip gets a wrong signal!

I don’t have an iPod but would like to own one in the near future.

[antiRepublicrat]

I used to work for Medtronics and I know they tested them to close proximity to ham gear.

The ham gear was probably well-shielded. I doubt there's much in the way of shielding in a digital music player.

[Yossarian]

I don’t think this is a case of a digital music player being unsheilded - it still has to pass FCC regulations after all. But you typically don’t wear a ham radio - whereas an iPod ar cellphone is kept right on your body.

This is a situation where the square law diminishing nature of EM fields comes into VERY big play.....

[Yossarian]

MF-

Can you add this article to the iPod ping list? Thanks.

[martin_fierro]

Done!