Ecophon Acoustic Bulletin Quarterly is a subscribed publication dealing with room acoustics. It is a compilation of highlights from Ecophon Acoustic Bulletin. Problems seeing this newsletter? Click here for online version. New office standard approved - introducing sound propagation parameters The new standard ISO 3382-3: Acoustics - Measurement of room acoustic parameters - Part 3: Open plan offices, has now officially been approved. The main news item is that reverberation time has been removed and instead parameters related to the distance the sound travels are introduced to more accurately relate to the quality of the sound environment. Click here to read more >>> Communication in focus - emergency department activities mapped An observational study at two Swedish emergency departments concludes that communication and information exchange is the most common activity for clinical staff in this busy, sound intensive environment, followed by information search. Patient and relative interactions come in as the third most common activity. Click here to read more >>> Unsafe sound levels in toys - kids risk permanent hearing damage UC Irvine’s Department of Otolaryngology measured the noise levels of two dozen popular toys in stores. Many exceeded 90 decibels and several reached 100 or more, equivalent to the noise of a chain saw, subway train or power mower. Children are sensitive to loud and high-pitched sounds, and hearing loss from noise damage is permanent. Click here to read more >>> Views affect sound stress - plants and pictures of calm helps Chalmers University, Sweden, has studied the connection between hearing and seeing - related to sounds at work. Subjects alternated between a dull office and another office abundant with plants and beautiful forest and beach images. Sound stressed more in the dull room, according to the subjects themselves. Click here to read more >>> Sound, maths and music - film on how it is all interlinked with our anatomy New Wall Acoustic Solutions - explore the variety within Ecophon Wall Panel™ Season Greetings! - from all the editors at Acoustic Bulletin Other interesting topics: • Great white sharks are less aggressive when listening to ACDC • Epidemic Sound - the world's biggest non-affiliated music library Please click here to unsubscribe from receiving future Newsletters. Saint-Gobain Ecophon AB, Box 500, SE-265 03 Hyllinge Phone +46 42 17 99 00, E-mail acousticbulletin@ecophon.se, www.ecophon.com