I use a 40 gig iPod 4th Gen. Works fine. I store it on the bike in a sunglasses case that is mounted next to my hip. (recumbent) Even with the earbuds, I can still hear the traffic sounds just fine. I don't think it has a detrimental safety impact. Mostly I listen to Podcasts. You can get your news that way. NPR has many news podcasts among others.