Forget children.
I want a ROPID instead. Look at ‘im! ‘e’s so cute!
I want a ROPID instead. Look at ‘im! ‘e’s so cute!
My iPhone’s earbuds are crap. I suspect your iPod/iPhone buds are just as bad. They really don’t fit in my ears, the sound quality is leaving a lot to be desired, they tangle mercilessly and they aren’t particularly durable. Most of these things will be fine for the casual listener since they are free and replacements are only $19. But not for me.
It’s always been this way. Ever since I got my first portable music player back in junior high, I’ve been on a quest for the best, most affordable, longest lasting and stylish listening devices. It’s what I do.
I thought my compulsive searching had finally paid off when I chose a pair of V-Moda Vibe Duo earbuds for Xmas 2007. They were super swanky, the sound was terrific and the fabric-covered cords seemed to be ideal for preventing spaghetti. However, six months in and the cable feeding the left channel started to fray. V-Moda replaced them (though I had to pick up the shipping) and I was able to keep on listening for another few months.
Fast forward to last week and the left channel cut out on me mid-walk. No amount of futzing seemed to bring back half the music, so I contacted V-Moda to secure yet another replacement. I was informed that my earbuds were out of warranty and that, lucky me, I could instead ship them back (again, my money for shipping) and receive a 50% off coupon for the V-Moda store. Joy of joys!
Personally, I don’t think $100 earbuds should last less than a year. If you know me, you know I treat all of my stuff with kid gloves. I Scotchgard my jackets, I polish my door handles, I’ve been known to darn my socks. There’s no reason for these Vibe Duos to be falling apart this quickly.
So, the hunt was back on. And, much to my surprise, I’ve found something that I’m actually rather excited about: Pipe Headset CMYK by AIAIAI. Not only is this set of earbuds supposed to be well sound balanced (thanks to tuning by C4 Studios,) they are also delightful to look at and reviewed as durable with thick cable construction. Reviews are favorable, the price was right at $54 and the only complaint I’ve heard is that the colors are loud – which is a plus for me.
So, AIAIAI, the challenge has been set. Will you impress me? Surely only good things come from Denmark?
But how will we ever buy products if we can see pores, veins, the natural color of teeth or – heaven forbid – stretch marks?!
According to Gizmodo, the French parliament is considering passing a mandate that would require all advertisers to notify the public whenever an ad has been through the Photoshop perfection engine. The penalty? Fines as high as half the cost of the ad campaign.
Part of me loves this. And part of me loves Mark Wilson’s quote at the end of the article:
“[…] the skeptic in us might see this as the lame excuse of someone not committed enough to rigorous cosmetic surgery.”
Will it only apply to skillful Photoshop work? Because sometimes, it’s damned obvious.
Specifically, we have to talk about this ad:
You see, the more I see it (and it’s in heavy rotation on the channels I frequent – like 10 times last night on the History Channel), the more it’s driving me mad. Let’s break it down, shall we?
Now BMW, you know that I love you. I defend your honor any time Clarkson trashes the X3. I think that the Efficient Dynamics program is brilliant when looked at as a whole. I even get past your weird fascination with using the abbreviation E.D. for both this program and European Delivery when you know full well that many of your buyers have a little blue pill for another E.D. all together. But, the next time you decide to talk about efficiency, let’s at least have the 320d, X5 30d and the rest of the “d” variants on the screen for US consumption, okay?
Sometimes, in my daily life, the fact that Apple is relatively special as a company escapes me. Working with Macs and other Apple products left and right at my work and at home does tend to shift my perception of what is normal in the world of gadgetry. In fact, the problems that I find to be incredibly annoying often center around the shortcomings of my fruit-flavored gizmos. Friends, I’m jaded about Apple. I’ll admit it.
But, once in awhile, I’m reminded of how good I have it. Owen asked me today what he’d have to buy to in order for his fiancée’s computer to support Danish when she arrives here from Denmark. Without missing a beat, I told him that he’d simply have to turn on the Danish language, select a Danish keyboard layout and plug in a Danish keyboard that she’d brought with her from Denmark. Then, I proceeded to mentally lament the fact that she can’t just buy a Danish Apple keyboard here in the States. Woe!
Whoa. Thinking about it a bit further, I just realized that not only does Apple make hundreds of keyboard layouts perfectly compatible with their operating system for no charge, but they also make dozens of translations of their operating system available for non-English speaking users. Further, they sell versions of their hardware tailored for regions around the world when they could just as easily half-ass it with slapping a few different keycaps in and calling it a day. Or no-ass it with just one ‘merican version of their products that those slavish foreigners have to make due with.
So, for just a moment, I’m going to be completely happy with Apple again. Just today.
Jalopnik has a curious little post about the Gordon Murray T25 and its radical new method of production. I have to do some more digging, but it certainly seems like – if not the T25 – something like this could pave the way to cars built on demand. Here’s the article:
Gordom Murray T25 Could Lead To Apple Car
My thinking seems to be along the lines of: cars are fashion accessories with utilitarian purposes, like sneakers | you can make yourself custom sneakers online | why not cars a la NIKEiD?
(Thanks, Jalopnik.)
I wish that’s what this development out of Purdue was promising. Specifically:
The polymer coatings, which can be applied to surfaces including glass and concrete, are 20,000 times thinner than a human hair and have two key layers: A bottom layer of polyethylene glycol, which attracts water, and an upper layer of a Teflon-like molecule that repels oil.
Oh, please be the way to white gloves that repel dirt a la The Diamond Age. I do love washing my car, but this would certainly free up many hours of my time.
(Thanks, GreenBiz.)
Calvin Harris has produced a wonderfully imaginative video experiment using his single “Ready for the Weekend.” I’ve never heard of Calvin Harris, but if the goal was to get me interested in his music, it’s worked because this is fantastically clever.
Thanks, boffins. (And TrendHunter.)
Do you remember OiNK? I do, because it was the best damned music downloading service (that I’m sure we would never have used, legal beagles we all are, yeah?) It was an absolute dream to use, had everything one could ever want and, of course, was free. Gizmodo posted a great summary of a podcast by Greg Kot on the failings of the music industry – specifically, how these missteps produced piracy. I was both surprised and delighted to see author Dan Nosowitz openly proclaim his love for OiNK. In so doing he rightly pointed out that there has still not been a true competitor for this BitTorrent tracker, not even Apple’s iTunes. The story is worth a read, and the podcast is probably worth a listen (I haven’t had time yet, myself, but Greg was highly entertaining when he was at the Lit House this past Spring.)
That’s how many hour long Zimbra training sessions I’ve taught between July 22nd and today. Three is the number of five hour long Blackboard Open Labs I participated in this week, too. It’s training season at Washington College and I’m exhausted. Glad to have new services going live, so very tired of supporting them already.
In other news, sometimes a photo opportunity presents itself on the roadside that just has to be taken. Mine appeared the other day on the way out of Chestertown. Colonial Chevy closed its doors as part of the autopocalypse, leaving behind a dreadful 70s store front and the wonderful slogan “Our Country. Our Truck.” emblazoned on the windows. Of course I had to take my Audi hatchback and park it on the grass-eaten pavement.
I give you “It’s my country, too.”
Kate is away and the weekend is promising to be nearly 100º. Lockdown at this house!