Computer Hardware Blog

Improve your sound with Ipod headphones. In the beginning we had portable transitor radios. Then came cassette playing Walkmans. Then came portable CD players. Today, we all love the choice and options that comes with owning an Ipod. They’re convenient, so you can choose to listen to whatever strikes your fancy. And they carry so much bytes of space (and getting better all the time) that it’s possible to have thousands of songs!

A great portable device like these from Apple… require great headphones. And it doesn’t mean the ones that came with the unit. I think we all can agree…there’s improvement to be made in this area.

So, where can get good Ipod headphones? A great place to start would be at a quality head phone website like www.HeadphoneWarehouse.com. They have manufacturers and makes that include Sennheiser, Shure, AKG, Etymotic Research, Ultimate Ears, V-Moda, SkullCandy and others.

When buying Ipod headphones, you’ll want to take into consideration several factors… including comfort level, affordability, durability, and ability to accurately transmit the sound.

Let’s consider affordability first.

1. If you’re looking for less expensive: supra-aural are the choice to make. (Supra-aural headphones are the kind that sits on the ear). They are inexpensive and mass produced. Admittedly, you’ll be balancing this against frequency loss because they will give up some quality by using them. But, in spite of that there are many good ones out there, and you’ll probably be more than happy…as long as you don’t go too cheap. My personal experience has been, you really can use price as a good general guideline to determine quality. Of course, nothing’s set in stone.

2. The next most expensive option are styles called circumaural (which go over your ear). These usually give better music quality because they deaden a lot of background noise, resulting in higher quality from your Ipod. However, for most Ipod use (which means portablity) they are often impractical because they’re so big. Of course, that the defeats the main purpose for carrying an Apple in the first place.

3. One of the best options, although it can also be one of the most expensive is to use canalphones. These are the Shure, Ultimate Ears type of earphone. This type is inserted directly into the ear canal (almost like earplugs). They have a softer, elongated outer shell which helps to block out excessive background noise (called passive noise reduction) and the sound is directed precisely into your ear. Giving better quality. Disadvantage? They’re more expensive because of the cost to make the tiny components in them.

Although cost is not going to be your only decision-making factor it will figure into your thought process as you weigh the quality of sound against what your pocket book can bear. So, be sure to shop at a quality online dealer like www.HeadphoneWarehouse.com so you can compare the different Ipod headphones… by price, convenience, portabilty and quality.

To find the best… go to the best in Ipod headpones, noise cancelling and full size stereo headphones: www.HeadphoneWarehouse.com for earphones from Shure, Ultrasone, Beyerdynamic, Koss, AKG Senneheiser and other quality brands.

Apple iPhone, a highly-anticipated digital gadget from the maker of the world’s most successful digital media player, is a hard to get item across the USA, as the new cell phone from Apple turned out to be so popular that the company is estimated to have sold from 500 to 700 thousand units during the weekend.

“In its first weekend we sold more iPhones than in the first month of any other wireless phone AT&T ever offered. That’s how good it’s been. We are simply not releasing figures,” an AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel told France Press news-agency.

Currently Apple iPhones are only available through retail outlets of Apple and AT&T carrier for those, who sign a 2-year contract with the latter. The devices can be acquired only in the U.S. at the moment with availability in Europe and Asia expected in late-2007 or early-2008.

Neither Apple nor AT&T disclosed precise sales figures, but techology and telecom analysts estimated sales of 500 to 700 thousand units of the iPhone by Sunday, USA Today reports. 500 to 700 thousand mobile phones is a large amount, however, first day of sales may not reflect the attitude of mainstream public towards a rather expensive product.

Apple iPhone is equipped with touch-screen instead of keypad, something never before available on handhelds. Besides, Apple iPhone includes support for quad-band GSM, EDGE, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR wireless technologies. The iPhone features a 2 megapixel (2MP) camera and a photo management application. The iPhone, however, is not small: it features a 3.5” screen that makes the device a relatively bulky. Nevertheless, since the phone is pretty slim, it should be comfortable to use. Apple iPhone us available in 4GB and 8GB versions that cost $499 and $599, respectively.

Panasonic, a leading maker of wireless DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) phones, has announced its first phone for using with Skype voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) service. The device does not require a personal computer, only a Wi-Fi network, still it comes at a price.

“With the growing popularity of Skype and the mass availability of broadband in homes, offices and hotels, the KX-WP1050 will be a powerful communications tool for anyone who wants to take advantage of easily accessible and either free or inexpensive Internet calling,” said Mike Timar, the U.S. marketing manager for Panasonic consumer electronics division.

Panasonic KX-WP1050 is shipped along with a portable wireless router that may be plugged into an open local area network (LAN) using conventional RJ-45 cables to provide wireless Wi-Fi 802.11b/g connection for the phone itself or any other device, such as notebook, that requires it. Obviously, the KX-WP1050 phone itself can be used in any 802.11b/g network that does not require authorization.

The KX-WP1050 model offers the range and security of WPA encrypted Wi-Fi technology, as well as quality of service (QoS) feature to improve voice quality. Besides, the first Skype phone from Panasonic sports loud handset speakerphone, as well as a built-in headset jack.The phone device is 0.62” (1.57cm) thick and weighing less than 4 ounces (113 grams).