@Uncontrol: You'll obviously never know because no doubt you've had pretty much nothing but the former all your life....

I bought a pair of these because Engadget was gushing with enthusiasm in their initial review about six weeks back. Who was I to question how much they loved them?

They arrived as scheduled. They contained TWO "tuners," and three pairs of dual-flanged buds. Murph's review said there were three tuners and three pairs each of single and duel flanged buds. Was I ripped, or did Engadget get a non-retail package?

Anyway, I've got a pair of $30.00 Koss cans with squeezable buds I bought about three years ago that sound a tad bit better than the SA1s. The squeezable buds are the best for me since they naturally conform to your ear canal.

Sure, the SA1s are a lot prettier, but I honestly can't distinguish a difference in the sound when I change either the buds or the two tuners that came with them. Maybe I'm tone deaf, but as a semi-pro musician I'd better no be!

One thing I have noticed with my old Koss ear buds is they are a LOT more sensitive than the SA1s. At the same volume level, the Koss cans are at least twice as loud as the SA1s.

Bottom line for me --> They're probably a good deal when it comes to getting earphones from SA, but you can do better for a lot less money elsewhere. They will not be nearly as pretty, but if you meet a chick who blows you off because of your 'buds, you didn't want her anyway!

The Soul Patch: For people who can't grow REAL facial hair.

What about that Bose "Soundock" thing a couple of posts before this one? Pretty much everything from Bose is an over-priced crap-gadget. They're no better than Monster Cable. Anything that is designed to work only with one other thing (well, two other things...iPods and/or iPhones) is by definition a crap-gadget in my estimation. I'm just continually amazed that all these after-market companies for Apple have jumped in with both feet the way they have. They're in for rude awakenings when the Apple fad ends next week.

So I went and ordered a pair of these on Engadget's assertion that they should be pretty good for the money... The next thing I know, I get an e-mail back confirming my order with my name, address, e-mail address, phone number, etc. all in the clear! Thanks a LOT Sleek Audio for putting all this information I entrusted you with and putting it all out there for any bot to catch.

Not only that, but SA's phone number in that e-mail is shown as "(555) 555-0123." I mean, "555" is the exchange they use on TV shows because it is a telephone exchange that DOESN'T EXIST! Just out of curiosity I tried that number, and all I got was a recording telling me that which I already knew--the number DOES NOT EXIST!

What kind of fly by night company is SA??

A top of the line Harley costs more than the price point for the Aptera--and the Aptera has A/C, heating, sound system, weather isolation, etc. The WORST thing about the Aptera is that it'll only be available in California initially. I can understand them wanting to moderate its release--so they can set up a good network of dealerships and repair shops--a proper support network is imperative for any new product such as this to succeed. As far as safety goes, you're probably safer in an Aptera than you'd be on a more expensive Harley should they be involved in any given accident.

Too bad about the California thing, though. I've given serious thought to flying out there and becoming a citizen if only so I can get in on the ground floor with these guys! I hope they blow Detroit out of the water!

I also vote for the Mogo Mouse. I've been using them since they first came out a couple of years ago. Not only do they store nicely and neatly in the PCMCIA slot in the laptop, they charge while they're in there--very quickly too, I might add. It does not have a scroll wheel or the equivalent, but just the fact it always stays with (INSIDE) the laptop means I don't lose the darn thing! Charging off the PCMCIA slot is a bonus as well. It is a Bluetooth mouse, but I've never had an issue with that. At least it doesn't require a dongle (which is just another thing to lose or break off in a USB socket).

I don't know why I even bother to enter...

I'm an American who has lived ("stayed") in two countries in Africa: Nigeria and South Africa.

Let's compare:

Nigeria:
(A)DSL connection cost: US$40/month (from any of dozens of providers)
Up/Download limits: NONE
Availability: 90% of the time (the 419 scammers need the reliability)

South Africa:
(A)DSL Connection Cost: US$65/month (Telkom has the monopoly on Internet connections)
Up/Download limits: 3GB/month (recently raised to 5GB on "selected plans")
Availability: Drops out at least 10 times a day for random durations

Why the "pigeon" test wasn't really all that fair:

(A)DSL (there is no "SDSL," so the "A" is implied on the rest of the planet) in South Africa runs at a maximum of 512KbPS (thousand BITS per second). For anyone to download 8GB of data in South Africa (assuming the line doesn't drop or your copper cable isn't stolen) would take more than 18 hours. That pigeon could have WALKED and still "won!"

If I win this...I might even go back to school!