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Test-driving AIRBudz, the sensible antidote to "earbud zombies"
You've seen earbud zombies before -- they're the people who are walking or riding around with noise-isolating earphones plugged into their ears, totally oblivious to traffic noise, people talking or yelling at them, or the sound of screeching tires just before they get hit by a car. A few weeks ago, I wrote about AIRBudz, a Kickstarter project that is the one-woman campaign of Tammy Erdel to reduce the number of earbud zombies on our streets. I've had a chance to test the AIRBudz in prototype form, and I'm glad to say that they work well. I had every intention of trying the AIRBudz out with two pairs of high-end noise-isolating earbuds I'd received for review, but had to settle for testing them with another Kickstarter project -- CordCruncher earphones -- since the high-end earbuds mysteriously disappeared into the black hole in my office. My test was rather simple. I played music on my iMac at a tolerably loud volume, then cranked up some tunes on my iPhone and listened through the CordCrunchers with the normal silicone tips. I couldn't hear anything but the music from the iPhones. With the AIRBudz tips installed, I could hear the music from the iMac as well as that coming from the iPhone. Well, that certainly helps out the earbud zombie problem, as it makes it possible to hear ambient noises as well as your music. But I also noticed that the AIRBudz distorted the low end of the music I was listening to and overall made the sound somewhat "tinny". I have a suggestion for people who are concerned about their personal safety while wearing earphones -- back the AIRBudz project on Kickstarter (it's only about halfway funded with nine days to go) and get a set to use with your favorite earphones when you're doing outdoor activities. Keep your existing earbuds to switch back to you when you're safely out of danger.
AIRbudz: A safer way to listen to your tunes
While the world seems to be beating a path to the door of manufacturers of noise-canceling earphones, inventor Tammy Erdel has a much better idea that could save some lives. AIRbudz replace the removable earbuds on your favorite set of earphones and allow the sound around you to mix with the tunes you're listening to. You probably don't want to use the AIRbudz in the comfort of your home, but they're designed to work when you're outside cycling, walking, skateboarding, or otherwise in a situation where you need to be aware of what's around you. I personally love this idea. I don't know how many times I've been cycling or walking and seen other people who are exercising with earbuds jammed into their ears. They're usually oblivious to anyone who is trying to get their attention, and more than once I've startled someone by passing them after I've tried unsuccessfully to warn them two or three times. Erdel is trying to raise $22,000 for her Kickstarter project, and has only raised $3,385 with 21 days to go. For a $10 pledge on Kickstarter, you can support the project and get yourself a set of 9 AIRbudz (3 sets of each size -- small, medium, and large) in your own choice of colors. I think the glow in the dark version is my personal favorite. Check out Erdel's pitch video below for the full story.
