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Philips and O'Neill launch durable headphones -- shaka bra!
In what amounts to yet another co-branding marketing kerfuffle, Philips and O'Neill have teamed up on a foursome of so-called durable headphones. The Stretch headphones (pictured) are the toughest of the bunch, constructed from an ultra-durable, temperature-resistant, and awesome-sounding material called TR 55LX that boasts a surface hardness six times greater than the polycarbonate stuff found in most headphones. The Snug series boasts "bold graphics" and can fold flat, while the in-ear Covert buds brings an iPhone controller. Last, and apparently least, is the "stylish" Specked with tangle free cord. Amazing. All are said to have been tested by the "toughest O'Neill team riders." As proof, O'Neill is trotting out Jeremy Jones, Mark Mathews, and Ane Enderud to promote its new gear, presumably because they want to and not because they are contractually obligated under the terms of their respective high-paying sponsorships. Needless to say, these headphones aren't for you if you don't know who these people are or you lack the fragile hipster ego required to wear them. No prices were announced, but you can expect them to match the "premium" description when these arrive for retail in Europe and the US sometime this month. We did give Stretch a go for a quickie ears-on, and honestly, while the cloth cord was a nice touch and they do seem to be super rugged, we'd prefer that the team paid a bit more attention to the sound quality than the finish.%Gallery-101026%
Sony Ericsson's motion activated MH907 headset could change things forever (update: or not)
See that? That's the device that will forever change the way you to listen to music. At least that was the promise made in the teaser running up to today's press event. The buttonless MH907 buds are the world's first "Motion Activated" headphones with Sony Ericsson's "SensMe Control" tech: bung them into your ears to automatically start listening to music, remove one bud to pause. The buds are activated by body contact and mimick the way we control sound now. What's cool is that the headphones seem to use your body as an electrical conduit (a Body Area Network) based on this quote from the webinar:"Requires conductive surface to activate the controls - i.e. your ears, hence it won't turn things on in your pocket by just squeezing the ear buds"If so, this is a first consumer application of this technology that we can recall. Available globally this week for any Fast Port equipped phone for just €39. Video fun after the break.Update: SE has further clarified that the technology is capacitive in nature. In other words, removing an ear bud isn't breaking the flow of current between buds (and across your noodle) -- it's destroying the dynamic capacitor formed by the touch of human skin. Right, this is technology we've seen before in capacitive touchscreens and trackpads. %Gallery-73591%
Evergreen's blinking headphones: 'cause you hate daddy
If you're eight, own a DAP, and sometimes wear a skirt then check it princess, Evergreen's got a set of illuminated headphones just achin' for the crankin'. The cables sport organic EL technology like that seen in your daddy's DAP display and blink along with the beat of the music. No, that 1G iPod shufflesque slab is not the DAP, that's the battery pack; audio source sold separately. Also available in sea mist green and colonoscopy blue, your ¥4,980 (about 43 dollars) worth of pastel att!Tude ships from Japan starting today. [Via Impress]
