Stuff Geeks Want

ShareBuds are almost a product that answers a question no one is asking… almost. They’re just two pairs of earphones fused together with a single mini-jack, so that two people can listen to the same audio source.

Why would you want to get this when you can just buy a headphone splitter for a fraction of the cost and use your existing earphones with them? Because it means you only need to keep track of one piece of kit instead of three.

It also means if you just carry around a splitter and your own earphones that your pal won’t be jam-less because they didn’t bring theirs.

But at the same time, it means when you want to rock out solo you have to tolerate the extra sonic doppelgangers.

Buy for $39.95 via Amazon (or $49.95 with retractable cables as shown), plus about $5 shipping.

Looking for a solid earphone upgrade for your iPhone? Don’t want to go with the Shure I2C-M deal for about $35 we showed you last month?

No worries, this month’s earphone-du-jour is the Ultimate Ears-Metro.fi 200v. Unlike the Shure I2C-M which sells for about $30 everywhere despite is $119 retail price tag, the Metro.fi 200v sells for $65-$80 from all resellers.

But today, for whatever reason, Amazon is selling it for just $29.99. Given that yesterday the price on Amazon was $80.50, we suggest you jump on this deal.

They’ve got an attractive design, comfortable fit, and for the money are probably the best you’ll get (as long as the money is $30 — at $80 this is open for debate). Wondering why they’re so cheap? UE just rolled out the 220 series for the same price. They don’t seem that different from the 200′s, except for their tacky chrome exterior…

Buy for $29.99 from Amazon

You may have heard of the Amplifi Speaker System when it debuted more than 2 years ago and, yes, this is that exact same model.

So why do you want it now? Because instead of costing you $149 like it would have before it was recently discontinued, you can pick it up today only for $44.99 shipped from Woot Sellout.

There’s no catch really, either. The unit is brand new and identical to what Amazon is selling for $100.85. While you’re comparison shopping, check out the 4.5/5 average rating Amazon customers gave the Amplifi. The reviews are simillarly positive over at Newegg, although the price there is $129.99.

All this makes for a great opportunity to pick up a speaker system on the cheap for the kitchen, bathroom, garage, or other extra room.

Two caveats: For mysterious reasons it won’t charge 6G iPods (“iPod Classic” models) but it can play them fine, and it’s not shielded, so listening to an iPhone will resort in occasional distortion unless you turn it to Airplane mode.

Buy for $44.99 shipped from Woot Sellout.

Apple did a funny thing last year when it updated its iPods: it replaced the 80GB and 160GB iPod Classic models with a single 120GB version. For media whores, this was simply unacceptable.

But you can right Apple’s wrong by putting together your very own 240GB iPod.

Start with a 60GB or 80GB 5th generation iPod (the model right before the Classic debuted, which was available in black or white). The 30/40GB versions are too thin, so don’t waste your time with those.

Crack the iPod open and swap out the hard drive inside for Toshiba’s newest 240GB 1.8-inch hard drive, which you can buy from Now Direct for about $200.

Think getting inside an iPod is tricky? It’s really not, provided you have the right tools and instructions. For both, turn to iFixit. First, buy yourself a new battery for $15, if only so you can get the 2 necessary spludger tools. Then follow their detailed hard drive replacement instructions.

It won’t be a walk in the park, but it’s not terribly difficult, either.

As a bonus, try to score a 5th generation iPod on eBay or Craigslist that has a broken hard drive—you might walk away with a 240GB iPod with a new hard drive and battery for about the same price as Apple charges for the new 120GB iPod.

Now that’s classic!.

So you want a better headset for your iPhone but you don’t want to have to worry much if you lose or break it.

Enter the Shure I2C-M Stereo Mobile Headset. Shure’s most junior offering won’t deliver the performance of their $200+ earphones, but it’s a solid bet—especially at around 40 bucks, which is what you can get it for these days (MSPR: $119; Shure Direct: $79).

This in-ear headset is compatible with iPhones and other cell phones right out of the box, features Dynamic MicroDrivers, a VoicePort inline microphone, various sleeves to fit different size ears, and a 2-year limited warranty.

$39.69 from Amazon with free shipping

Chinese Democracy has become more than the Guns N’ Roses Album that too 17 years to make. It’s grown into a myth, a legend. But on November 23rd, the anticipation finally ends.

Axl Rose has pulled together Tommy Stinson (from The Replacements), Dizzy Reed, Bumblefoot, Chris Pitma, Richard Fortus, and Frank Ferrer to carry out his mission: “To make rock dangerous again”!

Pre-order a copy from iTunes.
Release date: 11/23/2008

G’n'F’n'R!

We found this story about how the 3GJuice founder got his start pretty awesome (who knew LinkedIn had any real benefits?)

Featured on Gizmodo, and in the NYTimes, the 3GJUICE can take your iPhone 3G from 0% charge to 100% charge in just 2.5 hours, and even better, you can use your phone while it’s charging. And you will need this if you get an iPhone 3G. The battery sucks that bad.

Get it from Amazon for around $60.

If you’re looking for some gimmicky plastic speakers with an iPod dock and an LCD, skip this one.

If you want some of the finest sound out of your music player for the money, check out the Audio Engine A5N bookshelf speakers.

Born of studio monitor heritage, the A5N’s represent the “premium” edition of the A5, an already outrageous speaker set. (The extra $100 goes towards the hot carbonized solid bamboo enclosure.)

The A5′s sport excellent tweeters and woofers that are perfectly balanced so your music sounds rich and full, not boomy or tinny. The kevlar woofer and silk dome tweeters don’t just look great on the grill-less A5′s, they’re premium parts.

The A5′s also feature a USB connector on top so you can plug your choice of iPod dock in. For those interested in beaming their tunes, the A5 also has a built-in power outlet that just happens to be perfect for accommodating an AirPort Express.

All in all, a great value at $349 in black or white, and $449 in the bamboo. Shipping’s free, too.

Apple’s iPod has become so ubiquitous that I’m almost more impressed to see someone without one than with one.

Yet Apple keeps churning our new ones that are just cool enough to make me want to buy one, even if the differences between generations are becoming smaller.

It may not be an iPhone, but the new iPod nano is still sufficiently hot. A built-in acceleromater means that it can be rotated sideways for watching movies and browsing through album artwork.

The nano also comes in 9 colors now and is cheaper and thinner than ever. Pick one up from MacMall for a bit less than everywhere else: $139.94 (8GB) and $189.94 (16GB). Free engraving and a free charger makes the deal even nicer.

Anyone that owns an iPhone 3G knows that those things aren’t made for road warriors. The battery life on them is pretty horrendous when using the standard default settings and doing any sort of real work with them all day. On a recent trip to New York city for business, I found my phone dead at 5:00 p.m. after leaving the hotel room with a fully charged iPhone at 10:30 a.m.

Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

But, had I had one of these Kensington Battery Extenders with me for my iPhone, I wouldn’t have minded so much.

I just ordered one, and can’t wait for it to arrive.

The cool thing about it is that it’s a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery pack that charges on a USB slot, just like the iPhone, so if I’m charging one, I can be charging the other. Then it’s small enough to fit in a pocket for when I need it there at the end of the day.

It’ll extend your iPhone’s talk time up to 3 more hours, and can extend an iPod up to 30 more hours… totally awesome.

Price: $45 on Amazon.com