Oh, and speaking of my Pocket PC (phone)…

Okay, let’s start with the positive. It does many cool things. I can talk on the phone, send text messages, send email, access the Web from anywhere (including high-speed EVDO access in most areas). I can take photos with it, use it as a voice recorder, as an MP3 player and as a video player, or just as a pocket photo album.

So, considering how sophisticated it is, why in the hell couldn’t they figure out a way to tell the battery charger to TURN OFF once the battery is fully charged? Because, like most cell phones, you can “overcharge” the battery, and thus reduce its lifespan. This is not a big deal, but come on! My iPod can be left plugged in indefinitely and it will not “overcharge”; once the battery is full, the charger shuts off. Genius!

Another thing that won’t overcharge is my new bluetooth iPod headhones, which are, amusingly enough, called “iMuffs.”  And that’s by no means the only awesome thing about them.  These things are so cool.  As you can see from the photo, you just plug this small adaptor into the bottom of the ‘pod, and then you put the headphones on and you’re good to go! Audiophiles who can detect the minute differences between an LP and a CD, or between 128 kbps and 160 kbps MP3s might quibble over purity of sound, but to my ears the headphones sound perfectly fine. I can’t tell the difference between the sound on these and the sound on my earbuds. And controls on the side of the right speaker give you pretty much full control over your iPod: you can adjust volume, pause, skip tracks (or go back. It’s pretty sweet.

Really, the only downside I’ve noticed thus far is that they’re not terribly well-suited to using while laying down, or sitting up with your head supported by a pillow or whatever, due to the behind-the-head brace (as opposed to the more traditional top-of-the-head kind). 

Well that, and the fact that they kind of make me look like Lobot from Empire Strikes Back.