Coloud Pop Impressions: A Why-didn't-they-think-of-that-before Find

A lanyard that delivers crisp music

I've always loved music. I'm the kind of person who has always had a Walkman (boy, that was archaic), a Discman, and later, an iPod whenever I leave home.  That also means I've had my fair share of headphones/earphones all these years -- nothing too fancy or too expensive anyway as 365 days of continuous use/abuse means I inevitably wore out the wires every year, and if I get lucky, a year and a half.  My last 2-3 headphones were Sennheisers and Audio Tecnica, both brands I'm happy with save for the inevitable fraying.  The first to go are the wires near the jack -- something I'm sure daily users like me are very familiar with.

Then, I saw the Coloud Pop.  The Swedish company calls it a lasso but I call it lanyard headphones with a wide, flat, ribbon-like strip instead of the usual thin strands of wires.  My first thought was: why didn't they think of that before?

What I wanted: an inexpensive set of earphones that sounds decent and don't easily fray with constant use.

What's it replacing: A set of Sennheisser MX 365 earphones.  Love the sound quality but after two years, two set of the same earphones, and same problem -- fraying near the jack --  it's time to try something new.

Why I love it:  The flexible wires that are more elastic and flexible.  Fringe benefit: doesn't tangle easily.

One feature I didn't expect: The one button controller on the left cable. No frills, uncomplicated way of controlling the music without touching my iPod or fiddling with the iTunes menu on the desktop. 1 click for stop/pause (answer/hang up for compatible mobile phones), 2 clicks for forward, 3 clicks for rewind.  Didn't have to read the manual for that (sorry, force of habit.  Besides, the fine print is a tad too small).  That it's not compatible with my aging Nokia phone didn't diminish my good impression of this headphone.

Sounds great? At P960, it sounds neat -- especially the bass end of the spectrum.  That it looks stylish doesn't hurt.  Traveling with one becomes a tangle-free experience.

Where I got one: At the O Store in Greenbelt, Makati but saw it also in Out of the Box outlets.  Visit www.coloud.com to check it out.

Fenix EO5: Real Life Review

Fenix E05: Not much bigger than a mini Swiss Army Knife

What I wanted:  A small everyday carry flashlight that's bright, light and energy-efficient.  Relatively inexpensive, too, vis-a-vis durability and reliability.  Battery should be readily available (no CR2 types please).

What it's replacing: 15 and 20-year old Maglite Solitaires (still working though).  Too costly to convert the Solitaires to LED.  The old bulbs are energy hogs and already flicker after the first 15-20 minutes even with fresh batteries.

Why carry one all the time: the increasingly wild weather.  The power situation especially during the typhoon season.  Besides, I was always a flashlight fanatic though never favored the big bulky ones rather left at home.

What I got: After much hewing and hawing, a Fenix E05.  This is my second Fenix actually.  My first one lasted a mere 9 months because of a leaking 7Eleven alkaline battery which corroded and short-circuited the flashlight.