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I can’t concieve of going out without some sort of music in my ears. Maybe I am a bit obsessed, all right, but I’m not the only one. 99% of the time I just get my mp3 player and a pair of headphones, but sometimes not being able to hear what goes on around you can be dangerous.

If you bike, it’s a good idea to pay attention to incoming cars or other vehicles, so I can understand the need for a gadget like the i-RIDE Bicycle Stereo Speaker System. On the other hand, I hope no biker ever uses it in a populated area. Really, I don’t want to hear your music; use headphones turned down low or just give up music for an hour.

However, if you’re riding though a remote area and you don’t exaggerate, this could come in useful to keep you entertained. Especially if you have a dislike of headphones.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $24.95 on Amazon.com.

Via ChipChick

There’s headphones that will cost you an arm and a leg, but deliver exquisite sound. There’s headphones that cost less than a beer, but… well, they deliver sound according to the price. And then there’s pigs.

Yes, pigs. The Buta Earphones are pig-shaped earbuds straight from Japan. At $12, you know better than to expect crystal clear sound; the only reason these are worth it is the farm animal. They come in black, white and (of course) pink, and the “wtf” factor just might be worth it…

(Also, my current headphones were $15 and they’re pretty good, so who knows, the pigs might sing well too.)

How much under $29.99?
Some: $12 on Green-House.co.jp.

Via BoingBoing

I used to think I just had weird ears that earbuds fall out of, but if there’s a whole new product dedicated to this problem then I might not be a mutant after all…

The BudFits are aimed at iPod users, but I suppose they work for generic earbuds too. BudFits snap onto the earbuds and keep them securely in place, no matter if you’re just walking on the street or doing your daily workout or jog.

The only thing I don’t get here is why people are so attached to their iPod earbuds. Just get another type of headphones and be done with it! But, since I understand that you can prefer the sound
of certain types of earbuds and don’t want to replace them, the BudFits get my vote.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $8.99 on Amazon.com.

Via TheGadgetBlog

If I get nightmares tonight, I’ll know what causes them. This looks like the dog version of the cat that comes back to life in Pet Sematary.

I wouldn’t recommend this to my worst enemy. But if you want to give it to your enemies, who am I to stop you? It starts with the name: CJ7 Dog Doll MP3 Player with Built-in Speakers. Er, right. Let’s just call it “ugly dog mp3 player”. It has 1GB of memory, speakers and an USB port in its ass. A player with crap storage, (probably) bad sound and weirdly placed connectors. Oh yeah, I’m sold.

As for the lack of fur on the body and weird look, there’s actually a very valid explanation: the dog is actually an alien, a character in Hong Kong movie called CJ7. The only difference is that the dog in the poster looks cute, not hideous like his media player incarnation.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $18.67 on DealExtreme.com.

Via Pocket Lint

Listening to the same lullaby for the 100th time must drive a parent nuts. Yeah, the songs are cute and they make your adorable screaming machine fall asleep, but they do get on your nerves. Why listen to “Hush Little Baby” for the 101th time when you would rather hear “Enter Sandman”? (Hey, it does have a lullaby in it! Sort of…)

Well, there’s a way to get the best of both worlds now. Almost. Rockabye Baby! is a collection of CDs with lullabies… but not the ordinary kind. Coldplay, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Nirvana, The Beatles and U2 get reorchestrated into tunes to put anyone to sleep (although, arguably, regular Coldplay music can do that too). “Heavy metal lullabies?!” That’s what I thought to, but then I listened to the samples from here and they don’t sound half bad. “Enter Sandman” is, of course, included. And, after a friend introduced me to bluegrass Metallica covers, this actually sounds normal.

If you have friends (or you are) into unusual covers, these could also make a nice weird present for an adult.

How much under $29.99?
A little: ~$25.30 on Firebox.com.

Miniature speakers are a dime a dozen nowadays, and we all know they don’t output crystal clear sound - but sometimes you don’t need crystal clear sound. Given that they are so cheap and small, you can afford to have fun with them and choose wacky designs. (Of course, there is good wacky and bad wacky.)

Fortunately, the USB Tumbler Speaker is one of the good ones. I was fascinated by my tumblers when I was a kid, so the idea of a speaker you can poke and push and won’t tumble over is very appealing. Plus the egg-like shape makes it very easy to just slip in a pocket and carry around until you find the perfect place to inflict your bad taste in music on innocent bystanders.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $15 on Brando.com.hk..

Via Coolest Gadgets

I’m not a big fan of cases for my electronics, because I want free access to all the buttons and keys. Of course, my phone looks like a cat tested its claws on it, but I don’t mind. However… there’s something about the iPods. They look so shiny and eye candy, it hurts to see one get scratched. And when the cases are so cool, how can you resist?

The GEAR4 StreetWear are little hoodies for you iPod Nano and you can choose between grey with a tribal model and flowery pink. Both have a special pocket for headphones and even a hook, in case you want to attach your iPod to your keys (although that sounds a bit risky and inconvenient - why pull your keys out everytime you want to change the song?).

I’m not sure how practical these are, as they seem to obstruct access to the controls, but damn, they look so cool I don’t think I care. And for once the pink version looks good, not like someone randomly said “ooh, let’s paint one pink for the girls”.

How much under $29.99?
Some: ~$19.50 on AdvancedMP3Players.co.uk.

Via ChipChick

I don’t know why people choose to turn perfectly nice cars into junk expos, but it’s not my place to interfere with people’s perceptions of beauty.

If you think your fuzzy dice and bright pink car shades just don’t cut it anymore, try spicing things up with the Novelty Swinging Mickey MP3 Player FM Car Transmitter. You’ll be getting it for the looks, because it doesn’t do anything special. It’s an MP3 player with a measly 1GB of storage plus a FM transmitter to enable you to play the stored music through your car radio, but do you want to bet on how soon you’ll get sick of hearing the same tracks over and over again?

The only possible use I can see for this is if you have a child. Load the player up with his kiddie tunes and hope the Mickey Mouse head keeps him from fussing around too much. Otherwise, keep this monstrosity away from your car and buy a real mp3 player.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $23.84 on DealExtreme.com.

Via Gagdetizer

How would you react if you got a red singing plush heart as a present? I would be scared, then I would question the sanity of the gift-giver.

The I LOVE YOU Music Pillow is incredibly cheesy. Do people still fall for big red hearts? I would’ve thought that trend had passed.

But to be fair, except for the horrible looks, this can be quite useful. I can’t fall asleep if there’s not some music playing in my bedroom, and when I don’t have a radio I sleep with headphones on. Pretty uncomfortable, as you might guess. This pillow allows you to connect your mp3 player to its speaker and listen to music without earbuds poking your ears.

Also, the last line in the product description is so bad it’s good: “Get one for your lover and let him or her sleep with your love.”

How much under $29.99?
Some: $14 on Gadget4All.com.

Via Chip Chick

iPod speakers are a dime a dozen nowadays, and we have to admit that most of them aren’t that good… But the truth it that something you don’t need extra quality.

I think the Happy Alien Mini Speaker would be a great for a kid. It’s very cute indeed, and a young’un probably won’t be looking after crystal clear sound anyway. And they’re not bad speakers: the resonator can be extended for better volume and the speaker can even be worn around the neck. (Yeah, not exactly the kind of jewelry I’d like, but it’s the kind of thing I would’ve loved as a kid.) And at less than $12, who cares if they smash it against the wall one month after they got it?

How much under $29.99?
Some: $11.90 on Gadget4All.com.

Via Coolest Gadgets