Favorite gadget du mois

I don’t like earbud headphones. If I had an iPhone, I’d buy a SmartTalk (even if it’s $20) to provide a microphone for use with my standard (clip on) stereo headphones.

At Fry’s earlier this month, I found a similar gadget for standard cellphones. The “Cellet 2.5mm Pin to 3.5mm Hole Adapter with Bilt-n Microphone & On/Off Switch” is available for $2 from an Amazon reseller. It’s also available elsewhere on the Internet. (UPC 00768 55735).

Oddly, Fry’s doesn’t sell the item that I bought there for $5. Instead, for the SKU (#5007995) they list a cable converter without a mike.

My main gripe is that the cord is 20" not 30", forcing me to store my phone in my shirt or coat pocket rather than a pants pocket. Still, I’ve had terrible luck with the durability of small portable headsets (and so far different problems with Bluetooth headsets); this adapter will allow me to use my iPod headphones which so far have held up for almost a decade.