OK the Apple & iPod are pretty cool.

A sexy brand, the sort that gives you a quasi-orgasmic thrill when you walk into one of their stores, and one that is as ubiquitous as it is instantly identifiable.

The iPod is to the MP3 player what Hoover is to the vacuum cleaner – fabulous – no competition – until maybe the Zune hits our shores very soon

So with design featuring so high on the list of plaudits, why are the headphones so bad?

This morning I was on a train from Clapham Junction to Victoria – a journey of 5 minutes – and I was surrounded by four white-headphone-wearing buffoons, completely and selfishly oblivious to the leaking cacophony of rubbish pouring out from about their ears.

What is wrong with people? Why is people’s self-awareness so rotten?

I have a pair of these babies from Shure – in-ear, noise cancelling – I can’t hear anything but the music and no one else can hear I’m listening to Genesis – job done!

So many iPods will be given away this Xmas – sigh – the white wires are a great advert but a dead giveaway…