Wireless headphones...just recently I was on an airplane, watching the in flight movie and listening to the sound on my headphones. The person in the seat next to me needed to use the washroom so I stood up to move. Unfortunately, the wire caught on the arm of the seat and tore the earbud out of my ear. It was painful and when I sat back down and inspected my earbud, I discovered that one of the wires had broken free.

These portable listening devices have come a long way! I remember in the 60's when they had a radio built right in (with a giant antenna) and took two batteries. As you can imagine, those latest in modern technology devices looked more like something from a bad science fiction move!

Today, wireless headphones are barely noticeable. If the person uses the earbud or canalbud style, you can't even tell that they're listening to their favorite news station (although that might explain why they're dancing around like maniacs).

Different manufacturers have different quality products...

...go with the name brand manufacturers.

This isn't the first time that cords have become entangled and useless when I've been traveling. That's why the cordless are so good. Many companies make "these latest in technology" for a variety of reasons. Check out some of the best names from the people who make them, including Sennheiser, Shure, and Koss to see quality phones in action.

They are also great in the car. If you're driving down the highway and you get a call on your cell phone, having a hands-free option so you can keep both hands on the steering wheel is a very good idea. These are increasing in popularity and you can sometimes see people walking around with small metallic devices on their ears.

These hook over the ear and a small microphone reaches to their cheek, which can pick up their conversation. They are also useful in an office setting where the secretary has to walk around (perhaps delivering the mail) while still being able to answer the phone.

Although many advancements are being made in the headphone industry, they may not be completely appropriate for the audiophile just yet. For the geek who loves to listen to music and tries to attain a better quality sound, a circumaural headphone is a real good choice. This will change in the near future but it may not be there just yet for the true music aficionado.

For the rest of us, they are just the perfect combination of convenience and quality to hear the sounds we want to hear. One more thing: Its important to remember to keep the volume down a little on your wireless headphones and save your hearing!