I was able to get a pretty good deal on a pair of the acclaimed Shure E4C IEMs. I’m looking forward to them and will be posting my thoughts on them when I do get them sometime this week. I’ve always been a fan of inner ear monitors (IEM) as they provide the isolation I want and usually good bass. Back in 2000, I got my first pair from Pacific Mall in Toronto from an importer of audio goodies from Asia; they were the Sony EX71s. I loved them while I had them and used them with my MD players and later with my 3rd gen. ipod. However, my tastes evolved and over the last year and a half, I was able to experiment with some other IEMs and headphones such as the Grado SR80s, Koss KSC 75s, Senn CX300s, JBL 220s and briefly the Shure E2Cs. The E2Cs blew me away and was what convinced me to put down the big bucks for the E4Cs.

I’ll be selling my Senn CX300 and JBL 220s, so if you’re interested in them, let me know!

On to the ipod. We all know what the iPhone will look like and by the time it comes out, we’ll have seen the LG Prada phone and the Samsung touchscreen either online or in stores, depending on what country you live in and how passionate you are about cellular devices. I think the new ipod should keep the iPhone form-factor and take out the cellphone functionality, keep the wifi, and - this is what I think could be killer - make sure that there’s VOIP functionalities on the phone. So, basically, wherever there is an internet connection via wifi, the user can use the phone interface on the ipod to make/receive calls! Now whether that is through some sort of iChat solution, or an independent VOIP solution, or a product from Cisco would be up to the brilliant guys in Apple product development to decide. However, the Cisco solution is interesting because it can actually happen because of the deal between Cisco and Apple which put to rest their patent lawsuit.

I really hope the new ipod can also have fantastic battery life too….One can dream right?

Maybe by the end of the year, I can be using my E4C with a brand new ipod!

As many of you may know, March 14, 2007 is the day when Canada finally gets wireless number portability. It’s about time! Minister of Industry Canada, Maxime Bernier, has also recently announced that there will be a spectrum auction around Q1 2008. Could this mean that we’re finally going to get a real nationwide 4th carrier? From a consumer standpoint, I’m very happy to see these developments. The only barrier that stands in the way of a bigshot GSM carrier from entering Canada is the foreign ownership regulations. If those are amended then hopefully we can see another GSM carrier with the coffers to build an extensive network nationwide and the leverage over handset vendors to bring the latest and greatest to the Great White North. But I bet what’s going to happen is that we’ll see one of the cable companies (read Videotron or Shaw) buy up spectrum and try to launch their wireless service.

As an employee at a wireless carrier, I see these developments as challenges and/or opportunities for us, but I can’t help but be pulled to the consumer perspective…where more competition means cheaper rate plans and better service (hopefully).

Now only if I can somehow get out of my Bell contract…