Music to my...what?

 by Lana Burke
 published on Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Eric Binns / STATE PRESS MAGAZINE

Since the advent of iPods and the daily deluge of music pouring from music blogs, the general population has become a little more than accustomed to getting their music fix.

To support this dirty little habit, businesses have cashed in with a few new gadgets designed to incorporate music into the routines of the public.

For those who thought the idea of theme music was always appealing, Sharper Image's Talking Pedometer with Music is a godsend priced at $13. Not only does it count steps, it also has seven pre-programmed tunes to listen to as it's used. Best of all, the tempo of the music changes to match the users pace, much like cartoon characters' background music.

"What's the point if you can't chose your own theme?" history and journalism junior Tom Cerchie says. He says he would prefer to choose his song, such as Darth Vader's theme, instead of settling for preset tunes.

Tooth Tunes, the musical toothbrush from Hasbro, might better suit Cerchie. It has a tooth brush that plays the theme from "Star Wars."

Tooth Tune's music is made by sending vibrations through the toothbrush, up the jawbone and into the inner ear, so only the user can hear it. Each toothbrush plays a two-minute clip of a different song, the recommended length of time for brushing teeth.

The toothbrushes offer a wide range of music, from "High School Musical" songs to The Village People's "YMCA," and are priced at around $15.

Another product combining personal hygiene and music is the Mpion, the facial cleansing MP3 player.

While the 128MB MP3 player may not hold much music, at least it will reciprocate your love whilst you adoringly clutch it to your face by clearing up your skin. This musical facial uses a negative ion generator to cleanse pores.

Clocking in at around $200, money might be more wisely spent buying an MP3 player with more memory and a separate facial.

Taking music to a very different and very personal level is the OhMiBod.

OhMiBod is a music-powered vibrator that, once hooked up to an MP3 player, vibrates according to the tempo and intensity of the music listened to. Add an Mpion into that equation and it becomes a multi-tasking musical experience.

When making the difficult choice of what song to listen to if she owned an OhMiBod, Sara Zeck, a media management junior, says she'd choose The Cramps' "Human Fly."

"The song buzzes like a fly, so that could be good," Zeck says.

OhMiBod costs $69 and now includes a free iPhone adaptor for the technologically cutting edge.

— lana.burke@asu.edu