In the wake of Michael Jackson’s death, we’ve started to focus on the drama that still surrounds the singer – his will, the question of what to do with his non-biological children, why he suffered cardiac arrest, and so on. However, it is important not to forget that the reason we all loved the King of Pop is because of his talent as a singer, a dancer, and an all-around performer. The first time he first entered your home whether it was via MTV or through your stereo speakers, was not easy to forget…

At least it wasn’t for me. My first memory of the singer was when I watched the video for Thriller…at age three. All I remember was seeing those yellow eyes and fangs and running terrified behind the couch. It wasn’t a good first impression, though later, I fell in love with the short film. Not longer after, I was jamming out and dancing around the living room to “Beat It,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” So, when I discovered the Thriller Headphones designed by Johnny Lighthands and built by ATOM Creative Solutions, I couldn’t help but smile.

The headphones, which won the Nokia headset design competition in 2008, feature that gravestones, zombies, and that creepy, yellow-eyed wolf bursting through the door. Though only one pair was made by Nokia into a working model, we hope that Jackson’s passing inspires Nokia to produce at least a limited-edition run of the freaky-awesome headphones.

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With the global user base of mobile phones approaching 3 billion people, more than a few music listeners and callers find themselves in a daily tangle of headphones/bags/jackets that might be avoided if Snik creator Rob Honeycutt has his way. His product line of zipper puller and cord grooves featured on snaps and buckles relieves pressure on the earbuds (athletes rejoice). “I believe there is a widespread need for this ‘interface’ between a person’s clothing and their mobile technology,” said Honeycutt, who would like the feature to become ubiquitous on clothing and bags over the next decade. For now, the small devices are available by the 6 and 12 pack–dangling cords be darned.

The iPod has come a long way since 2001. So why hasn’t someone come up with an answer to getting the wires all un-tangled for ear bud headphones? I’ve gone through so many pairs because of wire tangles wrecking them alone. Ji Woong has come up with a solution, but it’s still in concept phases. His YI earphones work like a zipper, making the wires into a thick strand when they are ‘zipped’ up. Even better the zipper itself has a volume control on it. Pass this on to your friends at electronics companies, because this needs to exist. Good work Ji Woong, we’re glad to see someone is looking after our wires. Hit the jump for a few more conceptual pictures.

via Yanko Design

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Everyone needs a good set of headphones. While Apple may talk up the standard iPod headphones, don’t believe them — they’re crap. If you live in any kind of urban area, you know how loud you have to turn up your iPod just to hear the song. Doing that for a couple years and we are talking hearing loss. I noticed this myself. Then the nice people at Atomic Floyd came along and released the AirJax headphones. I’ve used a few high-end head phones for the sake of avoiding hearing loss, noise canceling, etc. It was an improvement. But on the first listen with the Atomic Floyd I understood why they come with a £120 price tag. The AirJax headphones are made from special temperature treated AcousticSteel and Titanium2. Without going into the molecular structure of the headphones, let me just say they sound good. Damn good. Easily the best headphones I’ve ever used. One thing though: I use an iPhone and these are headphones only, i.e. no built in mic or play/pause button. I admit I do miss these features for my iPhone, but my ears feel so much better listening to music at half volume or less walking down the street. The Atomic AirJax headphones drop a full set of headphones in the U.K. in early December, just in time for Christmas. Check out their website for full sound specs and some nice beeps and bops.

Sure, you could waste your time making sure your belt matches your shoes. But it's 2008, and now it's time to make sure your headphones match your cell.

Following up on their hit limited edition Nokia WeSC 3250 phone in 2006, Swedish style gurus WeSC have again teamed up with Nokia for the launch of the new XpressMusic 5220 and 5320 phones. In a new “sound and color-coordinated collaboration”, WeSC has created headphones available in three colorways: metallic green, red, and blue. Their website goes beyond the traditional technical specs pitch into the science of color and sound, explaining that “broken down to its smallest component, the hue of a specific color is the result of its unique electromagnetic radiation – a frequency, or basically a rhythm. Sound is equally dependent on wave formations. The equivalent alphabet is the pitch of a sound, which in turn is its specific frequency.”

Long story short, music will sound way better if your headphones are the same color as your phone. Who knew? And here we thought you'd just look hot rocking metallic blue headphones.

This exclusive series is only being sold in select mobile stores and at WeSC concept stores in Scandinavia. Adding to the exclusivity factor, the headphones are only available with the purchase of one of the new Nokia XpressMusic phones and won't be sold separately. So, if anyone is hanging around Sweden right now, be sure to pick us up a pair.

A good pair of headphones should envelope your sense of hearing. Able Planet has mastered the art of noise cancellation with their Clear Harmony NC200 Audio headphones. The foldable and easily portable cups come equipped with Linx Audio technology, delivering clarity no matter the format. A little plus is that you can still use the headphones without the noise cancellation feature, which is battery powered. Pick them up here.

I love listening to my iPod while I’m on the go but I hate having to deal with the wires. I always end up accidentally ripping my earphones out because they get in the way. Luckily, Icelandic design firm Preggioni has just released a genius solution to keep those loose wires neat and tidy. The Magneat lets you adjust your earphones to the perfect length, while two strong magnets are used to safely fasten the wire to any garment. Take that, flailing arms.

A while ago you saw the totally immersible SwiMP3 here, and as a still-avid swimmer, I’m always on the lookout for improved tools I can use while in the water to help my workout. uCan is a new waterproof MP3 product that has a smoother, more elegant profile than the SwiMP3. Instead of using bone-conducting technology to deliver tunes, these rely on traditional in-ear earphones and comfortably rests on the back of your neck. It also packs in 1 Gb of memory and floats, two big things the SwiMP3 needs to improve to compete in the underwater music market. uCan begins shipping in July from Europe.