Various sources are a reporting a growing trend in people getting robbed of their iPods – the distinctive white headphones being a bit of a giveaway that an expensive and desirable gadget is stuffed into a pocket. To counter this trend, I’d be tempted to walk around with a pair of white headphones attached to my 1989 Aiwa WS-232 personal stereo with the hope of disappointing some wouldbe mugger. Maybe Apple could employ a number of these stooge ‘iPod’ users to wander round cities, then muggers would maybe think twice before brandishing a knife.

If I were to buy an iPod, I think I’d discard the earbuds anyway; I’d consign them to my desk draw to sit alongside the ‘hockey puck’ mouse that came with my iMac. I’ve never liked in-ear headphones, and the new ones that plug directly into your ear canal seem even more uncomfortable. Instead, I’d go for a nice pair of Grado SR60s. Grados have the advantage of being the best sounding headphones money can buy whilst looking, from a distance at least, like they might have been picked up at a car boot sale. Now that’s trendy.