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Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
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Genre: Games
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Release Date: March 27, 2009
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iTunes New Music Releases

Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Release Date: September 20, 2009
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Genre: Rock
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Release Date: April 22, 2009
StickWars $0.99
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Discover New Music

  • Pressure Chief

    • 6 out of 10
    • Cake
    • Pressure Chief, Cake's latest album, didn't immediately grab me. In fact, it took perhaps half a dozen listens before I started truly enjoying it. Any

  • The Life Pursuit

    • 8 out of 10
    • Belle & Sebastian
    • The Life Pursuit is a sort of Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. You get Belle & Sebastian's peanut butter (its wistful, often irresistible pop) dipped in a 'Have A Nice Day!' and glam 70s chocol

  • Odyssey Number Five

    • 10 out of 10
    • Powderfinger
    • Guitar-driven rock out of Australia, Powderfinger has not seen much exposure in the States, but should get a nod for their toe-tapping songs. Building off their previous release, "Internationalist" (
  • Aretha Sings the Blues

    • 6 out of 10
    • Aretha Franklin
    • While she didn't always have the best taste in song selection, Aretha Franklin is a must-study for anyone with interest in the human voice. She has the kind of powerful, recklessly passionate deliv

  • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

    • 8 out of 10
    • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    • When I first got hooked to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the only place I could get their debut album, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, was through the band's Web site. I listened to the two tracks a

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In-Depth Review

Mic Extender Cable for iPhone

The Mic Extender Cable by Newer Technology is an ingenious little device that combines a short cable and a microphone to allow you to use your favorite stereo headphones as your iPhone headset. Of course you can use your favorite stereo headphones with your iPhone without this device, but you will probably need a $5 or $10 adapter to allow the plug to fit into the iPhone's recessed headset port. And, of course, if you use your favorite stereo headphones with your iPhone without this device, you can use them to listen to music or video, but you'll have to unplug them to talk on the phone.

The concept is brilliant. The cable is a little over two feet and includes the microphone, an on/off switch (shown below) and a shirt clamp (on the back of the mic; not visible below). Just plug in your favorite earphones and you can enjoy great sounding music, video, and phone calls. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the execution isn't nearly as stellar as the concept. Unfortunately, the microphone just isn't very good. Of the five headsets I tested recently, this product almost certainly had the worst sounding microphone. On the other hand, it didn't totally suck and only one person commented that I didn't sound as good as usual during my testing.

P.S. To test microphone quality I created a set of short audio recordings using five different headsets (and the iPhone alone without a headset). If you'd like to hear them, you'll find them here.

The Bottom Line

If you're an audiophile or just wish the Apple iPhone Stereo Headset (the white one that comes with each iPhone) didn't suck so much, the Mic Extender Cable is just the ticket. If you can live with its mediocre microphone it's a bargain at $15.

Just The Facts

Pros:Lets you use your favorite earphones as your iPhone headset.

Cons:Microphone quality is marginal.

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