I should note that, while not difficult to use, these earbuds and their packaging explain that you must use them correctly as per the instructions but mine didn’t come with any–I swear! LOL It does come with three sets of silicone caps of differing sizes so you can choose the size that best fits your ears. I originally used the default–medium size–but swapped them for the smaller ones and found those to be more comfortable. The bigger ones created a sometimes uncomfortable suction.

The lack of directions also means that I didn’t realize there is a right and wrong way to wear these. Even though the buds seem identical, there is a tiny “L” or “R” on the insulation over the wire, right where it meets the plastic, to indicate how to wear them. Luckily, for me, they were so comfortable that I didn’t notice!

The design of these earbuds are much more narrow than my previous earbuds, thus they extend further into my ears and audio sounds that much closer. I don’t need to turn the volume up as high on my MP3 player, phone or computer to get the same level of sound with other headphones. The downside to all this, is that the Ink’d earbuds really play down outside noises, making it that much more difficult to enjoy music and pay attention to your surroundings or to hold a conversation. It’s really a little complaint compared to the improvement in sound quality despite the super affordable price.

The only other complaint I sort of have is that the pink ones are much deeper in color–almost red–and more metallic than in the picture. They’re still super pretty but, if you’re trying to match them to your outfit, you might be a bit surprised.

I nearly died of a heart attack when I woke up to see that one of the buds was cracked. Turns out, they attracted the cat. He used his teeth to remove the silicone from the earbud and took off with it. I found the hard plastic of the bud broken but I was able to superglue it back together, luckily. This is when I switched to the smaller caps and found them to be a better fit. Unless you knew to look for it, you wouldn’t even notice the cat chew marks. This leaves me feeling fairly impressed with my Skullcandy Ink’d Earbuds.

I didn’t expect to do any Black Friday shopping except to buy an Xbox 360 from Best Buy but it was sold out online well before midnight here. I wound up staying up until at least 5 in the morning and only made a purchase from Kohls. I’m just such a window shopper.

Wendy invested in the Xbox from Target because they had a reasonable sale and, in our excitement, we headed out to Best Buy and Gamestop to purchase more games (and a PowerUp subscription), including Samantha’s Christmas present. Along with that purchase, was an Afterglow controller in purple for me.

I also added a new pair of shoes, or should I say, replaced my old ones because one of them sprung a leak but you could hardly fault me for wanting shoes that fit, eh?

The only really frivolous purchase is the Alienware M15x laptop that I cannot wait to get here (the suggested arrival is December 14th )=)! And, really, it’s only the price that is frivolous and I totally need a new computer. My eight-year-old desktop really needs to retire.

I do plan on buying a camera, mouse and desk to go with my new computer but some of those things may simply be Christmas presents. Hint: Best Buy or Amazon gift cards. ;)

So, maybe I haven’t bought that much but it sure feels like it. Keep your eyes posted for new reviews soon!

I’ve also decided we’ve had the TV long enough for me to type up some thoughts on it, though I am not TV expert. Perhaps that gives me an edge? d=

I also figured I might throw in a review of BasilMarket.com, the website I use for Maplestory trades and information.

Of course, it’s about time I finally reviewed Deja Vu All Day Moisturizer but don’t worry, you won’t see any ridiculous weight loss products reviews in the future.

Of course, high def TV is only one of the things I don’t seem to be very good at keeping up with. Digital TV? Okay, that doesn’t seem too difficult to grasp but I never would have known about it without heading home for vacation.

Online calling services and VOIP are things that completely blow my mind. They just sit, right out of reach, in the folder of technology I have labeled “Don’t even think about touching this one, Cole!” Truthfully, they probably make more sense than my ignorance mind allows for but I just haven’t the time or motivation to find out what that sense is.

What I do know is that, with every new invention or technology, I had to add another cord to the amassing snake that leads from from the entertainment and converges at a power strip from its twin originating from behind the desk.

I guess it’s good for me that people have come up with ways to condense these cords – like the technology in HDMI interfaces which give one “an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, or A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV), over a single cable.” The mess becomes even less when you figure in HDMI wall plate which can be placed almost invisibly behind wall-mounted flat panels TVs.

But that’s still a way off for me. I’m waiting to buy a digital television until Blu Ray DVD players come down in price – then I’ll invest in both.

My computer, as the master still had one wire connecting to the Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router which, in turn, was connected to the modem why was connected to the phone jack. The adapter plugged into my roommate’s USB port.

I recall that installation was really easy. One can either use the setup wizard software provided on the disc or go to address of the Linksys web utility. I used to software and it was easy enough for me, someone who had never used a router before, to figure out on my own. It included options like securing the network with a password, something I recommend to all. An unsecured network can lead to others leeching your connection, the least possible result is a slower connection and the worst is a hike in your internet bill!

Use is also easy. After all your cables are plugged in, the appropriate lights should turn green to indicate that the Linksys WRT54G Router is powered on, there is an internet connection and that connection is being fed correctly to each connected system.

At the master computer, I had virtually no problems and any I did have were easily solved by resetting the Linksys WRT54G Router by the button on the back of the piece. However, my roommate had more problems than I did. The network usually worked well across a space of 25 – 40 feet (I’m not a great guesser) but obsessionally she would not have any connection while mine was fine. Sometimes this situation would remedy itself and others I would reset the wireless router, reboot my computer or physically unhook the router and modem to fix the issue. Sometimes this did not help and we simply had to wait for the issue to sort itself out.

Now, I’m pretty confident that this wasn’t an issue with my connection because, at the time, it was very fast and very reliable. Furthermore, I had few issues at the master computer. It seems that Linksys wireless options are at the low end of the spectrum and while this was only mildly irritating for us, for someone who requires constant uptime or fast connections, the Linksys WRT4G Wiress-G Router may not be the way to go.

However, it is readily available and, if you find rebates, quite affordable. I think we ended up spending about $40 for the pair from Best Buy via a mail in rebate. For that price, I can’t really complain.

So look forward to a couple of those reviews in the future.