As much as I have championed the ability of the iPhone to replace two devices and it has allowed me stop carrying my iPod every day, I will in no way stop being fascinated by iPod speakers. Having all your music archived on an iPod, combined with a home speaker, makes a compact and comprehensive stereo system, which brings me to my next point: Thank God for MP3 players and speakers, because the stereo systems of old were so very bachelor pad, quite unlike the Vers iPod Sound System from Design Public.

To get great audio and your entire music collection, you don't have to outfit your house in bookshelves stuffed full of CDs or records or boat-sized speakers. Your system can be a pretty little box like the Vers, which is more efficient, beautiful, and makes you feel responsible, as it's made from hand-crafted wood. They are "sustainably designed" — made with wood from plantation sources, energy-efficient electronics, 100 percent recycled packaging, and are RoHS compliant. For $150, that's a pretty reasonable lah-ti-da to give yourself.