World of Gadgets: Headphones that let you choose the color, world-time watches

If you have ever looked at a garish pair of over-the-ear headphones and thought, "I could design something better than those clown cans," here's your chance.

A California-based headphone company with the snicker-producing name of Fanny Wang makes headphones that users can customize using a palette of 15 colors.

You do pay a premium for the customization: $50, on top of the cost of the noncustomized models.

You can modify three models: the 1001 (the base model, which costs $220 with customization), the 2001 DJ (which at $300 has a switch that adds two levels of bass boost) and the top-of-the-line 3001 (which, at $350, adds noise-canceling).

In a test of the 2001 model with an iPhone, it had a very pleasant sound, with decent depth -- provided that the bass boost was turned on the lower setting -- though it was sometimes a little brassy and bright.

Though an iPhone isn't the highest-fidelity source, it is one suited to the headsets, as evidenced by the microphone and phone controls on the headphone cable.

The headphones are powered by two AAA batteries, but you don't have to fret about toting spares. The headphones will play without batteries; you just won't have the bass boost.

Phosphor's new world-time watch looks like any other standard sports watch, but the face uses a piece of curved e-ink to display the time. The watch also has a touch-sensitive bezel that lets you swipe between multiple views, including the time at home and in a foreign city, making it a good traveler's companion.

Phosphor has been making e-ink watches for a few years now. This is its first world traveler watch that is waterproof to 100 feet and doesn't look like something Robocop would get at his retirement party.

The world-time watch costs $99 and comes in orange, white and black. The watch is available now at Phosphorwatches.com.