ShareBuds Mx 2-in-1 Stereo Earphones by Sanya Ojikutu

A Nigerian, Sanya Ojikutu, a former cartoonist with FAME magazine, has received provisional patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a new electronic devise he designed in the country.

The product, ShareBuds Mx 2-in-1 Stereo Earphones, makes it possible for two people to listen to music simultaneously.

It works with most iPhones, iPod, mp3 players, mobile phones, Blackberry, portable DVD players, portable gaming systems, audio book devices, notebooks and other portable media players.

Released in December 2008, the devise is already a hit in the US. Apple has added ShareBuds to their product guide and celebrities at the Golden Globes Awards held in Beverly Hills, California recently, responded positively to the product. 

Hollywood celebrities including Sally Hawkins, Aimee Teegarden, Kyla Pratt, Isaiah Washington, Amanda Bynes, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Stephen Baldwin, Terrence Howard and Tom Howard were reportedly impressed with ShareBuds. 

It was featured on Channel 5’s “the Gadget Show Road Trip Special” in the United Kingdom (UK) recently. 

“ShareBuds is a very simple solution to an everyday challenge. It is an example of how people or events inspire simple, yet untapped product ideas,” Ojikutu told THISDAY.

He continued: “For music lovers and iPod owners, the desire to share is innate and crucial to music itself. ShareBuds Mx helps people discover new music with friends and makes premium listening experience more intimate.”

Ojikutu further explained that it took almost a year to design ShareBuds, starting from the first sketch, the Research and Development (R&D) focus groups and the final prototype. He told THISDAY that the product would fundamentally change the way people listen, share and interact with their favourite music, iPods and other portable digital devices. 

As Valentine’s day approaches, he added that “ShareBuds headphones present a great opportunity to let you show you are in tune with the special someone by listening to his or her favourite love songs and a few suitable romantic additions of yours together on an iPod or mp3 player.”

Ojikutu explained that Oprah and Bono inspired the devise. According to him, he watched both celebrities on TV sharing a pair of headphones during the launch of Apples’s Red Nano at the company’s North Michigan Avenue retail store in Chicago. 

Watching them listening with just one ear without hearing the full left and right stereo sound convinced him that there was a need for a new earphone design. 

He noted that he is pleased with the response so far. Notwithstanding, he intends to pursue a robust online and retail sales strategy, marketing campaign and licensing/partnership opportunities.

The product will be formally launched later this year while the final patent approval is expected within two years. ShareBuds is currently priced at $39.95.