Do you have to wear those AirPods all the time?
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At first, it was patently obvious these things looked silly.
They hung down like two white H&M earrings that had lost their jewels.
They served as the material for entertaining photographs, as well as a patently absurd ad in which two strangers exchanged not saliva but, yes, AirPods.
Also: What new hardware will Apple unveil next week?
Somehow, as often happens with Apple products, the initial ugliness has passed.
It's now perfectly "normal" to wear your AirPods while you're wandering about. Or, as the more discerning do, wear a single AirPod -- often, I've noticed, in their right ear.
The habit leaped over my tolerance shark, however, when I recently visited an AT&T store.
I was having an engrossing conversation with a saleswoman. She was happy to give me her honest views about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
I noticed, though, that she had an AirPod hanging toward her jaw. Yes, from her right ear.
I assumed she needed it to receive messages from her superiors. But then I asked about it.
"Oh, I'm listening to music while I'm talking to you," she said.
Her tone suggested this was "normal" behavior. Well, who doesn't listen to their own music in order to tolerate strangers?
This, of course, is true on the subway. I had no idea, however, that it's now crept into customer service.
Perhaps there are psychological benefits. You see a customer who looks like the difficult type. You immediately make sure you've got hard rap pumping into your ears, to put you in a combative mood.
Or perhaps you choose a Bach cantata, in order to lift your spirits and distance yourself from the oncoming whininess.
Also: Apple AirPods review: Apple's AirPods have improved with time CNET
I fear that, just as few seem now to believe that AirPods are ugly, so many more will start to wear them all the time as mood-enhancers.
We're in a tense office meeting. Two sales directors are battling for control. One has an AirPod inserted, playing Air Supply's I'm all out of love. The other's AirPod is playing Alice Cooper's I love the dead.
You just know which one will win the argument.
A whole new series of self-help manuals will recommend which songs to play in which meetings in order to get your desired result. Why, I might write one myself.
Songs That Will Help You Get a Raise: Money by Pink Floyd. The relentlessness of that bass line will spur you to ask for more.
Songs To Play While You're Quitting: No More Tears (Enough is Enough) by Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand. Need I say more?
Next week, Apple is likely to reveal new AirPods. They may have additional waterproofing capabilities, as well as enhanced noise-canceling.
Oh, and you can be sure they'll have a longer battery life.
This will move humanity one step closer toward permanent tech wearability.
Also: Photos: Apple iPhone models through the years TechRepublic
Apple will, rumors say, also reveal a new Apple Watch. Both it and the AirPods enjoy a design that allows you to be a little more discreet about, well, not paying attention to someone else.
The future looks like this: You'll have your Apple Watch on your wrist and your AirPod in your ear.
You know what you might not need anymore? Your iPhone.