Cybus EarPod

Cybus EarPods (PROSE: About Cybus) also stylised as earpods, (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac) were devices from a parallel universe created by John Lumic in an effort to make every human a Cyberman.

Functions
EarPods, primarily, were connected to the Cybus Network, (TV: Rise of the Cybermen) Cybus Industries' information network. (PROSE: Lumic) Through the Daily Download, a user could get news, sport, weather, television schedules, lottery numbers, and jokes downloaded directly into the brain. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen)

EarPods could secretly read minds, being able to extract information from a subject's brain by producing two metal prongs that met at the top of the head. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen) They could also control minds, by inducing trances. After the trance was induced they could be controlled by a handheld device, and given orders, such as turning left. Prior to the "upgrading" of humans into Cybermen, the EarPods would place people into a trance, and then force them to willingly walk into a conversion booth. (TV: The Age of Steel) On the Doctor's Earth, the Cybermen used earpieces, specifically to control people. Instead of wearing them, they were drilled straight into the victim's brain. (TV: Army of Ghosts)

History
The Cybus EarPods were produced by Cybus Industries and were used by most residents of Pete's World. In addition to the Daily Download, the EarPods also served as communications devices, and were usually worn at all times. Those that did not use EarPods included members of The Preachers and John Lumic himself. Ricky Smith believed that by not using the EarPods they had "freedom". (TV: Rise of the Cybermen, The Age of Steel)

The Cybus EarPods were frequently featured on the Cybus Industries website. One article rationalised why Cybus Industries was necessary and reasoned that Cybus EarPods helped people keep in contact with friends and keep them up to date. (PROSE: About Cybus) In another article, which attempted to recruit new employees, Ben Crawford was quoted, specifying that you could get in touch to enquire about jobs though an EarPod, among other things. (PROSE: Our Family) Another article on the Cybus Industries website allowed owners of Cybus EarPods to personalise what content was downloaded into their brain with the next daily download. The content included: Weather; Travel Restrictions; Curfew Information; Film Reviews; Television Reviews; News Headlines; Horoscopes; Lottery Results; and Health and Fitness. (PROSE: EarPod)

The Pod was a music festival that was different from convention festivals, as it was set to be broadcast directly to Cybus EarPods. It was set to be broadcast of 15 July. (PROSE: The Pod)

"ChatGuest1" advised the readers of Defending the Earth! not to use EarPods. (GAME: Cybus Spy)

When the Tenth Doctor and Rose Tyler arrived in Pete's World, they saw everyone in the street around them stop simultaneously at 2:40PM to receive that day's Daily Download. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen) Jackie Tyler owned a pair of diamond-studded EarPods, given to her by John Lumic as a birthday present. Secretly, however, these EarPods were used by Lumic to read her mind. (TV: Rise of the Cybermen)

Several mind control experiments were conducted by Cybus Industries using the EarPods, which was referred to as an "override" by Lumic. Homeless people were rounded up under the guise of free food by Mr Crane, and were upgraded after being placed under EarPod control. These experiments were conducted with the intention of forcing all EarPod wearers to "upgrade". (TV: Rise of the Cybermen) With the success of the experiments, Lumic activated an override mind control sequence in all EarPods in the City of London, which placed every EarPod wearer under Lumic's control and forced them to walk to Battersea Cyber-factory to be upgraded. (TV: The Age of Steel)

The Tenth Doctor warned that removing the EarPods during a mind control sequence risked causing a "brainstorm". (TV: The Age of Steel)

To infiltrate the Cyber-factory, Rose and Peter Tyler used fake EarPods provided by Mrs Moore and pretended to be among the mind controlled crowd. Inside the factory, Rose and Pete witnessed several EarPod wearers be upgraded into Cybermen. After Mickey Smith caused a Cyberman to accidentally destroy the transmitter controls, the EarPods stopped working and released its wearers from their trances. With the transmitter destroyed, everybody wearing EarPods realised the danger they were in and fled the factory in a panic, including a young woman who was moments away from Cyber-conversion. (TV: The Age of Steel)

Brigadier Krista Lateef's daughter used EarPods and was also controlled and later upgraded, with Krista stating that her death was what inspired her to join Torchwood. (AUDIO: The Siege of Big Ben)

The EarPods were no longer widely in use by the residents of Pete's World following the Preacher-Cyberman War. (TV: Doomsday, AUDIO: The Endless Night et al)

Other EarPods
When the Cybermen entered the Doctor's universe, the earpieces of the Torchwood Institute, specifically worn by at least three known members of Torchwood 1 (Adeola Oshodi, Gareth Evans, and Matt Crane) allowed control in a fashion similar to EarPods, paving the way for the Battle of Canary Wharf. The Doctor realised what was happening, and, with his sonic screwdriver, disrupted the signal, but at a great cost: all three of them screamed in agony and died. (TV: Army of Ghosts)

During their attempted conquest of the Doctor's version of Earth in 1851, the Cybermen made cruder versions of the EarPods to control four workhouse owners. When the workhouse owners were no longer of use to the Cybermen, Miss Hartigan activated a switch which caused their EarPods to electrocute and kill them. (TV: The Next Doctor)

Other realities
In the Doctor's universe by the 21st century, EarPods also existed as a source of private entertainment on Earth. (AUDIO: Cuddlesome)

Behind the scenes

 * The name EarPod fairly obviously takes its inspirations from iPod, an electronic device developed by Apple. In 2012 Apple introduced a new model of earphones named EarPod, and a wireless model – AirPods – in 2016.