RSSSony Debuts Dancing MP3 Player
By Ed Oswald | Published September 10, 2007, 12:55 PM
Sony has unveiled a palm-sized digital audio player that combines the typical features of an MP3 player with robotic technologies to allow it to spin, flash lights and move forward and backward to the music.
Called the Rolly, a combination of the words "rolling" and "friendly," Sony says it is meant to make listening and sharing music a more entertaining way. It includes 1GB of internal memory, measures 6.5 centimeters (2.5 inches) in diameter and weighs about 300 grams (10 ounces).
The player includes onboard robotics software which analyzes the music and then causes its lights to switch on and off, or move its speaker covers to move the player back and forth. The user can also set the player to sit motionless if they so desire.
About 4 hours of battery life are available if the user allows the Rolly to move to the music. Five hours of battery life are available if the device is motionless, Sony says.
No buttons are found on the player save the on/off switch. Instead, the user twists one ring to move between tracks, and the other to adjust the volume. The Rolly can play MP3, Sony's ATRAC, or AAC files.
In an innovative feature for MP3 players, the Rolly also includes Bluetooth capabilities, allowing it to receive and react to streamed music. Sony says the feature works with any device capable of Bluetooth streaming.
How the player moves is up to the user. While from the factory a pre-set "dance" is available, customers with a PC can use the included Motion Editor software to create new moves for the Rolly. In addition, an online community will allow users to share their moves with others.
Initially, the player will only be available in Japan starting September 29 at a price of 40,000 yen ($353 USD). Sony hopes to roll the device out elsewhere beginning next year, although no specific launch details have been released.
Looks like the engineers over at SONY have been spending too much time around the lithium ions.
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"About 4 hours of battery life are available if the user allows the Rolly to move to the music. Five hours of battery life are available if the device is motionless, Sony says."
Jesus...are they telling you how long until the battery explodes now?
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Surely they jest! Is this for retarded tweens or just the Japanese market?!
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If only they put that much effort into Blu-ray.
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Another useless product from a useless company.
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But it dances!!! How could a dancing MP3 player be useless!!! lol
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Agree with Steve Austin: This will not officially see the U.S. shores.
"It'll have a capacity of 1 GB and five hours of battery life, and will sell for ¥40,000 (about $350)."
Hmm, the 160GB iPod is the same $350 price. 1GB with "dancing" vs. 160GB. Maybe in Japan.
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agree it would be too costly to afford, there will be more things to buy when they fools bring it to the market...........
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These are the signs of a desperate company on the decline...
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Sony sucks a fat ass, except thier camcorders, they rock.
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"except thier camcorders"
That's even debatable though too.
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Combine that with Ringles and you've surely got a winner. /not.
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I had a bad case of Ringles once, but some cream cleared it right up.
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Guarenteed, this won't make it outside Japan, who love this kinda whacky stuff.
Still it's nice of BetaNews to post more crap that's of interest to nobody.
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It doesn't sound like a bad device what makes it bad is the price tag. You could buy a xbox360 and a 2 gig mp3 player for this. Or an Ipod touch or Ipod Classic. (both with much more space)
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They should be in the discount bin along with the Ringles(TM) see http://www.betanews.com/..._Save_the_CD/1189445663 sometime after Christmas. Actually you can already get a dancing MP3 player. Check this out. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/10/mp3_device/
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Lol, I wasn't expecting that.
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$353!!!
Woot has a 1gig player for $25 today.
That's $328 to make it shake. Yippeeeee!!!
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because these are in such huge demand to consumers
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Umm....ok
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Are glowsticks included?
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kinda expencive for 1Gb, 5 minutes worth of entertainment device...
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What a waste of money...
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what a waste of world resources.
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Wow, that sounds about as cool as those singing "Billy Bass" fish that hang on your wall.
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Heh.
They sold a lot of them though...
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"Take me to tha riv..*crash* f**** you!!!
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Oh Sony...
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Agreed. This will cause even JPs to realize what the rest of us already know.
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