Just in time for the recession, Sony Tuesday released in the U.S. market a $400 egg named the Rolly that plays music and dances (sort of). It's a product nobody needs. But Rolly will fascinate all but the most jaded geek the way Aibo (the Sony electronic dog) did earlier in the decade. Some will buy the Rolly. Shaped and sized like an egg or miniature beer keg and weighing like an egg filled with steel shot, the Rolly comes to life when you tap a recessed power button. Flaps on the ends open to reflect music, and the Rolly starts playing. Tap the power button twice and Rolly performs a choreographed routine, spinning and turning on two illuminated, rubberized bands that double as the volume control (always on the bottom no matter which way you orient the Rolly) and track/genre selector. the Rolly can choreograph music on its own, or you can create your own routines using Rolly Choreographer software on your PC.
A hidden USB connector recharges Rolly (after 3-4 hours of music and motion, or 4-5 hours of music alone on its camcorder-size 6 watt-hour battery) and downloads music from PC to Rolly. Rolly has 2GB internal memory and plays unprotected MP3 or AAC files. You can also stream music via Bluetooth. Sony VP for All Things Rolly (official title, VP Marketing/Audio) Brennan Mullin suggests Bluetooth later could do other things such as command Rolly in real time from the PC.
Sony sees a community of Rolly fans showing off their choreographed routines and sharing them on Sony's Rolly site (www.sonystyle.com/rolly). Rolly Choreographer lets you simulate the dance moves as you create. Rolly has six moving parts: arms (end flaps), shoulders, and wheels, all programmable in Choreographer. It can roll, twist, turn, open and close flaps, and display 700 different colors along the wheels (the bands). But it probably cannot withstand a fall off the table when the flaps are open. Nor will it withstand the affections of an inquisitive toddler. ("Uh-oh, Mommy. Music stop.") While we don't encourage older Rolly aficionados to violate their states' drug laws, it's possible Rolly's attractions multiply when you're stoned.
Sony says the sound is high quality. Maybe so, but it's not meant to play loud. This is personal entertainment, not something to put on the dance floor. This is a way cool personal technology for those with $400 burning a hole in their pocket. It's available in black and white, the white being more of a pearlescent off-white.
See Brian Heater's earlier review of the not-yet-for-sale-in-the-U.S. Rolly .
Stumble
Digg
del.icio.us
Slashdot
