Sony is famous for its innovations in the music players' field, so its latest products couldn't be disappointing. The Sony Rolly Sound Entertainment Player is one amazing achievement of modern technology, being the first portable music player and, at the same time, a robotic device that dances on your favorite music, while playing it. While some might argue its functionality, it still is a fun gadget to own.
DESIGN:
Quite obviously, the design of Sony's Rolly is the first thing anyone will notice about it. At first glance, the thing looks like some sort of ovoid robot, which can easily fit within one's hand and, at the same time, has a very low weight.
Furthermore, the device packs a couple of wheels, which help it dance around whenever this particular function is activated, as well as two “wings” or “fins,” whichever term you prefer, located on the sides, which flip like crazy in order to match the music being played by the device itself.
Overall, the Rolly has been clearly designed in order to combine a fairly functional design with visually attractive features, and it's sure to draw anyone's attention.
PERFORMANCE:
As far as its performance is concerned, I'd say that there are several angles from which we can “tackle” the Rolly. First of all, from an audio playback point of view, it's important to mention the fact that it packs 2 x 1.2W speakers, which is enough for a small room or a larger, but quieter one. However, if there is too much background noise, it's very likely that this amount of power won't be sufficient.
The control range is another issue, but that's restricted only by Bluetooth technology to around 10 meters. Finally, the battery life is more or less OK, since the built-in Li-Ion pack allows the gadget to play music for around five hours or dance around while playing music for up to four hours.
MONEY MATTERS:
Well, the price point is the only issue where the Rolly is far from fantastic. So, Sony's little dancing robot sells for somewhere in the vicinity of $400, which is a little bit too much, given the features this thing can provide. Sure, it's a great toy, it's fun, but unless you're sitting on a pile of money, it's not exactly a top priority purhcase.
Lets see in brief:
1GB internal flash-memory.
Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity for receiving and streaming music
Editable “dance moves” + software for controll
Battery specifications: 3.7V 1560 mAh rechargeable battery
Battery life: 5h for music playback, 4,5h for streaming music over Bluetooth connection, 4h of music and motion combined, and finally 3,5h for streaming music over Bluetooth with motion
USB 2.0 conection for transferring music and charging the batteryge
Supported audio formats: MP3, ATRAC, AAC up to 300+ kbps
Dimensions and weight: 104√ó65√ó65mm, 300grams
Price: $400.
