iRiver, Speedo team on underwater MP3 player
updated 03:55 pm EDT, Tue April 14, 2009
Speedo MP3 player
Portable digital audio player and other personal electronics maker iRiver has teamed up with Speedo to create an underwater digital audio player, the LZR Racer Aquabeat. The same device is available in Japan, albeit with 2GB of internal memory versus the North American version's 1GB. Either device is IPX5/IPX7 certified, allowing it to operate safely while submerged in up to 10 feet of water. There is no display, only basic controls that include play/pause, volume, and track skipping.
The LZR Racer Aquabeat plays MP3 and WMA format audio tracks and is estimated to do so for about 9 hours. As a safety measure, Speedo says the audio player will float in case it comes off a user's head. Compatible operating systems include Windows ME through Vista as well as Mac OS 9.X or higher.
The LZR Aquabeat is priced at the equivalent of about $128 in Japan and $145 in the US. It is available in black, pink and lime. [via SlashGear]
So Rip Off the USA?
04/14, 04:39pm reply
So they are giving the Japanese market twice the capacity at an equivilent of $23 cheaper?
They can go !%$* themselves and shove their player where the Sun doesn't shine if they can't lower the price in the USA and give us the same specs.
jhawk95
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 2006
Dolphins Need Not Apply
04/14, 05:13pm reply
If only dolphins had credit cards I bet they could sell a lot of these.
Wingsy
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
How ironic...
04/14, 05:34pm reply
jhawk95:
Now you know how people in EU feel about Apple's prices, when anything and everything Apple makes costs about 30-50% more in EU than in the USA. And when US dollar sank to an all-time low last summer, that difference was even greater. A $1,000 MacBook goes for 1,100 EUR (last summer, almost $1,900; today, around $1,400).
vasic
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005