What a turn-up: green MP3 needs no batteries

Published on 21/10/2007 01:03

THE world's first wind-up MP3 player has been launched with a promise to turn your elbow grease into music and even video on the go.

The 170 go-anywhere iPod alternative, right, has been launched by the same company that delivered the wind-up radio and includes a video player, photo-viewer and torch.

The mechanism on the Trevor Baylis Eco Media Player can also be used to charge up other electronic devices, such as mobile phones.

Digital music players have become one of the must-have gadgets of the decade, with the best known, the Apple iPod, having sold more than 110 million units worldwide.

The new green gadget works by using the energy generated by turning a plastic handle to recharge its battery and give it power. The player can also be charged from the USB port of a computer.

The device took three years to develop, after Sussex-based design company TCL Products approached Trevor Baylis for advice on developing their idea for a wind-up MP3 player. In the 1990s, Baylis pioneered his Freeplay wind-up radio, an international bestseller.

Costing 170 for a device with two gigabytes of memory - enough for about 500 songs - and measuring about 6cm x 12cm, the MP3 gadget is more bulky and pricey than most of its rivals. However, the player does include an FM radio, voice recorder, file storage and a screen which allows users to view videos, photos and read files.

Reviewers have praised the "surprisingly good" sound quality of music files and the radio's "excellent reception". One minute of winding should give about 40 minutes of music or about two minutes of talk-time on a mobile phone.