Baylis wind-up MP3 player is no joke

If you're thinking about going green in 2009, the Baylis Revolution wind-up MP3 player may let you inch down your carbon footprint ever so slightly.

Click for Baylis Revolution photo gallery.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

I know it's unforgiveably anachronistic to have a hand-crank slapped on the side of an MP3 player, but before you dismiss this as pure novelty, let me say that I was surprised to find that the Revolution isn't a half bad MP3 player. Sure, it's thicker than a bar of soap, but if you're ever trapped on a desert island the Revolution puts the iPod to shame.

The Baylis Revolution includes music, video, and photo playback, and comes with FM radio, voice recording, line-input recording, and radio recording features, as well. Oh, and did we mention it has a built-in flashlight? It has a friggin' flashlight!

One minute of cranking should buy you about 45 minutes of music on the Revolution, but you can charge it over USB as well. At full charge, you'll get 48 hours of audio playback.

The Baylis Revoltion sells for $179 (4GB) and $209 (8GB) online. To learn more, read our full review over at CNET Reviews.

[fuernis]

Or you can go to an electronics store and buy a hand crank flash light that has DC/USB power out. I have one and use it to recharge all kinds of items while out and about. Most weather radios will do this as well.

[make_or_break]

Or if you're REALLY hand-cranked challenged, you could always get a solar panel charger and hope for sun. A great solution for those of you who DON'T live in a terminally gray region, like the Pacific Northwest.

[molotov]

Someone should tell Michael Bloomberg, the New York City mayor about this, so he can ban all MP3 players that do not hand - crank. I can see him trying to enforce something like this and then get shut down.