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June 22, 2009 4:23 PM PDT

Motz MP3 players return, squirrels rejoice

by Donald Bell
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Photo of the Motz acorn MP3 player.

The Motz Acorn MP3 player is one of three Motz brand designs for sale through Cowon Japan.

(Credit: Cowon Japan)

The quirky, DIY-friendly line of Motz MP3 players have been keeping a low-profile ever since we reported on them back in March of 2007, and recently suffered the unfortunate fate of being dropped from their Japanese distributor. Fortunately, Motz's Acorn, Ino, and Photo MP3 player models have been picked up by Cowon Japan, giving the products a new distribution channel.

The manufacturer's lowest-priced model, the Motz Ino, sells for 6,800 Yen (approx. $70) and includes all the basic components for creating your own customized MP3 player. The premise is that you'd use the Motz Ino to turn some random object (a stuffed animal, Altoids tin, day-glo fanny pack) into an MP3 player. If you're lacking in creativity, the Ino's packaging can also double as a makeshift case.

At 7,800 Yen ($80), Motz sells an MP3 player in the shape of an acorn. The appropriately named Motz Acorn is made from hand-carved wood, and includes a leather necklace (for that natural look) and an embedded 1.5-watt speaker.

Finally, for a whopping 8,800 yen ($91), you can get a Motz MP3 player shoved into a tasteful wooden photo frame. The Motz Photo uses a clear acrylic front that holds photos in place using four rare earth magnets. The back of the frame includes a speaker, along with controls for volume and track skip.

(Via Akihabara News)

March 27, 2007 11:41 AM PDT

Roll your own DAP, part 2

by Donald Bell
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MOTZ DIY MP3 player

Create your own convergence device

(Credit: funshop.co.kr)

If you're inspired to create your own MP3 player but are either too cheap or too clumsy (in my case, both) to use Make Magazine's Daisy MP3 player kit, South Korea has the solution. The MOTZ DIY Music Box is a coin-sized, flash-based MP3 player kit that sells for $40 (U.S.). Once you've got it, you can join the corporate bandwagon of cramming an MP3 player into just about anything. The tough part will be finding something ridiculous that someone hasn't already tried putting an MP3 player in. The MOTZ is USB 2.0 by way of a USB-to-mini-jack connection (similar to the MobiBlu Cube). It has a Li-Polymer battery, 256MB of memory, and plays MP3, WMA, and OGG files.

For the uninspired, MOTZ also offers a prefabricated wooden case you can install the player into.

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