Sony’s game-changing robotic dancing turd.
This is actually kind of funny. I did a search for Rolly on SonyStyle.com and up popped the movie Suicide Club. Could this be a sign that the Rolly is a dunder-headed little dancing robot that is one step above those dancing plants or Big Mouth Billy the Singing Bass could soon jump in front of a train and leave us all forever?
That said, Rolly is now available in the U.S. Feel free to buy it online while drunk or high for $400.
SONY’S ROLLY ROLLS INTO THE U.S.
SAN DIEGO, May 20, 2008 – For those who want to experience
music through movement, Sony’s Rolly music entertainment player,
a palm-sized, egg-shaped device that rolls and spins like
it’s dancing to the music, is now available at Sony Style retail
stores nationwide.
Spawned from Sony portable audio technology and innovations
in artificial intelligence, along with the company’s design
and entertainment legacy, this device provides a unique combination
of music, motion and fun.
“Rolly has the ability to attract your attention as soon as
you turn it on,”
said Brennan Mullin, vice president of marketing for audio
at Sony Electronics. “It’s a tremendous example of what can
happen when entertainment and technology merge.”
Clear Sound by Sony’s Audio Technologies
Made for producing superb audio quality, Rolly features 180-degree,
horizontally opposed stereo speakers. As a result, listeners
can enjoy high quality sound from nearly anywhere in the room.Sound reverberates from the surface the device is placed on,
whether on a desk or on the floor. With a digital amp for high
sound quality and speakers with neodymium magnets, powerful
audio performance is delivered from the compact unit.
Rolly Brings Music to Life
With built-in robotic technologies, the device is designed
to move its small arms, shoulders and wheels-six moving parts-to
the beat of the music. With about 700 colors in its repertoire,
lighting adds to the impact of the motion.
The Rolly device comes with choreography for three songs:
“Also Sprach Zarathustra” (theme from “2001 – A Space Odyssey”),
Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” and Earth Wind and Fire’s “Boogie
Wonderland.” It can be powered up to play music and dance immediately
right out of the box. Two additional tracks have been included
to demonstrate how motion can be integrated into the listening
experience.
Bringing out the Inner Choreographer
To choreograph an original routine, the unit comes with Rolly
Choreographer software. Motions can either be created automatically
by the software for a specific song, or for a creative twist,
you can create customized choreography for your favorite music.
Once choreography has been created, the software simulates
how the device will move so you can preview the dance moves
on a PC before transferring the routine to the unit.
After creating original dance routine programs, users can share
choreography with others in the Rolly Go forum. Using the choreographer
software, motion files can be uploaded or downloaded online
from this site. Found at www.sonystyle.com/rolly ,
click on the Rolly Go icon to access the community and see
what others have created.
Designed for Motion
The device’s simple, clean, cable-less design lets it move
freely on smooth surfaces. It is easy to change songs or control
the volume by turning the wheels while the unit is on a surface
or holding it in your hand. Shaking the device switches its
music play to shuffle mode.
The player also contains Bluetooth® technology for wirelessly
streaming music from a compatible PC or mobile phone.
Tiny Flash Entertainer
With 2GB flash memory, the player can store up to 520 songs
for songs of an average of four minutes in length at 128kbps
in the MP3 format. The battery life allows up to five hours
of music playback and up to four hours of music and motion
together on a single charge. The player supports non-secure
AAC and MP3 formats.
Dance Off
Sony’s Rolly entertainment player and Grammy™ -nominated R&B
singer/dancer, Omarion, have teamed up for a dance off between
man and machine. Omarion is known for his dance style and choreography
that blends popping, locking, waving and break dance movement.
You will soon be able to watch a dance off between the device
and Omarion at www.sony.com/rolly .
Availability
The Rolly device comes in black and white and is available
online at www.sonystyle.com/rolly
and at Sony Style stores for about $400.