The Dancing Rolly

by David English on January 10th, 2008

One of the coolest gadgets at this year’s CES was the Sony Rolly. It’s a robotic MP3 player that moves its six moving parts — arms, shoulders, and wheels — in time with the music. It also has two light-rings that pulse to the music through a range of 700 colors. The built-in stereo speakers are designed for 180-degree coverage.

The best part about the Rolly is the software that ships with it. A timeline-based editor will let you sync the movements and light pulsing to specific points in the music. The Sony rep I spoke with at the booth said the script is then saved with the music file, so you could create as many choreographed songs as you like.

It has 2GB of memory for music storage and supports the MP3 and non-secure AAC formats. It also has Bluetooth with the A2DP profile, so you could stream music to the Rolly from a Bluetooth-compatible cell phone or laptop.

Sony hasn’t announced a price for the Rolly. It should be available this Spring.

Creature Comforts

by David English on January 20th, 2007

You know you’re getting older when the high-end gadget that inspires your techno-lust at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a massage chair rather than a large screen TV or cutting-edge audio system.

The Inada chairs aren’t ordinary massage chairs. They first scan your body with optical sensors in order to find your Shiatsu pressure points. Then they use a combination of rollers and airbags to intelligently tap, scoop, and knead your aching body.

I was able to test-ride the Inada ROBO Chair ($5,999 list price) on the last day of CES, and it provided some welcome relief. This particular model features a newly introduced “3D roller mechanism” and is configured to message your feet, calves, ankles, legs, back, buttocks, neck, arms, and hands.

Once you get over the notion that this powerful machine has you trapped in its grip, you’ll find it surprisingly similar to a professional massage therapist. It was amazing how the chair was able to hone in on the knots in my back and apply just the right amount of pressure.

The downside — apart from the lofty purchase price — could be your ability to have it repaired for a reasonable fee once the limited five-year warranty lapses. It could also be so addicting, you might never want to leave your house.

Update: Want to try out an Inada ROBO Chair? Here’s a list of dealers and showrooms throughout the U.S.