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I’ve caught a bit of the Sony Rolly coverage over the last few months – an MP3 player about the size of a tennis ball that also happens to spin around on a flat surface whilst playing tunes via speaker. However, prior to seeing it in person Thursday, it hadn’t gotten my attention. Now, it’s something I might need to own, despite serving no practical purpose…

Out of the box, the Rolly takes music visualization to an entirely new level and synchronizes physical movements to audio. However, it also comes with software allowing you to design your own “dances” by programming the various movements and LED lighting effects. What amazed me about the demo (some video I shot above) is how quick and crisp the movements are.

Rolly runs on a rechargeable battery, providing about 2 hours of audio and dancing or 5 hours of just music playback, with 2GB of fixed storage. It’s been available in Japan since September for roughly $350 and is expected to hit US shores this spring, though pricing hasn’t been revealed. As mesmerizing as it is, Sony probably won’t move many in our market at the current price point (echoing Michael Gartenberg)… I’d like to see them halve it by launch.

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