Audio book disguises itself as an iPod
For those who are crunched for time or don't want to bother downloading an audio book, or, for that matter, buying a portable audio player, Findaway World says it's found a way for technophobes to enjoy listening to books too.
Playaway is the first-ever self-playing, self-contained digital audio book. No need to download anything or continuously swap out CDs or audiocassettes. The Playaway hangs around your neck or fits in a pocket so you can listen to books pretty much wherever you want. It's half the size of a deck of cards, and lets you adjust the speed of the narrator's voice (which, Findaway says, is often the actual author), fast-forward, reverse and bookmark your spot for next time you pick it up.
There are about 40 titles in the Playaway library thus far, and the authors are the usual best-selling suspects: Dan Brown, Stephen King, Thomas Friedman, C.S. Lewis, David Sedaris, and, if you're fond of fussy ex-pat travel writers like I am, Bill Bryson.
Priced at $35 to $50, it's just as good of a deal, if not better, than picking up a 15-CD audio book, and far less cumbersome. The Playaway, which comes with earphones, a lanyard and a AAA battery, can be found at Borders, OfficeMax, Barnes & Noble and the Playaway Web site.