X

Remote control makes Rolly only half as useless

Sony's Rolly robot MP3 player receives a firmware upgrade for U.S. customers, adding remote control features.

Donald Bell Senior Editor / How To
Donald Bell has spent more than five years as a CNET senior editor, reviewing everything from MP3 players to the first three generations of the Apple iPad. He currently devotes his time to producing How To content for CNET, as well as weekly episodes of CNET's Top 5 video series.
See full bio
Donald Bell

Photo of the Sony Rolly.
The Sony Rolly, in all its egg-shaped glory. Corinne Schulze/CNET

Is your Sony Rolly languishing on the shelf? Feel like you exhausted the novelty of this $400 dancing MP3 player after only a few hours of Christmas morning exuberance? Did you think the Rolly's potential for tormenting house pets had been explored to the fullest? Think again.

Version 2.0 of the Sony Rolly firmware has been released in the U.S., and brings some new capabilities. By connecting your PC (sorry Macs) to your Rolly over Bluetooth, you can now remotely control the Rolly's movement, view track listings, trigger music, and control up to seven Rollys simultaneously (if you have $2,800 to blow on seven robot MP3 players, that is).

The Sony Rolly firmware update is free, and available from Sony's support page.

(Via Sony Insider)