Swiss Army knives are cool, but they're a little 20th century. Add an MP3 player, however, and I completely take that back.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's finally here: the famed Swiss Army knife, complete with nail file and scissors, and now a 1GB MP3 player. The actual hardware comes in a sturdy aluminum case with the Swiss Army emblem on the side. The case has the blade, scissors and nail file attached to its side, and the MP3 player is removable.
The Swiss Beat can play an average of 240 songs, which is about the same capacity as the iPod Nano. The songs are transferred via USB port, so there are virtually no cables required, and the gadget can double (or triple, if you count the knife) as a flash drive.
The LCD screen on the player can display up to three lines of text in a bold, commanding font, including the song title and artist name. The player has a volume control and a forward and backward button next to the screen, and is about the size of two quarters placed next to each other. It also includes an FM radio function with 15 programmable presets, and boasts an eight-hour rechargeable battery. The gadget costs $170 at ThinkGeek.
It's good to know I can file my nails and open a package while listening to the Beatles' greatest hits with one nifty device.