Sony officially announces sporty NW-S200 series

Sony has officially launched the cylindrical-shaped NW-S200 series of MP3 players. CNET first published details about this sport-friendly flash-based player on July 25. It was originally leaked by retailer Amazon.com and reported by ATRACLife. Besides sporting a funky industrial design, the player has an FM tuner; plays MP3, ATRAC, and unprotected WMA and AAC files; and most interestingly, has a built-in pedometer. From the official press release:

"Based on Sony's G-Sensor technology, which recognizes speed variation, the Music Pacer feature integrates music into the workout experience. With the Music Pacer feature, the player gauges your speed, tempo, and acceleration, automatically switching to the appropriate personalized walking or running playlist to match your stride. The Shuffle Shake feature lets you easily and quickly switch to shuffle mode by shaking the player three times within two seconds...If you want to increase intensity when walking or running, the step, distance, and calorie counter features (in sports mode) enable you to track the number of steps taken, the distance traveled, and the calories burned. The set target feature allows you to input the amount of time, calories, or distance you want to achieve for your workout, so the music will play until the target is accomplished."

Sounds like Sony's version of the Nike + iPod Sport Kit. Two capacities will be available (1GB, $120; 2GB, $150) in September. We'll have a video and a full review soon.