NEC launches VoToL 30GB media player in Japan

NEC is set to launch the Visual On-demand Tool of Life (VoTol) media player. A ‘cool’ portable device that shows its battery status via a moving water level. Now who says watching your player’s battery meter is boring?

Of course, that’s not all there is to the VOTOL PK-MV300. It features a compact design, measuring just 123×61x18mm, and has an impressive 2.7-inch QVGA display. Its 188g weight complements its small and portable architecture. Switching or selecting functions is as uncomplicated as its design. The cap on top of the unit can be turned to shift between functions.

NEC’s new device supports a wide array of media files too. The VoToL can play MPEG2, MPEG4 (SP/ASP), and
WMV9 (DRM10 support) videos. It also recognizes a variety of audio formats such as WMA (DRM10 support), MP3, WAV, AAC, and Ogg Vorbis. It can also display still images in GIF, PNG, JPEG, and BMP file formats through its integrated photo viewer.

The VOTOL has a 30GB capacity. Its SD card slot provides a convenient way to expand data space.

This unit is NEC’s answer to the Apple iPod. Its debut is slated on March in Japan. The company has not made any announcement yet if it will deploy the media player in North America and Europe but unit price is set at 39,000 Yen (approx. US $332).