Remember back to the days when mp3 players were high-tech items (more or less) that were rather box shaped with only a display for decoration. Well, what Apple started with their thin, sleek iPod has now been trumped with the Batman MP3 player. This 1gb mp3 player looks like the Batman emblem corresponding to the soon to be released (and hopefully as excellent) Batman Returns. While I did enjoy the last movie, I really don't think I am tempted to get this 7 cm shaped player when it is released, especially considering the description for the headphones (“high quality bat suit hood ear shaped, ambient noise reduction, headset with 3 exchangeable size buds for perfect fit and comfort”). However, there are fans who would like this, and I do have to admit that the blue edge detail on black does look pretty sharp. The price is expected to be around $80 when it does hit the streets.
Does this foreshadow future electronic goods that are shaped like movie emblems? Or maybe we are going to see product placement in movies designed to sell products. For example, maybe in the next movie the Dark Knight can have his BatPlayer and BatPhone in a scene, then we the consumer version functioning replicas for sell to be released along with the movie. Maybe we can even have 007 gadgets cleverly placed for this purpose, but then again the movie series have sold plenty of Aston Martins and BMWs, so this has been done before with fairly technical devices. The truth is that product placement often works, and I do remember watching Jack Bauer closely as he was using a headset with his phone. As for shaped MP3 players, though, I think I am going to hold off until they are coconut shaped – otherwise it would just clash with the Beach.
Aloha from the Beach,
greg
