Suhit Gupta
11-15-2004, 11:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.forbes.com/technology/personaltech/2004/11/15/cx_pm_1115tentech.html?partner=rss' target='_blank'>http://www.forbes.com/technology/personaltech/2004/11/15/cx_pm_1115tentech.html?partner=rss</a><br /><br /></div><i>"A pair of Oakley sunglasses perched atop the floppy sun hat is as much an indispensable fashion accessory for the sun-bronzed international cricketer as a smear of zinc oxide across the lips. So I was intrigued when a cricket supplies newsletter brought word of the Oakley Thump, a pair of shades with a built-in MP3 player. It has no cords or wires. The music player is built into the temples of the glasses, as are the "sonic expansion speakers"--those would be the earpieces--which are on adjustable booms that slide in and out, and can swing away from your ears if you need to hear what is going on around you."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/1115tentech_200x161.jpg" /><br /><br />Apparently these fit great and have been custom engineered to produce skip-free high-fidelity sound. At less than 2 ounces, the glasses certainly are lightweight. The Oakley Thump plays only files with MP3, WAV and WMA formats, not the AAC or OGG formats which may be a drawback for many. The other drawback is the price: $395 for the 128-MB version, $495 for the 256-MB version. From a personal point of view, the looks of the glasses don't do it for me either, perhaps Ray Ban should try to get into this market. :)