Did you ever think you could listen to high-fidelity audio out of a little metal cylinder just 88mm long? The Taiwanese company Agios Technology thinks that day has arrived with its Podio digital music playback device. The company says it has spent two years developing the device, which features a proprietary microamp and a full-range Foster speaker adapted from speakers intended for notebooks and palmtop devices. Agios says the Podio is the first pocket-sized hi-fi device, offering full-range, crisp and natural-sounding audio without needing earbuds. The cylinder has a speaker at the front and control buttons at the opposite end, and Agois is pitching it as an ideal music solution for bicyclists, as well as folks who enjoy doing darn near anything with music—exercising, walking, relaxing, working…even sleeping.
The Podio sports a 2 GB memory capacity, handles MP3 and WMA audio, and offers up to 9 hours of music playback via speaker on a single battery charge. (If you listen via headphones, the Podio can go for up to 60 hours.) Users transfer tunes to the Podio via USB 2.0. And the speaker specs look impressive for something so small: Agios says the Podio can handle 94 db via a 1.5 watt amp with total harmonic distortion of just 0.15 percent. We don’t really think the Podio is going to rival a high-end stereo system, but it might beat out some typical MP3 speakers systems. The Podio also has a sleep shutoff mode, which reduces music to half volume after 30 minutes and turns it off entirely after an hour.
Agios hasn’t announced availability or pricing details for the Podio, but the site itself is packed full of wonderful translation-related entertainment, including appreciations of the Podio’s “aroma” and recommended use as a beauty aid. The Podio will be available in silver, red, or black.
