Mustek is testing the waters with an alternative MP3 player form factor with the Freestyle! MP3 headphones. Everything fits in the body of the headphones — no wires, no MP3 player unit in your pocket. Having less mess would be a considerable advantage for people who engage in activities such as jogging or biking and need rugged, less complicated systems. The obvious downside of the Freestyle! unit is if you have a really awesome pair of headphones at the moment you're out of luck, and the unit wouldn't fit any player dock you own.
The Freestyle! has 2 GB of internal memory, plays MP3s and WMAs and connects via USB. All of the sound controls are on the 'phones. No solid release date yet, but the Mustek Freestyle! player is due out next year and will sell for around $70.
editor@dvice.com