Sony unveils smaller new W Series Walkman

You like listening to music while you work out, but you don't like snagging your personal music player's cord with your arms, nor do you like ruining your earphones by getting them all sweated up. Yep, we know how it is. One solution could be to use a pair of JF3 Freedom Bluetooth Buds, that wirelessly receive music from your mobile phone, and are moisture-resistant. You could also get yourself a similar device made by a little Japanese company called Sony, however, as of next month. That's when the latest version of the W Series Walkman MP3 player for sports enthusiasts will be hitting the stores, in a smaller, lighter format.

Officially known as the NWZ-W260 model, the new W series consists of just two linked earphones, one of which has a built-in MP3 player. Unlike the JF3s, no other device is required. As compared to its W series predecessors, this particular model is reportedly 24 percent lighter, and one third the size. The whole shebang is water-resistant and rinsable, although it probably wouldn't be a good idea to wear it while swimming.

The music player is available in 2 GB and 4 GB capacities, the former holding approximately 470 songs, with the latter managing about 990. As with most music players, songs can be simply dragged and dropped from the user's iTunes or Windows-based music library.

The NWZ-W260 can run for up to eight hours on one charge of its battery, although by using its quick charge function, one hour of playback time can be achieved with just a three-minute charge.

Sony retailers should be carrying the latest W Series Walkman as of next month. It comes in black or white, and is priced at US$59.99 for the 2 GB version, or $79.99 for the 4 GB.