New Sony Walkman range unveiled

The Sony Walkman NWD-B100 Series MP3 players come in 1GB and 2GB versions with optional FM radios

Sony has unveiled its new range of Walkman MP3 players, the NWD-B100 Series. The new Sony Walkman NWD-B100 M3 player range are lightweight (30g) pocket USB-devices, featuring 3-line colour LCD screens.

The NWD-B100 range come in 1GB (NWD-B103) and 2GB sizes (NWD-B105), with the option of models featuring FM tuner (NWD-B103F/B105F). All NWD-B100 Series players have built in microphones for voice recordings, while the NWD-B103F/B105F models can record directly from their onboard radios.

The Sony NWD-B100 Series supports USB mass-storage for drag and drop copying of tracks (rather than Sony's previous requirement for additional software). The new Walkman models can automatically search and copy new tracks when plugged into a PC and be configured to update with the latest tracks from your "My Music" folder (or other designated music folder). Music from the Sony NWD-B100 Series devices can also be streamed directly to a compatible micro or mini hi-fi system via a USB connection.

The new Sony NWD-B100 Series Walkman players support MP3 and WMA formats but not ATRAC. They have a 6-mode equalizer and boast playback time of up to 12 hours.

The Sony Walkman NWD-B100 series will be on sale in the UK in August, and will be available in black, white or violet. The price of the 1GB versions are £35 and £45 with radio, and the 2GB versions will be £45 and £55 with radio.