14 DAY TRIAL // It's quite amazing to see the direction a designer can take when starting from a basic shape like that of a ring. Even more, when an MP3 player comes in the equation, things become almost thrilling. It is a pleasure to introduce you to Hansoon Jeong's latest creation, in the form of a ring-shaped digital player that doubles as a most fashionable item, as well. We're talking about a highly non-conventional piece of technology here, and it's all about the shape and functionality.
Wheel-shaped control systems are nothing new, with Apple having taken things pretty far in this direction with its series of iPods. Yet, the new point of view offered by Hansoon Jeong is a rather unconventional one, while at the same time, boasting a fun side to the simple functionality.
The first striking thing about this MP3 player is its shape, in that it looks pretty much like a ring or wheel, with an empty middle part – almost empty, that is, because affixed to it, you'll find another smaller ring. The entire surface of this nifty-looking MP3 player is actually an LCD screen with color-changing capabilities, which is especially useful for those of you who are more fashion-aware than all those “ignorants” – basically, one can match and wear this player as a precious accessory.
The “wheel” sports four zones that the user must press in order to access specific functions like playback mode, battery meter or volume control. Once you've accessed a function, you can alter its value by sticking your finger through the small interior ring and rotating it to modify the desired parameter.
Now, this cool-looking player comes with a built-in FM tuner and a rechargeable battery, making things even neater and, at the same time, more people crave it. However, the most intriguing thing about this project is the fact that, in the pictures that have surfaced here, this player bears the Bang&Olufsen monogram / logo.
Thinking about all the special and sometimes wacky designs emerging from this Danish manufacturer, this “MP3 wheel” could easily make sense among the B&O products. The Bang&Olufsen website says nothing of it yet... but it's rather hard to believe that a designer creating such a neat player would simply place the B&O logo on it just like that, for fun. Nevertheless, Hansoon Jeong's player is well-worthy of entering the Bang&Olufsen family!
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