Online retailer Advanced MP3 Players, based in UK, will this month ship its first own-brand device: the small, ready to skim across the waves Pebble. The ovoid audio item sports a shiny black back and a mirrored silver front lit by a blue OLED status panel. The controls are arranged in a circle that’ll be familiar to iPod Shuffle users.

The 20g, 4.7 x 3.2 x 1.3cm-wide Pebble will be made available in 512MB and 1GB forms. Both have an integrated lithium-polymer power pack capable of providing up to 12 hours’ playback. It can play MP3, WMA and ASF files, but can’t cope with DRM-protected tracks alas. Tracks are loaded by drag and drop – the Pebble is a USB Mass Storage device – and the battery is charged via its USB 2.0 port – so there’s no bundled AC adaptor.

The box bundles a “luxury” lanyard earphone cable holder ready for the included ‘phones. The earphones double up as an antenna for the built-in recordable FM tuner. The player also has a stopwatch function – since it looks like one, why not?

Advanced MP3 Players will ship the Pebble on 28 February. The 1GB version will cost ?99; the 512MB model, ?79. Both prices include VAT.

reghardware.co.uk