The Zabady: A Waterproof MP3/CD/WMA Player

The Waterproof Zabady audio player by Twinbird is a good idea for anyone on your gift list this year. The attractive Zabady is ideal for the kitchen, bathroom, by the sea, by the pool or any where a splash of water is present. The Zabady is not only splash-resistant, it boasts that it can be submerged in a little over 39 inches of water for one half-hour. Most users would not consider listening to music in three feet of water, but as most consumers know accidents around water do happen.

The Zabady is functional and has the capability to play CDs from your collection or downloads from your MP3 and WMA files. The Zabady has a built-in USB port that allows the unit to play back songs from a connected drive with a capacity of 2GB. It has a FM radio tuner and is capable of seven hours of continuous play on its rechargeable battery. The MP3 and WMA is capable of 5.5 hours of play on the battery. The charge time for the battery for the CD player, according to the manufacturer Twinbird is six hours.

In the box you will find the Zabady unit, an AC adapter, charge stand, battery pack, a 1 MHz antenna suction cup and leads. There is a manual and a pre-set tuner. The Zabady comes in white, but the manufacturer indicates it may be available in silver. The cost is under consideration, but will probably sell in the range of $180 to $190.

An aesthetic feature of the Zabady is the LED display. The LED lights up while the unit is charging and the light goes out when it is fully charged. The display also indicates the name of the artist, album and tune name when a CD is played. The Zabady weighs less than 32 ounces and is about the size of a flour cannister.

The Zabady automatic turn off function can be set to cut off the power source after the desired play time is met. This saves battery life and the necessity for frequent recharging. The charge stand cradle is convenient and when Zabady is not in use is a good place to set the unit. The Zabady will only take 4 hours of recharging for the radio, MP3 and WMA player. Currently the Zabady is available only in Japan. Inquiries for orders may be made through the Twinbird web site.