Sony has officially launched a sports focused MP3 player, the NW-S200, which come in 1 and 2GB models.

The ultra compact MP3 player will allow easy access to the controls during exercise and be made of aluminium casing making it completely water resistant, ensuring no rain or perspiration affects its performance.

Available in silver, black and pink, the new Walkman also comes with an absorbent sports armband. This holds the MP3 player firmly in place during rigorous exercise, allowing easy viewing of the display screen while on the move and reducing the length of headphone wire, which will no longer restrict movement or become tangled when running.

The NW-S200 series includes a G-sensor that can monitor step count, distance traveled and calorie usage.

Other features include Music Pacer, a feature that can be activated to automatically detect the user’s pace of step and change the music accordingly from pre-made playlists.

Sony has also said that the player will include a technology called Shuffle Shake, a new control system from Sony that allows the user to alternate between shuffle and normal playback modes by shaking the Walkman three times.

The NW-S200 series has a built-in FM tuner and is available in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB capacities and the built-in battery has up to 18 hours of playback and Sony’s quick-charge feature provides three hours of battery life from only three minutes of charging.

The Walkman NW-S200 series will be available in stores from September 2006.

>> Sony - Official website of Sony