Stick in in 'yer ear

Playaway is a Connector Group partner who was a huge hit at our first Showcase event. These guys have developed a self-contained audiobook...rather than download an MP3 or buy a book-on-CD, you just buy this little unit that's about the size of a Tic-Tac container and you press "Play". It's a great idea, and their selection of titles is impressive for a young company. They've gotten a lot of press, including a great Walt Mossberg review, and a piece in Forbes. Plus, Christopher Celeste and Blake Squires, the founders, are all-class and know how to make things happen.

Recently, the Miami-Herald had this to say:

What if you could listen to that hot-selling audio book without having to schlep along your CD or cassette player, or download it onto your MP3 player? Enter the Playaway, a battery-powered digital audio device about the size of a deck of cards that comes pre-loaded with an audio book. Buttons on the device control volume, reverse or advance the narration, adjust the speed of the narrator's voice and bookmark favorite passages. The content cannot be copied or added to. The unit comes with mini headphones (or use your own) and a lanyard, and runs on one included AAA battery. In addition to books, Playaways also are available with language lessons and city walking tours. Audio books range from six to 20 hours. The Playaway is pricey, but the convenience factor is seductive.