Global American Technologies Fio Digital Sunglasses (128 MB) MP3 Player

With the growing list of new companies offering sunglasses with mp3 capabilities, it can be difficult to decide which one holds the best value for your dollar. You can easily spend $200 - $300 for a name-brand product, but does a name like Oakley really mean that much when you consider that they have virtually no experience developing products for the electronics marketplace? With so many new names releasing their take on this hot trend in UV protective sound wear, is it really necessary to spend this much money for a pair of sunglasses with earphones?

Are you looking for the best sounding mp3 player or the best looking pair of shades?

Fortunately, FIO has taken both aspects into consideration when releasing their 128Mb and 256Mb versions of mp3 sunglasses. They come in a slick looking black carrying case with a protective, solid exterior and padded interior. The sunglasses themselves are very sleek and stylish. Believe me, coming from an individual who does not look good in sunglasses, I can honestly say that these shades look and feel great.

With cosmetics aside, I was very pleased with the sound quality produced by the earphones attached on both sides at the earpiece. They fit and stay comfortably in each ear and with a highly adjustable level of volume you can easily find the perfect balance of music against the sounds of your surroundings.

Another nice feature is the built-in power supply. When you plug your glasses into a computer via included usb cable, you automatically charge your mp3 player at the same time. It includes a wall plug-in to recharge the device as well.

As if having the ability to store sound files wasn't good enough, these bad boys can record sound too. With the concealed microphone you can press a button on the side of the frame and suddenly you have a portable voice recorder! Use it to record conversations or during a meeting. Then you can download the recording right onto your computer or play it back as if it were just another song on your mp3 player.

It does not take long before you have memorized which buttons perform each function and can switch songs, adjust the volume, record your surroundings, or power the unit on and off without removing the glasses from your head. This makes functions like the voice recorder extra handy as nobody will even be able to tell that you just switched on the built-in microphone.

I would have preferred a little larger storage capacity than 128Mb. While the player can remain powered-on for 8.5 hours, you would certainly find yourself listening to the same tracks again before that time is up. But with all things considered, you get an incredible value for the price of this item.

The MSRP on these sunglasses is set at $299.99 but you can pick up a brand new pair for around $65 right now on eBay ...which isn't too bad considering the price on some of the more 'name-brand' models currently available.