Physical Avatars For MP3s May Be The Vinyl Of The Future

by Devin Coldewey on December 10, 2010

The need for a physical representation of your media is one mainly rooted in nostalgia. For all we talk about the need to “own” a movie or piece of music, and how an actual token of it is better, the fact is we’re moving away from that world and those of us older than 20 are having trouble letting go. That’s what you call a demographic.

And this C60 concept, as unlikely as it is that it will ever be made, is a great cross between the good old analog libraries we’ve loved and the convenient digital libraries we crave.

Basically you have little cards, each with its own RFID tag, and you stack or scatter them on a receiver (with a vinyl look to it, naturally) to have them added to the playlist, played now, or shuffled. It’s a great idea, although I don’t think it’ll make it to market. Right now it’s little more than a render and a prototype.

But the idea is there. And I think something like this will make it, because people like actually touching their media. I’ve never liked Apple’s CoverFlow or the Zune method of browsing — a milk crate full or records, or a stack of CD cases, is an experience unto itself.

c60 Redux from IDEO on Vimeo.

Get It 2 Go!!!!!!