Brit inventor develops hand- powered green music player

London, Feb 10 : Environmental friendliness has spilled on to technology as well.

Trevor Baylis, the British inventor of clockwork radio has developed a green music player that can hold up to 500 songs, doubles as a video player, radio, dictaphone, torch and phone charger - and is powered by hand.

Baylis, who is in talks with BT about a wind-up mobile phone, hopes the the Eco Media Player will get equal success as his radio, which is now used by millions of Africans.

"In an age when people are increasingly worried about climate change, it's a way of reducing electricity use. I hope that this, along with the wind-up radio, will be my legacy," Times Online quoted Baylis, as saying.

The battery of the player can last for up to 20 hours and winding it for a minute produces enough charge for 40 minutes' playback.

The player sells for about 140 pounds and can be charged by connecting it with a PC.

Stephen Fry, the actor, said: "I love this little thing. It is robust, clever without being pleased with itself, useful and appealing."

ANI