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The Woman's Walkman
With more and more women welcoming technology into their comfort zone, electronics manufacturers like Sony are openly catering to feminine tastes by introducing a "Women's Walkman" dressed to the nines. Some call it sexist, others say it's just targeted marketing.

Case in point: Sony's new limited edition E010 series Walkman portable music players. The corporate types at Sony handed subsidiary Sony Style (Japan) Inc. the task of attracting a bigger slice of the rapidly growing women's market. Sony Style then enlisted Abiste Corp., a respected brand in the jewelry and accessory field, to give the new Walkman E010 series a little feminine mystique.

Pretty in Pink
The result? Strikingly beautiful cases in pink, violet, black, blue or gold topped with Swarovski glass crystal bedecked caps! The effect is elegant without being overblown, and Sony is stressing exactly that by featuring coordinated photo layouts that portray the Walkman as no less essential an accessory as a pearl necklace or designer eyeglass frames.

Ladylike... Lady Like!
Being a handmade product, Sony's limited edition E010 series Walkman must be ordered in advance from Sony Style and delivery will take up to two months. Pricing is, well, pricey: the 1-gigabyte model lists for 15,800 yen ($130), the 2-gigabyte model for 18,800 yen ($155) and you'll pay 24,800 yen ($205) for the 4-gigabyte model. Tax is included but shipping is extra. (via Asahi Shimbun)


Steve Levenstein
Japanese Innovations Writer
InventorSpot.com