Playaway

I've mentioned from time to time that I enjoy listening to audiobooks. I often have one playing in the car. The limitation, of course, is that you have to have access to some kind of player. And you can't, as far as I know, easily transfer a CD or MP3 book to an iPod, for example. Well maybe you can - but it's an extra step that I've never tried to figure out. Especially since I don't even have an iPod.

Our library has just started buying audio books in this new self-contained format called "Playaway". I had to buy the earpod thing for $2 (after experimenting with a little giveaway headset from an airplane that didn't seem to work), but otherwise, that's it. Book and player combined in one tiny lightweight package. I'm giving the system a trial run with Life of Pi.

So far, I'm liking it! There's something about the way the sound goes straight into your head, as compared to traveling through "air" from a speaker - even ones as nearby as the ones in the car - that increases concentration. I'm not sure why this is, but I suspect it's something that iPod users already know about.