SanDisk, Yahoo! in 'Sansa' Connect

SanDisk has gotten into a partnership with Yahoo! Music for its new Sansa Connect WiFi-enabled MP3 player.

Featuring a combination of Yahoo! and Yahoo! Music services, Sansa Connect allows access to these features with the simple click of a button and an open WiFi connection.

The player will enable Yahoo! ID owners to listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr sets and photos, as well as connect with Yahoo! Messenger friends, and other Sansa Connect owners nearby.

Under the deal, Sansa Connect offers both free and subscription-based services from Yahoo!, allowing users to stay constantly connected to their music, photos, and friends via WiFi. Those with a Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go subscription will also be able to discover and download music, plus listen to or download tracks recommended by friends.

The player can be used as a usual flash MP3 player, when not connected to a WiFi network. Users can play music and view photos stored either on the player, or on an optional microSD card.

Daniel Schreiber, Senior Vice President and General Manager for the SanDisk Audio Video Business Unit, said, "The Sansa Connect is a new breed of music player. It untethers consumers from their computers, and allows them to get new music and share their recommendations anytime, anywhere -- over an open wireless Internet network."

The sleek 4 GB Sansa Connect features a large 2.2-inch TFT color screen, a microSD slot for music and photo capacity expansion, and an internal speaker.

According to SanDisk, the Sansa Connect player is designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of popular music formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. While optimized to work wirelessly with 'Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go', the player supports all of the Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music via a PC connection.

The SanDisk Sansa Connect is now available in the US at around $249.99 which is about Rs 10,580.