MakerBot revives the cassette tape as a 3D-printable MP3 player

Before iPods and smartphones, Sony's Walkman and cassette tape reigned supreme. If you knew how to record a good mixtape, you could win over any crush. But times have changed and digital is where music is at. MakerBot wants to relive the good old '80s and '90s with its latest product: the Mixtape.

At first glance, the MakerBot Mixtape looks like a cassette tape, but it doesn't actually have any well, tape, in it. It's actually an MP3 player that has 2GB of storage, buttons for play/pause, forward, backward, etc. an, a four hour rechargeable battery, a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB cable.

Setup is also fairly straightforward; the Mixtape shows up as a USB drive on your Mac or PC and to add music, you just drag and drop MP3s into it.

The main allure to the MakerBot Mixtape is that you can print up different colors and designs with your own 3D printer. Outside of the infinite amount of possible customizations, it's really no better than even the cheapest MP3 players in the clearance bin at Walmart.

With such limited storage and low battery life, the MakerBot Mixtape isn't aimed at replacing your iPod. Rather, it's targeted at the DIY crowd that just wants a fun little project to gift to a friend.

Owners of a MakerBot 3D printer can get the Mixtape Kit for $25 (assembly required) and those without a 3D printer can buy it straight up fully assembled for $39. It's a little pricey, and making a real mix tape from a cassette might be even more charming (some folks might have to hunt down a cassette player to hear your tape!), but if you're longing for the old cassette tape days, the Mixtape is a decent throwback product.

Via MakerBot

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