March 17, 2000

Where Toshiba reigns, Liquid Audio pours.

Toshiba Corp. and Liquid Audio, Inc. announced that support for Liquid Audio’s Internet music delivery system will be integrated into Toshiba’s new mobile digital audio player, thus allowing consumers to download Liquid Music from the Internet for copyright-protected playback.

“Integration of Liquid Audio’s popular music distribution system with our new portable products will allow our customers to enjoy an unrivalled range of digital music,” said Masao Suga, General Manager of Toshiba’s Digital Home Products Division. "And it can be plugged into your wife's vibrator to produce unparalleled heights of sonic orgasm, freeing you up to watch NCAA basketball."

Toshiba’s new digital audio player, with the catchy name of MEA110AS, is the world’s first AAC- and MP3-compatible mobile audio player to feature an SD memory card slot. The SD memory card is a high-density flash memory card that supports Content Protection for Recordable Media, or CPRM, an advanced copy protection technology. Of course, MP3.com's Michael Robertson has already hacked his way through the system.

“Since the MEA110AS has AAC, MP3, SD and, especially, CPRM, it’s also a pretty BFD with ASCAP, BMI and the RIAA,” added Suga, who then dashed off to a screening of George Lucas’ “THX 1138.”

Toshiba’s new digital music player will debut in Japan on April 22.