MSI has unveiled what it has been claimed to be the first solar-powered, hard drive-equipped MP3 player, though it appears a custom job kitted out to wow the crowds at the CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany this week.

The player is the Mega Player 540, which sports a 1.8in, 128 x 160 colour display - the same size as the one used in Samsung's Z5 player - along with a 4GB 1in hard disk, joystick-like control system and the usual WMA DRM and MP3 song support. It'll also show 320 x 240 videos, not to mention photos, and comes fitted with a recordable FM radio. It's got SRS' WOW sound-enhancement technology on board.

The whole thing measures 9.5 x 5.2 x 1.7cm and weighs 95g, including its integrated battery, which can drive the player for up to eight hours. The custom 540 has a solar cell built onto the back the of the device ready to power the player and recharge the battery for all the time you want to keep it tucked away in your pocket.

There's the inevitable question regarding the wisdom of equipping such a desirable device as an MP3 player with something that needs to be kept out in the open, presumably making it easier to pinch. But we guess the idea is to charge it up at home before taking it out. Even that's more eco-friendly than charging it up off the mains. ®