The Baby iPod--think pacifier with earbuds--might be right around the corner.

Barbie Girls MP3 players.

Following in the footsteps of Disney's Mix Sticks and SanDisk's Sansa Shaker MP3 players, Mattel has unveiled a line of Barbie MP3 players, hoping to use music as one piece of a new multiplatform effort to connect with young girls.

The player, which will sell for $59 and hit stores in July, is a four-and-a-half-inch device with 512 MB of flash memory, able to hold up to 240 songs in the WMA format. The player has an expandable miniSD slot that holds a memory card up to 2GB (sold separately). It can play any non-DRM-encrypted MP3 or WMA files. The Barbie Girls MP3 player comes with a belt clip, adjustable-sized earbuds, and storage case, while extra $9.99 accessories like pets are also available.

The MP3 players are one piece of Mattel's multiplatform strategy to modernize its product line. Mattel also introduced BarbieGirls.com, a virtual world that lets girls create virtual avatars, design their own rooms, shop at the mall, watch videos, play games, and chat with other girls. Mattel said the site includes safety features like chat-room filters, user blocking, and human moderators.

Mattel's move comes in the face of heightened competition from the Bratz line of dolls, which has targeted the tween girl segment since its launch in 2001. During the first quarter, Barbie and Bratz were tied as the top properties across the total traditional toy industry, according to NPD Group.