http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/ Engadget Comments for iriver's black 4GB Clix ventures beyond the mythic http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Oct 20th 2006 11:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Oct 20th 2006 11:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/
smarmy
Pronunciation: 'smär-mE'
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): smarm·i·er; -est
Etymology: smarm to gush, slobber
1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness
2 : of low sleazy taste or quality
- smarm·i·ly - adverb
- smarm·i·ness - noun

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The only way any of these "iPod killers" could truly be an iPod killer is if it were both: a) good looking and b) cheaper than the iPod. Now Im no iPod fan boy but I have yet to see a device that meets those "iPod killer" standards.]]>Oct 20th 2006 12:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/
By the way, isn't it "iRiver"? Note the capital R. ]]>Oct 20th 2006 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/
if only it had a microSD slot and bluetooth stereo audio...]]>Oct 20th 2006 12:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Oct 20th 2006 12:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Oct 20th 2006 12:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/excessively or unctuously flattering, ingratiating, servile, etc.: the emcee with the smarmy welcome.
[1905–10; smarm, var. of dial. smalm to smear, make slick (< ?) + -Y1]
—smarmÆi·ly, adv.]]>Oct 20th 2006 12:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/colloq.

A. adj. a. Smooth and sleek. b. Ingratiating, obsequious; smug, unctuous.
1909 C. Hamilton Plain Brown i. 4 A tall, slight, smarmy-headed man. 1924 ‘L. Brock’ Deductions Col. Gore iv. 51 Don't you be taken in by that smarmy swine. 1928 K. Clark Gothic Revival ix. 236 If he [sc. Gilbert Scott] saved a few cathedrals from ruins, we must, I suppose, look more kindly on their smalmy surfaces. 1929 St. J. Ervine First Mrs. Fraser ii. 49 Janet. But, Ninian dear, you shouldn't have said anything. Ninian. He was looking so smarmy and self-satisfied that I had to. 1930 London Mercury Aug. 380 Our forefathers rejected ‘smarmy’ overtures with ‘Fair words butter no parsnips’. 1955 H. Spring These Lovers fled Away 133 Uriah Heep's sort of smarmy humbleness. 1962 S. Raven Close of Play i. vi. 77 He's a smarmy, ingratiating swine. 1976 J. B. Hilton Gamekeeper's Gallows viii. 66 She used to+tell her how grateful she was. Not smarmy, like; genuine. 1979 R. Jaffe Class Reunion i. ix. 98 He always treated her as if she were a little bit better than he was; an attitude that was smarmy in other men.

B. absol. as n. A smarmy person. rare.
1957 T. Gunn Sense of Movement 22 You understand+the speculative man or passionate You know the smarmies, but side-step the grease.

Hence "smarmily adv.; "smarminess.
1934 H. Nicolson Let. 17 Nov. (1966) 189 There is something about the smarminess of Americans which makes me see red. 1958 ‘A. Bridge’ Portuguese Escape 184 The art of making himself agreeable in his current surroundings, whatever they were; but+he rather over~did it+‘smarminess’ described his conversation with painful accuracy. 1968 J. Porter Dover goes to Pott i. 15 Dover, sycophant and snob that he was, smarmily agreed. 1974 ‘D. Kyle’ Raft of Swords ii. xii. 129 With deliberate smarminess, Gawthorpe thanked him. 1982 Sunday Express 30 May 6/8 It is smarmily hypocritical.
]]>Oct 20th 2006 12:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Oct 20th 2006 1:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/
Jus' nitpickin'.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/imminently
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eminently]]>Oct 20th 2006 1:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Oct 20th 2006 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/
That's true, I have yet to see a TRUE iPod killer. If a company really wanted to do it, I would think they might be able to do it. But they would have to make it cheaper, better features, better looking, good press, and a good iTunes like service.
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There are better, cheaper players. Some with native drag-n-drop and not tied to iTunes that can actually play music (in better codecs) that has been natively drag-n-dropped in the OS on virtually any computer (and upload tracks to any computer, which Apple doesn't let you do without third-party software).

But if you like to be tied to software having to be installed on each machine to get your music on your device, there is nothing comparable, really ;)

As for looks...well, they are subjective.

Regarding this iRiver, how long will it take to put a standard SD slot on these things? All I can think of is royalties (? but I'm not sure SD even commands royalties) and slightly higher costs for a physical slot preventing manufacturers from doing this. But it would:

1) simplify inventories
2) cancel the need for redesigned internals
3) let customers take advantage of the latest price drops for flash (and choose the capacity they can afford).
4) allow easy swaps with other cards for new music without erasing stuff
5) use SD cards from other devices

I must be missing something...
]]>Oct 20th 2006 4:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Oct 24th 2006 1:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/20/irivers-black-4gb-clix-ventures-beyond-the-mythic/Nov 11th 2006 3:47PM