Samsung announces two PMPs, one for fitness gurus, one made of glass

We expect there to be no shortage of hot new PMPs announced this week, so manufacturers are looking for something -- anything -- to differentiate theirs from the rest. Samsung has two interesting angles for its latest players, the first being the MyFit, an 8GB model with integrated sensors to detect fat and stress, plus the typical accelerometer to measure your activities, and apps that can help you keep hydrated and even stop smoking -- assuming you ever started. Oh, and it plays music, too. Then there's the Ice Touch, a 16GB model with a two-inch AMOLED screen that's transparent, much like the Xperia Pureness, but with more colors and fewer stunned looking models. The device itself is said to have a case made of tempered glass, which should make those accidental drops onto concrete a little more exciting, and it packs support for a wide variety of audio and video formats, lossless and high-definition, respectively. No pricing on either, but we'd expect the glass one to cost more than the healthy one.

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Samsung Introduces Award-Winning MP3 players with Innovative Transparent Touch AMOLED Display and Customized Wellness Applications
IceTouch features the world's first transparent AMOLED touch-screen display, and MyFit features the world's first wellness management technology with body fat and stress level measurements designed to help users get fit and stay in shape

LAS VEGAS – January 5, 2010 – Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today unveiled two MP3 players designed for the media savvy and those concerned with managing their personal well-being.

The IceTouch (YP-H1), featuring the world's first 2-inch, full color, transparent Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) touch-screen display, functions as a DVD-quality video player, studio quality audio player, an ultra-portable photo album, an FM radio and even a portable storage device. The MyFit (YP-W1), which features the first wellness-promoting technology, helps users monitor stress level, fat thickness, calorie intake and burn, and exercise effectiveness. Both players received a 2010 CES "Innovations Honoree" award and will be on display at the Samsung booth #11026 during the International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 7 – 10, 2010.

"In the world of MP3 players, companies need to continuously innovate and redefine the user experience, and we think we've done both of those things with the IceTouch and MyFit products," said Reid Sullivan, senior vice president of Audio/Video and Digital Imaging Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "Whether a consumer is looking for a multimedia device that offers unprecedented video playback quality or a multipurpose player they can use to help them get into shape when they go to the gym, Samsung has a solution to meet the needs of the consumer."

IceTouch 16GB Transparent AMOLED Touch-Screen MP3 Player
In addition to the full-color transparent AMOLED touch screen, the IceTouch features a high-performance CPU and Samsung's own "TouchWiz Sweep" interface, which is designed to provide a comfortable grip and give users new options for interacting with their player.

Audio purists will appreciate the device's new 5.1-channel sound enhancement technology and support for the MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AAC, M4A, WAV and MP3HD audio codecs, and video hounds will love being able to playback MPEG4, WMV, H.264, Xvid and Divx files. The player also continually analyzes and adjusts audio levels to reflect the producer's intended sound.

The AMOLED screen casing is constructed using a dual-injection molding process and tempered glass and results in a smooth, durable and scratch-proof surface that is aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to the touch. The IceTouch, which comes in white, can also be individually customized through separately sold color skins in pink, blue, purple and gray.

MyFit Wellness Promoting MP3 Player
As the world's first portable media player to integrate wellness management tools, such as stress and body fat levels and customized workout guides, MyFit helps users achieve wellness while enjoying their favorite music tracks. MyFit transcends basic playback of music and videos and enters the realm of wellness information and monitoring. Its unique features reflect the functional and stylistic nature of music enthusiasts while incorporating important applications and information for a fully-customizable device that encourages a healthy lifestyle. Music can be collected into a jogging playlist and a simple Tapping Control Jogging mode makes it easy to change to the next song without interrupting a workout.

Breaking ground with the world's first fat and stress sensors located on the top of the player, MyFit measures a user's wellness indicators and contains an exercise management program to keep people on target with their fitness goals. A built-in accelerometer automatically tracks calories burned while jogging, and users can record their caloric consumption per meal with the included food calorie database. Additional wellness applications built into the MyFit include a water intake manager and smoking cessation utility.

But more than helping to make consumers healthier, MyFit is a full-featured portable music player that features an FM radio tuner and Samsung's DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology, which helps to overcome the inefficiencies and limitations of compressed audio files and generate a more realistic stereo sound. Media playback includes high quality compressed and lossless audio formats, such as MP3, WMA, OGG, and AAC, as well as MPEG4 and WMV video formats.

The IceTouch and MyFit will be available in the first half of 2010 with 16GB and 8GB storage capacity, respectively.

Samsung Electronics America's CES press releases, video content and product images are available at www.samsung.com/newsroom.

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About Samsung Electronics America, Inc.
Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, NJ, Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., markets a broad range of award-winning, advanced digital consumer electronics and home appliance products, including HDTVs, home theater systems, MP3 players, refrigerators and laundry machines. A recognized innovation leader in consumer electronics design and technology, Samsung is the HDTV market leader in the U.S. and is the only manufacturer that produces all four major digital television technologies. Please visit www.samsung.com for more information.