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Sierra Wireless' dual form factor AirCard 504 for AT&T gets FCC'd
ExpressCard and PC Card slots both seem in danger of going the way of the dodo right now, but they're not dead yet -- far from it -- which means that carriers still have a vested interest in making sure there are data cards ready to suck $60 out of your wallet in exchange for 5GB of 3G data. So far, AT&T's only been selling a USB modem that's capable of taking advantage of its newly-christened 7.2Mbps markets, which means they've got to get a move on with those other form factors -- and by all accounts, it seems that's where this AirCard 504 comes into play. Rumored previously as the "Triple Lindy," this bad boy should come bundled with a PC Card adapter (just like its AirCard 503 cousin) and feature support up to full 21Mbps HSPA+, although the best you'll likely ever get out of it connected to an AT&T cell is 7.2. We don't have intel on a release date right now, but we imagine they're itching to get this one out there -- the carrier doesn't offer any ExpressCard option at the moment, amazingly.
Archos unloads source code for all Generation 4 devices
Tinkerers, it's time to rejoice. Archos has gone and released the entire source code to its Generation 4 lineup of products, giving open source gurus yet another avenue to exert their tweaking skills. The ISO is reportedly quite thorough, including makefiles and documentation, but interestingly enough, the files still seem to lack signatures, which has the folks over at ArchosFans a bit bummed. Still, those rocking a 404, 504, or any flavor of the 604 should head on over and give this thing a download, and do tell if anything substantial can be exploited / enabled, cool?[Via ArchosFans, thanks Rick R.]
Archos unveils Helmet Camcorder for Generation 4 PMPs
Apparently snapping shots on a whim to tell your life story just isn't good enough these days, as folks are writing scripts to take unplanned photos of their groggy faces and strapping head-mountable cameras to their skulls in hopes of producing the next worldwide YouTube hit. Jumping on the "record everything, everywhere" bandwagon is PMP-producer Archos, and its aptly-named Helmet Camcorder gives you on-the-go recording ability that reportedly plays nice with the company's 404, 504, 604 and 604 WiFi units. The "plug-in mini-cam" records directly to MPEG4 and sports a built-in microphone / remote to somewhat control the insanity, and can presumably be channeled instantly to your Archos PMP or transferred to your PC via USB 2.0 for future editing. The company claims "DVD quality" (640 x 480 resolution) results from the 0.25-inch Sony Super HAD CCD, and the entire webcam gets its juice from the mighty Archos device that it's plugged into. So if you still haven't gotten around to using your PMP for television recording, you can make a few comedies of your own this winter for just $149.99.[Via Tech Digest]
Archos 504 hits 160GB mark
Even amongst the early adopter crowd that is Engadget, something tells us few of you have (or need) 160GB of media storage on the go. But for those that do, today's your lucky day. Put that laptop away, because the Archos 504 now has a new drive size: 160GB (for $600), in addition to its previous 80GB (for $400) and 40GB (for $350) sizes. Should be available now at a retailer near you -- or the Archos web store, if you want to buy straight from the source.
Archos 504 PMP reviewed
After checking out Archos' 404 and 604 portable media players, CNET's now finally rounded out the '04 PMP line-up with a look at the last of the lot, the 504. As with the other two, the 504 left 'em mighty impressed, with a great 4.3-inch screen, loads of storage (your choice of 40, 80, or 160GB), a wide range of accessory options, decent battery life (with a removable battery), and a sleek, easy-to-use interface. On the downside, that big screen and massive storage means the unit is quite bulky, and you'll also need to load up on those optional accessories if you want to take full advantage of this device -- namely, the extra kit needed to record audio and video. Going all out for the 160GB model will also cost you quite a premium, with a list price of $600, compared to just $350 for the 40GB and $400 for the 80GB. But still, it's a hundred and sixty freaking gigabytes -- in a PMP.[Thanks, Pogotom]
Archos releases 404 Camcorder, 504 and 604 WiFi
This morning, across the pond, Archos had a press conference where they presented the rest of Generation 4 of its personal media players. Those lucky French got the first crack at the latest three additional Archos models, the 404 Camcorder, the 504, and the 604 WiFi. So here are the deets: the Archos 404 Camcorder (359€) is your 404, but armed with a 1.3 MP camera and will be able to take 640 x 480 MPEG-4 videos and save them to its 30GB drive (remind you of anything?). The 504 (399€ - 699€), essentially the same unit as the 604 with its 4.3 inch screen, but it comes in 40, 80 or 160GB sizes, and packs a bigger punch too. The 504 is lightly thicker (22mm) and has a better battery life, up to 17 hours of audio or five hours of video. Which brings us to the 604 WiFi (499€): same as the 604, except with touchscreen capability (either with its stylus or your fingertips). It's designed to last for 16 hours of audio, five hours of video, and four hours of WiFi, using the Opera-based browser. According to Henri Crohas, president of Archos, the 604 WiFi will soon be compatible with IPTV. Archos also demoed some of its accessories, including the DVR Station, which turns your Archos PMP into a mini-TiVo for the cost of a cool Baroque bridge (i.e. 100€). In addition, it announced a Docking Adapter and DVR Travel Adapter for 29€ and 49€ respectively. Archos seems to raise its own bar each time it comes out with one of these -- we can't wait to get our hands on 'em.
Archos officially announces all five Generation 4 devices
Not too many surprises here -- after all, we've already seen a full review of one of these new models -- but now PMP pioneer Archos has officially taken the wraps off of all the so-called Generation 4 devices we initially spotted over two months ago. First out of the gate will be the 3.5-inch 404 and 4.3-inch 604 media players whose specs and performance have gradually been revealed over the last few weeks, and all we really had wrong about the two thirty giggers was their prices: the former will go for $300 while the latter will set you back $350 when they ship next month (though pre-orders are already being taken). Coming later in the year will be a version of the 404 with an integrated camcorder as well as a touchscreen, wireless-enabled iteration of the 604 (for downloading internet content), and like all the Gen4 models, these will require a separate DVR docking station in order to record content from and playback content to external sources and monitors. Last but certainly not least is the surprisingly capacious 160GB 504 (we originally thought it would sport only a 40GB HDD), although at this point Archos is keeping mum on such deets as screen size, pricing, and availability. All-in-all a very exciting new crop of PMPs, and like previous products from the company, these will likely continue to be the media players against which all other competitors are judged.
New Archos PMPs appear online
A trio of new PMPs from Archos have been popping up around the web courtesy of a snapshot from the Trois Suisses winter catalog, but details are still scarce as all that's known about these models comes from the little big of information we can glean from the included French description. Making matters even more confusing is the fact that the so-called 604, with its 10.9-centimeter screen and 30GB hard drive, appears to cost about $130 more than the $500 504 which has the same screen but 10GB greater capacity -- although its seemingly slimmer design may account for some of the disparity. Meanwhile, the 404 sports an identical drive to the 604, but only an 8.8-centimeter screen, and is supposedly priced at $440. Both 30GB models are said to be scheduled for a July release, while the 504 should be available in August, but we'll do our best to get specs on these before then, because we like knowing about stuff before anyone else does.[Via GenerationMP3]
