d2
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LaCie updates external hard drives, launches the Little Big Disk Quadra
Alright, LaCie. We understand when you namecheck the designer of your new ultra-minimalist external drives, but the d2 line has been shipping since like 2002 -- so we're not going to get excited about the look of the thing, no matter how "quintessentially Neil Poulton" the design. Additions to the lineup includes a revised d2 Quadra eSATA / FireWire 800 / FireWire 400 / USB 2.0 drive, an eSATA version of the Big Disk Extreme+, and the new Little Big Disk Quadra portable drive. The d2 Quadra gets a couple more heatsink ridges and a new lower starting price of $189, while the Big Disk Extreme+ stays pretty much the same with the addition of eSATA. The new 1.4-pound dual-disk Little Big Disk Quadra starts at $475 and features a fanless design with one eSATA port, two FireWire 800 ports, and a single USB 2.0 port for access to capacities of up to 500GB. The drive also features built-in RAID 0 capability, which boosts transfer speeds to 110MB/s over eSATA. All this stuff is available now, according to LaCie.Read - d2 QuadraRead - Big Disk Extreme+Read - Little Big Disk Quadra
Cowon intros upgraded iAUDIO 7, D2 players
We heard rumors of a beefed-up D2 way back in July, but Cowon has just now made that upgrade a reality, and it's giving its iAUDIO 7 player a storage boost for good measure as well. Both upgrades will apparently only be available on the red versions of the players, with the D2 now topping out at 8GB and the iAUDIO 7 pushing things all the way to 16GB. Otherwise, both players appear to be the same as before, with the former boasting a 2.5-inch LCD, an FM radio, and a promised 52 hours of playing time, and the latter packing a 1.3-inch LCD and an even longer 60 hours of purported battery life. According to Cowon, both should be available any day now (if they aren't already), with the new top-end D2 running $250, and the upgraded iAUDIO 7 setting you back $300.
Cowon D2 to get capacious upgrades, iAudio X7 / X5 on the horizon?
After patiently wait for what felt like ages to finally have the Cowon D2 on American soil, here's a tidbit sure to make you early adopters a bit disgruntled. According to a blurb at GenerationMP3, Cowon is planning to release an 8GB and 16GB rendition of its diminutive media player, and additionally, it will reportedly sport a built-in SDHC slot for cramming even more media onboard. In other news, the iAudio X7 is slated to land sometime in September, and will be available in both 40GB and 80GB flavors, but the release of the iAudio X5 is a bit shaky considering that production on the device has "been stopped" for the time being. Per usual, we aren't exactly sold on the legitimacy of these reports, but you won't catch us complaining if a roomier D2 finds its way stateside anytime soon.[Via PlayerBites, thanks Gavin]
Blizzpagewatch: Day 4
Blizzard's March of Games continues with Diablo II. Not only is D2 a spiritual predecessor to WoW, it's also probably my favorite Blizz game of all time. Many's the hour I spent on my Amazon wielding Titan's Revenge, laying waste to...well, actually, I can't remember what all I laid waste to, but it sure was fun. The game is also responsible for adding "wug?" to my vocabulary, which I'm not sure goes entirely to its credit. As far as I'm aware, D2 was basically the origin of WoW's talent system; although they were called "Skills," the basic idea was the same -- each class even had three trees of them. Randomized items of differing quality levels, and item sets, were also featured in D2, and the recent WoW addition of socketed items was a D2 favorite as well.While I'd be overjoyed with a Diablo III, I go along with others in feeling unclear that such a game could be sufficiently distinguished from WoW. Still, it was nice to "stay awhile" and reminisce about an incredible game.
DS headsets thrown into ring, forced to fight to the death
Did you pick up a DS headset today along with your preorder of Pokémon Diamond/Pearl? What will you be using to take advantage of the online voice chat feature? Nintendo's official headset, Turtle Beach's Earforce D2, or Datel's Communicator? Or will you be slumming it with the handheld's built-in microphone?If you're still in the market for a headset solution, Nintendo Gal has posted a comparison chart and her analysis on the three products. Testing their comfort, durability, sound output, and recording quality, she was able to determine which one deserves our hard-earned allowance money. There are even recording samples available that you can listen to and weigh in on yourself.We're surprised that the Earforce D2 was judged as the best of the lot, but seeing that it's also the most expensive at $19.99 (Nintendo's headset is on sale for $9.99 at Amazon), it's good to know that you're not paying that premium for nothing. Turtle Beach's headset outclassed the official one in every category except recording quality, while Datel's Communicator was laughed out of the competition.
A different headset solution for your DS
If the official Nintendo headset isn't to your liking, Turtle Beach offers its own solution with the Ear Force D2 headset. Retailing for $19.95 US, the headset is a little chunkier than it's official Nintendo cousin, however it looks as if in the long run the D2 could be a bit more comfortable. Not only that, but it comes in a few different colors (black, white and pink), allowing those of you with a need for matching colors to have the headset that goes with your DS Lite.[Via Gadgetell]
Cowon's D2 PMP hits North America
If you've been digging Cowon's tiny D2 portable media player but weren't quite willing to go to Korea to get one, you can now yourself some airfare (or importing fees), as Cowon America's finally seen fit to release the player over here. While some of the more colorful options have unfortunately been left behind, the player itself is otherwise identical (minus the DMB, of course), with a 2.5-inch touchscreen display, an SD card slot for expansion, TV out, FM radio, and the usual array of PMP functions, including support for less-than-common formats like FLAC, OGG, and APE. Those content with the basic black or white color options can now snag the player in your choice of 2GB or 4GB versions for $190 or $220, respectively.
Cowon iAudio D2 gets delicately dissected
It's a borderline travesty that Cowon's iAudio D2 isn't readily available in North America, as this cute little PMP sports the company's highly-touted sound quality and a display that got rave reviews, but just in case your love affair with foreign DAPs doesn't run deep enough to import one of your own, AnythingButiPod is giving you a taste of ownership anyway. Just like the myriad of devices that have come before, the iAudio D2 is getting dissected for nothing more than pure viewing pleasure, but unlike some attempts we've seen, this one looks to be well-planned and executed with precision. Sure, you might say that you'd never rip open your hard-to-acquire media player once you finally captured it, but that's why someone else has already done the dirty work for you. You know what to do, the read link awaits.
Cowon's iAudio D2 touchscreen PMP reviewed
CNET Asia just tossed up an "excellent" 8.4/10 rating along with their Editor's Choice award to Cowon's new 4GB iAudio D2 multimedia player. As you'd expect, it gets high praise for including a "crispy and sharp" touchscreen on a digital media player making the "gorgeous" new interface even more intuitive to use. While it works just fine with your grimy finger, they also include a quirky triangular stylus (resembling a guitar pick) which is tethered to the device on an elastic cord. A bit annoying, but beneficial when slotted into the back of the D2 allowing it to stand on a tabletop. There's a long list of positives: the usual audio format support in addition to OGG Vorbis, FLAC, APE; the ability to expand from the on-board 4GB to 8GB via the SD/MMC card slot; the battery which lasted an "astonishing" 46 hours and 23 minutes; and a quick 5.33MB per second drag-and-drop transfer speed. Other than some slight lag when viewing pictures and the occassional "scratchy" radio reception... there's just not much to harsh on. Oh, 'cept the fact that you still can't get one off the shelf in North America or Europe. [Via Impress, thanks woopieboy]
Feature-packed Cowon D2 to hit Korean market
Hot on the heels of the substandard (in Cowon terms, that is) iAudio D1, the company best known for feature-packed portable media players is back to its old self again with the fully loaded D2. Foregoing the sleek, skinny look for a more Archos-esque appearance, Cowon's latest PMP rocks a 2.5-inch 320 x 240 resolution touchscreen, built-in DMB, support for WMV, MPEG4, MP3, OGG, WMA, and FLAC, "30fps movie playback," video output, FM radio, "voice / line-in recording" function, and a snazzy "transparent overlay" GUI. While initial reports suggest a 2GB internal capacity, the unit will sport an SD slot for your expansion needs, and those fortunate enough to reside in South Korea can pick up this properly-spec'd player in November for an undisclosed price.[Via DAPReview]
Kenji Eno working on a Wii title?
From Yellow To Orange, a Japanese gaming studio, has recently just jumped aboard the Wii bandwagon and is supposedly working on content for Nintendo's next-generation console. The company's president and CEO, Kenji Eno, worked on the Dreamcast launch title D2. While there is no official word on whether he is actually working on a game for the Wii, he was at E3 and upon being approached by Gamasutra, made some vague comments committing to the system."[...] making a brand new game. It will be for a console with a new control device." After citing that to the site, he apparently then began to wave his arms about as if using the Wiimote.
