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PortableVideo posts

Cowon iAudio 9 and iAudio E2 media players make the scene stateside

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 4th 2009 at 12:37PM

Cowon-heads of the world, you are in for a treat today. It looks like not one but two of the company's snack-sized media players are finally hitting the big time. First off, the iAudio 9 PMP is due to hit the states within a week. Available in 8GB and 16GB denominations, for some reason the domestic version will be available only in black. Aside from supporting the usual compliment of media files (MP3, FLAC, Ogg, WAV, APE, WME, XviD, and WMV videos) this guy sports composite video out. Get your hands on the 8GB version for $129, or go wild with 16GB for $169. If video isn't your bag, the enigmatic iAudio E2 (all 2.5-inches of it) is also available. Sporting a bevy of EQ presets, 4GB of storage and a not entirely terrible 11.5 hours of battery life, this is the keychain you've always wanted -- but never wanted to pay $65 for. Additional glamor shots after the break.

[Via Electronista]

Read - Cowon prices iAudio 9 for US
Read - iAudio E2 now available, still confusing

Continue reading Cowon iAudio 9 and iAudio E2 media players make the scene stateside

Archos 5 firmware 1.1.01 rights all wrongs?

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 16th 2009 at 4:51AM

Charbax of ArchosFans.com reports that the majority of issues encountered by early adopters of the Android-equipped Archos 5 Internet Tablet (not to be confused with the older Internet Media Tablet, ugh) have been remedied by the caped crusader that is firmware revision 1.1.01. Forum members do seem to corroborate that the previously habitual lockups are no more, but the complex update procedure has already (probably temporarily) bricked one user's device, while another still has random disconnects when transferring files from his PC under the new firmware. Still, if you've been among the unfortunate victims of the sloppy original software, this is a ray of light for you, and the read link -- featuring input from a source within Archos -- should be considered required reading.

Archos 5 has 99 problems and a glitch is one, 160GB version pulled by Amazon

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 12th 2009 at 4:05AM

It was only just allowed out to play, but Archos' five-inch, Android-sporting internet tablet has been called back in by its fastidious mother, a role played by Amazon in this case. Only the hard drive-based 160GB model is affected at present, with the 32GB version selling as normal and the half terabyte option out of stock already. Charbax of ArchosFans.com, a man in the know on this subject, has suggested this might have been caused by a firmware update wiping out some pre-installed Android apps, which is now being addressed. His site's forums and Amazon customer reviews, however, paint a different picture: there are consistent complaints about bugs and lock ups -- software issues that could well affect the other models in the line -- with some going so far as to suggest Archos has used its customers as Beta testers. There doesn't appear to be anything structurally wrong with the device, meaning a robust firmware update could remedy all ills, so now it's just a matter of waiting for Archos to do what it should have done before release.

[Via Pocketables]

Read - Amazon product page
Read - Archos Fans forums

Keepin' it real fake, part CCXXXVII: PXP-2000 aspires to little more than playing NES games, a host of video formats

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 6th 2009 at 4:33PM

If we were tickled by how quickly the PSP Go was hacked, we must say that we're surprised at how long it took for this bad boy to get KIRFed. And as most shanzai manufacturers do, they packed as many features into this portable as they could: 4.3-inch display (compared to the PSP Go's 3.8-incher), all kinds of retro gaming support (including NES/Famicom, Gameboy / Gameboy Color, SNES, SFC), a camera of some sort, FM radio, microSD card slot (the device's only form of storage), TV out, and generous video codes: RM, RMVB, AVI, WMV, ASF, MPG, MPEG, MPE, MP4, DAT, and MOV. Not exactly "aspirational" at $84, but we'll take it nonetheless.

Gallery: PSP Go KIRF makes due with NES emulation, generous codecs

[Via PMP Today]

Acronym's PMP-loving jacket keeps your earbuds safe, murders your bank account

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 2nd 2009 at 3:13PM

Sure, the Acronym GT-J14 won't even charge your iPhone, but at first glance we loved the idea: take a stylish GORE-TEX jacket and throw in a couple slick features aimed at the eager urban technophile, including a so-called Gravity Pocket (accessible by a zipper on your forearm, contents can be dropped directly into your hand using a draw string -- demonstrated about 2:25 into the video after the break) and our personal favorite, a magnet that holds your headphones in place while you take that important phone call. We were feeling pretty good about this one, that is, until we finally tracked it down: azitastore.com lists it for €735 (yes, that's around $1,068). This is clearly only for those of you who put the word "disposable" in "income." Looks like we're going to have to find another way to keep our Lady Gaga headphones safe and secure, after all...

[Via Gadget Review]

Continue reading Acronym's PMP-loving jacket keeps your earbuds safe, murders your bank account

Teclast to debut Android-powered PMP? Wake us up when it arrives

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 10:29AM

Oh, Android -- it's obvious that someone out there wants to see it on tablets, netbooks, toaster ovens -- anything, really, that sports a processor and a display (OK, never mind the toaster oven). Now Teclast, fine purveyors of media players with such exciting features as "buttons" and "batteries," just might have a PMP in the works that sports the buzzworthy open source OS. The T58, whose existence is being reported by imp3.net, is said to sport the RK2808 chipset (with dual-core ARM9 RISC processor), 1280 x 720 touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, and support for all of your favorite media types (that is, if H.264, RMVB, MPEG-4, AVS, and WMV9 files constitute your favorite media types). Can the company manage to not bore us to tears with its next device? And will it have to install a cellphone OS on a media player to do so? Only time will tell.

[Via PlayerBites]

Newsmy A8HD probably looks better than it really is

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 14th 2009 at 3:39AM

After the lustrous ManMan and retro Cool Man, Newsmy has now surprised us with a straight-laced number in the form of the 8GB 4.3-inch A8HD. Packing a pair of serious-looking speakers and a "high definition" microphone, this has all the intent in the world to break away from the cheap knockoff label, but you already know what you're gonna get: a shiny pretty paintjob outside and someone's leftover parts on the inside. Common audio and video formats are supported, and there's even a rather dubious claim of 720p playback. Maybe once the price and release date are cleared up, we'll saunter over to China and check it out for ourselves. Or not.

[Via Akihabara News]

Teclast's upcoming 3.5-inch PMP plays media, is portable

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 20th 2008 at 6:55AM

So far it doesn't look like Teclast's OEM is trying to fool anyone with their new as-yet-unbranded media player, which is sort of disappointing -- we know how much you love a good KIRF. Aside from the uncommon (and theoretically stunning) 3.5-inch OLED widescreen display, this seems to be a pretty benign device. Features include capacitive touch controls, support for CMMB and DVB-T broadcasts, and if their past products are any indication you can probably expect output to TV or FM transmitter. You can expect this to ship in China under the Teclast flag eventually, but at the moment we've got no name, no price, no storage capacity, no release date -- just the above facts and one lonely picture to keep you warm on those long winter nights ahead.

A MySpace portable audio player? (Design your own!)

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Nov 7th 2008 at 2:39PM

MySpace has long been associated with music, and the site's recent push into commercial sales has prompted rumors that it might release a device of its own -- "it's possible," said the site's co-founder Chris DeWolfe when asked about it yesterday. For the time being, however, the social networking site will be wisely concentrating on what it does best: maintaining the world's foremost photographic archive of suburban tweenagers flashing gang signs and providing a much needed creative outlet for people with names like IfUaHATERthenDon'tbeHatin, « ASHLEE » and Psycho♥Rée. And to keep you entertained as you wait for another episode of MySpaceTV's Sorority Forever, feel free to check out the MySpacePMP Blingee after the break.

Update: We've found ourselves so visually inspired by the concept of a MySpace player that we've decided to run a Photoshop contest (that grandest of traditions) to see what you can come up with. Fire your best 'shops on over to contests at engadget dawt com, and together we can create a brighter future.

[Via Electronista]

Continue reading A MySpace portable audio player? (Design your own!)

Sony's getting back into the video Walkman game

by Evan Blass posted Oct 12th 2006 at 10:39AM

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That must be the corporate mantra at Sony these days, where the former undisputed king of portable audio is still playing catch up with current market leader Apple, doing everything it can to pry consumers away from the iPod's loving embrace. At today's official unveiling of the NW-S700 and NW-S600 series' of flash-based DAPs, Senior EV Hiroshi Yoshioka let slip an even more tantalizing bit of info: Sony is developing a "video Walkman" that will go head-to-head with the 5.5G iPod and Microsoft Zune. No details were revealed regarding the specs of this upcoming device, but what's interesting is the fact that this will actually be the company's third foray into portable video players, following 2003's GigaPocket PCVA-HVP20 (pictured) and 2004's HMP-A1. For those of you that can remember back that far, you'll recall that these 20GB models offerred fairly attractive features for their time, including MPEG-1/2/4 support, and, in the case of of the A1, very un-Sonlylike MP3 playback. Now that the availability of downloadable video has blossomed -- both legally and illegally -- it would seem that Sony has a better shot this time around, although it's unlikely that the new PMP will achieve the status of "iPod-killer." And hey, even if this product turns out to be another flop, they still have the PS3 to fall back on, right? Right?

JXD comes out swinging with the JXD638 PMP

by Evan Blass posted Oct 2nd 2006 at 4:12PM

JXD, one of our favorite Chinese knockoff manufacturers (its previous victims include the PSP and iAudio M3) is back on the scene to delight us with a new PMP that's surprisingly heavy on the features and light on the ripped-off design cues. Thanks to some sweet machine translation, we're able to report that the 1GB JXD638 sports a 3.0-inch display (high definition, it's claimed, but we have our doubts), two megapixel camera, video in as well as video out, some manner of videogame functionality, an SD slot, and the usual bells-and-whistles additions of a calendar, calculator, and electronic dictionary. As far as file support goes, you're getting DivX, XviD, and ASF on the video tip, MP3, WMA, and WAV for music, and obviously JPEG for annoying all your friends with those boring slideshows. The major downer here seems to be the measly four to five hours of battery life that this thing manages to squeeze out of its 1,100mAH pack, but at around 1,554 yuan ($196), you can't really expect all your portable media desires to be fulfilled.

[Via dapreview, photo courtesy of AVING]

Meizu working on a WinCE-powered MiniPlayer followup?

by Evan Blass posted Sep 11th 2006 at 10:57AM

Chinese DAP manufacturer Meizu has seen quite a lot of interest in its M6 MiniPlayer -- so much so that it recently became available Stateside -- and now word on the street (and by street, we mean overseas internet forums) has the company poised to release an updated version. At this point details are still very sketchy -- all the more so because of the nature of machine translation -- but from what we can tell, the upcoming M8 will sport a 533MHz Samsung ARM processor, 2.6-inch VGA screen (compared to the M6's 2.4-inch QVGA display), and the latest Windows CE OS, but not, unfortunately, memory card support nor a user-replaceable battery. There's also no word yet on what capacities this model will come in, though we've heard rumors that Meizu is trying to break through the 4GB ceiling of the original MiniPlayer. That's all we've got for now, and please bear in mind, the pic you see above is simply one fan's fantasy and probably won't bear much of a resemblance to the final product.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

Toshiba drops a bomb: Gigabeat V in the US

by Evan Blass posted Sep 1st 2006 at 6:35PM

Well, well, well -- it seems that Toshiba's been up to more in the portable media space lately than just helping Microsoft out with the Zune manufacturing. In fact, ole Tosh has been working on a DTV-less version of its Japanese OneSeg-capable 30GB V30T; shake off the TV tuner, and you've got America's own MEV30K. This model borrows many of its features from the popular S series -- including Microsoft's Portable Media Center software, WMV9, WMV10, and PlaysForSure video playback, plus support for MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, WAV, and Windows DRM 9 / 10 audio files -- but, like the V30T, tosses what will probably be some well-received spec bumps into the mix. Besides the addition of a built-in speaker, the main changes here involve screen size and battery life: the V30K sports a 3.5-inch TFT LCD (compared to the 2.5-incher on the S, though both share the same QVGA resolution) and promises up to 8 hours of video or 25 hours of audio playback on a full charge (as opposed to the meager 2.5 and 12 hour lifespans for video and audio, respectively, on the S). We're sure that there are more than few people interested in this stamina-filled $400 Gigabeat, so the good news is that pre-ordering begins today through Crutchfield and Amazon, though a nationwide rollout is not expected until sometime in October. Let the iPod comparisons commence!

Acer's upcoming 20GB PMP, the MP-340

by Evan Blass posted Aug 25th 2006 at 8:01PM

So Acer's upcoming MP-340 PMP doesn't really hold a candle to the last media player we saw from the company -- it's pretty sparse in the video codec department and has a smaller, lower-resolution screen -- but on the plus side, it's infinitely more pocketable and probably a whole lot cheaper. Unlike the MP-500 which preceded it, this model's got just a 1.8-inch, 160 x 128 TFT display (a little too small for extended viewing sessions, in our opinion) and only supports H.264-formatted video; however, you're still getting a 20GB hard drive, MP3, WMA, and WMA DRM compatibility, along with voice recording and the obligatory JPEG photo playback. Also on board are an SD slot for a little expansion action, two headphone jacks for sharing that tiny screen with a friend, a 10-hour rechargeable battery (with the screen off, of course) and a number of preloaded games, including everyone's new favorite, Sudoku. Since this model is officially debuting at IFA in Germany next month, pricing and availability are still a closely guarded secret, but if you happen to be in Berlin from the 1st through the 6th, try to stop by the Acer booth and smooth talk that info out of the ~~booth babes~~ company reps for us.

[Via MobileWhack]

Sony launches mylo

by Ryan Block posted Aug 8th 2006 at 2:11AM

Speaking of unholy abominations, Sony decided to take some design tips from their own PSP, functionality from the OQO, usage scenarios from Nokia's 770 (and a wee dash dash of inspiration from Ixi's OGO), and mash it up all together into a single device: the mylo. The name refers to "my life online," ahem, which we assume probably has a little something to do with the Sony's old school MYLO / My Life Online, a wireless service Sony launched launched at PC Expo 2001 "to offer mobile users an original and personalized way to access information and entertainment content for work and play." (Yeah, that's specific.) This blast from the past now takes shape as a $350 WiFi-centric handheld features a slide-up 2.4-inch screen, VoIP capabilities via Skype, web access, media playback capabilities, 1GB flash, and a Memory Stick slot -- just think of it as a UX180P, you know, for kids.

[Thanks to Eric and everyone who sent this in]