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Posts with tag Zen

Creative announces Zen Mosaic, looks like bad Mondrian

by Ryan Block, posted Jul 24th 2008 at 2:11AM


Creative's got yet another on the way: the Zen Mosaic, which will have a 1.8-inch display, 2, 4, or 8GB capacities, FM tuner, speakers, MP3 / WMA / WAV / Audible codec support, and 32 hours of battery life. They're apparently starting in Singapore and working their way over, but they shouldn't top $200 when they're eventually announced for the US.

[Thanks, Rube]

Read - Announced details on the player [Via EpiZenter]
Read - First hands-on

Creative ZEN X-Fi reviewed, but mostly just taken apart

by Ryan Block, posted Jul 21st 2008 at 3:06AM


Not a ton's changed with Creative's ZEN X-Fi -- which we all well know at this point -- so for right now we're just paying closer attention to its innards all broken out like a science fair project. Careful, the teardown link below contains graphic representations of disrobed consumer electronics.

[Thanks, Josh and Mindy]

Read - Zen X-Fi teardown
Read - Anything But iPod's review
Read - Pocketables review

ZEN Krystal revealed on Creative's Hong Kong site

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 17th 2008 at 12:03PM


Apparently Creative is cooking up more than just the ZEN X-Fi as of late, according to a discovery made by anythingbutipod forum members. The crew stumbled onto the ZEN Krystal, a small MP3 player that features 4GB of storage, a blue OLED display, an FM tuner, and support for MP3 and WMA files. What really makes the device pique our curiosity, however, is the included built-in pedometer, which can track distance and speed à la Nike+, as well as the handful of games that come on-board the little guy. Right now the player is only up on Creative's Hong Kong site, and we've got no word on price or release date.

[Via anythingbutipod]

Creative's 16GB / 32GB ZEN X-Fi PMPs now on sale in America

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 16th 2008 at 6:59AM


It's one thing to say "available now." It's another thing to give consumers a "Buy Now" button. For those of you anxious to plunk down a few bills and some spare change to bring home one of Creative's new WiFi-equipped ZEN X-Fi units, today's your lucky day. The 16GB edition is shipping now from Amazon for $199.99, while the 32GB sibling demands $279.99. Order away... or not, totally up to you.

[Thanks, Mickey J.]

Read - 16GB ZEN X-Fi
Read - 32GB ZEN X-Fi

Creative gets really official with ZEN X-Fi as it appears in the wild

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 14th 2008 at 10:41AM


Quite a bit went down before Creative decided to really fess up about its ZEN X-Fi (at least in the US), but if you've managed to resist the urge to believe this thing was real, here's the documentation you've been yearning for. The ZEN X-Fi (8GB; $149.99) and ZEN X-Fi with Wireless (16GB; $199.99 / 32GB; $299.99) are both being made official today, and while the latter is available now from an array of reputable e-tailers, the WiFi-less iteration won't hit stores until "later this month." You can also expect a ZEN X-Fi docking speaker station to emerge sometime this summer for $49.99. For those curious to see how this critter looks in the flesh (not to mention how it performs), head on down to the links below -- oh, and there's a video of the bugger waiting after the jump.

[Via PMP Today]

Read - Creative ZEN X-Fi press release
Read - Creative ZEN X-Fi review / in the wild

Continue reading Creative gets really official with ZEN X-Fi as it appears in the wild

Creative Zen X-Fi gets US pricing details

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 11th 2008 at 8:03PM


Creative's got a good thing going with the multifaceted Zen X-Fi -- at least on paper -- and we're quite thrilled to see it already hitting the websites of US e-tailers. Announced earlier this week in Singapore, the well-equipped PMP should be available soon (no specific ship date is mentioned) in 8GB ($149.99), 16GB ($199.99) and 32GB ($279.99) models. Interestingly, the 8GB iteration doesn't seem to include built-in WiFi based on the cryptic header over at Buy.com, but we suspect we'll have to wait things out a bit longer before jumping to too many conclusions.

[Thanks, Dr. Slo]

ZEN X-Fi: more details with a touch of meh

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 30th 2008 at 3:12AM


In case you missed it over the weekend, that's Creative's new ZEN X-Fi player with WiFi, instant messaging client, and built-in media streaming. Or so says EpiZENter. Why limit the device to just these capabilities? We're not sure, though we don't have all the details yet. Besides the built-in speaker, SD slot, FM tuner and voice recorder features we're now hearing that the player pictured will include "premium quality headphones" in the box and a battery rated for 36 hours of audio and 5 hours of video -- although it's unclear if that's with WiFi on or off (likely off). It'll also support MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, and Audible audio as well as WMV, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5, Xvid, and MJPEG video formats. Otherwise, it's presumed to be sporting a 2.5-inch display like its existing Zens in 8, 16, and 32GB capacities whenever it might feel fit to pop for retail. Ok Creative, you've got our attention again; not so much for this device as to the mystery of what the "ZEN X-Fi series" might have to offer. Go ahead, impress us... this might be your last chance.

Creative's ZEN X-Fi player with WiFi gets a lot more real

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 29th 2008 at 6:12AM Breaking News


The Creative kids over at epiZENter have what looks to be a genuine scoop of an unannounced ZEN X-Fi. Not only did they receive this supposedly leaked photo, they also managed to dig out a "ZEN X-Fi Starter Pack" (software and user guide) from the bowels of Creative's own site. Accordingly, we're looking at a new DAP with SD expansion and built-in WiFi, speaker, FM tuner, voice recorder, and the ability to stream media from Creative's "Public Media Server." Additionally, users can chat with Yahoo! Messenger and Microsoft Live! users thanks to the 9-button, cellphone-like keypad. More details and genuflecting lie just beyond the read link.

[Thanks Tony and everyone who sent this in]

Creative ditches Zen Share WiFi player, X-Fi DAP might be in the works

by Paul Miller, posted May 27th 2008 at 10:40AM

Creative got some Jello-O knees in the run-up to launching Zen Share, its WiFi-enabled PMP, and decided to quit the project altogether. The company is blaming "technical complications," which we have a suspicion is shorthand for "building the necessary software to make WiFi helpful in a DAP is harder than we anticipated." That's too bad, but have no fear: Creative is replacing the project with a player due in the next two months that will sport an "exciting" design. We know, you're so excited right now. Rumor has it that the player could be an X-Fi-branded DAP with a metal back and X-Fi audio processing. Creative also confirmed that it's moving exclusively to flash memory.

[Via Electronista]

Zen concept PC caters to visually impaired

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 28th 2008 at 3:03AM


There's hardly a shortage of pocketable devices for the blind, but the Zen is lookin' out for the visually impaired who crave a more full-fledged computing experience. Essentially, the Sandbox PC (hardware) and Zen (operating system) would team up to "create a computing environment that could be used with eyes closed." More specifically, it would utilize an Active Surface for displaying text in Braille and producing images, windows and icons that could be felt. No word on whether this contraption would handle other tasks such as reading one's e-mail aloud or enabling the blind to still participate in Hot or Not, but nevertheless, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Creative drops Zen pricing -- 8GB Zen now $149

by Nilay Patel, posted Feb 26th 2008 at 12:27PM


Creative keeps slashing Zen prices -- just a couple weeks after cutting the 32GB model to $299, it's back with price cuts to the midrange. The 4GB Zen is now just $99, while the 8GB model falls to $149 -- the same price as the 4GB iPod nano, for those of you keeping score at home. Not bad, not bad at all -- but we'll wait to see what comes of this Zen Share rumor first.

Creative working on a "Zen Share" WiFi music player?

by Paul Miller, posted Feb 20th 2008 at 9:05AM


Rumors of a brand new Creative music player looking exactly like this are unconfirmed at the moment, but we do have a pretty solid lead on the name: Zen Share. That word comes from the mouth of epiZENter.net, and why would a self-termed Creative fansite lie about something like this? Apparently the player does WiFi sharing, but that's all we've got to go on at the moment, so let your imagination run wild. Zen to Zune to iPod wireless sharing? In a world of magic, anything is possible.

[Image courtesy of Bent Post]

Creative's 32GB Zen now only $299

by Paul Miller, posted Feb 8th 2008 at 2:10PM


Digging the 32GB of NAND, but not so hot about the $499 pricetag on Apple's latest iPod touch? Creative would like to remind you that it got there first, for less, with the Zen, and has slashed the price to $299 from the original $349 to keep that margin healthy. Sure, the 2.5-inch screen is a bit smaller, and we've given Creative a bit of a hard time over the years for an occasional failure to innovate, but reviewers seemed to love on the Zen, and it's hard to argue with this deal.

[Via DailyTech]

New Creative Zen V Video uncovered on support site?

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jan 6th 2008 at 1:53AM


Apparently, some Creative fans have begun to speculate that a new iteration of the company's Zen V might be making an appearance, due to a listing on its site for a product called the "ZEN V Video." The link won't take you anywhere substantial (in fact, all you get is an error when you try to download anything related to the entry), but it does suggest that the company has plans to introduce a more video-centric version of its popular player. Since we've seen some dubious (i.e., fake) Creative video players lately, we're not going to get too excited just yet -- but feel free to draw your own, wildly imaginative conclusions.

[Via epiZENter]

Is this a full-screen, touch-sensitive Creative PMP? Update: probably not.

by Evan Blass, posted Dec 30th 2007 at 7:51PM

As is our way sometimes, we happened to stumble upon a pair of photos (read: a source sent us some pictures) claiming to be an unannounced, widescreen PMP from Creative. Kinda like a Zen or Vision W, but without the asymmetrical controls on the side. And yep, the full-screen player looks to be touch-sensitive, and may or may not sport WiFi, which has been a winning combo for several other devices that we know and love. Check out the other shot after the break.

Update: Certainly does look a lot like a Cowon Q5 all photoshopped up, innit? Thanks Connor.

Continue reading Is this a full-screen, touch-sensitive Creative PMP? Update: probably not.

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