Candidly speaking, we can't honestly envision too many of you fine folks running out and purchasing one of Creative's new ZEN X-Fi2 portable media players given the availability of such robust alternatives. That said, we'd be remiss of our duties if we didn't point out that the PMP which shocked us at IFA is now on sale directly from Creative. $129.99 buys you an 8GB model, while $179.99 nets you 16GB and $229.99 provides 32GB. We know -- that 3-inch LCD and integrated FM tuner look good from afar, but remember kids, it's all about the UI.

[Thanks, Tyler]

We're still not entirely sure what Creative has planned for the Zii, but things appear to be going according to plan: as promised, an Android 1.6 installer for the Zii EGG developer unit was released today. Things are still pretty rough, however -- the camera doesn't work, and leftover bits of phone code like the signal strength icon are still present. We're guessing that means we're still ages away from seeing anything resembling a consumer device come out of all this, but let's hope this is the first step towards a whole slew of kickin' Android-powered KIRF devices. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Yuki]

Somebody apparently managed to get a camera up during Creative's presentation of its upcoming Zii Mediabook e-reader, but unfortunately the UI mockup that was demonstrated on screen is hardly standard (no hints of Android, for instance), and it's hard to separate proposed UI elements from flashy video transitions. If there's anything to take away, it seems that the device has an edge to edge screen, and is heavily touch and gesture based on a very custom-seeming GUI. One thing that happens repeatedly in the video is that a bit of text is highlighted, and then when it's "flicked" up it shoots out as a web page or a video or what have you -- seems like an odd way to go about things, but it at least demonstrates that Creative isn't just working on any old e-book reader here. Hit up the read link for the vid.

What's an e-book without the e-ink? So very much, according to Creative, who just dropped word of an upcoming "MediaBook" device (which will undoubtedly look nothing like this mockup above). It sounds a bit more like a PMP to us, with "video, pictures, text and services," and a "media-rich experience" on the table, but Creative is also apparently working with publishers for content, with an obvious emphasis in Singapore sources, where Creative already does e-learning work. There's no word of what it'll look like, but it'll be a large touchscreen of some sort, so it sounds like we've got another slate on our hand. Any differentiation might come from having Zii under the hood and Creative's own particular approach to content for this device, but there's not really enough to get excited about at this point.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Look, you can't expect a cheap, touchscreen media player to cut through polygons like a hot knife through butter. That's just not how it works. And that 3.0-inch screen on Creative's new X-Fi2? Resistive. We had a chance to go hands on with Creative's little stop-gap (until the Zii can make it to product) touch-screen player here at IFA and it's pretty much exactly what we expected... or maybe a little worse. The touchscreen responded so poorly to touch mashes that we asked Creative to reshoot the video out of embarrassment on their behalf. We're not exaggerating. Still, it's not a final product (there's still tweaking to be done to the firmware) and you do get a lot of play for the buck (32GB for $230) if that's all you're looking for when it drops later this month. Watch the demo after the break -- do it!

Creative's Zii EGG may be snagging the majority of headlines for the company these days, but it looks like it's not about to let its regular PMPs fall by the wayside, and it's now announced its new Zen X-Fi2 player that ditches the few buttons found on the original Zen X-Fi in favor of full touchscreen controls. That, of course, also comes with an increase in screen size (to 3-inches), and a new interface that seems to include a few elements from that patent filing we saw a while back. Otherwise, the specs aren't too far off its predecessor, including the same 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB options, a microSD card slot for further expansion, a built-in microphone and FM radio, an RSS reader (which must be synced up with your PC). Still no firm word on a release date, unfortunately, but you can now pre-order it from a number of retailers for $129.99, $179.99, or $229.99, depending on the capacity. Not convinced just yet? Then perhaps smooth jams of the videos after the break will change your mind.

[Thanks, Sim]

If we recall, the previous Vado HD could at one point hold its own against pocket camcorders, but times have changed and new challengers have entered the competition. So how does Creative's second generation Vado HD keep up? We actually don't know -- the press release is sparse on details, except to say the 4GB / 60-minute white-and-green model will cost $180 and the 8GB / 120-minute black-and-red one is $200. Also on the horizon early this month is Vado Central software for OS X machines. It'll be compatible with all Vado models, and features easy import to iMovie for quick-and-dirty editing projects. Pre-order listings for the camcorders are supposed to pop up on Amazon and Creative's any time now, so hopefully there'll be some more data to shed light on things -- image stabilization would be a nice touch, but we're not getting our hopes up.

We already know the Creative Zii EGG development edition is shipping out to eager hands, but for the even more eager eyes out there, the folks at Anything But iPod managed some pretty nice, well-lit HD video to give another illustration of how the hardware will look and feel. The narrator is quick on multiple occasions to remind viewers it's an early build running on Creative's Plazma OS only (no Android yet) and he takes issue with the feel of the thin film of plastic on the touchscreen, but that and slow load times notwithstanding, the device is looking mighty impressive. Pictures through the read link, and mosey on past the break for digital peep show.

[Thanks, Mathieu]

Remember back when Sony introduced Rolly to stunned silence followed by a protracted effort to determine exactly what the hell it was, an effort that arguably continues to this very day? Yep, that's kind of where we're at right now with the Zii EGG, and nothing in the SDK documentation we've received today -- the same documentation paying developers are just now getting -- is helping us flesh that out. We can tell you that it's well-equipped -- there are proximity sensors and accelerometers on board, it's got native support for Flash Lite, voice recognition, and 3D acceleration and it'll eventually have support for Creative's X-Fi audio tech -- but really, that's like saying "the Rolly is well-equipped." What does it mean?

Here's what we do know: out of the gate, it seems the EGG will only be running Creative's homegrown Plaszma OS, though Android support is forthcoming. The Plaszma SDK is being rolled out in three phases spanning the rest of 2009, and some pretty important stuff -- Bluetooth support, for example -- won't even be available to developers until the third phase, which is a pretty strong indication that Zii-powered products intended for consumer consumption probably won't be around in time for the holidays. For the moment, there isn't any indication on when devs will have access to Android support libraries, which we think might be where Zii's true value lies, because let's be honest -- the world realistically doesn't need another target platform for mobile.

Interestingly, Creative is using Zii to actively target China-based devs that it says "may not have brands but have an insatiable appetite for ready-to-go technologies, and can adapt these technologies very quickly to new market opportunities" (in other words, KIRFers) through its "Shanzai program," a mix of prototype boards and support packages that it says will help small businesses bring products to market faster. If that means we can get the next great N97 clone running Android in record time, we're all for it. Check out the full Plaszma SDK roadmap in the gallery below.

[Thanks, Joe]

We still don't know what to make of Creative's Zii EGG and "stem cell computing" but it looks like we'll be getting our first answers relatively soon -- pre-order customers are being charged and told units will ship by the end of the month. As an added bonus, Creative is apparently including a free HD-out cable in these early deliveries, but we don't know if these are being pre-loaded with Android or that Plazma OS. Anyone else join the early adopter club?

[Thanks, Joe]

The Creative Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset is quite a mouthful to say, and judging by the teaser image above, it'll be no less flashy to look at. Following in the footsteps of SteelSeries, Creative has put together a customized set of high-end headphones catering specifically to the millions of Warcraftsmen (has anyone used that term before, can we copyright it?) out there, who need comfortable cans for lengthy raiding sessions. They'll come in both wired and wireless flavors, and will be the first to feature THX TruStudio PC sound, which we're willing to bet makes as recognizable a difference as a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere in the Amazon. BlizzCon kicks off this Friday, so you shouldn't have to wait long to grab a pair of your own.

[Via Far East Gizmos]

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Lulu, who can't seem to select a camcorder worthy of being carried around in her Fifth Pocket™.

"I need help! I want a small pocket camcorder but I'm not sure which one to get. I don't want to fall into the hype of the Flip because I worry two hours won't be enough. What should I be looking for when considering a small camcorder and where can I get a good quality one with expandable memory? Thanks!"

The pocket camcorder arena has blossomed into something of a small giant here recently, with entries from Sony, Samsung, Kodak and Creative flowing in to compete with the Ultra HD. For those of you who've laid down the cheddar, why not share your experiences here in order to direct Lulu to making the right choice? Surely you won't pass on an opportunity to help a fellow nerd. Surely.