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The latest Fire TV devices include a revamped Cube and Anker soundbar
Amazon isn't quite swamping the market for Alexa devices like it did last year, but it still has plenty to show for late 2019. A since-deleted TechCrunch post (now official) has revealed that Amazon is introducing more than 20 Fire TV devices at its imminent IFA event, highlighted by an upgrade to the Fire TV Cube. The media hub and smart speaker hybrid now packs a six-core processor that's roughly twice as powerful as before, with support for 4K and Dolby Vision HDR content up to 60FPS. Also, some common voice controls are now hosted on-device, making it up to four times faster -- you shouldn't have to wait in agony while the Cube navigates to the home screen.
Grundig Digta 7 stakes claim as world's first Bluetooth dictation device, period, line break
Grundig reckons its customers still prefer "dictating with a professional dictation device," rather than merely "recording" themselves with a smartphone. Say what? Nevertheless, the company's new Digta 7 Premium BT voice recorder does embrace modernity in its own particular way, by sharing files wirelessly at up to 30 feet with Bluetooth-equipped smartphones and PCs. A Blackberry app is also in the works that will allow the customized routing of audio files via email. No official word on pricing, or when the app will be available, but our secretary tells us that the device is already selling in the UK for a stutter-inducing £500 ($800). We're still looking for justification in the PR, after the break.
FreeSat gets hands-on treatment
That's the way to show your dedication for high-def! Just a day after FreeSat went live across the pond, CNET's UK branch has already had a chance to check out a £150 Grundig HD box, top-of-the-line Humax FOXSAT-HD set-top, the EPGs on both and of course, BBC HD. From way over here, the snaps sure look fine, and we couldn't be happier for blokes / dames halfway across the world to have a new alternative for fetching HD content. Tap the read link and have a look, won't you?
Grundig's Davio 7 portable LCD TV appears at IFA
Grundig, fine purveyor of all sorts of electronics, is worried that you're not watching enough TV. Sure, you've got one in the living room, the bedroom, and the kitchen, but what about out in the garden? At your beach house? What about one to take camping? Well that's where the company's Davio 7 portable LCD TV comes in. Your new best friend boasts an active matrix, 7-inch, 720 x 576 screen, a DVB-T digital tuner with MPEG2, standard analog tuner, passive magnet antenna, and a whopping two hours of playing time with its lithium-polymer battery. Grundig claims that it's the perfect thing for "TV fanatics and outdoor enthusiasts," which would seem to be a contradiction in terms -- unless of course you're trying to sell a portable TV. Priced at around €179 (or $241), no word yet on availability.
Grundig's DigtaSonicMic, a high-end USB dictaphone
We're not certain who still uses dictation machines -- isn't illegal to not know how to type? -- but Grundig's ready to drag you into the future with its DigtaSonicMic, which features USB sound in / out as well as trackpoint mouse control so you can manipulate files on your machine as you walk around the room pompously dictating away. The unit also interfaces with Grundig's full line of dictation and transcription software, allowing it to plug into your network and offload your spoken-word brilliance to a remote transcriptionist. No word on price or availability, but we're guessing most of you can think of dozen alternate solutions that'll work just as well.
Grundig readies spherical Audiorama speakers
We'll admit, we're suckers for just about anything retro, and Grundig has certainly won us over with its forthcoming Audiorama speakers. These spherical gems can be placed on narrow stands, hung around, or sat on an end table, as the 360-degree sound emissions should cover the space adequately. Unfortunately, details concerning the power handling, frequency range, etc. are still under wraps, but those feelin' the vintage vibe can check out a four pack out next February for around €600 ($826).[Via I4U]
Grundig's MPixx 2000-series digital audio players
Grundig probably isn't a premier name that comes to mind when shuffling through DAP manufacturers, but the company has delved into the low-end music player arena with its new MPixx 2000 series. The 2001 FM and 2002 FM only differ by the amount of internal capacity stocked within (1GB and 2GB, respectively), and each sports a 1.8-inch TFT display, built-in photo viewer, USB 2.0 connectivity, ID3 tag support, support for MPEG, WAV, SMV, JPEG, BMP, MP3, and WMA formats, an FM tuner, and a rechargeable Li-ion that supposedly lasts 21 hours or so on a single charge. Unsurprisingly, there's no word on these things ever making it stateside, but Europeans shouldn't have too much trouble scrounging one up for €79 ($106) or €89 ($120) depending on size.[Via AnythingButiPod]
Grundig B700 crams Linux in a smartphone
Just as Grundig is no stranger to the cellphone realm, Linux has seen its fair share of smartphones too, and the B700 marks yet another mobile in which an open-sourced OS is at the helm. Boasting a respectably thin ten-millimeter frame, this handset packs a two-megapixel CMOS camera, MP3 / AAC / video playback, 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, 2.5-hours of minimum talk time (150+ hours on standby), EDGE / GSM quad-band connectivity, USB, Bluetooth, built-in FM tuner, 100MB of internal storage, and a microSD slot for loading up any excess media. Aside from looking slightly like an antiquated calculator when powered down, the B700 manages to include a POP3 email push client, handsfree speaker, voice recorder, and animated wallpapers as well. Unfortunately, there's no word on future pricing nor availability, but we have our doubts about this thing ever flourishing here in the States.[Via MobileWhack]
Grundig hits the market with Freeview recorders
After taking a bit of a respite from the market, price-slashing TV maker Grundig is getting back into the swing of things in the UK, and is out to provide a bit of Freeview DVB-T recording on the cheap. Even as Sky+ HDTV makes its way slowly across the UK, DVB-T is still a decent digital TV alternative for those without access, with 30 digital channels and 20 digital radio stations. Grundig's GUDVDR0IV lets you schedule up to a week of recordings in advance, and burns onto DVD+R/RW discs for easy archivin'. If stowing the shows isn't your thing, Grundig is also offering a HDD version with 160GB of recording space, the GUDVDRHDD160V. There's actually no word on price yet, but it's a pretty a safe bet that Grundig will be aiming to undercut the current Panasonic and Sony offerings on the market. Both players should be out next month.
Grundig announces four new low-end CDMA phones
Nothing much exciting here, but Grundig is announcing four new CDMA phones -- two sliders, a candybar and a clamshell -- at CTIA this week. Starting in the lowest-endest we have the CD400 candybar, which measures 0.67-inches thick, and features a 128 x 128 color screen and VGA camera. Next up is the CD500, a 0.9-inch thick slider with a 1.3 megapixel camera and a 128 x 160 pixel screen. The CD601 flip phone keeps the simplicity going with a mere VGA camera and 128 x 160 pixel screen, though it does manage an external color screen. Grundig is capping off this yawn fest with the CD800 slider, which at least includes Bluetooth and a microSD slot, along with the throughly average 1.3 megapixel camera and a rather weak 128 x 160 pixel display. Thanks Grundig, but we think we'll pass.
