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iStation iPad dock is retro-Apple cool
You were probably born too late to have purchased one of the first computers out of Apple -- the original Apple I. This machine came as a set of completed circuit boards that you had to build your own case for. Many early owners of the US$666.66 computer used wood for the case, since it was cheap and easy to work with. If you like that wooden retro chic, you're in luck -- M.I.C. Gadget has created the iStation dock ($85.90) just for you. The iStation is actually an iPad dock with speakers and a Bluetooth keyboard, and when you prop up an iPad on top of it and take out your contact lenses, it actually looks kinda sorta like an Apple I. For those who like the more modern look of the Apple II, M.I.C. Gadget has also produced a white plastic version. That version actually needs to be Apple II beige to be correct, but who's grading them on accuracy (other than me)? M.I.C. Gadget has a full page of beautiful photographs of the iStation to get you to reach for your wallet, or you can stay here and watch the video showing just how to set up the dock to work with your iPad.
Crapgadget: iStation woos Apple romantics with the glory of the late '70s, fails
Some people buy tablets for their portability and convenience. Others get sucked into the pitfalls of gadget lust, snatching up the latest tech. But for the dedicated fanboy, there's a whole world of unnecessary kitsch just waiting to relieve'em of those hard-earned greenbacks. Enter M.I.C.'s iStation: an iOS dock in sorta, kinda Apple I / II clothing (their claim, not ours) that's ready and willing to cash in on your tech industry nostalgia. Alright, so this $85 setup won't exactly ape those Jobs / Woz lovechildren of the late '70s, but it does pack stereo speakers, a subwoofer, Bluetooth keyboard, USB port, microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack into its wood-paneling. Feeling spendthrifty? Good, then you can fork over the dough at the source below. Or, if you still need convincing, peep the video after the break and soak up the heavenly choral music.
i-Station Z3D 7-inch 3D Android tablet requires glasses, how convenient
Come on, you knew it would come to this. In an industry obsessed with 3D as a means of boosting sales, somebody was bound to introduce a 3D tablet that requires glasses (polarized, no doubt). While other companies like Sharp have 3D tablet ambitions designed around its glassesless parallax barrier display technology, Korea's i-Station has bolted from the gate with a 7-inch (800x480) Z3D 3D tablet featuring the Android 2.1 OS, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio, 5000mAh high capacity battery, DMB television, either 32GB or 64GB or storage (depending upon model), and 1080p video support. And really, what could be more convenient than carrying around an extra pair of glasses just for viewing 3D content? A stylus perhaps? One can only hope. Of course, i-Station has plenty of tablet options to choose from including the similarly spec'd "i-Station Dude" and miniature "Buddy," all pictured above just for you pal. Expect the Z3D to launch in November for KRW600,000 or right around $500. A few more pics after the break.
Digital Cube works WiFi, HD playback into i-Station T9, forgets the HD screen
It's pretty obvious what it takes to play in the current generation of PMPs: enough juice to process HD videos, and an HDMI port to get it off the player and onto the big screen. Unfortunately, the new i-Station T9 from Digital Cube sort of stops there. It has great codec support, and even WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity (to be enjoyed by what OS is unclear), but unlike its big brother S3's WVGA display, the mere 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 screen on the T9 will have us looking for an HDMI port a bit early. No word on price or availability.
Digital Cube storms back with touchscreen-based i-Station E9 PMP
Digital Cube may not be a household name in portable media players (at least on this side of the Atlantic), but there's no doubt that its latest attempt at greatness is a real looker. The touchscreen-based i-Station E9 arrives with an expansive 3-inch panel, hardly any buttons to speak of, an FM tuner, accelerometer, video output, support for more formats than you can shake a stick at and a user interface that looks particularly fascinating. Battery life is pegged at just 12 hours for audio and 4 hours for video, but with prices set for $115 (4GB) / $132 (8GB), we won't kvetch too loudly.[Via Cloned In China]
DigitalCube shows off sexy iSTATION S3 PMP
We'll just go ahead and get the bad news out of the way: if you call yourself a North American, and you're not gutsy enough to find an importer, you'll probably never own the downright beautiful device shown above. Known as the iSTATION S3, DigitalCube's latest arrives with 8/16/32GB of storage, an HDMI output, a battery good for 20 hours of audio playback (or 8 hours of video), an expansive 3.5-inch AMOLED display, WVGA (800 x 480) resolution and support for a veritable smorgasbord of file formats. Sadly, we've no price or release date to share, but by all means, give that read link a tap if you're looking for more eye candy.[Via OLED-Info]
Digital Cube's iStation T3 loved up on video
We've already seen a copious amount of iStation T3 still shots, but there's just something about a walk-through on video that really does it for us. Unfortunately, the user who hosted these up made no bones about the functionality, as he straight up admitted that the user interface "blows." Ouch. Decide for yourself in the vid just past the break.
Digital Cube's iStation T3 surfaces in the wild, primed for release
Sure, this upcoming iStation T3 PMP from Digital Cube does little that you can't coax out of your average cereal box toy in Korea, but it sure looks pretty good on camera. iStation is apparently running some promotions to get folks stoked for the thing, and AVING has the sexy photos to prove it. Our Korean is a little non-existent, but Portable Alliance claims that the unit will be offered in standard, academic and DMB flavors -- still no word on price.[Via Portable Alliance]
iStation T3: an unremarkable PMP for stylish, powerful people
iStation, the Korean firm mostly known 'round here for handheld media devices and PCs with the number '43' in their names, is back on the scene with the imaginatively named T3, a 4.3-inch PMP sporting a 480 x 272 resolution, up to 32GB storage and an SDHC expansion slot. Also featured on this Windows CE 5 device is an FM tuner, voice recorder, dictionary, and an optional TV out. Are you excited? Not yet? What if we told you that this guy also features "style" and "power?" But don't take our word for it -- we have a stylish, powerful video for you after the break. [Via Akihabara News]
i-Station lets loose U43 do-it-all PMP
At this point, we're fairly certain i-Station will only use a number other than "43" in its product titles once it has exhausted the entire US alphabet, but since we're not quite to that point, we're forced to live with U43 this go 'round. As expected, this Korean PMP is packed to the brim with features, including a 4.3-inch WQVGA (480 x 272) display, WinCE 5.0, a T-DMB receiver, GPS, e-dictionary, 30GB / 60GB hard drive and support for a smorgasbord of file formats. Notably, some features will depend on which flavor you pick up -- Standard, DMB or NAVI -- but the whole lot plays nice with MPEG1/2/3/4, AC3, DivX, XviD, WMV, WMA, OGG, WAV, AAC, FLAC, APE, JPEG, BMP and PNG. 'Course, all this functionality won't run ya cheap, as word on the street pegs this bad boy at ???448,000 (or around $481).[Via AkihabaraNews]
