PSP modder extraordinaire PvP_LostKnight's latest creation freed his PSP from the shackles of pricey Memory Sticks, at the cost of aesthetics. The internal USB mass storage mod packs a flash drive inside the PSP, and includes a PCB board that allows the drive to act as the USB host, since the PSP only works in USB slave mode. PvP is otherwise short on details, but we're sure PSP-mutilating instructions will be popping up soon enough.

Hey, we understand the need for a break from the CTIA barrage every now and then, and GeCube is delivering just that with its latest duo of portable media players. The Portable HQV Media Player (or PMP200 for short) boasts a 4.3-inch LCD, AV outputs, built-in microphone, sleek, integrated touch controls, and can reportedly hold quite a bundle of songs depending on the size of 2.5-inch hard disk drive that you cram in it. Reportedly, the PMP200 will also come in a slightly less flush rendition, which means that it'll sport the less attractive, albeit more tactile control scheme. The DVRBox unsurprisingly acts as "a portable DVR," as it records and converts DV, DVD, and TV footage to MPEG4 with "one simple click." Interestingly, this device is of the screenless variety, sports composite / S-Video ins and outs, and also comes begging for a 2.5-inch HDD to call its own. No release dates were readily available, but the sleeker PMP200 should land for around $180, while the chunkier flavor rings up for a few dollars less, and the DVRBox should demand around $139.

[Via Inquirer, thanks Dave]

X-Men fans wouldn't want their Wolverine any other way than pumped up and ready to dominate, but PMP fans aren't exactly looking for the most inflated device on the block. Still, Wolverine's multifaceted ESP 5160 retains the rather bulky 5.3- x 2.8- x 0.9-inch enclosure of the previous (and less capacious) models, but bumps the internal storage capacity up to 160GB. Photographers will still be gawking at their offloaded JPEG, RAW, BMP, or TIFF files on the 3.6-inch 320 x 240 display, and users can also zoom, rotate, and view EXIF data in slideshow mode with tunes jamming in the background. Aside from offering up on-the-go slideshows, this hero also maintains its solid media playing functionality, handling MP3, WMA, OGG, AAC, WAV, and CDA on the audio front while tackling Motion JPEG, MPEG1/4, XviD, and WMV9 on the video side. Furthermore, you'll find a built-in speaker, NTSC / PAL video out, USB 2.0 connectivity, FM radio, a 7-in-1 flash card reader, integrated microphone, audio line-in, and the ability to record directly from a TV or camcorder if utilizing the optional docking cradle. So if you're looking for just about everything a non-internet-enabled PMP / photo storage device could offer, the 5160 isn't a bad option save for the size, but (literally) deep-pocketed consumers can snap this one up now for $549.99.

While the PMP / GPS market continues to converge and pop out more and more jack-of-all-trades devices, Celrun is looking to join the ever-growing fray by dishing out an (admittedly impressive) all-in-one unit of its own. Starting with the sleek black / silver design scheme and ultrathin frame, this Windows CE-powered conglomerate does a fine job of packing the features in a sexy enclosure, and offers up a 520MHz Intel PXA270 processor, navigation, DMB, a text viewer, MP3 player, video playback, and a seven-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen to boot. Moreover, all the buttons are of the side and top-mounted variety, and while it doesn't appear to house any type of internal storage, SD / CF cards are more than welcome here. Although we're sure you saw this coming, only folks camped out in Korea will be receiving this here luxury, but we're not sure just how long they'll have to wait, nor how much coinage it'll end up demanding.

Tinkerers, it's time to rejoice. Archos has gone and released the entire source code to its Generation 4 lineup of products, giving open source gurus yet another avenue to exert their tweaking skills. The ISO is reportedly quite thorough, including makefiles and documentation, but interestingly enough, the files still seem to lack signatures, which has the folks over at ArchosFans a bit bummed. Still, those rocking a 404, 504, or any flavor of the 604 should head on over and give this thing a download, and do tell if anything substantial can be exploited / enabled, cool?

[Via ArchosFans, thanks Rick R.]

While it seems that a new T-DMB-equipped portable video player hits the South Korean market every week or so, Kedcom is busting out its own flavor, but not without taking a stealthy approach at swiping the oh-so-popular Apple moniker. Out of all the potential device names in the world, this glossy black handheld somehow boasts "PoDi," which eerily resembles "iPod" to even the untrained eye, but nevertheless, this pocket-friendly TV viewer boasts a sizable antenna, T-DMB capabilities, a 3.2-inch LCD, internal speaker, headphone out, FM radio tuner, kickstand, and a rechargeable Li-ion battery. Additionally, it weighs just 77 grams, plays nice with a matching docking station, and can reportedly be synchronized with a car stereo via FM. Of course, we've no details concerning price or future availability, but we're sure Cupertino's trademark militia is already on the prowl.

While we've seen quite a snazzy docking unit that could output video from your iPod to your HDTV, iLuv's taking things in the opposite direction with its forthcoming i182. This particular docking station ups the ante from the old i180 model, and facilitates live video recording from any composite / S-Video source directly onto your iPod or your choice of flash card, giving owners of flash-based PMPs / PVPs a chance to get in on the fun as well. Purportedly, the device brings in whatever video you feed it, and allows users to establish a pre-set recording length while offering up 640 x 480 (2.5Mbps) / 720 x 480 (5Mbps) encoding options. As you can probably tell, iLuv makes things easiest for iPod video owners, but for those looking to record the vids onto a MS, MSDuo, MMC, or SD card, a separate adapter plugs into the docking unit to get things done on the flash storage end. Additionally, a USB 2.0 connector is included for computer syncing / transferring, and while we don't have any confirmations, we're hearing to expect iLuv's latest around the March timeframe for a cool $229.99.

We'll admit, we definitely admired Belkin's prototype version a lot better, but Sakar is doing something with its iPod-engulfing PVP that Belkin currently isn't -- bringing it to market. The iView player mimics a portable DVD player in just about every major aspect, including the seven-inch widescreen display, built-in stereo speakers, thin frame, AV output, and rechargeable battery, but instead of letting users load up their favorite disc, it sports a sunk-in socket for one's iPod video along with a dock connector to seat your Apple and keep it well hidden while in use. While we're not positive about when Sakar plans on rolling this thing out, nor if it'll come in a white color scheme to compliment the black, it'll run you $150 when it finally lands.

[Via pdaBlast]

We know, we're slightly bummed too that yesterday's brief "iPod" announcement wound up not being a beautiful hard drive-based widescreen video iPod, but nevertheless, a prototype shown at CES gives iPod video owners a glimpse at what big screen playback would actually look like. This Belkin creation was spotted by TechDigest, and aside from sleek, black enclosure, widescreen display, and gaping hole just begging for an iPod video to come on home, we don't much about it. Mimicking the design of so many portable DVD players already out, this PVP takes its cues not from an optical disc, but from a movie-playing Apple. The spies thought they overheard that the unit featured a rechargeable battery, which would make sense considering its portable nature, but couldn't confirm it. Of course, until Belkin actually decides to produce these things, it's likely a moot point anyway, but it sure looks sellable.

It's not every day that your friendly neighborhood CNET editor gets to review a pink device whose backside reads "Forever a Princess" -- well, at least as far as we know -- and James Kim seems to have made the most of this opportunity. Disney's first PVP, the Mix Max Player, is surprisingly well featured for a kiddie player, with a 2.2-inch 220 x 176 display, PlaysForSure support, mass storage mounting ability and even a special Windows Media Player plug-in to analyze tracks for the Mix Max's shuffle mode. There's 512MB of included storage, which can be bumped up to 2GB via SD card, though we're guessing much of the target audience is going to be snapping up those pricey, pre-loaded SD-card MixClips albums and MaxClips movies. The screen is passable, and the interface is decent enough, though apparently the buttons are a bit hard to push. The earbuds are of the standard variety, so they'll prove too big for some kids, and the lack of a volume limiter could prove a bit dangerous for your baby Einstein. For $100, the Mix Max goes quite a bit beyond your average toy music player, but for the same price you could nab yourself a 1GB Creative Zen V Plus. However, the Disney name continues to have quite a draw with the chilluns -- Disney's Mix Sticks audio players ranks among the top 10 flash MP3 players at retail -- and it doesn't seem like most kids will mind the quirks.

Hot on the heels of the substandard (in Cowon terms, that is) iAudio D1, the company best known for feature-packed portable media players is back to its old self again with the fully loaded D2. Foregoing the sleek, skinny look for a more Archos-esque appearance, Cowon's latest PMP rocks a 2.5-inch 320 x 240 resolution touchscreen, built-in DMB, support for WMV, MPEG4, MP3, OGG, WMA, and FLAC, "30fps movie playback," video output, FM radio, "voice / line-in recording" function, and a snazzy "transparent overlay" GUI. While initial reports suggest a 2GB internal capacity, the unit will sport an SD slot for your expansion needs, and those fortunate enough to reside in South Korea can pick up this properly-spec'd player in November for an undisclosed price.

[Via DAPReview]

Just a few months back we saw RCA's Lyra X3000 get some well-deserved praise, and now the folks over at CNET are putting its successor through its respective paces. The X3030 sports most of the same specs and attributes as its aging sibling, but touts 30GB of internal storage (up from 20GB) and "adds protected Windows Media Video support and DivX certification." Reviewers found a good bit to love on the PVP, as they extolled its broad range of supported formats and "Apple-esque" scroll wheel, as well as admiring the "healthy set of accessories" that made scheduling recordings a breeze. The main digs came from the "tricky interface," the lack of a widescreen display (like that found on the lower-priced, albeit less accesorized, Archos 604), and the "decent" video quality that fell short of "some competitors." It was also noted that while the 4.5-hours of realized battery life while watching video was commendable, the 8.5-hours achieved while listening solely to audio was indeed lackluster. Nevertheless, the crew found enough niceties to slap a "7 out of 10" rating on the X3030, and closed by dubbing the X3030 "a solid video playback and recording device, despite its poorly designed menu interface."

While the myriad of Chinese PMPs tend to share a few similarities, namely being cheap (in more ways than one), the RAmos RM150 does a decent job of making a name for itself by touting native XviD support and sporting a swank PDA-like design. RAmos offers both 512MB and 1GB flavors, and the pocket-size device rocks a 2.2-inch TFT screen which displays your ever-growing collection of XviD and AVI files with ease. While you won't fit too many of those clips on such skimpy amounts of storage, you can carry quite a few MP3s and WMA files along, and there's always the FM tuner should you need some fresh material on the go. While there's no word on battery life, we wouldn't expect too much more from the RM150 -- after all, this unit is already a big step forward from the company's gaudy gold offering of last year. If you don't mind the limited storage capacity (and the complete lack of expansion options), the 512MB version can be had for 399 CNY ($50), while 1GB will run you just 499 CNY ($63).

It appears that Archos has got this portable media player gig down pat, as the 30GB 604, unveiled as an affordable replacement for the well-received AV500, has done quite a commendable job building itself a bit of buzz. Rather than altering too much of a good thing, Archos decided to just tweak the 604, adding several meaningful extras while removing a few advanced features in order to get that price tag down to near-bargain basement levels. The folks over at CNET were able to get some face time with the new PMP, and in similar fashion to its predecessor, received an excellent rating. Although the 604 isn't the most pocket-friendly unit reviewers had seen, they felt that increasing the screen size from 4.0 to 4.3-inches (and improving its durability / performance) was well worth it. The brushed metal look must have really struck a chord as well, as this sexy sidekick was touted as being "pretty hot" in regards to its design. One feature that definitely made the review crew sweat was the nifty kickstand, something sorely absent on the AV500 (and its "main competitor," the Cowon A2). The controls and well-developed GUI left a very positive impression, and its ability to play back all types of media ranging from AVI, MPEG-4, PlaysForSure WMA and WMV, MP3, and WAV garnered even more praise. But, as expected, not everything was entirely peachy, as those looking to record video / audio right out of the box won't find the tools they need. Archos apparently made a purposeful omission and left the DVR gear as an optional accessory, just in case some folks didn't want to pony up the extra $100 for the at-home convenience. It was noted that the unit performed well when paired up with the Archos DVR Station, and the staff was more than satisfied with the 14+ hours of audio / 4 hours of video use reportedly on tap via the removable battery. If you haven't caught the drift at this point, here's the skinny: the Archos 604 is a worthy update to the respectable AV500, and if you're looking to snap up a PMP (and maybe add recording capabilities down the road), it's not a bad way at all to spend $350.