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Kingston bumps microSD lineup to 1GB
With the obsessive push to make things smaller and smaller, Kingston is cramming 1GB of storage in its latest microSD card. Trailing behind SanDisk -- which has already released its own ultra-spacious microSD cards in 1GB and 2GB flavors -- Kingston is just now making the jump to a gig. Just in case you haven't forked out for that svelte Chocolate phone yet, the minuscule card comes bundled with a full sized SD adapter for use in "older" digicams and media readers. If you've been avoiding the SanDisk offerings (and their steep pricetags), you'll probably be delighted to find that Kingston's 1GB version is not only available now, but will only set you back $55.
Pontus EN-3700 in-car sat nav also rocks the tunes
We're no strangers to the Pontus line of consumer electronics devices from Japanese manufacturer Edia, and now the company has announced yet another in-car nav unit that's heavy on the multimedia features but light on the internal storage -- and by light, we mean that it has none. Therefore, the EN-3700 gets all its maptastic goodness from the included 1GB card (its predecessor, the EN-3500, only shipped with 512MB), though you also have to pack your MP3, WMA, JPEG, and BMP files in with whatever maps you need to store. As for the screen, it's a 3.5-inch little touchscreen number with a QVGA display -- not bad, but since they're cutting corners in the storage department, we'd expect a little more for our 74,800 yen ($642). If you're looking for a way to navigate your way around Japan (or just locate one of the seemingly abundant McDonalds locations) and this sounds like the right GPS system for you, you should be able to snatch one up sometime this month.
RCA's familiar-looking M5000 series DAPs
If RCA's new M5000 series of DAPs look familiar, then you've got a good eye: we've seen the exact same models before branded as the MSI P610 and Packard Bell Vibe 360. Therefore the feature sets on the 1GB M5001 and 2GB M5002 should come as no surprise, with both models sporting a 1.8-inch color screen capable of AVI and MOV video playback, line-in / voice / FM radio recording, and support for MP3, WMA, and PlaysForSure audio tracks. Those of you who've been kicking yourselves for passing over the MSI and Packard Bell can pick up the M5001 immediately for around $130, while the M5002 still seems to be lacking both pricing and release info.Read- M5001Read- M5002[Via DAPreview]
Sony packs pedometers into upcoming Network Walkmen
Watch out Apple and Nike, because Sony's got a new set of Network Walkmen waiting in the wings that pack a pedometer right into the players themselves, eliminating the need for a separate kit and expensive pair of sneakers. Although it doesn't sound like the cigar-shaped, 2GB NW-S205F and 1GB NW-S203F will offer the same online experience as you'd find at the Nikeplus website, you're still getting calorie, step, and distance counter functionality right out of the box, along with a stopwatch and FM tuner -- plus an armband to keep everything secure. The nano still holds the edge in screen quality -- and capacity, obviously -- as the new Sonys sport but a one-line OLED display. Pricing here is pretty attractive, with the black S205F and silver S203F going for $150 and $120, respectively, when they hit stores in either September or October.
Thanko's PIN-protected Morse Code Drive
You may think that those USB thumb drives with biometric protection are keeping your data on adequate lockdown, but with so many Play-Doh-equipped crooks looking to steal your personal information these days, are you really willing to trust your most secure infoswag to a notoriously unreliable fingerprint reader? Our old friends at "innovative" Japanese manufacturer Thanko certainly aren't, as evidenced by their new keypad-sporting model called the Morse Code Drive -- which, despite its name, has nothing to do with the dash-dot-dashing we've seen performed by characters in old war movies. Available in either 512MB or 1GB flavors, this USB 2.0-compatible drive requires the user to input the proper PIN before revealing its precious data on a Mac or Windows machine, although we doubt that a determined hacker would be unable to penetrate its defenses. Still, most consumers will find the $60 and $85 drives acceptable for everyday use, and the fact that they camouflage themselves as a cheap calculator when stored in your pocket protector should only help seal the deal.[Via Fareastgizmos]
MobiBlu releases DAH-2200 1GB DAP
Usually when MobiBlu breaks us off with a new DAP, it's got at least one feature to set it apart from the pack -- see the super-small Cube and Cube 2 or seemingly perpetual motion-powered B153 as examples. But if you were looking for the company's new DAH-2200 to hit the scene as the "world's biggest/smallest/best something or other," then you're in for a disappointment, as this flash-based player's got nothing that we haven't seen before. Specifically, its 1GB capacity, 27.5 gram weight, and 13-hour battery life make it neither the smallest, longest-running, nor most capacious model out there, and the tiny 2-color OLED screen isn't all that impressive either. No word on pricing here, but since it's likely that the 2200 will never be sold outside of Korea -- and it's not really hot enough to import -- you're probably not all that concerned with such details anyway.[Via DAPreview]
Modmen adds flash memory to the DMB tuner
USB DMB adapters are a dime a dozen these days (well, overseas at least), but how many of them can store their own drivers and a few videos to boot? A new model from Modmen can, as it packs in either 512MB or 1GB of storage space along with the digital TV tuner -- perfect for turning any Windows machine into a de facto entertainment center. Koreans can supposedly pick these up right away, though we have no idea what they'll be paying.
Transcend releases T.sonic 530 flash-based DAP
DAP manufacturer Transcend has been know to offer some rather unconventional designs over the years -- see the T.sonic 310 and 620 for reference -- but we'd sure like to know what went on in the focus group that convinced the company to craft their newest player like a sparsely-decorated mint tin. Besides its unusual appearance, though, the T.sonic 530 is almost exactly the same model as the much more traditional-looking 520 we saw earlier this year, sporting 512MB or 1GB of flash memory, tiny OLED display, FM tuner, digital voice recorder, and of course, the on-screen lyrics option that promises to "bring out the pop star in everyone." The 530 is on the market now -- willing and able to assist you in the occasional karoake session -- and although exact pricing isn't known, you'll probably be able to pick up either capacity for under a hundred bucks.[Via MobileWhack]
Hands-on with Napster's new 1GB player
Napster isn't so shy about their new DAPs after all. We just got to spend a little time with Napster's new 1GB PlaysForSure promotional player, and we liked what we saw for the most part. The tiny device probably won't be seen outside of its current role of attracting 1-year subscriptions, but it manages a nice look, decent user interface and a commendable 40 hour battery life -- not bad for $50. Of course, the player's first role is to support DRM10 PlaysForSure files from Napster To Go, but regular old WMA files and MP3s are supported as well, and it doesn't seem that Napster has made an effort to lock down the player from other services. You can also play back MPEG-4 video on the tiny, but nice, 128 x 160 LCD, but you'll be on your own for content since Napster doesn't currently offer any vids. There's also JPEG and FM playback, and everything is accessible via a convenient and fast iPod-like menu system. We'd estimate the player is 10-12mm thick, but while it's shorter than the iPod nano, the player felt comfortable in our large hands, and the buttons were plenty easy to use. It might all come down to your preference of music service, but we can't see this little OEM player standing in your way. Keep reading for some more pics.
Meizu Mini Player coming to America
Ask, and ye shall receive. When we mentioned that we'd like to spend some time with Meizu's M6 Mini Player a few months back, we were pretty sure that like most foreign gadgets we feature, this one would always remain just out of reach -- so imagine our surprise when we learned that pre-ordering has already begun to bring the M6 stateside. You'll probably recall that this model, which has the nano squarely in its sights (promotional materials even warn the iPod to "step aside"), comes in either 1GB ($139), 2GB ($159), or 4GB ($220) capacities, and besides supporting the usual assortment of MP3, WMA, WAV, and OGG audio files, does the AVI playback thing on its 2.4-inch QVGA screen as well. Also included are an FM tuner, voice recorder, calendar, stopwatch, USB On The Go support, and a couple of games, which is a lot more features than the nano offers, so it looks like Apple has reason to be mighty worried come July or early August when the first shipments of these arrive. Keep reading for a few more comparison shots that show just how mini this Mini really is...
Creative reveals Zen V and V Plus flash-based DAPs
So it looks like Creative's made good with the "mystery MP3 player" they promised us in that rather uninspiring teaser campaign: meet the Zen V. Available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the V's smallish size and 1.5-inch, photo-capable OLED clearly indicate that Creative's got the slightly-smaller nano squarely in its sights, with the V Plus (offered in the same capacities) going for the knockout punch by throwing in video playback and an FM tuner in the usual hope that adding more and more features will somehow make iPod owners realize what iChimps they've been. Both models come in several combinations of black or white highlighted by either green, orange, or blue accents, feature a line-in jack for direct-from-disc recording, support PlaysForSure subscription services, and offer a claimed 15 hours of battery life before recharging becomes an issue. The V will be available in July for $120, $150, or $200, depending on capacity, while the V Plus will be coming in August and priced at $130, $170, and $230 for the 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB versions, respectively.Read- Zen VRead- Zen V Plus
Philips announces GoGear SA9100 and SA9200 DAPs
Blu-ray players and portable media centers weren't the only thing on Royal Philips Electronics' mind today, as the company also revealed a new pair of flash-based GoGear DAPs as part of the "Holidays in June" campaign. We've already seen Philips do the flash thing before -- not to mention the hard drive thing -- but with the nano-like SA9100 and SA9200 the company has chosen to drop the low capacities of old in favor of 1GB and 2GB of storage, respectively. Both models also sport color screens for viewing photos and album art, a backlit touchpad for navigation, FM tuner, voice recorder, and a rechargeable battery promising 14 hours of playback, and both devices are also PlaysForSure-compliant. You'll be able to pick up the higher capacity model for around $200 when it hits stores next month, while the single gig unit will cost about $150 at its scheduled September release.Read- GoGear SA9100Read- GoGear SA9200
Klegg Mini: bigger size, same false advertising
Despite the fact that the folks over at Anything But iPod already broke out their considerable math skills to refute the Klegg Mini's claim of being the world's smallest color MP3 player, the device's manufacturer is nonetheless using the same angle to promote the Mini's recently-announced 1GB upgrade. Best known as the DAP of choice for that diminutive star of the Austin Powers movies, the Mini doesn't get any new features along with the capacity bump scheduled for this summer, but apparently that 1-inch screen, 26-hour battery life, and compact design have made this model popular enough to warrant continued sales. Oh, and Klegg, even if you still haven't heard of the MPIO ONE player that exposed the fallacy of your boasts, you're sure not gonna be able to miss the minuscule, color screen MobiBlu Cube 2 once it begins showing up in thousands of Wal-mart stores and on millions of ears nationwide. So, like, you might want to take this opportunity to call up your ad agency and give them a head start on working towards a more truthful slogan.
NTI Comodo's NP-950 DAP with in-dock VoIP and DJ functions
Talk about a convergence device-- not only does NTI Comodo's new NP-950 digital audio player perform the obligatory playback and recording functions, it can even act as a VoIP "handset" or broadcast tunes DJ-style over the Internet when docked in its USB cradle. Being marketed as the "Universal MP3 Player" in conjunction with OpenCast, this model is available in 512MB or 1GB flavors and supports MP3, WMA, ASF, and WAV audio tracks, WMV and AMV video files or JPEG/BMP/GIF photos on its 1.5-inch LCD, as well as English, Korean, Japanese, or Chinese eBooks. We're not really sure exactly who's being targeted with this unit -- whose price and release date are unknown -- since you can't store all that much content on it, and the chat/broadcast features seem more gimmicky than useful.
Sorell DN10 GPS/DMB-enabled Korean PMP
We haven't featured a foreign PMP on these pages in awhile, so for those of you hungry for a feature-filled device that you'll never get your hands on, we proudly present the Sorell DN10. With only 1GB of internal flash memory, the DN10 isn't going to win any capacity awards, although an SD card slot allows you to jack that total up to a still-low-but-acceptable 3GB. Features, then, and not storage, are what should draw Koreans to this model, as it boasts a 3.5-inch screen and both a GPS receiver for navigation and DMB tuner for watching OTA programming when they get sick of the two movies that they were able to cram onto the device. Filetypes supported include AVI, DivX, XviD, WMA, MP3, and JPEG, and pricing comes in at under $400 (measured in won, of course).
Teclast's other "dual core" DAP, the T19
We see a lot of digital audio players pass through here, but Teclast is one of the first manufacturers we've seen to incorporate a separate processor for audio decoding. Just weeks after we spotted their first so-called "dual core" DAP, the C150, comes another PDA-esque model called the T19, which has the same dedicated Wolfson WM8750 decoding chip as the "C" but adds a 1GB option into the mix. Besides MP3 playback, the "T" features MPEG-1 video support, and sports extras such as an FM tuner, line-in recording and voice recording, along with an eBook reader, dictionary, and calendar. Probably only available in China for the time being, the T19 costs 77 or 90 dollars worth of yuan for the 512MB and 1GB versions, respectively.[Thanks, lionc]
Flash drives containing US military secrets for sale next to Afghani base
Despite the government's best efforts to secure its classified electronic data, the L.A. Times is reporting that it was easily able to obtain a thumb drive full of sensitive military information -- from a bazaar right next to a US Air Force base in Afghanistan. According to the Times, the 1GB flash drive -- which, at $40, was quite the bargain -- contains details that could put the lives of several informants and sources at risk, including pictures, phone numbers, and even the names of their family members. Furthermore, even though files on the drive lay out specific military procedures and intelligence gathering strategies and contain photos of the base inside the perimeter, few of the documents are encrypted or password-protected. Although Army officials claim to regularly shop the bazaars for stolen material, and have ordered a review of their data security protocols, the fact that such damaging info can be purchased so easily would seem to indicate that the matter is a bit more urgent.[Via Slashdot]
1GB iPod nano for $149
I don't know yet if this is the only reason the Apple Store was down earlier today, but in any case, they've just announced a new 1GB iPod nano for $149 and the iPod shuffle now starts at $69 for the 512MB model and $99 for the 1GB model. I would have preferred a $99 1GB iPod nano and that they just trash the 1GB shuffle, but, whatever...
