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CES: 8GB Memory Stick Duo priced
Portable flash memory continues to get more and more impressive every year. Sony has announced pricing for the impressive 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo at CES ... and as expected, it's not coming cheap. It'll be released in February for $300.You'll need firmware 2.81 or above for your PSP to recognize such a massive card.[Via PSP-Vault]
Hacha's R280 DAP holds 8GB of flash with style
You know, China ain't just about cheap knockoffs of visible brands. There's a good bit of innovation going on over there, especially in the DAP space, with players like Meizu almost beating Apple at its own game, and now Hacha doing a bit of a iriver thing with its new R280 player, but doing it quite well. Developed in conjunction with the world's largest NOR Flash provider, Spansion, the R280 boasts 8GB of flash memory, miniSD expansion and a 2.83-inch QVGA screen. Under the hood there's a 240Mhz ARM processor, which has DSP and Java acceleration built in, and 16MB of SRAM, expandable to 128MB, giving the player enough juice to run Adobe Flash and Java apps with future firmware upgrades. Plus, with 30 hours of battery during audio playback and 5 hours for video, the 0.4-inch thick player doesn't do bad for itself at all in that department. It sounds like Hacha's "Just Myself!" tag line is quite the compliment. No word on price or availability, though we should see it in China before it the end of the year -- now we've just gotta figure out how to sneak one into the States.[Via The MP3 Players]
Ultra Product's 8GB SDHC hits for $150
Ok, you've seen plenty of 8GB SDHC cards right? And this one from Ultra Products is only class 2, SDHC's rock-bottom 2MB/sec data transfer rating. But get this, it's only $150, and it hails from good ol' Fletcher Ohio! Ok, it's likely OEM'd elsewhere, but Ultra's reselling it for just a Benj-and-a-half for 8 freakin' gigabytes of waffer-thin flash storage, about half that of same-spec'd cards already announced. Just remember, it's SDHC which means it will only work in the limited number of SDHC compliant devices currently available. You're also taking your chances with Vista's ReadyBoost smart caching -- ReadyBoost does support SD just as long you slot-in natively; external, USB 2.0 card readers are not supported. Already outed and on-line, so why not take a chance?
Samsung's YP-T9, now with 8GB of tasty flash
With the (official) launch of Samsung's Yepp K3 presumably just weeks away, who could blame you for taking your eyes off the T9? Until January's CES, the T9 reigns supreme in Samsung's lineup of flash media players. It even sports its own "series" of third party accessories like the big boys... albeit, from just a single vendor so far. So today, Sammy announced an 8GB capacity bump to keep the Yepp competitive with all the other 8 giggers out there. The T9, however, delivers one notable exception: stereo Bluetooth. No details, but you can expect it to be priced to compete.
TrekStor vibez DAP gets US pricing / release info
Despite the fact that most of the "high-resolution photographs" of its vibez MP3 player still look like concept renderings, German manufacturer TrekStor claims that the 1-inch hard drive-based DAPs will nonetheless be in US stores by the end of the year. You probably recall from our previous write-up that the curvaceous vibez comes in either 8GB, 12GB, or 15GB capacities, and features a 1.5-inch TFT display, replaceable 20-hour battery, and a rubber scroll wheel for sorting through your tunes even during a heavy downpour. Although MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, and FLAC files are supported out of the box, you'll need to buy separate modules if you want to endow these units with an FM tuner or video playback (add-on cards featuring either the former or both the former and the latter will be available next year). Expect the 8GB and 12GB versions to come out sometime next month, while the 15 gigger is slated for a January release -- and at $220, $250, and $280, respectively, they're a heck of a lot cheaper than some of the other TrekStor gear that's floating around.
Apple launches 8GB (PRODUCT) RED iPod nano
We hear you, the war on AIDS in Africa is all well and good, but what's the point if you have to suffer with a paltry 4GB of storage? Well, Apple hears you too, and it just busted out an 8GB (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod nano to appease your storage lust. The new version costs $249, just like its black 8GB counterpart, and Apple will be donating the same $10 of each sale to the Global Fund that it's currently forking over for 4GB versions. Not too bad for a bit of iPod hawterness you were planning on nabbing anyways, right?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Creative Zen V Plus 8GB announced
And in this corner, in the blue and black trunks, weighing in at 8GB, Creative's Slammin' Singaporean in Stereo -- the all-new Zen V Plus! That's right folks, Creative announced today its expected 8GB bump to the Zen V Plus, which is due out next month for S$430, the local equivalent of what we might call 270 greenbacks. It's sure to go head-to-head with the slick 8GB iPod Nano and that sassy SanDisk Sansa e280 in an upcoming prizefight. While this new color scheme (pictured) is only available in a limited edition direct from Creative's online store, the press release notes that the new player normally comes in "glossy black with a new colour accent of red" -- actually, we find the snaps on their site to be more of a subdued ochre, but hey, we're just stupid Americans.[Thanks, Vizion and Pablo]
Nokia bumps the stakes to 8GB on their N91
The HDD-based, music playin' N91 might've been panned by the critics, but a 4GB musicphone still isn't nothing to scoff at, and now the phone is doubling up the memory with 8GB, for even less scoffing opportunity. It's also been spiffed up in a slimming black -- this phone needs all the slimming it can get -- and now features A2DP support for some much-needed stereo Bluetooth action, but otherwise remains the same old clunker with a heart of gold. We would think at least they could've added in some stereo Bluetooth support, but no dice there. The good news is that Nokia has beefed up the software support with their new "Music Range" phones, so things should be a bit more enjoyable on that front. As for price, you're looking at a hefty 550 euros ($700 US), the same as Nokia's new N95 awesomephone, and a release date sometime before the end of the year. Keep reading for a few more pics.
Creative poised to throw down an 8GB Zen V Plus?
While Creative and Apple may have settled their legal battles, they're continuing to duke it out in the ring of portable media players. According to epiZENter's "reliable source," Creative wants to introduce a new contender with an 8GB version of its Zen V Plus, to compete with the newly-supersized 8GB iPod nano. We're all for competition in the marketplace, but Creative is going to have to move pretty fast if it wants to get its players out in time for the holiday shopping craze. Anonymous source or not, it's well within the realm of possibility that Creative would want to go toe to toe with Apple -- but of course, both Apple and Creative will have to take on the SanDisk Sansa e280 in the maxed-out flash-based DAP department.[Via DAPReview]
Updated: New PSP design and features due for 2007?
According to PlayStation Magazine -- and we suppose they would know -- Sony has a PSP redesign in the works. It's not a PSP 2, the rumored device resides squarely in the realm of redesign, but the supposed 8GB flash drive from Samsung, built-in EyeToy and a thinner, lighter form factor would all be welcome improvements to the current PSP. Actually, all the specs match up nicely with the PSP 2 rumors we were hearing earlier this year, but supposedly Sony wants to go with the Apple model of iPod upgrades, and stick with the single PSP name. In recent interviews, Sony's SCEA president Kaz Hirai didn't directly discount the idea of a PSP redesign, but he didn't really give it a lot of weight either. We're willing to give this rumor a fair shake, but we'll have to wait for more info and a real pic to see if this thing can have DS lite-ish success at its purported March 2007 launch -- Sony sure could use a hit. UPDATE: Our original post was based on a fan-made PSP mockup from Joystiq's writeup that threw us off the trail, but now we've got a thumbnail of the magazine scan thanks to PSP Fanboy.[Via Joystiq]
Hitachi's Wooo DZ-HS303 DVD camcorder with HDD
T'is the season for DVD camcorders: following the 3CCD VDR-D400 from Panasonic and the iVIS DC22 from Canon that we just spotted comes a model from Hitachi called the Wooo DZ-HS303 (yes, you read that right); unlike these other devices, though, the Hitachi -- dropping August 30th -- also lets your capture video to an 8GB MicroDrive. Billed as the world's first camcorder to sport both a DVD and hard drive, the HS303 features a 10x optical zoom, standard 2.7-inch LCD, and three megapixel CCD, all in a 560-gram package. All-in-all a pretty decent feature set for 130,000 yen ($1,132), but as Digital World Tokyo points out, Canon will give you HD capabilities for only a few bucks more. [Via Digital World Tokyo]
More clues about SanDisk's 8GB Sansa
So it's starting to look like those leaked pictures we saw last month supposedly depicting an unannounced 8GB flash player from SanDisk are the real deal. You'll recall that an Anything But iPod forum member claiming to be a SanDisk tester posted a shot of what's generally referred to as the Sansa e280, and now the eagle-eyed editors over at ABi have discovered even more tantalizing clues on the company's website. The most telling bit of evidence comes when you launch the 360-degree demos for either the 4GB e260 or 2GB e250, which instead of featuring the players' respective capacities on the backside, show a model clearly adorned with an "8GB" label -- see the screenshot, right. Furthermore, the entire Sansa lineup is being hit with price cuts, which could be an indication that a product launch is imminent. If SanDisk is in fact able to get this model to market before Apple breaks us off with an 8GB nano -- aluminum enclosure and all -- it would seem to do more for the company's market share than a negative advertising campaign ever could.[Via Anything But iPod]
SanDisk planning 8GB Sansa e280?
So we can't vouch for the validity of the photo you see here, but if we're to believe an Anything But iPod forum member claiming to work as a tester at SanDisk, then it depicts a pre-production version of the unannounced Sansa e280 with a "nano-killing" 8GB of flash memory -- plus a memory card slot to jack that total up to 9GB. Although anything posted to forums should be viewed with no small amount of skepticism, a WHOIS query supposedly confirms that this member was indeed posting from SanDisk's Virginia campus when he revealed his info, and the fact that the pic looks pretty legit only further enhances this rumor's believability. Plus, Apple will surely boost the nano's capacity at some point or another, so it's obvious that SanDisk will have to do the same if it hopes to shed its runner-up status -- because simply insulting potential customers doesn't seem like a great way to gain market share.
MusicGremlin MG-1000 review roundup
We've been following start-up Music Gremlin for some time now, from its ambitious beginnings as a software company through its transition to a reference device designer and finally into a self-branding manufacturer, so we were more than a little disappointed to learn that lukewarm reviews of the recently-launched MG-1000 DAP indicate that it contains no small number of bugs and frustrating restrictions. Like the prototype Zing player that we recently spotted (but unlike the similarly-equipped SoniqCast devices), the MG-1000 offers direct-to-device downloads along with device-to-device file transfers thanks to built-in WiFi, but these features are limited to customers who also pay $15-a-month for the proprietary Music Gremlin service, on top of the $300 they already shelled out for the unit itself. Some of the problems reviewers have mentioned -- such as an intermittent WiFi connection, cumbersome search process, and lack of automatic power down or FM presets -- can be addressed by the company in future firmware releases, but other issues -- like the small 8GB hard drive, relatively weak battery life, and inability to share any tracks besides subscription downloads with anyone but fellow subscribers -- are either hardware-based or can't be resolved due the conditions that music studios include in their licensing agreements. Unfortunately, unless you really, truly need to ability to download music when you're away from your computer, the drawbacks to this device when compared to a similarly-priced, video-playing 30GB iPod don't seem to outweigh the limited benefits you'll derive from its wireless capabilities.Read- The Wall Street Journal's Walter MossbergRead- CnetRead- Laptop Magazine
Buffalo's latest USB key packs 8 gigs
They're not the first and most surely won't be the last to join the club, but Buffalo has just added an 8GB thumb drive to their flash lineup. The RUF2-R8G-S manages to squeeze the gigs into a 0.75 x 3.6 x 0.55 enclosure, and promises 32MB/s write and 27MB/s read speeds over USB 2.0. No word on price, but we're sure the Yen required will be many. Now how about a bit of 16GB action?[Via Akihabara]
Samsung division CEO bans company use of 8GB SGH-B570
We've heard stories about companies banning the use of certain kinds of products, such as cameraphones or digital audio players, since they could potentially be used to snap pics of or download classified info. But in what must be a first-of-its-kind case, Samsung has actually banned employees from using one of the company's own products out of industrial espionage fears. Ki-Tae Lee, CEO of Samsung Electronics Telecommunications Network, has apparently warned employees not to pick up the company's SGH-B570 cellphones, because the music-playing phone's 8GB capacity "is more than enough to steal all confidential data about our company." No word yet as to whether Lee is also banning Samsung's various thumbdrives, USB hard drives and audio players, which can also be used to slurp company data. Also, we have to admit to being just a little disappointed that all of the company's confidential data can fit on a single 8GB cellphone. What does that say about Samsung's R&D capabilities?Read (sub. req'd.)
Samsung division CEO bans SGH-B570 8GB musicphones
We've heard stories about companies banning the use of certain kinds of products, such as cameraphones or digital audio players, since they could potentially be used to snap pics of or download classified info. But in what must be a first-of-its-kind case, Samsung has actually banned employees from using one of the company's own products out of industrial espionage fears. Ki-Tae Lee, CEO of Samsung Electronics Telecommunications Network, has apparently warned employees not to pick up the company's SGH-B570 cellphones, because the music-playing phone's 8GB capacity "is more than enough to steal all confidential data about our company." No word yet as to whether Lee is also banning Samsung's various thumbdrives, USB hard drives and audio players, which can also be used to slurp company data. Also, we have to admit to being just a little disappointed that all of the company's confidential data can fit on a single 8GB cellphone. What does that say about Samsung's R&D capabilities?Read (sub. req'd.)
Analysts predict 4GB and 8GB iPod nanos with video
Take the following information with the usual grain of salt; when it comes to speculation about Apple's intentions, nothing is ever certain until the esteemed Mr. Jobs is on stage, product in hand, delivering the pitch. This time around, we have word from AppleInsider that American Technology Research analysts are reporting that their most recent "checks" indicate impending capacity doubling for the iPod nano line-- to 4GB and 8GB -- as well as the addition of "basic video capabilities," in models to be released during the "September quarter." If true, none of these developments would be all that shocking, as the current nanos already have sharp little color screens, and storage boosts are just a natural part of any digital audio player's lifecycle. ATR's Shaw Wu also seemingly contradicted earlier AppleInsider info when he cited an anticipated June/July release window for the as-yet-unannounced 13.3-inch Intel-powered Macbook laptop, which AI had previously suggested would be available sometime before June.
Scam or Not?: 8GB iPod nano upgrade
My compatriot Eliot and I tried to slog around the net this morning to figure out if this 8GB nano upgrade is a fraud. We are fairly sure that this is a complete fake (helped by the eBay strangeness and lack of proof photos). However, this did bring up a bit of a conundrum.We couldn't find pictures of the insides of any 4GB iPod nanos without daughter boards. I personally seem to recall seeing them somewhere. The daughter board versions were the first ones to get ripped open and there are quite a few pictures floating around of those. I have a plea for you, dear TUAW reader. If you have pics of the inside of a 4GB nano without a daughter board, could you email a link to them to our tip line or leave the url in the comments? You will help our quest to weed out fake iPod memory upgrades.
