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MPIO shows off five new media players at IFA
Keepin' things fresh in Berlin is MPIO, which has apparently unveiled not one, but five new media players during IFA. Up first is the MG200, which looks to tout 2GB of flash storage, an SDHC expansion slot, 1.5-inch OLED display, an FM tuner, and support for MP3, WMA, and WMA-DRM. The MG300 steps it up by including a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, 4GB of capacity, and the ability to handle AVI, JPEG, and BMP files in addition to the aforementioned formats. The diminutive MD100 plays nice with MP3, WMA, and OGG files, boasts an FM tuner and lasts up to 60-hours with the LCD flipped off, while the 2GB OG21 rocks a 1.8-inch screen and also does video. Bringing up the rear is the OG23, which packs 8GB of space, a QVGA display, and SDHC support to boot. Per usual, mum's the word on pricing and availability, but click on through for a few more snapshots of the group.[Via AnythingButiPod]
Philips touts amBX gaming peripherals at IFA
Although amBX was launched some two years ago, not a whole lot has come of it. Earlier this year, Philips briefly mentioned the technology during its CES press conference, and now we're finally getting more details on its range of amBX-enabled peripherals. Reportedly, the lineup will be clad in graphite and silver and include "a pair of left and right satellite lights, a pair of left and right satellite 2.1 speaker lights and subwoofer, a pair of desk fans, a wrist rumbler, and a directional wall washer light that doubles as controller unit." The lights, of course, are meant to "change color and intensity in the context of what's happening onscreen," and the 160-watts of power should provide plenty of juice to rock your room of choice. Philips will be offering up four different kits depending on just how immersed you'd like to be, and while the starter kit will run you €199 ($272), the Premium Kit is likely to cost you quite a bit more when it lands in "select European markets" later this year. Check out another shot after the break.
Panasonic unveils upscaling SC-PTX5 home cinema system
Regrettably, Panasonic's SC-PTX5 won't play either high-definition disc format, but for those still basking in the glory of plain ole DVD, it's not a half bad setup. The system consists of an upscaling DVD player that takes your DVDs to 1080p over HDMI as well as a 2.1 sound system with 140-watts of total power. The DVD player also plays nice with WMA, MP3, JPEG, MPEG4, and DivX files, touts a built-in DTS decoder and VIERA Link, and boasts a slew of ports including component, optical digital audio in / out, optional iPod connectivity, and a USB socket to boot. Per usual, there's no official deets on pricing, availability, or whether we Americans will ever see this package make its way to our side of the drink, but word on the street has it at €649.99 ($888).[Via Pocket-Lint]
Toshiba showcases uber-slim external HD DVD burner
If a couple of new HD DVD players weren't enough for you, Toshiba is also launching an ultrathin, highly portable HD DVD burner for playing back high-definition flicks and writing massive amounts of data to single or dual-layer HD DVD-Rs whilst on the go. The simply titled HD DVD-Writer is reportedly the brother of the HD DVD Super-Multi, which only supports CD, DVD+/-RW, and HD DVD-ROM. Both units supposedly measure in at just 5.04- x 4.96- x 0.51-inches and weigh 5.82 ounces, and best of all, they're said to be available right now across the pond for £200 ($403).[Thanks, nfinity]
Toshiba's DPF7XSE seven-inch digiframe plays nice with DivX
Not satisfied with just unleashing a pair of HD DVD players for the European crowd, Toshiba has now announced a forthcoming digital photo frame for the same set that does a whole lot more than shuffle through old photo albums. The DPF7XSE boasts a seven-inch 800 x 480 resolution panel, dual one-watt stereo speakers, SD / MMC / CF / Memory Stick support, USB 2.0 connectivity, and 256MB of built-in storage space. Most notable, however, is the supported format list, which includes JPEG, MP3, WMA, MPEG4, and DivX. Currently, Tosh hasn't released details surrounding a price for the fall-bound frame, but users picking this one will reportedly find an infrared remote and USB cable bundled in.[Via TrustedReviews]
Toshiba announces HD-EP30 / HD-EP35 HD DVD players for Europe
While there's certainly been quite a few new Blu-ray players to emerge from IFA, Toshiba is making sure the HD DVD faithful (at least those in Europe) aren't slighted by launching a new duo for that crowd. The standalone HD-EP30 and HD-EP35 players will both tout "REGZA-Link (HDMI, CEC-Link) connectivity and native 24 frames per second playback support," and moreover, the HD-EP35 also supports High Bit Rate Audio and Deep Color via HDMI. Additionally, both October-bound units play nice with Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, and DTS HD formats, and while the lower-end iteration is set to launch between €349 ($477) and €399 ($545), the EP35 will demand between €449 ($613) and €499 ($682).[Via TechDigest]
Sharp cranks out new XL2E and X20E AQUOS HDTVs
Not wanting to be outdone by all those other guys loosing LCDs at IFA, Sharp has stepped up and unveiled two new lineups of AQUOS sets in Berlin. The XL2E series, which includes models 42-, 46-, and 52-inches in size, will all offer up 100Hz technology, be Full HD ready, and will even support 24p. Moreover, the trio will tout a 10,000:1 contrast ratio, a built-in DVB-T tuner (and an analog one, too), VGA input, integrated speakers, and three HDMI connectors to boot. As for the X20E series, you'll find 32-, 37-, 42-, 46-, and 52-inch flavors, all of which support 1080p24, feature three HDCP-compliant HDMI ports, and "a slot for CI cards to receive pay TV." The new AQUOS members are slated to land in Europe sometime before the year's end, but pricing details look to still be up in the air.[Via Pocket-Lint]
Cowon unveils iAudio U5 DAP at IFA
Those impressed with the looks of the iAudio 7 are likely to warm up just fine to the newest digital audio player from Cowon. Reportedly unveiled at IFA, the presumably flash-based U5 looks to be aimed at lower-end customers, and touts an ultrathin enclosure, 1.8-inch 160 x 129 resolution LCD, FM tuner / recorder, voice recorder, USB 2.0 connectivity, MP3 / WMA support, up to 20-hours of battery life, and built-in equalizer presets as well. Apparently, the U5 will land in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB flavors, but pricing and availability details have yet to be divulged.[Via PlayerBites, image courtesy of CNET]
Route 66 unveils MINI / MAXI navigators for Europe
It's been a hot minute since we've seen anything noteworthy from Route 66, but the firm is using IFA as a launchpad for four new Euro-only navigators. The MINI * EUROPE, MINI * REGIONAL, MAXI * EUROPE, and MAXI * REGIONAL devices touts ultrathin designs, traffic / safety camera alerts, free map updates until 2008, and a built-in media player. The MINI comes with a 3.5-inch screen, while the MAXI packs a 4.3-inch widescreen display, and both units include an integrated TMC traffic receiver and the ability to support handsfree calling when paired up with the Wireless Car Kit accessory. Currently, no pricing information has been loosed, but all of the aforementioned systems should be widely available in Europe this October.[Thanks, Gene S.]
Philips launches trio of new Digital PhotoFrames, plans Christmas edition
Philips certainly is making good use of the spotlight provided over in Berlin, and while we've seen quite the array of LCDs emerge from the firm, up next is a trio (plus a limited edition tagalong) of smaller displays aimed at living room tables. The 5.6-inch Digital PhotoFrame touts a panel capable of displaying 140ppi, while the 7- and 10-inch iterations get powered by an integrated rechargeable battery and tout enough internal memory "to store 1,000 digital images." Furthermore, pictures can be loaded up through your USB-equipped Mac / PC, or you can upload directly from CompactFlash, Memory Stick, MSPro / MSDuo, xD, SD, SDHC, and MMC cards. Lastly, Philips will be offering up a Christmas-themed version of the 10-inch digiframe to grab the eyes of desperate holiday shoppers, but unfortunately, the outfit failed to provide release dates or pricing information for us to mull over.Read - Philips' Digital PhotoFramesRead - Philips' Christmas-themed Digital PhotoFrame
Acer and China Huala Group announce Blu-ray allegiance
Amidst the slew of new Blu-ray players showcased at IFA comes word that two new forces are pledging their alligiance to the BD camp. Reportedly, both Acer and China Huala Group have joined on as hardware partners, and the latter is supposedly looking to establish a "Blu-ray Disc authoring center in China." The announcements were purportedly made by the Blu-ray Disc Association while in Berlin, and while we're not exactly sure how long Acer will make us wait for more Blu-ray-equipped lappies, the more intriguing question -- you know, the one regarding concerns over piracy from a newfound authoring center in China -- has yet to be tackled by the BDA.[Thanks, AG23]
Philips showcases wireless SHD9100 headphones
As the rush of new Philips paraphernalia continues from IFA, along comes a new set of wireless cans dubbed SHD9100. The digital wireless HiFi headphones boast a sleek, glossy black color scheme, an equally stylish charging base station, and tout "up to six hours non-stop listening" on a single charge. Furthermore, the device sports a lightweight headband, breathable fabric ear cushions, 40-millimeter drivers, an operating range of 40-meters, and "automatic tuning so that they can be installed without requiring any complex manuals or instructions." Regrettably, Philips didn't bother to mention how much this sucka would run, nor how soon we'd be able to pick one up, but feel free to click on for another look or two.
Philips intros WAC3500D Streamium home stereo
The goods from Philips just keep on comin', but it's not like we're kvetching or anything. On deck is the WAC3500D, the firm's latest Streamium home stereo, which weds an 80GB internal hard drive, iPod connectivity, and a USB port to create a fairly well appointed audio center. Additionally, the device touts the ability to "receive, play, and store MP3 or WMA tracks saved on a PC," rip CDs to the HDD in a variety of bitrates, and view ID3 tags on the backlit LCD. All music kept on the system can be wirelessly streamed "to up to five WiFi stations located anywhere in the house," and the built-in Class D digital amplifier drives the dual two-ways speakers. Currently, the WAC3500D is available in Europe for around £260 ($522).
Medion's Windows Home Server-based MD 90110 gets detailed
Just as HP reportedly delayed its own Windows Home Server-based device, Medion's iteration is getting all fleshed out, so let's get right down to the dirt, shall we? Apparently, the MD 90110 will feature an AMD Sempron 64 or Intel P4 LGA 775, an AMD RS-690 / Intel 945GC chipset, be based on a MicroATX motherboard, and include 1GB of RAM, between 500GB and 2TB of RAID storage space, an eSATA port, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 connectors. Additionally, users can look forward to "screwless internal hard drive bays," a recovery button, HDD status LEDs, and a variety of configurations to fit your needs (and budget). Per usual, there's no hard data available just yet in regard to pricing or release dates, but we'll keep you posted.[Via WeGotServed]
Philips unveils DVB-T-equipped 19- / 32-inch FlatTV LCDs
Philips certainly has been on a tear of late, and apparently, the company's LCD releases are still flowing in from IFA. The latest duo to hit the scene are the ivory-colored 19-inch 19PFL5602D and 32-inch 32PFL7602D FlatTVs, both of which feature an integrated DVB-T tuner and dual HDMI inputs. The larger of the two includes Pixel Plus 2 HD technology and Digital Natural Motion to tackle those judders, while the smaller sibling doesn't look to lose much outside of screen real estate. Sadly, mum's the word on price and availability, but all signs are pointing to a European-only release.
Daewoo shows off Blu-ray Profile 2 player at IFA
Straight from IFA 2007 in Berlin comes Daewoo's surprise entry into the Blu-ray camp with the company's first player, the DBP-1000. Interestingly, even though Daewoo is probably more well-known for their Trutech ODM devices -- or even their autos -- this player supposedly supports the full 2.0 Profile for Blu-ray Disc, including BD Live internet functionality, picture-in-picture, and local storage. Pricing and availability are nowhere to be found, but it won't be soon enough for Blu-ray fans to see players with that interactive functionality built-in like competing HD DVD players have. Another picture after the jump.
We're live from IFA in Berlin, not Paris
If you hadn't noticed already, we're hitting you with live news from IFA 2007 in Berlin, Germany. The show is pretty large-gantic, and stretches through the weekend, so be sure to stick around for all the best that Europe has to offer. Today is just press conferences, but we'll start strolling the floors when they open up tomorrow for some shots of all this tech in action.
Garmin to unveil nuvi 700 at IFA?
Details are few and far between on this one, but the folks at GPSAndCo are reporting that Garmin is going to expand its nuvi line even further at IFA this week, with the hereto unheard of nuvi 700 apparently set to make its debut. According to the site, this one will boast a widescreen display and a design similar to the 200w and 250w, but with features more in line with the nuvi 660. That would include, they say, live traffic information and an FM transmitter, among other features. While that's up in the air at the moment, we should know one way or the other soon enough, with IFA officially getting underway on Friday.[Via Navigadget]
TrekStor showcases i.Beat blaxx portable media player
Surely not as flashy as the gilded i.Beat organix seen at last year's CeBIT, TrekStor's i.Beat blaxx still looks mighty fine in its own right. Debuting at IFA, this diminutive player weighs in at just 26-grams and features a 1.3-inch 160 x 128 resolution display, MP3 / WMA / OGG / WAV / SMV file support, a built-in FM tuner, line-in port, a rechargeable Li-ion, and USB connectivity. The units arrive in both 2GB and 4GB flavors and come bundled with a set of Sennheiser headphones, and while the least capacious iteration will ring up at €119.99 ($162), you can double the storage space for just €30 ($41) more.[Via DAPReview]
Metz unveils 100Hz Linus 32 LCDs, includes hybrid tuners and HDD
Amidst the onslaught of releases surrounding IFA comes one from Metz, which is introducing a pair of feature-laden LCD HDTVs for the European market. The 32 HDTV 100 and Linus 32 HDTV 100 R both tout 100Hz technology, integrated "double-hybrid tuners" for cable and aerial (DVB-C / DVB-T) reception, Dynamic Motion Compensation to nix the jaggies, and two "externally accessible input slots for CA modules with smart cards that open up the possibility of being able to receive various pay-TV channels." Moreover, the "R" model comes equipped with a 160GB hard drive, which enables users to store up to 200-hours of SD content, 30-hours of HD programming, or any combination of the two sans a traditional DVR. You'll also find a trio of HDMI ports, DVI, and even a USB interface for loading up photo slideshows. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment, but both of these sets should be hitting the streets next month.[Via Messe-Berlin]
