MediaPlayers
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Purported fifth-gen iPod touch panel slips out, shows a tall 4.1-inch screen that's possibly iPhone-bound
It's been a long, long time since Apple undertook a significant redesign of the iPod touch, which hasn't been looked at since 2010 and received just a splash of white last year. A possible front panel part leak we've just seen could overturn all that -- and hint at the 2012 iPhone's direction in the process. If we go by the claims of MacRumors' supplier friends, the media player would be growing up, but not out, with a taller 4.1-inch screen. We're skeptical, as the white part (black on the inside) seems almost too good to be true -- we haven't seen anything similar elsewhere in the unofficial parts market. Still, having heard murmurs of larger iPhone screens and knowing Apple's own tendency to base the iPod touch on whatever iPhone flavor is new this year, we could be looking at iPhones and iPods growing for the first time since 2007. There's also some as yet unconfirmed next-gen iPhone parts included by the source, although we'd hesitate to call them smoking guns unless they're put together in Apple-like form later in the year.
iGUGU InterneTV works as promised in its strange little niche (hands-on)
The first time we laid eyes on iGUGU's InterneTV marketing materials, we sensed something was strange in the neighborhood. After seeing the unique product in action though, we've decided to give it a bit more credit. Unlike most internet TV solutions that rely on set-top boxes to stream content, iGUGU's product attempts to make connecting an existing computer to a TV easier using software, a wireless or wired TV connector, and a special QWERTY keyboard remote. The software then provides a not-so-pretty TV interface for browsing through any type of content a computer could normally access online. True to its word, we watched the system play videos on ABC.com and other blocked sites devices like a Roku box or AppleTV can't access. The application also allows users to play local content stored on the computer and aggregates content in pre-populated "channels" like local news, movies, and TV shows. That's all gravy, but we're not sure its worth $99 considering it still requires a computer to work. For more shots of the UI and included components browse through the gallery below. %Gallery-113946%
Apple says WiFi-equipped iPods are the wave of the future... maybe
During the Apple earnings call today, the company suggested that WiFi-enabled iPods were "one" of the future directions in which Cupertino sees the media player market heading. While sticking to vague characterizations, a spokesperson intimated that wireless communication would play a role in upcoming devices (as demonstrated in the iPod touch), saying, "The iPod market is bigger than just for simple music players, one of the iPod's future direction is to be one of the first WiFi mobile platforms." Of course, Apple wasn't ready to put all its eggs in one basket, nor did it mention emerging wireless technologies such as WiMAX, but they're probably confident that customers will take it where they can get it.
Meizu M6 SP gets better for less yuan
When we eyed the Meizu M6 Mini Player earlier this year, it was almost love at first playlist -- it was slick, small, and inexpensive. So you can imagine our joy in informing you that the new Meizu M6 SP will be just like its predecessor, only better and cheaper. The SP model will bring a new Samsung chipset that purportedly offers "advanced DSP functionality" for 150-300 yuan ($19-$38) less than the old version. The M6 SP comes in 1GB, 2GB and 4GB sizes, and will cost between 700 yuan ($88) and 1,300 yuan ($164); hopefully, that'll translate into price cuts for the US markets as well. [Via DAP Review]
Archos officially announces all five Generation 4 devices
Not too many surprises here -- after all, we've already seen a full review of one of these new models -- but now PMP pioneer Archos has officially taken the wraps off of all the so-called Generation 4 devices we initially spotted over two months ago. First out of the gate will be the 3.5-inch 404 and 4.3-inch 604 media players whose specs and performance have gradually been revealed over the last few weeks, and all we really had wrong about the two thirty giggers was their prices: the former will go for $300 while the latter will set you back $350 when they ship next month (though pre-orders are already being taken). Coming later in the year will be a version of the 404 with an integrated camcorder as well as a touchscreen, wireless-enabled iteration of the 604 (for downloading internet content), and like all the Gen4 models, these will require a separate DVR docking station in order to record content from and playback content to external sources and monitors. Last but certainly not least is the surprisingly capacious 160GB 504 (we originally thought it would sport only a 40GB HDD), although at this point Archos is keeping mum on such deets as screen size, pricing, and availability. All-in-all a very exciting new crop of PMPs, and like previous products from the company, these will likely continue to be the media players against which all other competitors are judged.
