creative
Latest
Creative's Zii actually a CES-bound processing chip
While our vivid imaginations certainly had something more invigorating than this in mind, we suppose Creative could still surprise us at CES 2009. The curious Zii website we peeked a few days back is reportedly referring to an all new processing chip, and while eipZENter isn't being too forthcoming with details just yet, we are told that it will likely be "one of the biggest projects Creative has invested in." If that's just too vague for your tastes, try this: "[Zii] is completely different from the X-Fi audio chip and it will be used in a variety of upcoming products." Alrighty then.[Thanks, Swild]
Darren Murph12.28.2008
Creative's Zii "Stemcell Computing" is not likely to be awesome
Look, we have no idea what's going on here, and you know what? Maybe it's better that way. Creative -- a company always on the edge -- has clearly gone off the deep end. A new teaser on its site promises that "Everything you know is about to change..." and forwards on to the dubious Zii.com -- with a logo that couldn't be more obvious about its Wii inspiration. Four leaf clovers shimmer and shake, and a trademarked term chills us to our very core: Stemcell Computing. Yeah, how about no. If this is at all interesting to you, we recommend registering for updates soon, before this company manages to implode the Earth with its mad, mad science.[Thanks, Grayson S.]
Paul Miller12.26.2008
Creative's Vado HD 720p pocket camcorder reviewed: toe-to-toe with Mino HD
First was the netbook craze -- suddenly, everyone was cool with a miniaturized laptop. Now, the same sentiment has apparently bled over to the camcorder realm, with the Mino HD, Zi6 and Vado HD all vying for that precious space in your front left pocket. The latter, Creative's latest, was recently reviewed over at CNET, and while it'd be wonderful to find a clear cut winner, critics simply couldn't say that it was definitively superior in all ways to Flip's formidable rival. In short, the Vado HD's video quality was slightly less awesome than that of the Mino HD, but the feature set on the Creative was found to be far superior. Before pulling the trigger on either, we'd have a peek at the read link to see what aspects are most important to you.
Darren Murph12.11.2008
Hands-on shots of Creative's Vado HD 720p pocket camcorder
Creative's recently unleashed Vado HD 720p pocket camcorder isn't dramatically different (design wise, anyway) than its predecessor, but it's obviously what's tucked inside that counts. Still, we have to admire the subtle but meaningful updates that Creative has applied here, and while beauty will strike everyone differently, we personally like the direction the Vado HD has taken. For a few more looks, saunter on down to the read link.
Darren Murph12.09.2008
Creative's Vado HD 720p pocket camcorder now on sale for $199.99
It was up for pre-order late last month, but now Creative's proper successor to the Vado (that'd be the Vado HD) is finally on sale and ready to ship. For those with incredibly short memories, this 720p pocket cam boasts HDMI connectivity, 8GB of inbuilt memory for up to two hours of HD footage, a carbon black chassis, 2-inch LCD screen and an integrated USB connector for easy exporting. As for pricing, the MSRP sits at $229.99, but even Creative's own webstore is offering it for $199.99.
Darren Murph12.08.2008
Creative's $200 Vado HD pocket camcorder ready for pre-order
We've seen these Amazon "leaks" time and again. So while the December 7th date for the Vado HD might be an educated guess, the details including that $200 price tag certainly look real enough. The display still measures 2-inches, but the beefier 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3-inch solid state camcorder now brings 8GB of storage for up to 2 hours of 720p MPEG-4 recordings -- 8 hours at VGA quality. It also ships with an HDMI cable for instant playback to your like-equipped television. Otherwise, slot the cam into your PC's (XP and Vista, only) USB port to instantly share your works to YouTube and others with the help of the cam's built-in Vado Central Software. With this, the Kodak Zi6, and Flip Mino HD, there certainly won't be any shortage of pocket HD cameras of suspect-tweener quality to choose from this holiday season.[Via epiZENter]
Thomas Ricker11.26.2008
Creative gives up, introduces the Zen Moo
We've seen plenty of cheap plastic MP3 land-fillers in our day. But those usually originate from deep-down within the fetid bowels of some no-name manufacturing house in southeast Asia, not the once illustrious Creative. The Zen Moo (yes, Moo) appears to be be a Zen Stone with extra bits of plastic and paint added to achieve Cow. Like the Stone, you get a small OLED, 2GB of memory, 20 hours of playback, and FM tuner to the delight of kids across China (where the Zen Moo was announced) -- hey, it's never too early to destroy a child's hearing. Gift-wrapped product waifs holding the accompanying speaker accessory after the break. Update: Seems the Zen Moo is a tribute to the 2009 Chinese New Year, year of the plastic cow.[Via EpiZENTer, thanks Oscar M.]
Thomas Ricker11.21.2008
Creative Vado HD pocket camcorder makes a few cameo appearances
Creative's Vado pocket cam hasn't been nearly as popular as the various Flips or the Kodak Zi6, but it looks like the company is taking another shot at it -- hot on the heels of the Flip Mino HD's introduction, we're seeing hints that a Vado HD is on the way as well. All we know so far is the S$299 (US$195) pricetag printed in Creative's Singapore holiday catalog, but the short HD videos posted by a user named "Vado" on Vimeo look nice enough. Check 'em after the break -- hopefully we'll find out more soon.
Nilay Patel11.19.2008
Creative announces more unimpressive X-Fi gear
It's hard to believe that something this banal could required a press event -- it's like the Apple Hi-Fi event all over again. Nevertheless, Creative duped a bunch of journalists into an in-person showing of their $90 Sound Blaster X-Fi Notebook Sound Card and $270 Creative Wireless Receiver. Sure, the combo allows you to stream that premium X-Fi audio wirelessly from your laptop to any speaker in the house, but that's something we've been doing since, oh, 1999 for crissake. While you can argue the merits of X-Fi fidelity (which doesn't match the hype based on our own experience and that of others), we can't help but wonder if Creative has completely lost its way in the portable audio and video marketplace.[Via Nothing But Creative]
Thomas Ricker09.17.2008
Creative hosting event on 17th, new X-Fi products expected
That's an honest to goodness media invite from Creative. The kind sent to tease us into attending product launches. So it's natural to expect something new from Creative when this thing kicks off on September 17th. Will we finally see the launch of Creative's long-rumored, and sorely-needed evolution to the Zen Vision or just more gear of notable sound quality but questionable build and interface design? We shall see.[Thanks, Brandon L.]
Thomas Ricker09.12.2008
Creative patent reveals mysterious media player
Not much to go on with this one, but a patent issued to Creative at the start of this year and apparently just recently made public has revealed this rather curious looking media player, which doesn't quite match up with anything the company has released thus far. Of course, that could mean it's just an idea the company has since scrapped or, as Anything But iPod speculates, it could be an indication of a forthcoming Zen Vision media player -- or, less likely, an internet tablet of some sort. Hit up the link below to peruse the patent for yourself.[Via Anything But iPod, thanks Jamil]
Donald Melanson09.11.2008
Creative's Zen Mozaic, X-Fi players hands-on
We won't belabor these two: X-Fi has been spotted plenty of times before, and the Zen Mozaic "is a crap," as our friends at Engadget Spanish put it. There was no functioning WiFi to test out the X-Fi's networking features, but they looked pretty tedious on the surface, and the player is otherwise okay but unimpressive. Meanwhile, the Zen Mozaic is just another in a long line of shoddily built -- if interesting looking -- low-end DAPs from Creative. Next!%Gallery-30845%
Paul Miller08.30.2008
Creative X-Fi Go! mobile sound card set to appear at IFA
Creative isn't showing off too much new stuff at IFA this week, but we should be hearing about the X-Fi Go! mobile sound card, which looks to be an update on the old Soundblaster Play!. The tiny USB 2.0 stick packs in quite of bit of audio-tweaking magic, with Crystallizer, CMSS-3D, EAX Advanced HD and OpenAL support, as well as 1GB of flash storage preloaded with Alchemy, WaveStudio, and other apps. Available now in Singapore for S$79 ($56), we'd guess it'll be similarly priced when it hits Stateside.[Via Electronista]
Nilay Patel08.27.2008
Get a Mac, get a job
As the economy makes with the poop, we can all use a little bit of extra help finding work. Whether it's side projects, or full-time employment, there are plenty of jobs available for system administrators, programmers, and creative people -- all who use a Mac. I've assembled a collection of sites and job boards that cater to those with a technical and creative skill set -- people who probably use a Mac. This is by no means a complete list, but should help anyone starting to look for work. Comments consisting of "how could you dare possibly omit [insert name of board here]" will be met with resigned sighs from me, but cheers from our readers. So feel free to point people in the direction of boards that you've used or trusted before in comments. Follow me across the jump for the list.
Robert Palmer08.21.2008
Creative's 2GB / 4GB ZEN Mozaic DAP now available
Creative got a bit more creative with the ZEN Mosaic's name since we spotted it in Singapore last month, but the freshly rechristened ZEN Mozaic is now available (and in stock, just to be exceptionally clear) in the US of A for your purchasing pleasure. For those seeking a brief refresher, here goes: there's a 1.8-inch display (160 x 128 resolution), up to 36 hours of audio playback / 5 hours of video playback, support for MP3 / WAV / WMA / JPEG / BMP files, a 5-band custom equalizer, calender / contacts / task list and USB 2.0 connectivity. The oddly designed DAP can be procured in both 2GB and 4GB flavors (but only in black, at least for now), with the former going for $59.99 and the latter $79.99.[Thanks, Oscar]
Darren Murph08.03.2008
Creative rolls out (working) driver update for X-Fi cards
While at least one enterprising individual did his best to get Creative's X-Fi sound cards to play nice with Vista, Creative wasn't exactly keen on that idea and apparently decided to have a go at updating its drivers itself instead (go figure). Among other things, the new, long overdue drivers supposedly fix the problematic Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, and they add DVD Audio playback, which previously worked under Windows XP but not in Vista -- you know, the little things. Hit up the link below to find the link to the drivers themselves, which work with all X-Fi cards except the X-Fi Extreme Audio, which is clearly so "Extreme" it doesn't need driver updates.[Thanks, Bamboo]
Donald Melanson07.31.2008
Creative announces Zen Mosaic, looks like bad Mondrian
Creative's got yet another on the way: the Zen Mosaic, which will have a 1.8-inch display, 2, 4, or 8GB capacities, FM tuner, speakers, MP3 / WMA / WAV / Audible codec support, and 32 hours of battery life. They're apparently starting in Singapore and working their way over, but they shouldn't top $200 when they're eventually announced for the US.[Thanks, Rube]Read - Announced details on the player [Via EpiZenter]Read - First hands-on
Ryan Block07.24.2008
Creative ZEN X-Fi reviewed, but mostly just taken apart
Not a ton's changed with Creative's ZEN X-Fi -- which we all well know at this point -- so for right now we're just paying closer attention to its innards all broken out like a science fair project. Careful, the teardown link below contains graphic representations of disrobed consumer electronics.[Thanks, Josh and Mindy]Read - Zen X-Fi teardownRead - Anything But iPod's reviewRead - Pocketables review
Ryan Block07.21.2008
ZEN Krystal revealed on Creative's Hong Kong site
Apparently Creative is cooking up more than just the ZEN X-Fi as of late, according to a discovery made by anythingbutipod forum members. The crew stumbled onto the ZEN Krystal, a small MP3 player that features 4GB of storage, a blue OLED display, an FM tuner, and support for MP3 and WMA files. What really makes the device pique our curiosity, however, is the included built-in pedometer, which can track distance and speed à la Nike+, as well as the handful of games that come on-board the little guy. Right now the player is only up on Creative's Hong Kong site, and we've got no word on price or release date.[Via anythingbutipod]
Joshua Topolsky07.17.2008
Creative's 16GB / 32GB ZEN X-Fi PMPs now on sale in America
It's one thing to say "available now." It's another thing to give consumers a "Buy Now" button. For those of you anxious to plunk down a few bills and some spare change to bring home one of Creative's new WiFi-equipped ZEN X-Fi units, today's your lucky day. The 16GB edition is shipping now from Amazon for $199.99, while the 32GB sibling demands $279.99. Order away... or not, totally up to you.[Thanks, Mickey J.]Read - 16GB ZEN X-FiRead - 32GB ZEN X-Fi
Darren Murph07.16.2008