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Samsung S2 and S3 hands-on
We just got to spend a smidgen of quality time with Samsung's new boringdaps: the S2 and S3. Gone are the pretensions of Bluetooth grandeur of the P2, these two players are about as straightforward as it gets. Samsung's targeting the fashionistas in the crowd, and while the S3 might be a bit larger than they were hoping for in a 4GB player, the S2 "pebble" has kind of a fun feel to it -- though some sort of clip-on apparatus would be appreciated.%Gallery-21369%
Paul Miller04.23.2008
Samsung intros the S2 'Pebble' and slim S3 portable media players
Samsung -- known for dropping a PMP or two on the public -- has introduced a couple of new media players sure to have you tearing up and snapping open piggy banks. First up is the S2 "Pebble" player which we saw a little while back, a tiny, rounded DAP with 1GB of storage on-board that can tune in your favorite FM stations (they still have those, right?) as well as play back MP3, WMA, and OGG files. The S2 comes in green, purple, red, and black / white, which should make it easy to match up with your outfit. The other new offering is the S3, a 4GB or 8GB full-function (yet slim) device which sports a 240 x 320 display, plays MP3, MPEG4, and WMA files, includes an FM tuner, flash games, and comes in green, red, blue, or black / white. Both models will be available in June, no word on price. Stay tuned for a thrilling hands-on experience with both new models.
Joshua Topolsky04.23.2008
SZ Telstar MP4-963FR PMP picks a lame device to ape
Okay, so SZ Telstar's MP4-963FR isn't exactly like Motorola's ROKR E8, but that horseshoe-styled power button sure is eerily familiar, isn't it? Outside of that, this me-too PMP exemplifies vanilla, sporting just a 2.4-inch LCD, FM tuner, eight equalizer presets, a few built-in games, a text viewer and support for MP3, MPEG4 and XviD file formats. Seems you'll have to do some digging to find out a price, but really, you're probably better off leaving well enough alone.[Via PMPToday]
Darren Murph04.21.2008
AOC intros format-lovin' X600 portable media player
To say it's been awhile since we've seen anything noteworthy from AOC would be a gross understatement, but the Chinese firm is hitting back with a sleek new PMP that just dares you to feed it off-the-wall formats. Besides boasting an expansive 3-inch 400 x 240 resolution display, this bugger handles RM, RMVB, FLV, AVI, MOV, ASF, MP4, WMV, MPG, WMA, MP3, APE and FLAC files (among others) and offers up an FM tuner, text / photo viewer, 4GB of storage space and TV-out functionality. Fairly potent for 599 yuan ($85), huh?[Via PMPToday]
Darren Murph04.03.2008
The Cranko MP3 player twists our panties into a knot
You know what kids in developing nations need besides water, vaccines, and schools? MP3 players... and laptops, lots of laptops. Meet the Cranko, at least that's what we're calling it since Thanko's "Cranking MP3 Player" bores us to the point of Wal-marting razor blades. The 1GB capacity player from Thanko features a flashlight and 10 minute charge per minute of cranking. You know, just in case your spelunking adventures take you too far away from a USB port. Yours now for ¥6,000 or about $60.
Thomas Ricker03.27.2008
Panasonic SV-SD870N D-snap DAP goes 100 hours strong
Nah, Panasonic's SV-SD870N isn't the longest lasting DAP we've ever laid eyes upon, but few would find the courage to kvetch over 100 hours on a full charge. The latest in Panasonic's D-snap lineup, this unit promises to cut out "83-percent" of surrounding noise (and a good chunk of battery life) at the press of a button and supports SD / SDHC cards along with direct recording if plugged into a D-dock device. Furthermore, this one is set to arrive in red, black, silver, blue and white motifs, come stocked with a 2GB SD card, boast USB 2.0 connectivity and play nice with AAC, WMA and MP3 file formats. Quite frankly, we're still a little turned off by that interface, but those unconcerned with such matters can slip one in their pocket next month.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Darren Murph03.18.2008
Soundstream's X-ITE MP28 codec-happy touchscreen player
In the me-too world of obscure DAP manufacturers, there's one sure-fire way to make sure you stand out in the crowd, and that's codec support. Soundstream took that to heart with its new X-ITE MP28 touchscreen player, which supports MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV, FLAC, OGG, and APE for audio playback, and MP4, DIVX, XVIDV, AVI, and MTV for video. AAC is notably absent from that list, but uncompressed audio aficionados should have a field day. Other features include a 2.8-inch touchscreen, FM radio, voice recording and a miniSD slot. The player comes in 2GB and 4GB capacities, and Soundstream is based in the good old USA, so we might even end up seeing this one around. No word on price.[Via PMP Today]
Paul Miller03.17.2008
iriver's E100 reviewed before it hits American soil
As any true iriver aficionado would realize, just because one of its device isn't yet available in the US doesn't mean that it's not being thoroughly enjoyed elsewhere. Case in point: the E100, which was recently loosed in Europe, has already been acquired, photographed and reviewed by the cats over at Pocketables, and unfortunately for those certain of this thing's awesomeness, it's not exactly the surefire winner you had hoped for. Put simply, the fantastic styling and native FLAC support weren't enough to overcome the lackluster speaker output, subpar audio quality (for iriver standards, anyway) and non-integration of material on the internal memory and microSD card. Still, it seems that those without ultra-high expectations would be more than pleased with what the E100 is packin', but we'd still recommend giving the full review a look before pulling the trigger and never looking back.[Thanks, Jenn]
Darren Murph03.15.2008Samsung's round YP-S2 DAP gets the sneak peek action
We haven't heard much about Samsung's pebble-tacular YP-S2 DAP, but maybe that's because there's not much to say: the 1GB player comes in a variety of metallic colors and plays WMA and MP3 for about 10 hours at a go. We'd suppose it also works well as a skippin' stone, but it's all just conjecture till it hits in May. Check a little vid after the break.
Nilay Patel03.13.2008
Keepin' it real fake, part CXIII: the Blade Runner MP4 player doesn't make calls, retire Replicants
Like peanut butter and jelly, oil and vinegar, and Benny and Joon, some things just go together. If you thought the words "Blade Runner" and the industrial design of the RAZR were always "meant to be," your day has finally come. Enter the Blade Runner MP4 player -- the PMP that looks like a phone, but acts like far, far, far less. The device has lots of familiar media player features, but let's be honest: all the information you need about this baby is up in that photo above. Own the magic today for $49.99.[Via Crave]
Joshua Topolsky03.11.2008
The first MP3 player celebrates its 10th birthday
Odds are, you take your iPod or Zune for granted. You probably don't think about the crazy technological advancements we've made, but take a ten-year look back at the world's first MP3 player -- the MPMan F10 -- and you'll get a sense of just how far we've come. Manufactured by Korea's Saehan Information Systems, the device was launched in March of 1998 at CeBIT, and went on sale in the Summer through Eiger Labs for $250. The player featured 32MB of flash memory (which could be upgraded to 64MB via mail-in scheme), connected to PCs via parallel port, and had a miniscule LCD for playback info -- but it laid the groundwork for the tech we have today. Following the MPMan's release, Rio unleashed its PMP300, which received a warmer reception and all-but eclipsed the F10's status as "first" amongst players, likely due to the company's well-known (and groundbreaking) legal battle against the RIAA. Still, first is first, so help keep the MPMan's rich history alive, and celebrate its ten-year anniversary this month with campfire songs and story-telling. Check out the archived read link of the original Eiger Labs site for a wild and wacky trip through time.[Via Register Hardware]
Joshua Topolsky03.11.2008
SanDisk's Sansa Fuze gets more details, shipping date
Remember that Sansa Fuze from yesterday? Well, we've gotten some sweet PR on it with a few more details we didn't hear about yesterday. The device will come in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB configurations, feature playback of MP3, WAV, Audible, WMA, MPEG-4, and JPEG files, and will be compatible with subscription services like Rhapsody To Go, Napster, and eMusic. As we mentioned in the previous post, the 4GB model will be available in black, red, pink, or blue, while the 2GB version only comes in black, and the 8GB is only available in silver. The models are priced at $79.99, $99.99, and $129.99, and will be available sometime in April.
Joshua Topolsky03.11.2008
Inngenio 6000 PMP does 2.8-inches of touchscreen on the cheap
Energy Sistem is making a play for your DAP dollar with the steel-crafted Inngenio 6000. The player runs a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen, with a built-in speaker, 2GB of storage and microSD expansion along for the ride. FM, voice recording, an e-book reader and some games are all included, and you can manage MP3, WMA and XVID playback. It's available now -- at least in Spain -- for €90 (about $138 US). [Via PMP Today]
Paul Miller03.10.2008SanDisk's Sansa Fuze gets official, priced
Check it -- HandStands isn't just making kit for items not yet conceived. Oh no, SanDisk's Sansa Fuze is indeed more than a figment of someone's clever imagination. Judging by a product listing at Amazon, this media player is set to ship "within one to three months" and features a 1.9-inch display, FM tuner, built-in microphone for voice recording, a battery good for 24 hours (audio) / 5 hours (video) and a microSD / microSDHC expansion slot for good measure. As of now, we know that the 4GB unit in red, pink or black will sell for $99.99, but there's no word on whether more (or less, for that matter) capacious / colorful models will eventually emerge.[Via DAPreview, thanks Nick]
Darren Murph03.10.2008
Technaxx TouchMe: yet another touchscreen PMP
No, we haven't heard of Technaxx, but we've certainly seen oodles of PMPs that look mighty similar to its latest. Nevertheless, those who just can't resist the whole TouchMe model name will find a 2.8-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, support for MPEG4, AVI, MP3, WMA, JPG and BMP file formats, a text viewer, microSD expansion slot and USB 2.0 connectivity. Additionally, the unit is slated to be available in seven hues -- orange, blue, light-green, black, pink, red and silver -- but Technaxx has yet to divulge any pricing / availability information.[Via PlayerBites]
Darren Murph03.06.2008
The Cuso PC S600 is not the UMPC of your dreams... or a UMPC
Enter the Cuso PC S600 "UMPC," your ticket to near-constant ridicule from friends and family. Sure, you'd think with specs like the blazing 266MHz ARM CPU, 1GB or 4GB of flash memory, 802.11b WiFi, miniSD support, playback of MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV, OGG, AAC, APE, AVI, WMV, DIVX, H.264, ASF, and 3GP files (um, with the freeware app TCPMP), and all kinds of Windows CE-powered document handling (TXT, DOC, XLS, PDF, PPT, PPS) you'd be all set, but we don't think it's that simple. There's something about that cheap looking plastic casing, stereo speakers, and totally out of line use of the term UMPC that tell us this probably isn't much more than a glorified PMP. On the bright side, we're thinking this isn't going to break any banks, though we've got no word on price or release date.[Thanks, KC Kim]
Joshua Topolsky03.02.2008
iriver E100 hits Europe
iriver unveiled a whole bunch of hotness at this year's CES, so you'll have to pick your next player from them wisely... lest you end up buying the whole lot. That said, we're not sure the E100 would be our first choice, but it's certainly no slouch in the looks or specs departments, and it's hitting the market well before most of those fancier players. There's a 2.4-inch QVGA display, built-in stereo speakers and a microSD slot to supplement the included memory. Audio codec support includes FLAC, MP3, WMA, ASF and OGG, while you can manage MPEG-4, WMV9 and XVID for video. There's also a mic, FM radio and line-in for acquiring audio. The E100 is available now, with prices starting at €79.00 ($119 US) for a 2GB player, and ramping on up to €129.00 ($194 US) for the 8GB.[Via Generation MP3]
Paul Miller02.29.2008
Soda can "MP4" player will leave you thirsty... for dignity
Finally, an MP4 player that suits our lifestyle. When we're out on the street, feeling the hot rays of the sun, hustling to stay afloat, and generally just jamming, the Neux Corp. Ltd. NXMP324 is what we want. Sure, you can't actually crack this puppy open and gulp it down like a real soda, but you can take a sip of the funky combination of 128MB to 4GB capacities, MP3, WMA, WMV, WAV and ASF file support, built-in USB 2.0 jack, and bonus FM radio. Seriously though, the can comes in red or blue, but there isn't a color in the rainbow that would convince us to buy this thing.[Via PMP Today]
Joshua Topolsky02.25.2008
Oakley's Split Thumps: Jamiroquai style
Oakley's Split Thump MP3 player sunglasses' fashion offenses are too numerous to mention, and we're not sure this is helping matters. According to the folks over at Tech Digest, the wrap-around music players will be getting a very special 500-piece, 1GB Jamiroquai edition, replete with purple and white camouflage design and two new remixes from the disco-aping singer's 1993 album Emergency on Planet Earth. Grab your glasses, get out your floppy hat, slip on some Mickey Mouse gloves, and crack open a bottle of Vicks VapoRub -- it's time to party like you don't know any better.
Joshua Topolsky02.25.2008
Sumvision Ice 1000 tries to be an iPod touch, fails miserably
Oh yeah, we've seen our fair share of iPod touch imposters, and while this one isn't out to totally knock off Apple's darling per se, it's fairly devoid of originality. The Sumvision Ice 1000 offers up a 2.8-inch 320 x 240 resolution touchscreen, up to 4GB of internal storage space, a microSD expansion slot, built-in FM tuner and rechargeable battery, voice recorder, USB 2.0 connectivity and support for XviD, AVI, MP4, MP3 and WMA file formats. The good news? It's available now for £54.99 ($108) -- see how far that gets you in an Apple store.[Via MobileMag]
Darren Murph02.19.2008