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NHC's Magic-Talker Color Personal Multi-lingual Assistant
Chances are good that if you're reading this publication you already have a pretty decent grasp of English (probably better than ours, in fact), but for the native Japanese speaker looking to brush up on his/her foreign language skills, we can't think of a device better suited for the task than NHC's rather awkwardly-named Magic-Talker Color Personal Multi-lingual Assistant. Like previous offerings we've seen from Sharp, iRiver, and Franklin, the USB 2.0-compatible Magic-Talker contains numerous dictionaries along with incorporating MP3 and WMA music playback functionality, but those goodies are just the tip of the iceberg. You're also getting tons of conversation tutorials -- complete with animated representations on the full color QVGA display -- and several practice tests for acing the TOEIC exam and impressing business colleagues with your copious English skillz. But that's not all, as this 256MB device (upgradable by 2GB with an SD card) also supports DivX and MPEG-4 video playback (with a TV out for vids up to 640 x 480 at 30fps) and sports an FM tuner (with direct recording, of course), line-in recording, and the ubiquitous voice recorder for practicing your pronunciation. Games, a calculator, and an E-Book reader are also standard, making the ¥44,800 ($386) LM-500J (as it's officially known) seem like a veritable steal compared to similarly-priced devices without nearly as many features. Throw in some WiFi, Bluetooth, and WLAN radios, and we'd even buy one, though we couldn't for the life of us tell you the difference between kanji, katakana, and hiragana.[Via Impress]
SanDisk unveils 8GB, expandable Sansa e280
SanDisk is making its latest push against Apple's venerable iPod nano, and unlike the sour grapes iDon't campaign, this one has definite potential to knock a few precious percentage points off of Cupertino's still-overwhelming market share. Besides officially unveiling the 8GB Sansa e280 that we'd seen coming for awhile, the Milipitas-based company also announced price drops on the entire e200 lineup of players, bringing the 6GB e270 down to $220, the 4GB e260 to $180, and the 2GB e250 to just $140. As with other members of the Sansa family, the e280 also includes a microSD slot for jacking total memory up 10GB -- meaning that even if Apple can get an 8GB nano out the door by the holiday season, SanDisk will still hold the title of "most capacious flash-based DAP." The other value-added features that have helped SanDisk quickly acquire its number two position in the marketplace are also still present: you're getting video playback capability (using a proprietary converter, granted), an FM tuner with "on-the-fly" recording, a user-replaceable 20-hour lithium ion battery, embedded voice recorder, and support for MP3, WMA, and PlaysForSure tracks. All this functionality will set you back just $250, so unless you've already got thousands of FairPlay songs sitting on your hard drive (and don't feel like stripping the DRM), the Sansa e280 looks like an awfully strong contender from where we're standing.
Aigo's A215 touts 50 hour battery life
There are those of us who want a portable music / media player that does it all, and lasts an unnecessarily long time on a single charge, but since that probably ain't happening anytime soon (without costing a small fortune), Aigo figured it might as well go all-out in one particular department for those who don't mind reaping the longevous benefits associated with simplicity. While the A215 can't play video clips, only sports a three-line LCD display, lacks an FM tuner, and can't be recharged through a USB port, this minuscule audio player does manage to outlast those feature-ridden competitors by pumping out the jams for 50 solid hours. The design here seems decent enough, and we're genuinely relieved that it doesn't borrow from the styling cues found on their MP3-playing (and opposite-gender-deterring) wristwatch. A notable limitation is the inability to play back any formats other than your basic MP3 and WMA files, though it apparently will play nice with WMA-DRM. Curiously enough, the spec sheet claims that legendary "50 hour" figure only applies when tapping your foot to MP3 files; if your collection happens to be in WMA, you can "only" count on 35 hours, for whatever reason. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a pocketable way to carry a few tunes around, and don't mind its sheer inability to do anything over and above play them back for an erroneously long time, the 2GB A215 can maximize the utility of that spare AA battery for £69.99 ($132).[Via MobileMag]
Archos 604 30GB portable media player reviewed
It appears that Archos has got this portable media player gig down pat, as the 30GB 604, unveiled as an affordable replacement for the well-received AV500, has done quite a commendable job building itself a bit of buzz. Rather than altering too much of a good thing, Archos decided to just tweak the 604, adding several meaningful extras while removing a few advanced features in order to get that price tag down to near-bargain basement levels. The folks over at CNET were able to get some face time with the new PMP, and in similar fashion to its predecessor, received an excellent rating. Although the 604 isn't the most pocket-friendly unit reviewers had seen, they felt that increasing the screen size from 4.0 to 4.3-inches (and improving its durability / performance) was well worth it. The brushed metal look must have really struck a chord as well, as this sexy sidekick was touted as being "pretty hot" in regards to its design. One feature that definitely made the review crew sweat was the nifty kickstand, something sorely absent on the AV500 (and its "main competitor," the Cowon A2). The controls and well-developed GUI left a very positive impression, and its ability to play back all types of media ranging from AVI, MPEG-4, PlaysForSure WMA and WMV, MP3, and WAV garnered even more praise. But, as expected, not everything was entirely peachy, as those looking to record video / audio right out of the box won't find the tools they need. Archos apparently made a purposeful omission and left the DVR gear as an optional accessory, just in case some folks didn't want to pony up the extra $100 for the at-home convenience. It was noted that the unit performed well when paired up with the Archos DVR Station, and the staff was more than satisfied with the 14+ hours of audio / 4 hours of video use reportedly on tap via the removable battery. If you haven't caught the drift at this point, here's the skinny: the Archos 604 is a worthy update to the respectable AV500, and if you're looking to snap up a PMP (and maybe add recording capabilities down the road), it's not a bad way at all to spend $350.
Gemei X-21 offers APE support
While seeing a flashy looking new DAP roll out of China happens more times than we care to count, every so often a player hits the market with a feature that's actually quite remarkable. While the overall specs aren't revolutionary, the Gemei X-21 offers support for an audio format that few other players do, and is sure to catch the discerning ears of audiophiles everywhere. The focal point on this otherwise average unit is its ability to play back APE audio files, more appropriately known as Monkey's Audio, which is a lossless format (similar to FLAC) that supposedly suffers no loss in quality from the original regardless of how many times it's uncompressed and re-encoded. Unfortunately, you won't stuff too many of those hefty APE jams onto the 512 MB of internal storage, since APE encoding reportedly only decreases file size by about 55 percent. Nevertheless, the "aluminum cased" DAP sports a fairly nice looking design, and the bold 2.0-inch screen apparently uses all 208 x 176 pixels to display photos, but gives no love to video clips. Aside from your basic track / volume controls, USB 2.0 connectivity, and obligatory white headphones, the unit supports the aforementioned APE, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and WMA (no word on WMA-DRM). While it does toss in an FM tuner, the real downer here isn't the lack of pricing or availability, but rather the apparent omission of an expansion slot to load up tunes via memory card -- and honestly, you can't exactly go ape wild with just 512MB.[Via DAPreview]
Novac's sleek MP3 Walker series DAPs
Okay, so there's probably enough forgettable foreign DAPs out there to keep the tunes rolling from now 'til the end of time, and while there's little about Novak's latest lineup that stands out from the immensely saturated market, it appears to have all the basics down pat (including reasonable prices). The MP-EB101, MP-EB102, and MP-EB105 make up the Walker series, and house 128MB, 256MB, and 512MB of internal flash storage respectively. These minuscule players can play back MP3s and WMAs (but won't play nice with WMA-DRM files), and have a nifty (but probably overrated) feature that displays ID3 tags in 24 different languages on the teeny tiny LCD screen. The feature set pretty much ends there, unfortunately, as the only other notable extras here are the built-in voice recorder (with a slow mo playback option) and the ability to swap out colored faceplates ala Xbox 360. The units do last a commendable 10 hours on a single AAA battery, but you should probably carry a couple of spares with you, as there's no way to recharge your Walker via the USB 2.0 port. The perfectly average Novak offerings won't impress those looking for a mile-long list of attributes, but they do manage to look a tad better than some other oddball alternatives -- and with prices clocking in at ¥3,980 ($34) for 128MB, ¥4,980 ($42) for 256MB, and ¥6,280 ($53) for the 512MB version, you can walk away with one and not break the bank.[Via Digital World Tokyo]
Godot M9500 4GB digital audio player
While we never really heard anything about a lawsuit following the release of Godot's suspiciously familiar mini music player, it looks like the company is swiping a more generic trait this time by outfitting the M9500 in a coat of brushed metal. The palm-sized 4GB DAP sports a 1-inch hard drive beneath its flashy casing, and can playback MP3, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, and WMA-DRM files when not tuned into an FM radio station. The relatively small 124 x 64 pixel LCD displays ID3 tags, and this unit manages to include line-in recording to convert any incoming audio signal to MP3 without the use of a computer. The rechargeable battery supposedly keeps the jams flowing for 9 hours, and with 12 minutes of anti-shock, you joggers should be just fine while on the move. Although this unit could easily be regarded as just another ho hum offering -- albeit one with a glitzy faceplate -- it does offer a few nifty extras such as voice recording and a "bookmarking" feature that allows you to easily recall where you were if you happen to be rudely interrupted (or otherwise) while listening to an audiobook. If you've somehow avoided an impulse buy on one of these middle-of-the-road DAPs, and you just can't resist that brushed metal allure, the M9500 can be picked up now for £80 ($151) in the UK.[Via Shiny Shiny]
China's cheap-as-free Ainol V3 MP3 players
While not the most attractive or featured-filled of their kind, there's really no arguing with the price on these DAPs. The 512MB version of the Ainol V3 retails for a mere $50 (in China, of course), and packs in MP3, WMA, WAV and OGG codec support, a 1.3-inch screen running at 160 x 129 for a bit of photo viewing or text reading, FM radio, USB 2.0 and a most welcome miniSD slot. There's also a rechargeable battery included that should last up to 8 hours, and the V3 manages to squeeze it all into 0.5-inch thick enclosure. If 512MB plus whatever miniSD sticks you have lying around isn't enough storage, you can always jump to the 1GB version for $69.[Via Anything But iPod]
Naf Naf Hyp music player resembles keg
These days, you can find a digital music player in just about every shape and size imaginable, but we should have known the Europeans would find a way to incorporate a favorite pastime into a modern day music maker. The Naf Naf Hyp joins the ranks of odd, yet refreshing, digital audio players that offer the standard fare we've come to know and love, but this keg features an unexpected extra that sadly we have little use for. While this little barrel can playback MP3s, display ID3 tags on the circular LED display, spin standard or MP3-loaded CDs, and pump out the jams through the 2 watt stereo speakers, the oddball here is the built-in cassette player -- yes, cassette, also known as a tape. Aside from that little dash of history, it rocks a graphic EQ, AM / FM tuner, aux-input, alarm clock, multifunction remote, and even a "foldaway carrying handle" to take it back for a refill. Although the quality here is really anybody's guess, it's still going to be mighty hard to resist such a fitting party ornament, and with these available now in red or black for 759,00 DKK (about $130), you can keep your MP3 collection (or 1985 mix tape) on tap.[Via Red Ferret]
Sharp returns to carabiner form with MP-S700/S800 DAPs
Ah yes, the carabiner, most carabiner-ee of all audio player forms. These new ones from Sharp, a followup to their similar MP-S200/S300 DAPs of last year, don't really have a lot more going for them, but we'll give you the break down just for old time's sake. The capacities are the same measly 512MB (MP-S700) and 1GB (MP-S800) of last time, and the mini-display seems fairly identical. There's also the natural MP3/WMA support, along with WMA DRM9 for PlaysForSure enjoyment. The main switch-up is that the new players feature an FM transmitter instead of a tuner, which can come in handy for those road trips, but that 512MB playlist of showtunes is going to get repetitive real fast, believe you us.[Via Impress]
RCA's familiar-looking M5000 series DAPs
If RCA's new M5000 series of DAPs look familiar, then you've got a good eye: we've seen the exact same models before branded as the MSI P610 and Packard Bell Vibe 360. Therefore the feature sets on the 1GB M5001 and 2GB M5002 should come as no surprise, with both models sporting a 1.8-inch color screen capable of AVI and MOV video playback, line-in / voice / FM radio recording, and support for MP3, WMA, and PlaysForSure audio tracks. Those of you who've been kicking yourselves for passing over the MSI and Packard Bell can pick up the M5001 immediately for around $130, while the M5002 still seems to be lacking both pricing and release info.Read- M5001Read- M5002[Via DAPreview]
EGGE's egg-shaped digital media player
Upon initial inspection of this Korean contraption, you could easily find yourself mistaking it for a Tamagotchi, but thankfully this egg-shaped gizmo plays a more productive role. Instead of a few silly pixels wasting your time with unrealistic demands, the EGGE is a low-maintenance digital media player that supports MP3, WMV, MPEG, and AVI formats. Rocking either 512MB or 1GB of capacity, this minuscule device also sports an FM tuner and built-in EQ. Underneath the dome-shaped glass is a 1-inch OLED display that actually supports full motion video (although you may need some type of magnification to reap any enjoyment whatsoever). The internal battery only keeps the in-ear party going for 10 hours, but supposedly plays nice with both OS X and Windows via USB 2.0. The EGGE also packs a nifty flipscreen feature -- when worn from your neck, raising the unit to eye-level yields an upside-down predicament, but with the press of a button, the screen is flipped for your viewing satisfaction. (Sure, an orientation sensor would have made more sense, but where's the fun in that?) While this unit packs some good features into a miniature package, we can't confirm a US hatch date nor market price, but there's always those digital pocket pets, The Egg, the USB Egg, the Tele-Egg, the egg incubator, boiled egg inks, the Pivo, and even other egg audio players to curb your egg-shaped cravings for the time being.[Via Shiny Shiny]
Apple iPod integration coming to Ford, GM, Mazda
While factory integration for Apple's iPod was already a commodity found on some vehicles, it has remained noticeably absent from many of the dashes of America's most financially-unstable automakers. Apple has now inked a deal with Ford, General Motors, and Mazda that could make iPod owners hold off just a bit longer before throwing down for those new wheels, though. Now the iPod will have integration in every single 2007 US Mazda and the "majority" of '07 Ford and GM vehicles as well. While less-than-ideal options have long been available for getting your iPod to function within the confines of your ride, the ability to pump tunes directly from the 'Pod to the speakers without hissy FM transmitters or elaborate wiring schemes is certainly a fresh alternative. According to the statistics, this move will ensure that "70 percent of US automobiles" have factory iPod integration right off the showroom floor. Apple hasn't been in danger of losing its grip on the digital media player market (although a certain corporation has other plans), and giving Ford, GM, and Mazda drivers this functionality should do nothing but good things for those quarterly sales figures. Nevertheless, Steve can't bask for too long in the glory of this deal, for he has a lot of explaining to do come Monday -- starting with all the wondrous possibilities that are already being envisioned due to that damned banner.
Napster DMPJ-250c reviewed
It wasn't too long ago that we got our mitts on Napster's 1GB promotional player, and now the folks over at CNET have spent a bit of time with it to determine whether it's worth the commitment. The DMPJ-250c is a different beast than your off-the-shelf DAPs in that you can't purchase this one without some serious strings attached -- apparently Napster was tired of bundling services with iRiver and Creative products, and decided to kick the middleman to curb and get into the hardware game themselves. (Sound familiar?) The good news was the player will only set you back $50, but the bad news is, of course, you'll be required to buy into a one-year Napster To Go plan at $179.40/year -- which should be no surprise to anyone paying attention. CNET found the unit to be surprisingly light and "pocketable," somewhat resembling a downsized nano with a bigger, brighter, and color-infused screen. No major complaints were made about the menu and button layout, and they seemed into its JPEG and AVI / MPEG-4 clip playback. On the flipside, however, they found the packaged earbuds to be nothing shy of worthless and the screen too small for comfortable video viewing. Further criticisms came for a lack of audio detail and range (even with decent 'buds) compared to similar units, and the dearth of features save for the the "adequate" FM tuner. CNET did award the DMPJ-250c an above average mark, however, citing it a good value at $50, but didn't hesitate to point out the overall quality suffered compared to competing units, and that this player presents little worth to anyone not completely interested in utilizing Napster To Go for a year -- for obvious reason.[Via DAPreview]
Creative's new Zen Neeon 2
First Creative rolled out the hard drive-based Zen Neeon, then it brought the model up-to-date with a little flash memory, and now the company's added a full color screen and dubbed this new device Neeon 2. Available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the newest Neeons clearly have their sights set on the nano, even allowing you to play back specially-formatted video on the admittedly-cramped 128 x 128, 1.5-inch display. As with most Creative DAPs, you're also getting an FM radio, voice recorder, and line-in audio capture, but the color screen definitely takes a toll on battery life, as this model offers a maximum 20 hours of listening. When these Neeons drop later this month -- perhaps in Asia only -- they'll go for $125, $170, or $190, depending on capacity -- not a bad deal, especially for those folks who like personalizing their players with Creative's swappable skins.[Via Cnet Asia, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sony brings NW-E000 series to the States
After a few months of partying down in Japan, Sony's NW-E000 series of thumbdrive DAPs is making its way on over to the States to meet an aging iPod shuffle and cronies. Headlining the series is the 2GB NW-E005, which comes in green, black and violet, and retails for a wallet-friendly $130. Sony also has a $100 1GB version in silver or pink, and a $70 512MB unit in blue to round out the collection. This being Sony, the SonicStage software, Connect Music Store and ATRAC3plus format are all necessary evils, but things do look up from there. Sony has included unprotected MP3, WMA and AAC playback, along with FM radio, one of their sexy (if hard to read) embedded OLED displays, and a 5-mode EQ. The rechargeable batter life is rated at 28 hours when playing ATRAC3plus at 48Kbps, but other formats don't fare so nicely, and the three-minute quick charge only manages three hours of playback. Overall, Sony isn't breaking a lot of ground here, but they are offering a sexy device, a bit of codec support and a dang good deal if you can stand to have the evil tendrils of SonicStage all over your tunes.
Sirius poised to release Stiletto portable receiver
Better late than never, Sirius is finally on the verge of releasing its first "personal live satellite radio product" to consumers, who will see the device ship by the end of the summer and possibly as early as this month. We first spotted the rather chunky-looking player about a month ago in the hands of CEO Mel Karamazin, who said in a recent conference call that the so-called Stiletto (it's not clear if that's the official product moniker or simply an internal codename) has now been in beta testing for a few weeks and seems ready for prime-time (Mel referred to it, probably not without some bias, as "great"). As you're probably aware, rival XM has already brought a number of XM2GO products to market -- most recently, the Samsung Helix and Pioneer Inno -- while Sirius is still stuck in the dark ages with its dockable S50. Personally, we couldn't be happier about this impending release; we can't wait to give up the crappy sound quality we're getting with SiriuCE on our Windows Mobile phones, and we're sure our wireless carriers will be just as pleased when we stop sucking down so many gigs of data.
JVC Victor busts out line of colorful boring DAPs
What's a budget-class device manufacturer to do when they can't be bothered with making their line of MP3 players interesting through the tired methods of design and feature inclusion? JVC Victor has answered that age-old question by dressing up their new XA-F112 (top) and XA-F52 (bottom) in all sorts of snazzy colors and calling it a day. The prices aren't anything notable, with the 1GB F112 going for around 17,000 Yen ($147) and the 512MB F52 managing 13,000 Yen ($113). The players support MP3, WMA and PlaysForSure, along with voice and line-in recording, and feature a mere organic EL display, yet manage to be almost an inch thick. But if no-holds-barred design isn't your thing or the risky color schemes are catching your eye, you should be able to pick one of these up this September in Japan.
Control your iPod with an umbrella
Apple may think that future of iPod control lies in a virtual, on-screen scroll wheel, but we know better. As it turns out, the best way to change tracks, adjust the volume, etc. is by attaching your DAP to an...umbrella? Well, it may not actually be the perfect input method (or even in the top 10), but the homemade iBrella (in white, of course) certainly takes Apple's suggestion to "think different" to a whole new level. The makers of this strange device crammed a two-axis accelerometer, Hall-effect sensors, and a gyroscope into the handle of a standard umbrella, and using a PIC microcontroller programmed with the so-called iPod Mini Protocol, were able to translate the sensors' motions into commands that the 'Pod can understand. So, opening and closing the iBrella will play / pause the current track, while rotating the handle could either tweak the volume or change songs, depending on what mode it's in (mode changes are achieved by stabbing the umbrella skyward). There are obviously a thousand reasons why this device is completely impractical -- especially if you happen to be using it in the rain -- but we prefer to concentrate on the innovative design rather than the lack of real-world applications; after all, it's the seemingly useless projects that often inspire folks to go out and build stuff that really will make a difference.[Via Make]
Sony NW-S205 2GB Network Walkman reviewed
After we let the cat out of the bag, it didn't take long for CNET to get their hands on Sony's latest excuse to exercise. The NW-S205, appearing only in black and housing 2GB of capacity, is their newest Network Walkman and is apparently poised to combat the Nike+iPod craze. It seems to have done quite well at accomplishing that goal, as the myriad of features and bundled accessories (Sony, is that you?) readily revealed its "athletic intentions." Although the reviewers weren't too fond of being forced to transfer files via SonicStage, there was plenty of love for the cigar-shaped DAP. The player seemed well-built for its intentions: having a water (and sweat) resistant enclosure, throwing in a comfortable armband, and including the G-Sensor (Sony's name for a pedometer) made this a viable alternative to Apple's offering. CNET was most impressed with the built-in FM tuner -- something sorely missing on the nano -- and the intelligent playlist changer that hopped lists when you broke into a run or slowed to a walk. Thanks to a $150 asking price and superb "out-of-the-box" functionality, the NW-S205 was highly regarded, and will be tempting legs everywhere to make good use of themselves in August.
