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iriver E50 gets unboxed, reviewed
iriver's E50 PMP has had a bit of a roundabout launch since it first appeared on the scene back in December, but it looks like it's now finally available in at least a few parts of the world, and the folks at Le Journal du Geek have promptly gotten their hands on one and done the full unboxing and review honors. As was pretty clear from the early shots, this one's a sleek little device and, while it doesn't exactly pack a whole slew of features, it looks to perform all the basic tasks with welcome simplicity. On the downside, the 1.8-inch screen apparently leaves a bit to be desired, especially when playing videos and, while the included earphones are a tad better than the usual fare, the sound quality from the player itself is apparently just average. Hit up the link below for the full blow-by-blow account, including a bonus unboxing / demo video.
iriver teases the P35 WiFi PMP interface
iriver announced the P35 WiFi-enabled PMP just after CES with few details, but it looks like we're getting closer -- the company's just put up an interface teaser video with a countdown clock. From the looks of things, the UI will be pretty slick and touch-friendly, but it's hard to get a sense of the actual feature set -- guess we'll find out in just under 70 hours.[Thanks, Spencer]
iriver P7 does the unboxing thing
We thoroughly enjoyed our CES hands-on time with iriver's slick P7 PMP, but it looks like the touchscreen player is starting to make it out to the wild -- check out these unboxing photos. We're not sure why iriver's chosen "like a magazine" as the tagline here, but we're pretty anxious to get one of our own to try and figure it out.[Via PMP Today]
iriver's Dicple D35 and D31 remind us of just how much we'll never understand
For a company that pretty much just makes PMPs, iriver manages to pull off an incredible quantity of surprising product moves and design choices. Its new Dicple D35 and D31, for instance, square off any of the sexiness and sleekitude of previous iterations, like 2007's D5. The devices seem to be getting inexplicably thicker, the screen bezel has become more prominent, and iriver just doesn't seem to care. However, the software has certainly come a long way from those electronic dictionary days, with widgets, advanced multimedia features (like DMB and radio recording), handwriting recognition and PIM functions -- all of which we have little idea as to the functionality, since the spec list is in Korean, and we don't imagine iriver plans on shipping this sort of stuff to the States any time soon. Still, we can dream.[Thanks, Alex]Read - iriver D31Read - iriver D35
iriver WAVE-HOME internet phone thingamajig seen in the wild
Much like Sony's Rolly, we're still struggling to piece together exactly how iriver's WAVE-HOME device is supposed to revolutionize our lives. And, you know, figure out what exactly it does. Thanks to a unit floating out in South Korea (in black attire, no less), we're given a decent look of the internet phone / do-it-all home appliance getting unboxed and setup for the first time. Aside from phoning people, we're told that the handset can also double as a TV remote or controller for a radio / music player. We're still eager to get our own palms around one of these curious creations, but for now, you can tap the read link to get a few JPEGs closer.[Via Portable Alliance]
iriver Japan looking to brand its own e-reader?
It's a touch early to truly understand what's going on here, but it looks as if iriver Japan (read: not the same iriver Korea you're used to) is hoping to make a splash in the burgeoning e-reader market by popping out a device of its own. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much innovation going on, as we're pretty certain this is simply a rebadged version of the Netronix reader we spotted about this time last year. Word has it that the unit will handle PDFs and feature a simple joystick control scheme, an SD card slot and compatibility with music files. We'll be keeping a close eye out for any developments, but our gut tells us this thing won't make it far outside of Japan's walls, anyway.
iriver's gorgeous P7 gets itself a web address
Unfortunately, we're still no closer to finding out when the iriver P7 will be available, but given that it's now showing up on the company's worldwide web portal alongside scads of other beautiful pieces of hardware, we'd say it's certainly closer than before. None of the listed specifications look to have changed, but there sure are a lot of purty images to look at there in the read link. Grab a tissue, place it beneath your chin and head on over.[Via DAP Review, thanks Jeff]
iriver's Wave-Home WiFi VoIP appliance launches on KT Telecom
While Verizon gets its Hub, lucky KT Telecom subscribers in Korea now have access to iriver's Wave-Home. The kits sells for 297,000 Korean Won or about $210 and features a WiFi VoIP handset in addition to that larger 7-inch display with 1.3 megapixel camera for video conferencing, surfing the web, checking your calendar and so on. You've gotta hand it to iriver, they reveal the initial UNIT2-S concept at a European trade show in August, refine it in Las Vegas for CES in January, and then launch it back home a month later. Now that's style.[Via Akihabara News]
iriver P20 PMP priced and dated in Japan
We're still no closer to understanding if iriver's P20 is destined for a US release, but at least the thing's about to ship in one corner of the globe. The company has decided on a February 27th release date in the wonderfully brilliant nation of Japan, where eager PMP shoppers will be able to exchange ¥39,800 ($436) for an 80GB model. For those who've forgotten the details, it sports a 4.1-inch OLED touchscreen (480 x 272), a built-in FM tuner, USB 2.0 connectivity, support for a litany of file formats, an optional card reader for extra expansion and a rechargeable battery good for at least nine hours of playback. Look on the bright side -- you've been itching for an excuse to visit Osaka, right?[Via Slashgear]%Gallery-44315%
iriver SPINN spotted in the wild wearing all black attire
We're not going to bother asking this here SPINN if it's headed to a funeral, but we will ask iriver if it has any plans on shipping an all black variant to the US of A. Currently, the only hue Americans can find is the tried and true silver, but based on a smattering of photographs posted on the Korean iriver forums, we get the feeling a dark, dark version is in the works for at least some sections of the globe. Let's all cross our fingers in unison and hope our homeland is included in that bunch, yeah?[Via DAP Review]
iriver Siren DP150 gets outfitted in crystals, cuddlies
Sure, that new iriver Siren DP150 was... unimpressive at best. Well, you know what could really help it out? A bunch of Swarovskis and a few cuddly toys! Lucky for us, that's exactly what iriver's just done: the little keychain-sized DP150 is literally coated in crystals, and comes with a Clasky stuffed critter (monkey, hippo, or bunny) sporting an "I heart iriver" tee. Sorry, folks: this one's a Japan-only release, but if you really must know, they're going for ¥19,800 -- nearly $220. What a deal![Via DA Preview]
iriver's SPINN hits 2.0, throws download party
The SPINN is easily the sexiest device on iriver's tawdry pallet of gadget-lust. Unfortunately, we found the user experience to be a bit lacking at launch. While the feature list is long and impressive, the UI just couldn't pull it all together. Now SPINN's gone 2.0 and with it hope for the device to live up to our giddy first impressions. New to this firmware update is a memo taking feature, big glorious album art, auto rotating pictures, auto-recording of DMB television, and DAB or FM radio (where supported), increased control over video playback, and game downloads for those of you in Korea. [Via PMP Today and DAPreview]
Video: hands-on with the iriver P7
A definite highlight of iriver's CES booth was the P7 PMP and of course we had to get up close and personal with it. The 4.3-inch PMP was chillin' in a docking station among the other P series devices, and we managed to grab some snaps. Just like the WAVE-HOME we caught before it, the interface seemed super smooth. The UI made the most of that expansive (and gorgeous) screen, and the FM tuner seemed to do its job. We got a walkthrough of the device on video after the break, and don't forget to check out the gallery below that shows the device in all its "in the wild" glory.%Gallery-41191%
Video: iriver WAVE-HOME hands-on
We're continuing our onslaught of CES hands-ons with the WAVE-HOME from iriver. In a nutshell, it's a more feature-filled Ojo with much more than just video calling -- namely calendar, notes, plus it packs a WiFi phone in the back of the unit (pictured above). The video after the jump doesn't quite do justice to the smoothness of the interface, but your mileage may vary depending on the fatness of your fingers. iriver reps told us that they estimate the unit to be priced at less than $400 to make affordable enough for people to buy more than one. Feel free to peep our original post for all the juicy tech specs, and don't forget to point your friends in this direction if you don't wanna feel like a loser if you drop four bills. %Gallery-41182%
iriver gets proper with WAVE WiFi phone, D50N PMP and P35 MID
Ah, ha! Now we're cooking with gas. iriver teased us here at CES with a few ho hum offerings, but the real punch comes courtesy of its new networked line of devices. The outfit is getting super official with its long (long!) awaited W10 WAVE WiFi phone, which will boast a 3-inch WQVGA (480 x 272) touchscreen, 4GB of NAND memory, USB 3.0 connectivity, an FM radio module, web browser and all the usual cellphone amenities. Moving on, we've got the P35 PMP, which brings with it a 4.3-inch WQVGA touch panel, the outfit's SPINN platform, built-in mic / speaker, TV output, 16GB of storage, a microSD slot, USB 2.0, WiFi, DMB mobile TV (in certain regions) and support for basically every file format imaginable. Lastly, we've got the totally intriguing D50N Multimedia Networking Device. The MID-like unit serves primarily to surf the web and facilitate IM conversations, as it touts a 4.8-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, 16GB of NAND Flash and an e-dictionary (among other things). Pricing / availability have yet to be announced, but all the other juicy details are just beyond the break.%Gallery-40251%
4.3-inch P7 highlights iriver's CES 2009 PMP lineup
It's a little tough to rip our eyes away from the bizarre WAVE-HOME, but the 4.3-inch P7 is a darn good diversion. Said unit is flying high atop iriver's line of portable media players in Vegas this year, packing a 4.3-inch WQVGA (480 x 272) touchscreen, 4/8/16GB of NAND Flash memory, a microSD expansion slot, SRS WOW HD audio enhancement, a battery good for around 50 hours of audio playback, FM radio, voice recorder, seven equalizer presets and a curiously vague "full movie codec support." Following this guy is the E50, E100 Season II and Mplayer Eyes, all of which we had already known of during the run-up to CES. At any rate, all of the official details are just past the break, though pricing and availability are still being sorted.%Gallery-40249%
iriver announces WAVE-HOME Multimedia Communication Device
Possibly one of the oddest contraptions to be unveiled at CES this year is coming to us courtesy of iriver. The WAVE-HOME multimedia communications device actually pulls double duty as a VoIP phone and a home networking controller (of sorts, anyway), as it provides an expansive 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution touchscreen for web browsing, photo viewing and interacting with all manners of connected widgets. Furthermore, the unit packs a 1.3-megapixel camera, inbuilt speakers, an Ethernet jack, SD slot, USB connectivity, a FM radio module and support for digipen input. So really, you're looking at an unpriced UMPC that's only fit for a desk. Clever, iriver. Full release is after the break.
iriver's Framee-M digiframe: only tolerable for Mickey enthusiasts
Man, it's amazing the difference a single letter makes. Take the Framee-L, for example -- a stately, classically styled digital photo frame that would do practically any coffee table proud. Now have a gander at the almost frightening Framee-M (above). iriver has evidently coerced Disney to afford it the luxury of producing this here digiframe, which -- sad to say -- looks downright shoddy from here. The unit will be made available in both Mickey and Minnie flavors, with each housing 1GB of internal storage space, a 3.5-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, SDHC expansion slot, a built-in clock and a multimedia player for good measure. It's taking Japan by storm as we speak for ¥9,999 ($111).[Via DAPReview, thanks Michael]
iriver's $40 T5 USB stick-style audio player unboxed and reviewed
iriver's T5 was launched and forgotten in one fell swoop, but with a starting price of under $40 for the 2GB edition, it's at least worth a look, right? Critics over at Pocketables were able to secure one of the USB stick-styled devices for review, and they even bothered to host up a plethora of unboxing / hands-on shots for those keenly interested. Size wise, the unit is just marginally smaller than your average USB WWAN modem, and while the minuscule OLED display wasn't much to look at, it sure trumped those screen-less rivals. Under pressure, the stick delivered "surprisingly good sound quality," and while the device overall didn't bring anything fantastically fresh to the table, the inbuilt USB jack, integrated display and excellent audio capabilities made it a pretty good option for the gym. 'Course, there are formidable alternatives out there (Sansa Clip, anyone?), so we'd recommend giving the linked review a closer look before breaking out the plastic.
iriver T6 reviewed: Pretty, and pretty basic
The audiophiles at Pocketables have gotten their hands on the iriver T6 and crown the DAP a good secondary device for the car or office, especially with its $50 for 2GB asking price. They give high marks for the quality e50-esque form factor, although it seems to have a vested interest in keeping your fingerprints on file. The presentation is otherwise very simple, from the low-res display and minimalist interface to the just-passable touch-based controls. As for the audio, they say it sounds good with everything except the most premium of headphones -- but hey, if you're doling out $500 for ear buds, chances are you couldn't even be bothered to look in the T6's direction anyway.