MediaPlayer
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VLC downsized to fit on the iPhone and iPod touch, now playing in the App Store
If you like your players orange and portable but don't have a tablet, you may be in luck. The VLC Media Player app, which recently made the iPad a little more codec-friendly, is now available in the App Store for the iPhone (4 and 3GS) and iPod touch. This new version is also said to support even more file types, offer better performance, and allows for the deletion of files right through its own interface. It's available now, so get downloading -- your classic cartoons await.
Winamp comes to Android, one of our childhood dreams is realized
Here's a blast from the past: Winamp, that mainstay media player of college dorms and LAN parties since time immemorial (er, 1997 or so) has made the leap from PC to handset with the release of Winamp for Android. This bad boy is available for Android 2.1 and up, and features a playback widget for the Android desktop and Last.fm integration. But that ain't all! If you install Winamp 5.59 beta on your PC, you can sync and manage your libraries via USB or WiFI. Pretty sweet! We only have one questions, really: will it still whip the llama's ass? Check out the QR code after the break (or search the Android Market) for the mobile app. Winamp 5.59 beta is available in the Winamp forums (More Coverage link, below). [Thanks, Samat]
SanDisk Sansa Fuze+ review
SanDisk's original Sansa Fuze may have had a solid run -- it's been a particular favorite among those looking for a good, inexpensive player that doesn't skimp on features or audio quality -- but there's no question that it was long overdue for an update, and SanDisk recently came through on that front with the completely revised Sansa Fuze+. Boasting a considerably sleeker design, the Fuze+ replaces the Fuze's venerable tactile click wheel with a capacitive touch panel (but not a touchscreen), and it hangs onto many of the features that made the original Fuze stand out, including a microSD card slot, FM radio, and support for a wide range of formats (including FLAC and AAC). Are all the changes for the better? Read on for our full review. %Gallery-103839%
iPod touch (2010) torn down, found to contain an awful lot of battery
As predictable as the sun rising somewhere over east Japan, the iFixit crew have put their tools and wits to the task of deconstructing the latest generation of iPod touch. Their teardown is still ongoing (exciting, isn't it?), but here are their observations so far. The new touch is noted as being the easiest to crack open yet, and yes, its retina-busting 640 x 960 LCD is fused to the external glass, just like the iPhone 4. There's an 11-gram EMI shield between the front end and the battery, accounting for a lofty 10 percent of the portable media player's weight. Beyond it, you'll find a chunky 3.44Whr Li-Pol cell, which is soldered to the board as is usual Apple practice, but a novelty here is that the headphone jack isn't. Great, tie down the thing we might want to replace and untether the one we don't care about. We'll keep you updated with any other salient info as it arises, but for now, go check out the source link for more pictures of the undressed iPod touch. The front-facing camera has been found, as expected, to be the exact same module as built into the iPhone 4. The WiFi antenna is located just under the front glass panel, a position said to have allowed for the new all-aluminum back on the iPod touch. Another shock: the A4 chip that drives the iPad and iPhone 4 is also found on the 2010 touch, and its markings confirm a 256MB RAM allowance.
Toshiba outs Lumileo pico projectors, only one of which requires a plug
Toshiba's new LED-based pico projectors won't shake the world with VGA resolutions, 14 lumens and just 80 minutes of battery life, but we have to admit the Lumileo P100 and Lumileo M200's focusing dial and keypad do look a spot more stylish than some of the cubes and rectangles we've tried. And while we've just pretty much described the P100 model in full, the M200 has an additional feature that might be worth your while -- like the 3M MPro, it plays back video (including DivX), Word, PowerPoint, Excel and PDF files directly from 2GB of internal memory or your microSD card of choice, with no attached PC required. Otherwise, both project up to 60-inch pictures from VGA or "TV in" ports not shown here, and both will appear in Europe to claim an unspecified amount of that continent's discretionary cash during the fourth quarter of this year. PR after the break.
Philips GoGear Connect is a legitimate Android-based iPod touch competitor (updated)
For all its success, the iPod touch has few dedicated media player competitors capable of matching its big-touchscreen, WiFi, and voluminous App Store. Until today. Philips just went official with its GoGear Connect featuring the full suite of Google Mobile applications pre-installed with access to the Android Market for pretty much everything else. Spec-wize we're looking at a 3.2-inch display, WiFi, sound isolating earphones, built-in camera, and microSD slot. Sorry, no mention of the Android OS version though we've seen it listed at retailers with 2.1. Syncing your music is done over Bluetooth or a USB tether to your PC with Philips' Songbird providing the software assist. The MP4 player also supports Maps and location-based services -- presumably accomplished with the help of Skyhook and not via a GPS radio (though the Philips post is tagged "GPS"). Look for the GoGear Connect to land in Western Europe, China, and yes, the US, starting in late October with the price pegged at €249 (about $315) for the 16GB model. Update: Philips got back to us with additional specs: on-board GPS and compass; 480 x 320 pixel LCD display; and support for .mp3, .wma, .m4a (AAC), .ogg, and .flac audio; .wmv, .mp4 (MPEG4 and H264 up to 720p), .avi (MPEG4 up to 720p) video; and JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF images. Oh, and it's definitely Andriod 2.1.
Amex Digital MP-501 media player starts shipping in teeny-tiny packages September 10
Can't wait to get your hands on Amex Digital's tiny MP-501 media player? Good news, as it's apparently sent out emails to prospective buyers indicating units will start shipping September 10. In case you need a refresher, it weighs just 250 grams and slips into any pocket easily, while still playing AVI / MKV / MPEG-4 files of various codecs and containers from USB or SD cards in resolutions as high as 1080p, for just $49, plus $20 for shipping -- assuming you can find an order form on the company website, which we couldn't. [Thanks, RDSOLO]
Cowon X7 materializes from the ether into a real life FCC applicant
Alright, so this isn't quite like seeing Duke Nukem Forever popping up on Walmart shelves, but the Cowon X7 has been a long time in the making. Rumored since 2007, the Korean company's portable media player has now finally sauntered up to America's Communications Commission to dot some Is and cross some Ts. We're let into the knowledge that it'll come with a Bluetooth radio and a HDD of some kind, which GenerationMP3 speculates will be a 1.8-inch unit. Really now, a spinny thing in our PMP feels better suited to good old '07, but then if Cowon can combine some capacious storage with a large screen, it could still have a winner on its hands. Particularly if the rumblings of Android as the OS turn out to be true.
Archos 28 Minidroid PMP surfaces at FCC: yet another Android-based PMP
First came the onslaught of Android-based phones, and then came the rush of Android-powered tablet PCs. Now, we can all brace for the third major coming of Google's mobile OS, as this PMP marks the second from Archos alone in the last week. Hot on the heels of the Archos 32 comes the Archos 28 Minidroid, a diminutive 2.8-inch (presumed, anyway) portable media player with inbuilt WiFi, Android onboard, a 3.5mm headphones jack, USB connectivity, an integrated microphone and a touch-sensitive array of front panel controls. Beyond that, the FCC's database ain't telling us much, but we suspect we'll hear more as IFA approaches. [Thanks, Steve]
Android-based Archos 32 media player now available for pre-order
There's no actual pictures of this one just yet, but if you feel like taking a chance (or have faith in all things Archos) you can now pre-order the as-yet-unannounced Archos 32 media player from JR.com. This one is decidedly more portable than Archos' recent Android-based devices, and packs a 3.2-inch touchscreen, an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 8GB of storage, WiFi, a built-in camera and microphone, and Android 2.1 for an OS (upgradeable to Android 2.2). Not too shabby for $149.99, and J&R will even knock of three bucks off the list price if you order now. Update: Looks like the listing has now been pulled from J&R's site. We'll keep you posted if we hear anything more.
Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player adds internet radio to existing stereos
So, we've two main issues here. One, who in their right mind would pay $219.99 for a device that still requires a dedicated stereo in order to play back the internet radio streams that Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player delivers? And secondly, who would want to put up with Grace Digital's thoroughly lackluster UI? If you can't grok the grumbling, the aforementioned company now has a slender new component it'd love to stick on your shelf, with the device shown above able to stream WiFi radio content from 30,000 stations, Pandora, iheartradio, Sirius, Live365, MP3tunes and a smattering of other sources. It can be wired up via Ethernet or used over 802.11g, with composite, Toslink and coaxial digital audio outputs around back. There's a 4-line backlit LCD for displaying not nearly enough metadata at once, and there's even a remote thrown in for those looking to build out their collection. It's available now if you're feeling the itch, though we'd suggest you get that checked out before blindly indulging.
Viewsonic's NexTV VMP75 media streamer now shipping
Viewsonic wasn't being too specific with a launch date when it announced its NexTV VMP75 media streamer last month, but it looks like that little detail's now been cleared up -- the device is shipping now from both Amazon and Newegg. According to Review Horizon, however, the official release date is July 19th, although it seems possible you could receive it before then if you've already pre-ordered the device or get your order in soon. As for the device itself, it's still listed at $129.99, and will give you the usual Netflix streaming, and support for playback of content from either your home network or an attached drive.
Marshal's new media drive is no laughing matter, plays Blu-ray and DVD ISOs
Yes, it's just a hard drive that plays 1080p content, but this one can connect to your PS3; according to some machine translated Japanese, Marshal's new "Media Joker" can also act as an external hard drive for your Sony game console or a Toshiba REGZA TV. While you won't be able to install games on the up-to-2TB hard drive that you'll provide yourself, the black box can notably play Blu-ray ISOs -- though that, the company carefully cautions, will surely void your warranty. The case admirably provides most all ports you could want, including component, composite, both flavors of S/PDIF, HDMI 1.3, LAN, an SD card slot and a pair of USB sockets, and supports a host of audiovisual formats, the full list available at the more coverage link. Find it retailing for ¥16,800 (about $184) this Saturday in some neon-lit corner of Japan.
ViewSonic streams Netflix, other stuff with NexTV VMP75 networked media player
The world needs another network media player like it needs another eight billion barrels of oil floating around in the Gulf of Mexico, but if you're somehow still struggling to decide on one of the many, many options available to you, ViewSonic has an alternative up for consideration. The new NexTV VMP75 is a rather compact set-top box, donning a glossy black finish and proud support for streaming Netflix Watch Instantly content. You'll also get local and network playback of whatever content you've got laying around on your nearby hard drives, and around back, you'll find an Ethernet socket (WiFi is optional), eSATA / USB combo port, a dedicated USB socket (for connecting thumb drives and external HDDs), a S/PDIF audio port, HDMI output and an AV aux plug. ViewSonic claims that you can also stream content from YouTube, SHOUTcast, Flickr and Live365.com, and there's even an inbuilt web browser if you take pleasure in (presumably) torturous experiences. All you? If so, it's up for pre-order right now at Amazon and Newegg for $129.99.
Nokia completes its N8 video tour with media player and HDMI demo
You've seen parts uno and due already no doubt, so let's dive straight into the third and final installment of Nokia's N8 overview. Today we are treated to the Symbian^3 media player, which continues to closely resemble Apple's Cover Flow, but we're sure the companies will work it out between themselves. That cover-centric interface gets tugged around a few times to show the phone can handle it without lag, and we also get to see a repeat visit from our friend Mr. Long Press, which functions as a mobile version of a right-click by popping up a menu of contextual options. The video continues into a look at the HDMI connectivity and points out that the N8 will be compatible with Bluetooth keyboards -- you know, if you're in the mood for an Espoo-approved version of Google TV. See the whole thing after the break. [Thanks, Hythem]
DoubleTwist adds some polish to Android with new media player app
Peruse the Android Market this morrow and you might come across a hot new addition from the folks at DoubleTwist. That's right, the iTunes-aping desktop sync manager has gone native on the Android platform and early feedback on its media player implementation has been positive. The free music and video player app does that whole seamless thing quite well, apparently, interfacing directly with your Windows or Mac computerino and porting over relevant playlists, ratings and media. A widget and other features are coming soon, though you'll likely have to pay for them, given the "free for a limited time" note on the download page. Better get it while the gettin's good.
ReQuest threatens to enable DVD piracy on its media streamers, announces one sans DVD
Enjoy copying DVDs onto $5,000 boutique home servers? If you've got the dough, ReQuest has got you covered -- CEO Peter Cholnoky says that even if California courts make the practice illegal, his firm isn't afraid to push back. When CE Pro asked whether he was concerned about the fallout from the Kaleidescape lawsuit, he said, "Nope, should I be?" adding that ReQuest could convert existing equipment to use third-party DVD-copying software "in two seconds" should the courts try to shut him down. Given that the company's new $1,200 MediaPlayer (above) doesn't have the requisite DVD drive for ripping discs anyhow, that sounds an awful lot like braggadocio, but we have to say we love Peter's stick-it-to-the-man tone. Oh, and in case you're wondering, that MediaPlayer is slated to ship in June; you'll find a full spec sheet at our source link.
Viliv's AMOLED Prime P3 media player sports both Android and Windows CE
We've never been comfortable with the fact that Viliv's many fun and fashionable PMPs have yet to gain a real foothold in the states. Maybe this will change with the Prime P3 media player. As near as we can tell (our Korean is a little rusty) this bad boy sports a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, has both Android 2.1 and Windows CE 6.0 partitions, and supports 720p video. But that ain't all! Connectivity is via microUSB, and additional storage comes courtesy of microSDHC. Rounding things off are an 800 MHz ARM Cortex CPU, accelerometer, and WiFi -- all in a pretty classy little package. Available in flavors up to 32GB, we have no idea when this will see release, or for what price. We'll let you know as soon as we get a heads up. For reals.
LaCie plays media server, NAS cards with Network Space MAX
No monkeys here, but LaCie's latest is still worth toying around with -- particularly if you've been yearning for a way to better serve media around your home and / or backup those all-important Match.com email confirmations. The Network Space MAX (which can also be used as a USB 2.0 drive when away from the CAT5) is predictably designed by Neil Poulton, and while it'll likely attract an unhealthy amount of dust and fingerprints, the internals are what really matters. LaCie's shipping these with at least 2TB of space, but with two 3.5-inch SATA HDD slots, you can easily go the 4TB route with a couple of these. RAID 1 and RAID 0 setups are supported, giving the whimsical among us a pair of opportunities to get our lives backed up in case of disaster. Oh, and there's also inbuilt UPnP / DLNA support, which makes it easy for your PS3, Xbox 360 or Popcorn Hour box to tap into whatever media collection you happen to store here. Check it sooner than you can whisk yourself around and belt out a Lady Gaga lyric for $279.99 and up. %Gallery-93305%
Avermedia trots out AVerLife Cinema media playing set-top box
Need a new digital media player? Can't say that you have any particular need for network connectivity? We're guessing you're in the minority, but hey, that's what Avermedia's here for. The company has just introduced its newest media playing STB, the AVerLife Cinema. The relatively simplistic box supports a variety of multimedia files, and it plays back content on USB 2.0 drives or memory cards at up to 720p over HDMI; it should be noted that component and composite outputs are also included for those operating with a set from yesteryear. The dearth of an Ethernet port or WiFi module is a downer for sure, but the comparatively low $69.99 price point just about makes up for it. It should be available starting today for those interested.
