mp3-player
Latest
Creative intros the MuVo T100 music player
Feeling like you don't have enough choices when it comes to small, thin, flash-based music players? Hoping that Creative will turn something around that has a strangely familiar shape and size? Well, you're in luck, because the Singaporean company has just launched the MuVo T100, a tall drink of MP3-playin' water that hopefully won't be confused with its namesake -- the original Terminator. Unlike the robotic killing machine it shares its moniker with, the MuVo comes in 2GB and 4GB capacities, plays MP3, WMA, and Audible files, can be used as a flash drive, and comes in a variety of handsome colors like black, white, green, pink, blue, and red. Try that, you metallic devil. The players will be out (at least in Singapore) by the end of October, selling for 89 and 149 Singapore dollars (or $59 and $99, respectively).[Via epiZENter, thanks Vizion]
Credit card sized MP3 player ups your street cred
Looking for a small, light, credit-card-esque flash drive... which doubles as an MP3 player... which is covered in a "liquid" print? Well you're in luck, kiddies, because some anonymous Chinese electronics maker has got you covered on all fronts. Enter the "USB Flash Card MP3 Player," an ultra-thin, 2GB device that plays MP3s and WMAs, functions as a USB flash drive, and will give you absolutely no information about the song you're listening to. Hey, if you wanted information, you would get a screen -- this thing fits in your wallet. Available right now for the bargain basement price of $42.
Zicplay's Microkey MP3 player is barely there
We've seen a lot of DAPs claiming to be the "world's smallest MP3 player," but Zicplay's Microkey take the concept to a whole new level, featuring 1GB of storage in a package just 1.7 inches long and a half-inch wide -- slightly longer than an iPod shuffle but half as wide. The half-ounce player gets six hours of playback off its lithium-ion battery, and apparently just shows up as a USB 2.0 flash drive -- no media software required. No word on pricing or availability, but these were just shown off at IFA, so should be soon now.
Takara Tomy's Transformers MP3 player gets photographed
Yeah, we've got a soft spot for all things Transformers, and while Takara Tomy's Transformers MP3 player isn't the most advanced DAP on the block, the fun factor is undeniable. Thankfully, the folks over at PrimeDiary were able to wrangle one of these bad boys up for themselves and snap a few photographs. Needless to say, we're envious, but go on and click through for a couple more shots of the MP3 player fanboys just have to have.
UK juror won't go to trial over hidden MP3 player
A juror on a murder trial in the UK who allegedly listened to music on an MP3 player while the court was in session will not have action taken against her, says the British Attorney General. According to reports, juror Ruhela Khanom was listening to a music player hidden underneath her hijab (or headscarf) while key evidence in the case was being delivered. Defense lawyers claim they caught a glimpse of a wire underneath the juror's headscarf, and the presiding judge says that he thought he had heard "tinny music" being played, but dismissed it as his imagination. Eventually, Khanom was discharged from duty as a juror for not paying attention, and although signs point to her having used a music player during the trial, it appears that the courts don't have enough evidence to bring charges against her. When reached for comment, Khanom said that she had been "unable to stop listening to music in court," due to the release of "the new Hillary Duff record."
X-Micro rolls out EVA 220, X-VDO F510 portable media players
It's not often X-Micro pops up on our radar, but it looks like the company is still kicking it at the PMP game, with it recently introducing another pair of new players you'll likely have trouble distinguishing from the multitude of similar devices competing for your tunes. On the low(er) end, the company's got its EVA 220 MP3 player, available in 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB varieties, and boasting a 128x64 blue blacklit display, a built-in FM radio, and support for nothing more than plain old WMA and MP3 audio. Offering a few more capabilities than that its the company's new X-VDO F510 PMP, which is available in the same 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB varieties, but adds a 1.8-inch TFT display and support for video playback, among other minor upgrades. No word on pricing or availability for either of 'em just yet though, so you'll have to somehow curb your enthusiasm for the time being.Read - LetsGoDigital, X-Micro EVA 220 MP3 playerRead - LetsGoDigital, X-Micro X-VDO F510 MP4 player
Thomson touts A1 media player as "world's smallest"
Tired of bulky media players? Hate having to lug around your iPod Nano? Well, welcome to the Thomson A1, a tiny PMP that the company claims is the "world's smallest," (which of course we recommend you take with multiple grains of salt). Truth be told, it is rather petite, clocking in at just 3-inches and weighing only 87 grams. Somehow, they managed to slap on a 16:9 display and cram 4GB or 8GB capacity into the little guy, and of course it plays all your favorites, like MP3, WMA, WAV, and AVI, plus it rocks an FM tuner. The only real question is this; what are those colored "nubs" in the photo, and what exactly are they doing? The A1 will hit China first, going for around $106 for the 4GB and $120 for the 8GB, but no word on when or if we'll see this Stateside.[Via Tech Digest]
Transcend's T.sonic 840 DAP jams on for 30 solid hours
We'll admit, the last iteration of T.sonic DAPs were just a sliver above atrocious (and that's being exceedingly kind), but apparently Transcend's design team broke out of their slump on the T.sonic 840. The sleeker, sexier player touts a 1.8-inch 220 x 176 resolution color LCD, supports MTV, JPG, BMP, MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM10, and WAV file formats, and also includes a customizable equalizer, FM radio / recorder, a 13-language interface, digital voice recorder, and world clock to boot. Additionally, this 70-gram device comes in your choice of white (2GB) or black (4GB), and claims to last a respectable 30 hours before requiring a recharge. You can snag either iteration right now, and while the 4GB edition will run you €122 (167), the half-sized (capacity wise) flavor will demand €91.30 ($125).[Via FarEastGizmos]
iRiver's Mickey Mouse Mplayer gets unboxed, reviewed
We know you've all been waiting with bated breath for someone to get their hands on iRiver's Disney sanctioned Mickey Mouse Mplayer music jockey and unbox the hell out of it. Well, luckily for you, Pocketables is just as excited about the tiny, cartoon-shaped DAP as you are, and they've given us a full breakdown of the school-girl's dream gadget. Point yourself to the read link for a proper box thrashing and semi-unimpressed review.
Hacha readies ultrathin PC20 portable media player
Although the amount of iPhone knockoffs flying out of foreign ports has died down substantially over the past few weeks, we can't help but note the resemblance between Apple's handset and Hacha's latest PMP. Of course, we're not kvetching about the ultrathin enclosure and expansive three-inch screen, but we sure wish we knew a bit more about its mysterious internals. Still, it ought not be too long of a wait before final details are loosed, but click on through for an alternate shot in the meantime.[Via TheMP3Players]
OPPO Blast PMP is blowing up your FLVs
OPPO, a PMP maker we've come to expect some interesting designs from (see the guitar-shaped DAP and the pendant player), is bringing something a little more tame to market. The 6.9mm thick Blast sports a 2.4-inch TFT screen, takes microSD cards, and can play back all the standards, like MP3, WMA, MP4, AVI, XVID, and FLAC, which is all well and good, though we've seen a million of these and counting. What's different in this case -- at least a little -- is that the Blast can supposedly play back FLV files, which gives it a certain modern flavor, and suggests that even mass-produced China-ware is getting caught up in the YouTube game. Not available anywhere even close to the US, price unknown.[Via PMP Today]
Toshiba's gigabeat U202 supports direct-to-MP3 ripping
If you passed on Toshiba's first few U-series DAPs due to their lively color schemes and substitutable feature sets, the new 2GB U202 goes a long ways to correct both of those quibbles. The exceedingly simplistic device dons a silver / black motif, an uncomplicated "PlusPad" control scheme, and a 1.1-inch color OLED display. Furthermore, this unit sports the same 20-hour battery life, FM tuner, and MP3 / WMA / WAV playback capabilities as its predecessor, but the newfangled direct-to-MP3 CD ripping ability enables users to "record audio tracks digitally from a CD player directly to the gigabeat." Consider it yours in one to two weeks for $99.99.
Conceptual media player resembles a flashlight
We've seen flashlights lose their way and get mixed up in all sorts of unrelated gadgetry over the years, but this conceptual multimedia player from Can-Hong Huang breaks new ground for flashlight-inspired gizmos worldwide. This curious creation reportedly boasts the ability to play back audio to a set of wireless earbuds or speaker dock, and even projects videos onto your pull-down screen (or spare wall, if you roll like that). The stick itself can be twisted and manipulated in order to change tracks and adjust the volume, but we're still not buying into this without some sort of remote to complete the package.
Ministry of Sound intros MOSMP085 MP3 player
It looks like Ministry of Sound die hards now have yet another MP3 player to call their own, with the ever-expanding brand now finding itself slapped on the otherwise ordinary-looking MOSMP085 player. This one's available in both 1GB and 2GB varieties, and boasts a 2-inch display, a built-in voice recorder, and an internal speaker, along with the usual line up of supported formats. You'll also, of course, get five Ministry of Sound tracks pre-loaded, along with two free downloads of your choosing. Look for it to start shipping later this month for £45 or £50 (approx $90-$100) depending on the size.[Via Tech Digest]
Musipen DAP concept breaks from convention
Designer Chris Williams has hatched a concept for an DAP called the Musipen which seriously breaks from the common, rectangular conventions of typical audio players (although, it doesn't go as far as we'd like). The most interesting component of the glowstick-esque design is its UI, which utilizes the tubular shape for navigation through menus, allowing for each end to act as a kind of scroll-wheel. While the design is just a concept right now, it does suggest some interesting possibilities for a market which is currently over-saturated with sameness. Check the gallery for all the futuristic goodness. %Gallery-4704%
Samsung readies YouTube-friendly SGH-L760 for European release
Hot on the heels of LG's own announcement to finally hop on the growing YouTube handset bandwagon comes the Samsung SGH-L760, which is just about set to invade Europe and suck away even more hours of life as eager customers browse videos on their handset. The 3G mobile will reportedly play nice with YouTube, uBlog, and Buzznet, and aims to allow users the opportunity to upload the ups and downs of their daily lives onto the world wide web with ease. Reportedly, the phone will sport a 200 x 176 resolution display, two-megapixel camera, FM radio, Bluetooth, MP3 player, web browser, microSD expansion slot, and an RSS reader to boot. While no mention of a pricetag was made, Germans can expect to find out later this month, while other locales in Europe should have access to the L760 shortly thereafter.[Via PhoneScoop]
MPIO keeps it simple with the MP300 DAP
While a myriad of companies battle it out to sell you on multifaceted converged devices, MPIO is staying in tune with the basics on its ML300. Checking in at 29- x 66- x 19.5-millimeters, this minuscule digital audio player boasts a simple display, supports MP3 / WMA formats, touts an FM tuner, and operates around 10-hours on a single AAA cell. Additionally, it includes a voice and FM recorder, USB 2.0 connectivity, and seven equalizer pre-sets. Reportedly, the ML300 will come in both 1GB and 2GB flavors, and while hard pricing deets weren't readily available, such a stripped down unit ought not break the bank.[Via TheMP3Players]
iriver's W10 PMP detailed further, runs Windows CE
iriver's delightful W10 is looking better all the time, as just a fortnight after being showcased on the firm's teaser site, it's now drawing attention to the iriver Europe portal with a rundown of specifications. Arriving in your choice of black or white, this sleek PMP will of course boast 8GB of internal storage space, an integrated WiFi adapter, WiFi positioning system, three-inch WQVGA widescreen display, built-in FM tuner, miniSD expansion slot, and an integrated speaker to boot. The most noticeable bit, however, is that this device will rely on Windows CE beneath the shell to keep things rockin', and even iriver admits that you'll likely see firmware updates down the road to account for future applications and formats. Still no word on price nor availability, but the "coming this year" tagline means launch day is (sort of) in sight.[Via PlayerBites]
SwiMP3 Surf lets you rock the waves, remain dateless
We've seen a number of waterproof headphones and MP3 players come and go -- even a couple from the likes of SwiMP3, which is rolling out its new Surf. Featuring a waterproof housing rated up to 25 feet and matching waterproof in-ear headphones, it looks like the designers tried to make up for the paltry 256MB of memory and chubby £99 ($119 in the States) price tag by making the Surf as hideously ugly as possible -- at least it'll keep the sharks away.[Via Tech Digest]
MPIO intros 4GB MG100 DAP
MPIO's MG100 digital audio player wasn't all that remarkable when it was only available in 1GB and 2GB versions, but the company seems to think they have a winner, now bumping the player up to a full 4GB. Otherwise, the player appears to be unchanged, with the same 176x132 screen, built-in FM tuner, and support for the always-popular MTV video file format in addition to the usual MP3 and WMA audio formats. No word on price, but we wouldn't expect it to demand too much of a premium over the $165 the 2GB version cost.[Via Akihabara News]