MP3 player
Latest
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]
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]
Sun Connection's Music+ SD-based MP3 player
Japanese manufacturer Sun Connection has emerged from years of painstaking research and design, today announcing its Music+ MP3 player. Unlike some other totally different digital audio players, the Music+ relies on SD/MMC cards for storage (topping out at 2GB) and also seemingly only plays back music according to the file name order. The unit itself measures about an inch and a half square and weighs less than an ounce, with its battery promising some eight hours of continuous playback. Sun Connection's also managed to keep the price low enough, just 2,980 Yen ($25 US) -- of course that also means you'll have to supply your own SD card.[Via AV Watch]
Datasafe's Oomi 2GB DAP: Still a Pebble by any other name
Clearly it was the name "Pebble" which caused the EZAV EMP-700 music player to come up short in its attempt to usurp the iPod from its DAP dominating position. Oomi, yeah, duh, that's the change that's needed. That and support for PlaysForSure WMA, MP3, a 2GB capacity, voice recorder, FM radio, and a reported 12 hour battery life will almost certainly, uh, make no difference whatsoever. Here's a hint: think ecosystem. This Korean product, made in China can be yours in the UK for about £70 or $130. Now you know.[Via Stuff]
RIM CEO reveals upcoming BlackBerry features
Well, we can't say for sure whether Palm and RIM are going to merge tomorrow (though we obviously have a pretty strong inkling that they won't), but if nothing else RIM's co-CEO James Balsillie did let some interesting information slip today at the C3 expo. Namely, he spoke about how apparently BlackBerry devices should soon have a slew of features never really known in RIM handsets, such as MP3 playback from external memory expansion, "image capture," (which we're taking to mean a freaking integrated digital camera), and even integrated GPS. We're not saying BlackBerrys wouldn't be capable or nothin', but we all know what a serious overhaul these devices would have to undergo in order to make some of these features really shine (especially GPS), let alone to really prep them for mass market appeal. But either way here's to hoping some of this stuff will show up in the Stealth (or sooner).[Via BBHub]
Sony's NW-A1200 8GB Walkman straight outta Japan
We know some of you have been counting the days on you calendar for this one, and now it looks like Sony's NW-A1200 MP3 player is finally getting a release in the US after previously being exclusive to Japan, and will launch here in two new colors: violet and pink. Better get used to 'em cause they're also the only colors available, which is all the more curious since Sony already released a slick-looking black version in Japan -- is it really so hard to release it here too? Style preferences aside, the player still looks like a solid enough device, with MP3, WMA, and AAC support, 20 hours of promised battery life (on AAC, of course), and a 1.5-inch OLED screen. Sony's taking pre-orders now for $199.95 with an expected ship date of July 20th.[Thanks, decemberice]
Philips' new SA1200 flash players
Philips finished off another relatively low-end flash portable audio player line for ya, and you can call it the SA1200. These tiny low end flash devices aren't ever really anything to write home about, but they still have a leg up over Apple's randomizing stick of chewing gum with a 32 x 128 display; otherwise you've got the usual MP3 and WMA support (no indication of PlaysForSure, though) and a replaceable AAA cell. You can snag yours in 512MB (SA1200/02, right) or 1GB (SA1210/02). If you're German, anyway, since so far as we can tell these are only for European release.[Via DAPReview]
mobiBLU intros US2 slim MP3 player
The caps-obsessed mobiBLU are the latest in the long line of companies taking dead aim at the nano with their latest audio player, the US2, which actually manages to shave a few millimeters off the size of Apple's diminutive scratch magnet. Also like the nano, the US2 (which stands for UltraSlim 2, if you must know) comes in 1, 2, and 4GB varieties (flash memory, of course) and packs a 1.5-inch OLED color screen along with some SRS WoW sound enhancement for good measure. In addition to audio playback, the device also promises support for video and photos, as well as recording capabilities, although the specific formats beyond MP3 are unclear. Pricing doesn't look to be readily available either, but it looks like the US2 will land sometime in mid-July -- although probably not as soon in North America.[Via DAPReview]
Venzero announces Venzero Mini One MP3 player
Since no self-respecting MP3 player manufacturer can have put out a player without also dropping a mini version of it, Venzero's announced the Venzero Mini One to compliment the previously announced Venzero One. Like its bigger sibling, one of the big selling points of the Mini One is the included MusicMarker music recognition service, which'll let you identify music at the push of a button. Apart from that, the Mini One looks to be a pretty solid player, available in 1GB and 2GB varieties, with a 1.3-inch OLED screen and support for MP3s, WMA (including DRM10), and WAVs, as well as "player-specific video" (software for video conversion is included). As you can tell from the matchstick, the player is also rather minuscule, measuring 2.9 x 1.7 x 0.35-inches, and weighing a mere 0.98 ounces. With the small size, however, comes trade-offs, and the Mini One lacks the built-in USB On-The-Go port and retractable USB connector that made its larger sibling notable. Look for the player towards the end of July, although if you've gotta have it first, Venzero's now accepting pre-orders: $119 US for the 1GB and $169 for the 2GB.[Via Venzero Elite]
Twinbird's waterproof MP3 player frame
Japanese manufacturer Twinbird, who seems to have a thing for gadgets in the bathroom, has introduced another product we're sure someone has been clamoring for, although we can't imagine who. Their Xzabady (or X Zabady, perhaps) is a waterproof frame for an MP3 player or other portable audio device that's designed, naturally, for use in the bathroom. The frame, available in either white or black, packs a single rear speaker with two "reflectors" and a built-in FM tuner, which can be used on its own without an MP3 player attached. You can also customize the frame by inserting your our picture. Well, you could if you could actually buy it -- this one looks to be Japan-only for now.[Via Akihabara News]
Cowon's iAudio T2
It might have been a little more appropriate if their T2 came fashioned in Liquidmetal (sorry, had to), but Cowon's latest iAudio player comes in 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB sizes, and features MP3, OGG, WMA (sorry, doesn't look to be PlaysForSure), FLAC, WAV, and ASF, and your usual OLED color display, 12 hour battery, FM receiver / recorder, and voice recorder; all in a diminutive 0.5-inch thick shell that smacks more of an old school Walkman than an anti-iPod, if you ask us.[Via iAudiophile]
Toshiba Gigabeat S reviewed, iPod advantage "wiped out"
Boy oh boy, we knew the Toshiba Gigabeat S was good after our initial hands-on at CES, just not this good – according to CNET's review anyway. See, they just snagged a 30GB model which sports Microsoft's "super-intuitive" Portable Media Center (PMC) 2.11 software and is almost identical in size, weight, and battery life to the 5G iPod it's gunning for. The FM tuner and dedicated controls along the side were found to be a bonus and that cross-hair controller was both "tactile and delicate" allowing for "fluid and responsive" navigation even while multitasking. It also comes with a USB-conversion cable for transferring snaps off digital cameras without additional accessories. The only real drawback is due to the Gigabeat S' support of Microsoft's Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) over USB Mass Storage -- a choice that limits its use to XP systems, only. When the swooning was over, CNET bestowed their Editor's Choice and an 8.7/10 rating on the S – easily besting the scores of both Apple's iPod with video and Creative's Zen Vision:M. But the accolades didn't stop there. See, according to this CNET review, the introduction of the Gigabeat S in combination with Windows Media Player 11 (now in beta), MTV's URGE music and the Vongo movie subscription service has "wiped out" any advantage the "iPod/iTunes ecosystem" had over its WMA competition. Maybe, but we've seen so-called iPod killers come and go many times before, so we won't be issuing a deathwatch just yet, dig? Still, if you're running Windows Media Center Edition (or thinking about it)... what's keepin' ya from dropping the $280 or so required to bring this mutha home?
MTV pimps branded MP3 players in Europe
Just a few weeks after the launch of their Microsoft-supported music service Urge, MTV has tapped European company Mini Media to produce two MP3 players emblazoned with branding from Viacom franchises such as South Park and Pimp My Ride. The lower-end MIVI-P1GB sports 1GB of storage (expandable with SD), WMA playback, an FM tuner and a voice recorder, while the higher-end MIVI-P1GBV1 adds photo/video playback on a 1.5-inch CSTN screen. Yeah, the specs are nothing special but MTV is hoping the wacky rubberized finish and cheesy graphics will be enough to separate consumers from their cash after the European release slated for September. No word on price or plans for a US release yet, but we're betting we'll see these before we ever see that other MTV player again.[Via I4U]
M-Cody's M20 merges nano with Chocolate
Why just swipe one product design when you could be keepin' it real fake-er with two unabashed design steals? M-Cody asks that question with their new M20 music player, which merges a few stylings of LG's uber-popular Chocolate phone with a nice helping of iPod nano to create a quite stylish and sexy -- if a bit unoriginal -- music player. The specs aren't that bad, with MP3, WMA and OGG support, flash storage ranging from 512MB to 2GB and a nano bustin' 1.1 to 1.4-ounce weight. The positively bulky 0.3-inch thickness doesn't quite match up though, and 128 x 64 pixel OLED display isn't going to win many awards either. We don't have a price or launch dates yet, but this presumably China-bound player isn't looking too shabby -- fakery and all.
iRiver Clix review roundup
If you like to buy products described by seasoned reviewers as "very good," "great," and "excellent," then you'll certainly want to check out iRiver's 2GB Clix DAP if you're in the market for a player that screams "iDon't." Everyone who's gotten his/her hands on iRiver's rebrand of followup to the U10 seems to be in love with the little thing, citing audio that's both accurate and loud, easy-to-use, intuitive controls and interface, its crisp, clear screen, a plethora of options for photo viewing, and even good video playback despite a maximum of 15fps. Other nice touches include relatively high bit-rate options for in-line, voice, or FM recording, a good selection of digital equalizer presets, and better-than-average earbud headphones included in the box. Out of all the reviews that we've seen, the only major knocks on this $200 player are for its use of MTP (as opposed to UMS) file transfers and its supposedly short battery life (at least compared to the U10), although PCMag managed to squeeze a respectable 27 hours out of their Clix in testing.Read- PCMagRead- Anything But iPodRead- Cnet
Oppo X31M guitar-ish shaped DAP
To be honest, we didn't really see it at first glance, but apparently this new X31M player from Oppo is shaped like a musical instrument of the guitar variety. Funny, no? We're not sure on capacity, but the player does support the usual MP3 and WMA files, promises 11 hours of battery and can play FM radio. There's an OLED display, USB 2.0 connection, and, uh, a headphone jack. These China-bound good times can be yours for some undetermined price, at some undetermined point in time.[Via DAPreview]
Memorex unleashes three new no-frills DAPs
We can always trust Memorex to liven up the party, and here they come now with three new music players that pin down the low-end of the market fairly well. The players are headed by the MMP8565, which features 1-2GB of flash memory, a monochrome LCD, and busts out the MP3, WAV, WMA and WMA-DRM tunes. It's a fairly small unit, at 0.6-inches thick, and manages a respectable 12 hours of battery life. Rounding out the trio are the MMP8550 and MMP3774 players. The simple-as-it-gets disc shaped 8550 has a mere 256MB of storage and not much else. The gum stick shaped 3774 has a bit of a "me too" form factor, but spices up things a bit with a SD card slot to augment the 512MB of included storage. It also has an FM tuner. There's no word on prices or availability for these things, but they're supposed to show up at Target.
Sony Ericsson's W710 Walkman quad-band GSM/EDGE clam for sportos
Sony Ericsson has yet another Walkman phone lined up for Q3 launch with the W710 clam for active types. As such, the W710 features a motion sensor and slew of fitness applications which can be managed from both the internal 176 x 220 TFT and 128 x 128 external STN displays to measure running speed, distance and time, or simply count steps back and forth to the Twinkie source. It ships with a 512MB Memory Stick Micro card (expandable up to 1GB) and features a standard 3.5mm jack, RDS FM radio, 2 megapixel shooter, MusicID service, Bluetooth (A2DP stereo audio not specified), and measure in at about 1-inch thick and 3.6-ounces. And just in case you'll be using it to make calls, it goes quad-band GSM with EDGE support meaning this device is also a US athletic supporter. More snaps after the break.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Mio C310 GPS receiver / MP3 player reviewed
Personal Tech Pipeline got a chance to tour around with Mio's C310 portable GPS receiver with built-in DAP that we first spotted at CES, and claim that although the unit is a pretty good value, its performance is a bit underwhelming. Rather than building a product from the ground up like the Garmins and Magellans of the world, Mio has assembled a Windows CE-powered unit featuring software from Destinator Technologies and maps from TeleAtlas -- which, while not necessarily a bad thing, means some of the features aren't as polished as they are on vertically-integrated products. For example, PTP found that many important options were buried under several sub-menus, which made simple tasks like changing to night mode or selecting a new destination while driving more difficult than they should be, and probably more dangerous. The C310 seemed to perform its navigation duties fairly well, though, and even ships with ActiveSync for loading up your Outlook contacts' addresses, but little annoyances like a cluttered 3.5-inch screen and awful built-in speakers might be enough to convince most folks to put their $600 towards a more expensive model that operates a little more smoothly.
iRiver's E10 gets an early look
We won't deny that we're a little jealous CNET Asia got their chance to fool around with iRiver's 6GB E10, which we've been eyeing with lustful eyes for a little while now. Sounds like interfacing with the clicky buttons wasn't always expeditious in navigating the UI, so iRiver added some programmable shortcut keys; the 32 hour battery life and Flash Lite video support are also niceties. Unmentioned was codec support, PlaysForSure compatibility, etc., but what they weren't too fond of was the proprietary connector (so what else is new?), the non-user-programmable 182 TV brand IR remote function (which if you ask us kind of seems like a haphazard feature thrown in from the concept device heap), as well as the fact that while it does also support MPEG-4 video, that's about all it supports. Yeah, no device is perfect, but we're not about to give up on this thing yet, no sir.
