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The Canon DSLR / MP3 player / speaker is both more and less than it seems (but mostly less)
A DSLR / MP3 player / speaker for a mere $83? Well, two out of three ain't bad.
Cowon X7 debuts in home market of Korea with 4.3-inch screen, American ambitions
What was merely an indistinct outline in August is today a bona fide retail product. Cowon has made its X7 PMP official over in South Korea, letting us take a gander at the spec sheet if not necessarily buy one just yet. A 4.3-inch touchscreen takes center stage, backed by up to 160GB of hard drive storage and a battery rated to last for 103 hours of music or 10 hours of video playback. An FM radio tuner, built-in speaker, and Bluetooth chip fill out the "retro modern" body, while the software front reveals DivX-encoded video compatibility and a smattering of your usual note-taking and utility apps. The standard 160GB model is going on sale for 339,000 KRW ($304), or if you're a globetrotter and need a set of preinstalled dictionaries, it'll set you back 379,000 KRW ($340). There's no word on US availability just yet, but this thing didn't go through the chore of getting certified with the FCC for nothing.
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%
Lifeline Energy distributes solar powered radio / media players to the villages of Africa
Everybody know that the big money's in pain rays and various other wargadgets, so we really like it when someone at least tries to do a little good in the world. Lifeline Energy is a UK-based NGO that works to bring folks in emerging markets (mostly sub-Saharan Africa) items like solar-powered radios and lights, and it has just announced the launch of the Lifeplayer self-powered MP3 player and AM/FM/SW radio. This device features 64GB storage, microSD card slot, 3G connectivity, audio recording capabilities, and the ability to act as a sort of PA system -- according to the organization, groups of sixty can hear the thing clearly. It's powered either by a hand-crank or through its solar panel, and contains a USB port for charging devices such as cell phones. At present, Lifeline Energy is distributing over a thousand of these bad boys in Haiti and it's accepting donations to distribute them in Pakistan as well. Hit the source link to see how you can help. PR after the break. Update: Turns out that blue radio we originally pictured isn't actually the Lifeplayer -- that was the Lifeline radio, which predated it by roughly seven years. The green device above is the real deal, and you'll find a high-res product image of it right after the break.
iPod nano (2010) splayed open in the name of miniature science
What, you didn't think iFixit would stop at just disassembling the new iPod touch, did you? The all-new nano has also been sat atop the workbench, handed a bottle of hard liquor, and told to close its eyes and count to 120 million. The 6th-gen device weighs in at 67 percent of the volume of its precursor, with a slightly thicker body and that integrated clip on its back. Its 240- x 240-pixel display offers a 220ppi density, which, within Apple's ranks, is bettered only by the Retina Display on the fourth generation iPhone and iPod touch devices. Regrettably, just as with those two machines, the 2010 nano has its front glass, LCD and touchscreen assembly fused together. One handy bit of news here is the battery size, which at 105mAh is what you might call paltry, but still doubles up the 2010 shuffle's 51mAh. All in all, the conclusion from this dissection is that the new device feels more like a shuffle with a screen than a miniaturized nano, which, when you look at the form factor, makes all sorts of sense. More at the source.
iPod nano review (2010)
Apple's sixth generation of the iPod nano is essentially the first complete rethinking the product has had since its debut in 2005. The previous form factor -- slim and light with a decently sized display and clickwheel -- has been all but abandoned. The new design is a complete departure; a full touchscreen device that brings to mind something more like a large, living postage stamp than a portable music player. Along with the radical hardware redesign, Apple has infused the media player with a brand new operating system as well -- an interface that looks and plays more like iOS than iPod. We've spent the past week or so knocking the nano around to see if it's worth your hard-earned dollars, and we've got the answers inside -- so read on for our full review. %Gallery-101628%
Zune HD taking to the skies with United Airlines in-flight entertainment trial
Microsoft and United hooked up back in June for a hardware-less Zune partnership, which seems to have turned out pretty sweetly for both parties. Dave McLauchlan, chief Zune HD evangelist, has dished the news that the two companies are stepping up their relationship with a set of 500 Zunes being provided for long-haul flights to Hong Kong and Australia. Before you cry foul and say you never get on a flying tin can without your own media, Microsoft's angle here will be to preload those OLED-sporting babies with exclusive content, including flicks that haven't yet made it to a DVD release. Dave himself has been running around movie studios and closing deals, while the Zune HDs in question have now been encased in rubber, had their screens protected, and batteries charged. See them in a group shot after the break.
Unannounced Sony Walkman NWZ-S754 unearthed at IFA
The Walkman section of Sony's booth at IFA this week has an automatic information system that pops up specs on a central display for each model as you pull it away from its base, but there was one unknown model chilling out that popped up nothing more than a "coming soon" message when you yanked it out. What gives, Sony? Why the mystery and suspense? Why are you doing this to us? Well, a little digging through the menu system reveals that it's the NWZ-S754, presumably the follow-on to last year's S745. Given the lack of specs we weren't able to glean much, but both the black and silver units on display were 8GB models; naturally, we'd assume larger capacities are also in the cards when it launches. The display was contrasty enough so that we're thinking it could be OLED, which would make sense -- they do OLED on a number of other Walkmen models already -- and the "Mickey Mouse effect" of the button layout has been diminished a bit. That's good or bad, we suppose, depending on just how hardcore of a Disney fan you are. More details when we have 'em. %Gallery-101363%
Zune HD could have all-new model in the works
The Zune HD continues to rank among our all-time favorites in terms of industrial design, so it's good to hear that Microsoft isn't entirely abandoning the PMP sector for its new Windows Phone 7 hotness. Mary Jo Foley of ZDNet has consulted her tea leaves (and in-the-know tipsters) and emerged with the strong feeling that some new Zune hardware is brewing up in Redmond. Little specificity is available, beyond the obvious postulation that a new ZHD would probably be driven by an ARM CPU and take some software pointers from WP7, but we're told to look toward the early 2011 horizon and see if we can't spot any sexy new media players emerging. A mirage is as likely as the real deal right now, but it's always fun to look to that horizon, no?
iPod shuffle (2010) first hands-on!
Not much to say here, it's got a click wheel in as few molecules as possible. Pics below! %Gallery-100977%
iPod nano redesigned: smaller, lighter, better and costing $149 for 8GB or $179 for 16GB
Apple has just revealed its 6th generation iPod nano, which has been outfitted with just about the boldest redesign the portable media player has experienced yet. Gone is the clickwheel, to be replaced with a touchscreen interface and a shuffle-esque square form factor. It's now 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter. Hard volume buttons on the side and a clip on the back provide the minimal hardware accouterments to that multitouch touchscreen, while the inside provides enough juice for 24 hours of audio playback. Seven total color variants will be up for grabs, including a Product RED option, with prices set at $149 for 8GB of storage or $179 for 16GB and pre-orders being taken today. P.S. -- If you were looking for that awesome camera the nano used to have, stop. It ain't there anymore. We've also noted that there's no video playback to be found anymore, either. %Gallery-100937%%Gallery-100966%
Samsung is still down with PMP, announces YP-Q3 and YP-U6 players (video)
Lots of companies are moving their focus to more capable devices, but Samsung is still here to fulfill your simple media playback needs with a few new PMPs. First is the YP-Q3, shown above, a compact and stylish player with support for plenty of formats (H.264, WMV, Xvid, MP3, OGG, etc.) and also packing an FM receiver and voice recorder. No word on pricing or capacity, but it will be offered in a variety of colors and has a highly-customizable UI, shown in the oontzy video after the break. Then there's the rather more compact YP-U6 MP3 stick, pictured after the break with its wee display that can show either the currently playing track or, apparently, how many calories you've burned -- presumably through some accelerometer trickery. No price on this one either, but we expect to be getting some quality time with both at IFA in very short order.
SanDisk debuts newly designed Sansa Fuze+ PMPs
SanDisk's finally updated its Fuze PMP with the Sansa Fuze+. The newly designed device boasts a 2.4-inch LCD, with three capacities -- 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB -- to choose from. It also comes in red, white, purple, blue and black in the latter two models, while the 16GB only comes in black. Other than that, it's pretty low on features: the Fuze+ (you'll be happy to know) features full compatibility with slotRadio (and all microSDHC cards), supports all the major file formats, and a new barebones user interface. The Fuze+ lineup is available today, and the 4GB will cost you $79, the 8GB model will run $89, while the 16GB is priced at $119. Full press release follows below.
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.
Sansa Fuze+ leaks out with slotRadio support, 24 hours of battery life
And here we thought SanDisk had up and buried its once-thriving Sansa PMP line. After all -- it was this company's CEO that said "you can't out-iPod the iPod." For whatever reason, it looks as if the memory mainstay is about to try its hand once more in the saturated media player market, with a Sansa Fuze+ rumored for release in the near term. As you can clearly see above, there won't be anything too special about the Fuze+, though the 2.4-inch QVGA display, capacitive touch controls and inbuilt FM tuner are certainly appreciated. It'll ship in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB flavors, supporting the usual file formats (AAC, MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, Audible, MPEG4, H.264, WMV, etc.) and offering a rechargeable battery good for 24 hours on the audio side and 5 hours on the video side. USB 2.0 support is thrown in, as is the absolutely riveting confirmation that it'll be "ready for slotRadio and slotMusic memory cards." Knowing that, we aren't so sure if our minds can take the wait till September 12th, but we'll do our best.
Philips' Android-powered GoGear Connect PMP seemingly on sale overseas
We suppose it could always be a glitch of some sort, but Argos isn't typically the kind of retailer to add products to its library with no intention of hawking them. First spotted back in February (with a pleasing dose of steroids, might we add), Philips' newest GoGear Connect is ditching the proprietary OS in favor of Google's alternative, following Samsung's Yepp-YP-MB2 into the mysterious world of Android-based PMPs. The product listing shows the 3.2-inch media player as boasting Android 2.1, 16GB of internal storage space, a battery good for 5 hours of video playback (and 25 hours of audio), FM radio tuner, a touchpanel and a microSD expansion slot. Curiously enough, GPS is also thrown in, as are a set of presumably lackluster headphones. It's listed for a scarily inflated €264.99 ($340), but mum's the word on an international release -- 'course, it's not like Philips hasn't ignored North America before, so we'd recommend not holding your breath. [Thanks, Michael]
Ask Engadget: best FM transmitter out there?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Wes, who is actually brave enough to even consider an FM transmitter. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "I'm in the market for a new car, and that has me thinking towards multimedia connectivity. I don't want to rule out direct iPhone integration, but since the car is almost certainly going to be used, I'd like to think more along the lines of AUX-in and FM transmitter capability. I've also read that many of the new products can enable hands-free cellphone use, so this would be great to include. Any recommendations for a good in-car charging unit with these features?" We'll go ahead and be straight with you -- if you're in the city or the suburbs, be prepared for long, frustrating fights to find a clear channel. We've never had much luck with 'em outside of the middle of nowhere, but maybe our dear readership will chime in with a few pointers below. Godspeed.
Sony Walkman NWZ-E450 does karaoke, we go hands-on (video)
If you need any sort of self-confidence therapy, then consider this the poor man's portable solution. Sony's new NWZ-E450 entry-level Walkman may look rather ordinary on the outside, but it's got something unique wrapped underneath -- karaoke mode. Here's how it works: not only can you throw in .lrc files to get auto-scrolling lyrics for your songs, but the device can also automagically reduce the lead vocals and let you be the rock star. Of course, the latter feature may not work as well with your occasional dose of Slipknot, but as you can see in our hands-on video after the break, Leona Lewis' gorgeous voice is good to go. The rest of the spec sheet doesn't look too bad either: MP3 / WMA / AAC / MP4 / WMV playback, up to 50 hours of music battery juice, 2-inch QVGA LCD, voice recorder, FM radio, 4GB to 16GB of memory, and it comes in black, red, blue, pink and green. Available in August starting from £70 ($108).%Gallery-97610%
Burger King uses 'musical shower' as latest trick to entice Japanese clientele
A new Burger King eatery opening up in Japan isn't usually something we concern ourselves too much with, but this one comes with an interesting new twist. Those umbrella-aping translucent cones hanging over the tables are known as "musical showers," and their function is to deliver music in an isolated fashion to you and your significant -- but not too significant, it's still BK, after all -- other. All you'll need to do is plug your portable media player into the provided receptacle and the tunes you know and love will literally shower down upon you. To be honest, if the audio channeling is sufficiently precise not to disturb nearby punters, we're loving this idea. Now just give it a name that won't make teenagers giggle and bring it westwards.
iRiver busts out low end T8 Candy Bar and S100 PMPs in Korea
iRiver's just announced two new lines of cheap PMPs for your fanciful, color-loving ears. First up, the T8 Candy Bar boasts a classic USB stick design, and is available in eight outrageous colors. They pack 4GB of storage and a battery life of up to 17 hours -- but not much else. Up next the slightly more interesting S100, which comes in both 4GB and 8GB varieties, with a 2.83-inch, 240 x 320 resolution color display, FM Radio, microSD slot, and 720p video playback. Both the T8 Candy Bar and the S100 are available in Korea only so far, and the T8 runs 69,000 Won (around $58) while the S100 starts at 129,000 Won (around $106) with several different configurations. Shot of the S100 is after the break.
