mp3-player
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iriver, Speedo suit up for new Aquabeat underwater MP3 player
Another Spring, another opportunity for iriver Japan and Speedo to sell a few MP3 players designed for underwater use. Yes friends, the Aquabeat you've grown to know, love and disassociate with overly tight swim trunks has a successor, the Speedo LZR Racer. Design wise, you won't notice a lot of differentiation from the first, but this waterproof-to-three-meters device has twice the internal memory (2GB) and a built-in rechargeable battery good for around eight hours of continuous playback. It's said to be shipping now in Japan for ¥12,800 ($128), though we hear it won't be coming to America without first nailing down a Michael Phelps endorsement. Not that said task will be too tough or anything.[Via Impress]
2GB ICOO V616 DAP is definitely worth $14
Not thrilled with the value proposition presented in Apple's newest iPod Shuffle? Why, have a look at this! The 2GB ICOO V616 DAP ain't much, but it does sport an OLED display and probably plays nice with a whole gaggle of file formats. Really, the bottom line is that this thing is just 99 yuan (around $14), so there's no doubt it's worth the asking price. Doubly so if it comes bundled with those Band Of Brothers dog tags.[Via PMPToday]
ReBraun music jukebox is beautifully retro, woefully expensive
Got a thing for vintage, do ya? If so, you owe it to yourself to have a gander at the ReBraun music jukebox, which was modeled after the absolutely stunning Audio 1 Kompaktanlage (circa 1962). This here device is crafted from aluminum and sports twin LCD displays in place of radio scales, and the optional WiFi module gives it a link to legions of internet radio stations. Needless to say, the mix of old and new is downright tear-jerking, but we'd argue the €12,000 ($15,561) price tag is even more so.[Via today and tomorrow]
EverGreen's Chinese Horoscope MP3 players begin their adorable invasion
Looking for some equally cute alternatives to all the Hello Kitty gear out there? Then you may want to consider these new Chinese Horoscope MP3 players from EverGreen, which sacrifice only a tiny bit of usability for a whole lot of adorability. You will get some actual, if not entirely intuitive, controls on the rear, however, along with an adequate 2GB of storage space, but you'll apparently have to make do with just five hours of play time. Then again, at less than $30 each, you could just collect 'em all and keep the cuteness train rolling for days on end.[Via PMP Today]
World gets updated Samsung P3, US still gets none
It was hard to give back Samsung's P3 after caressing it for a few moments at CES, knowing we'd be sadly separated for at least a few months waiting for an indeterminate release date sometime before July. Today that official arrival is still just as vague, but now our hearts yearn just a little more with Samsung updating and extending the functionality of the player, adding the ability to play native resolution 800 x 600 video, enabling support for video subtitles in SMIs, adding mosaic browsing for videos, and throwing in a fun little drawing application to boot. A full (and jazzy) video breakdown of the new features is embedded below, which people on the fence about S9 now or P3 later won't want to miss.
Acorn MP3 player is for nuts only
You may ask yourself, "what is the point of an acorn-shaped DAP"? Well, stop asking and just bask in the glory of its zaniness! Why not, right? It's teeny, cute, it's got 1GB of memory, and it comes with its own USB cable! Couldn't be simpler than that. Shell out $21 bucks for this little guy, strap it to your cell phone, and head for the great outdoors -- a beautiful placid lake for some camping, perhaps. Sky's the limit!
Barbie's 50th anniversary MP3 player - Waylon Smithers approves
This isn't the first time we've seen a Barbie-branded MP3 player -- and this form factor does seem awfully familiar -- but the whole thing really is a no-brainer. If you're looking to reinforce young girls' unrealistic body image expectations (or if you're the post-modern / post-feminist / ironic type, or if you just really like the color pink) this is definitely one for you. Shaped like a makeup compact and designed by INNO Design, this thing sports 2GB storage, FM radio and a mirror. You know, for checking yourself out with. Or possibly for signaling rescue planes. And if that weren't enough, the device comes with mic input and a necklace strap. If you should happen to find yourself on Melrose Avenue, you can pick one up for yourself at Fred Segal, where they're really pulling out all the stops for Barbie's 50th anniversary. The price varies from $93-$165, and there's more pics after the break.Update: We know, we know... this one does look a little familiar. Nothing says "Happy 50th!" like trotting out an old DAP. [Via Chip Chick]
Tree Camera doubles as really cute MP3 player, doesn't take stills
We've always heard that judging a book by its cover is a bad, bad idea, and if you're assuming this wooden camera takes snaps first and plays tunes second, you'd be terribly mistaken. In fact, The Tree Camera is actually a DAP alone (sorry for crushing your dreams), and aside from boasting a standard headphone jack, it includes 256MB of storage and plays nice with OGG, WMA and MP3 file formats. We'd say it's totally cute enough to justify the $43 price tag, and even more so if the wood used to make is, you know, real wood.[Via PMPToday]
Aigo's "Jigsaw of Love" MP3 player completes you
No specs here to speak of. Only pics of this oddly shaped player from Aigo called the "Jigsaw of Love." Presumably then, you can mate the DAP with your partner's piece and then "leak" the sordid video onto the Internet in hopes of fake-fighting a revival to your fading career. But that's just a guess.[Via PMP Today]
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]
D.I.Y. motion-controlled MP3 player doesn't need your fancy touch screen
Our anonymous engineer friend over in Ageo, Japan sure loves to make him some gadgets -- among his many projects he's already built a couple other MP3 players, and now he's back with a tiny, motion controlled device that plays tunes from an SD card. Housed in a set of speakers (switching from stereo to mono when the satellite is unplugged) this thing uses an accelerometer for its interface: the user can skip ahead, skip back, change albums, pause, loop, turn down or crank up the sound by tilting, tapping, or setting the thing down. This is a strictly D.I.Y. affair, so if you want to get your hands on one you'll have to hit the read link for the parts list, schematics and firmware. Captured on video after the break.[Via Slashgear]
Colorsonic concept MP3 player turns your tunes into groovy colors, man
MP3 players with screens that show pretty colors are certainly nothing new, but Rhea Jeong's Colorsonic concept is something rather different. It's a little donut-shaped device that lacks a proper display, instead lighting its sections up to represent different types of music tagged using software at home -- think Shuffle meets mood ring. You could drop all your Sabbath and miscellaneous metal on black, Green Day and various faux-punk on green, and your Clannad and other soothing tunes on a nice dreamy blue. Then, just touch that section of the player and let the music flow. The thing even has storage for two impossibly small Bluetooth earbuds (shown below) that can nestle within the center (aka the Munchkin/Timbit zone). While we generally hate being teased by fanciful concepts as much as you, but this one was developed as part of an internship at Samsung, meaning there might just be a chance it could come to fruition. Sorry, colorblind folks, you'll have to stick with other oddly shaped ways to play your tunes.
New Zealander gives classified DAP back to US, gets a new one in exchange
Aw, lookie here -- a happy ending! That suddenly popular Chris Ogle -- you know, the New Zealander who accidentally purchased an MP3 player full of classified US Army documents from a thrift store -- is basking in the glory of his 14th minute of fame. According to a new report from Reuters, Mr. Ogle peacefully handed the device back over to US authorities, and for his cooperation, a brand spanking new player was handed over to him. It's unclear what kind of unit he received and if it was your tax money paying for it, but we get the feeling we'll never truly know answers to either question. As for Ogle's next move? We hear he's jockeying for a guest spot on Flight of the Conchords.
mobiBLU's A10 UFO player may lift off when playing Jefferson Airplane
Is it a portable media player, or just a media player? Should it be worn around the neck, or simply left on the living room table? These questions and more become yours to answer should you choose to invest in mobiBLU's A10 UFO. All we're told is that it's available in glossy red or glossy black and that it features Bluetooth, support for a multitude of file formats, a built-in battery, headphone jack and 2/4/8GB of internal storage. If you look carefully, you'll notice that the red version is actually already starting to float upwards upon the strumming of the first chords in "White Rabbit." Far out, man.[Via AnythingButiPod]
New Zealander buys used MP3 player, finds classified US Army files in like-new condition
While used and refurb'd electronics have a long history of delivering more than the purchaser bargained for, like assembly-line photos, MI6 documents, or the phone number to Sarah Palin's hair stylist, New Zealand man Chris Ogle's surprise find is a little more troubling. He picked up the above unidentified MP3 player at a thrift shop in Oklahoma for $18 used. On it were 60 files, many of which appear to be US Army property of a confidential nature, including one that lists soldier names, SSNs, and phone numbers, and another doc that appears to be a mission plan. Sadly the Government is choosing to ignore this little security breach, but we think it should step up and make Mr. Ogle an offer. He's likely to let the thing go cheap thanks to a second unfortunate discovery: it doesn't even play music any more.[Via The Sydney Morning Herald]
iView shows off novelty MP3 players aplenty
There may not be a lot of details on these apart from the fact that they support MP3 and WMA formats and each pack a built-in USB connector, but when it comes to pirate skulls and other novelty MP3 players (which somehow managed to slip under our radar at CES), we're guessing specs are a secondary concern for most. No word on pricing or availability either, but you can check out a couple more by hitting up the link below, and no doubt expect to see even more variations cropping up in the not too distant future.[Via PMP Today]
5-in-1 multi-function MP3 player could use a plug from Billy Mays
In theory, we can't really harsh on a diminutive little gizmo that can play back MP3s, record voice notes, capture live video, snap a few stills and double as a card reader in a pinch, but there's just something about this thing that screams infomercial. As for specs, it's got 2GB of built-in memory, a microSD expansion slot, USB 2.0 connectivity, a rechargeable Li-ion and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack. Unfortunately, the thing's selling for an almost astronomical $60 before shipping, which definitely pushes it into "won't ever sell without Billy Mays' endorsement" territory. Seriously, check the vid after the jump if you think you're immune to coercion.
KO Digital's RM2300: the disappearing screen PMP that reflects you, your alcoholism
It was a neat trick when LG's Shine hid a screen behind a mirror, but the sadly non-disappearing keypad left little doubt about what the thing's intended purpose was. KO Digital Technology's RM2300, however, goes for a rather more subtle approach. When off it looks like a slab of polished titanium, but flick it on and a screen appears from below the surface (also appearing in more photos after the break). Get past the mysterious looks, though, and what you have is a standard PMP that can do standard PMP things: play videos and tunes in numerous formats, support TV-out, and handle photo and e-book browsing. No mention of price, capacity, or availability, but by now you should know how these things go -- don't expect to be gazing at yourself in one of these any time soon.Update: Gallery added so you all can lust a little more.[Via PMP Today]%Gallery-42282%
Samsung gets official with P3 PMP at CES 2009
Samsung's P3 has been official in other parts of the globe for awhile now, but the outfit has decided to wait until CES to make it so here in the States. As anticipated, the PMP arrives with its "evolutionary" EmoTure user interface, 4/8/16/32GB of internal storage, haptic feedback, a 3-inch WQVGA display, DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology and a Music Hot Touch Key that enables users to instantly access favorite music features / selections without having to wade through multiple menus. The device itself is just 0.39-inches thick, and it also boasts a voice recorder, FM radio and Bluetooth support. Check it sometime during the first half of this year in matte black / matte silver motifs.%Gallery-40655%
iCap MP3 player can save your hearing / life, not your dignity
No, seriously -- you have to digest this quote. According to Gesten Technologies President Jeffrey Gesten: "If you listen to loud music through earbuds, then you are risking long term hearing damage; if you listen while you are jogging or bicycle riding, then you are risking your hearing... and your life!" Hear that kids? If you use any product other than the ridiculous looking iCap, you're practically playing Russian Roulette with Dr. Death. Speaking of the cap at hand, said wearable packs a 1GB MP3 player, an FM tuner, a voice recorder (really?) and a microSD slot for carrying around even more Boyz II Men tracks on your dome. It also touts external speakers, which should totally freak out any other jogger you happen to pass by. Those with enough fundage to buy something purely for comedic purposes can hand over $119.95 and begin to chuckle right now.