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Samsung TicToc PMP player lets you shake right past that Ke$ha song
Back at CES Samsung apparently unveiled this little guy -- the TicToc PMP, which seems to be aiming firmly at the iPod shuffle demographic -- whatever demographic that is. This little bad boy's got just one physical button (for power and volume control) while other functions of the player -- playback, skipping past songs and the like -- are all controlled by shaking. The TicToc will come in 2GB and 4GB varieties, have a supposed battery life of up to 12 hours, and it'll also have a cute little docking station to go with it. There's no pricing information yet, but we hear it'll definitely be available later this year. There's one more shot after the break.
Goth Hello Kitty PMP gets a splash of Swarovski, says she hasn't sold out
Look, if there was one thing that the all black, tiny little Hello Kitty PMP was missing, it was some bling. Fear not, enticed consumers: she gets what she wants. iRiver's just unleashed a few updated versions -- basically identical to the last ones, but HK's now sporting a little more glitter. The Hello Kitty Music Player Premium DX has two versions -- one where Miss K's got a bow in her hair, and another where she's donned a flower. The 4GB PMP runs ¥9,980 (around $111) and is available in Japan now. Meow. [Thanks, Brad]
MusicDNA looks to supplant MP3, bring along updatable extras
As far as formats go, MP3 has managed to hang around for an impressive amount of time. To date, we've yet to see another digital audio file garner a similar amount of support (though ATRAC had a fighting chance!), but it looks as if an alternative from BACH Technology could be gunning for that crown. The new proposal is dubbed MusicDNA, and contrary to what you may expect, Dagfinn Bach -- who tinkered with the first MP3 player back in 1993 -- is all for it. Much like iTunes LP, the new format would include "lyrics, videos, artwork and blog posts, which [would] continually be updated." We're told that pirated files would still play back (as in, DRM shouldn't be an issue here), but none of the aforesaid updates would arrive. Currently, no major labels are onboard with the idea, but the company has suggested that the initial response has been pretty positive. Too bad it'll never go anywhere without a recognizable online storefront, but hey, we're rootin' for you over here! Update: The musicDNA used in the currently available musicGPS iPhone app is something completely different. Who knows if this will lead to a scuffle over naming rights.
Amazon MP3 swings open doors to UK in Android 2.1
Direct access to Amazon's MP3 store from Android is old hat for American customers -- it's been preloaded on the time-weathered G1 since day one -- but it's still a foreign concept for users in a host of other countries, notably the UK where they've been enjoying Google's platform for nearly as long as the Yankees have. That looks poised to change, though, with the introduction of Android 2.1 now that Brits running Nexus Ones have played around with their handsets long enough to discover that the Amazon MP3 app is preloaded and quoting prices in -- yes, you guessed it -- pounds sterling. There's yet to be official word from Amazon on the matter so it's unclear whether pre-2.1 phones will ultimately be able to get in on the action -- but in the meantime, anyone desperate for access had better cobble up the quid for a Nexus import.
Samsung IceTouch hands-on (video)
Samsung's IceTouch PMP sets itself apart from the rest with its two-inch transparent AMOLED screen, and boy, is it a looker. While the rest of the device is slightly reminiscent of a baby toy, the screen itself is killer and the image couldn't be more clear or crisp. Unfortunately, the engineering sample we got to mess around with was not loaded up with any video so we couldn't see that in action, but if the smoothness of the interface is any indication, playback shouldn't be a problem -- save for the fairly tiny screen. We've got video of the interesting player in action after the break. %Gallery-82018%
Sony NW-A845 Walkman slips into European hands, too thin to be noticed
There's an old saying that the Japanese keep the best to themselves, but not this time. Sony's finally man enough to let go of their "slimmest ever Walkman," the NW-A845, to our European cousins. Apart from the obvious (and ever-so-useful) fresh injection of Latin-based languages, we're not seeing much difference with the almighty Japanese version (NW-A840) from September: 7.2mm thin, 2.8-inch of OLED goodness, 29 hours of marathon listening and premium EX earphones. Unlike the buffet in Japan though, there'll only be one "Falcon Black" 16GB model of unknown price for Europe, available for grabs in February.
Pandigital Photo Mail LED frame lets you email snaps over AT&T's wireless network
If there is such a thing as a digital photo frame specialist, Pandigital might very well be it. It should come as no surprise then, that the company has just announced a new cellular-connected product to compete with the forthcoming Vizit frame. Focused on making photo sharing as easy as possible, this new 8-inch LED-backlit display comes with an AT&T cellular connection and associated email account, making the process of getting pictures on it effortless -- and sufficiently remote to let you drop photos off with grandma without having to actually be there. The first 300 mailed snaps are free, at which point you'll have to choose between the 6-in-1 card reader or paying a per-pic charge for further emailing to the 1GB of built-in memory. Costing a cent under $150, the Photo Mail frame will be finding store shelves early this year -- skip past the break if you want to learn more.
City of Heroes offers some Hero-Con highlights
If you were one of the many City of Heroes fans who wasn't quite able to make it to Hero-Con, we offer our condolences. Even though you know that the information revealed there gets disseminated as fast as possible, there's still a sense of missing out on something big. And even though that event was a couple months ago, the sting probably hasn't quite worn off yet. But fret not, as Paragon Studios has given you loyal but not-necessarily-traveling fans a little present. There are now several podcasts available on the official site with recordings from the celebrated event. The available podcasts include the opening ceremonies along with the Going Rogue preview, discussions of power and archetype balancing, and the panel regarding the ongoing storyline of the game among others. Audio quality isn't perfect, but for a recording of a live event there's little to complain about. If you'd prefer to listen on the site, there's a built-in player, or if you'd rather have them on your iPod (or other mobile player) they can be downloaded on the same page in MP3 format. It's not quite the same as being there, but it certainly beats missing the experience entirely if you're a longtime fan of City of Heroes.
iriver's minimalist styled and flamboyant batteried E30 player now available
Just a few days after iriver's E30 was spotted doing a domino impression in China we're happy to say the thing is now making an appearance in American stores -- or at Amazon, at least. The smallest of the three couldn't be bothered to make the trip, leaving only 4GB and 8GB models selling for $59 and $79, respectively. The little 1.8-inch player is just .3-inch thick, supports a plethora of media formats and, with 52 hours of battery life, should let you sample each and every one of them between recharges. It's a lovely, understated thing and would make a wonderful stocking stuffer -- though to be honest it would only really stuff the socks of those with very tiny feet.
Sony NWZ-S745 on sale in Canada, US given cold shoulder
We don't know about you, but every time we hear of a Walkman, we think of the old school cassette players, and are left strangely disappointed by the slinky modern variants and their tons of storage. The 16GB S745, which has absolutely nothing to do with Mickey Mouse we assure you, has entered North American retail channels, only it seems to have skipped the US for its more peace-loving neighbor up north. Eagle-eyed Canadian shoppers have spotted the more advanced version of the S740 on sale in Sony Style stores (for 200 CAD or 188 in real American currency), replete with a 2-inch screen, noise-canceling earphones, and an unhealthily thin case. Still, suspicions abound that Sony is merely waiting for CES to roll around to make its big US unveiling, but if you really can't wait it's not like driving up to Canadia would be that terrible anyway.
Haier's Theater PMP sports a 3-inch touchscreen, recession-friendly price
There are PMPs in every shape and color, and while we've never been particularly fond of Haier's contributions to the segment, its latest might just find a home in that all-important lower-end of the spectrum. It packs a three-inch capacitive touchscreen of undisclosed resolution, an FM tuner, voice recorder, support for plenty of audio formats, a rather more spartan list of video formats (apparently just AVI and MPEG4), and comes in either four or eight GB sizes. Earth-shattering? No, but at prices of $89 and $99 it's a good value -- well, the bigger of the two is, anyway. Who wouldn't drop another $10 for twice the capacity?
iriver takes the leash off new black Hello Kitty PMP
iriver's newest dedicated PMP is something to behold. A shiny black (with gold accents!) version of its no doubt beloved Hello Kitty player, this newest addition is all about its looks. The little player comes in 2GB and 4GB storage varieties, comes with a USB cable, ear buds, and a cute little lanyard for attaching it to things like your beltloop. The cases they make for the Hello Kitty PMP -- such as the red devil horns -- essentially sell themselves. They're going on sale just in time for the holidays and the new year -- but this one's a Japan-only release for the time being. It'll run you ¥7,980 (about $90) to grab one. There's one more shot of this glorious product after the break!
"Preview All" added to albums in iTunes
Apple has made iTunes a bit more useful for surveying entire albums. A TUAW reader directed our attention to the addition of a 'Preview All' button for albums on the iTunes Store. The store has always given prospective buyers the ability to preview individual tracks. While 30 seconds of sound may not be an adequate representation of an entire song, it is at least enough to make sure that the song you're buying is the one that's been stuck in your head for days. For previewing entire albums, however, AmazonMP3.com has, since its launch, provided a better solution for previewing entire albums. TUAW's own first look at Amazon's would-be iTunes killer in September of 2007 noted the convenience of the site's 'preview all' button versus the need on iTunes to select each track to preview individually. Why it's taken a bit over two years for iTunes to catch up remains a mystery, but let it. Hit the 'Preview All' button and let the music play (in 30-second increments). Thanks pisbonanza for the tip!
A car stereo built for the King (of phones)
No, you didn't click on the wrong link. We haven't changed our name to The Unofficial Audio Weblog. "Why, then, is my beloved Apple-centric site doing a review of a car stereo?!" you're no doubt asking yourself. 'Cause this thing rocks your iPhone like you've never heard before! Sony was nice enough to send us one of its newest models, the Xplod MEX-BT5700U, which happens to be the company's flagship head unit. With things like iPod integration via the front-mounted USB port and Bluetooth audio streaming, the $299 single-DIN stereo has an interesting mix of features that you'd expect to come at a higher price. First off, some ground rules. I'm not an audiophile. This isn't going to be a review chock full of decibel ratings or fancy audio terms. While I've had quite a few aftermarket stereos in my time, and I've installed my share of head units, car stereos aren't my living. Instead, I'll be focusing on its interface and various connections to iDevices. The specs The Xplod MEX-BT5700U is no slouch when it comes to traditional stereo benchmarks. It outputs 52W per channel without external amplification and has a separate subwoofer out. It'll play nearly any audio source including HD Radio (via an optional kit), satellite radio, CDs (the store-bought pressed ones in addition to CD-Rs and CD-RWs with MP3, AAC, or WMA data files), USB sticks and drives, a CD changer, and of course MP3 players. Oddly enough, there is no Memory Stick slot. (Thank goodness!) Oh yeah, it even gets AM!
Sony joins 1,000-hour recording club with IDC-UX300
You really don't know how many voice recorders there are out there until you actually look. Sony's UX line of dictation takers / mp3 players has just undergone a gentle revamp with a freshened up control scheme and a bump in integrated storage. The new base model, UX200, will come with 2GB of flash memory, while the 4GB UX300 and 300F (both capable of more than 1,000 hours of recording) are differentiated only by the FM radio availalble in the latter. All models record in stereo mp3 format with added noise cancellation built in, while playback can be done at 21 different speed steps, allowing you to keep track of all the Scatman John wannabes out there. Battery life is rated at up to 15 hours for continuous recording, or north of 80 for continuous playback. Expect to see these showing up, in all their classy color options, in Europe early next month, and check past the break for the full PR.
Amidio's Touch DJ app stuffs a turntable into your iPhone (video)
Not kosher with getting a handset tailor made for DJing? How's about transforming your existing iPhone into that very device when the mood strikes you? Hailed as the first true DJ MP3 iPhone / iPod touch app in the world, Amidio's $19.99 Touch DJ program (available now) enables users to independently manipulate two MP3 or M4A files, including scratching, looping, positioning, equalization, effects and pitching. The "visual mixing" requires all sorts of tapping and sliding, but the on-screen UI seems pretty elegant from what we've seen. The only real knock on this is that there's currently no way to get music from the iTunes library into the program; instead, you'll be forced to reload tracks into the app's own MP3 library. Still, for those looking to ditch the hard case and waltz in with a pocketful of boogie, this ain't a half bad option. Check the demonstration vid after the break.
iriver N20 Mariah Carey edition reveals an unfortunate case of man-hands
While iriver might not be the mega brand in Europe and North America, it does dominate on its home turf in South Korea. Enough so to attract music celebs like Mariah Carey who's pitching a butterfly approved, Special Edition N20 preloaded with her latest contractual obligation. The $120ish player with integrated clip is limited to 5,000 units so act now... or not. See the songstress in an awkward mid-shill moment after the break.[Via Anythingbutipod]
DoubleTwist now powered by Amazon MP3 store
Here's the choice promised by DVD Jon last week: Amazon MP3. Doubletwist is now powered by Amazon's 5 million strong music store in support of its vision to connect consumers with all their media across any device. The interface is bare-bones simple to navigate (no apps, TV shows, or Movies to clutter the experience) as you preview and purchase music with your Amazon credentials -- tracks are downloaded into your doubleTwist library where they can be synced with BlackBerry or Android handsets, the Palm Pre, PSP or hundreds of other devices. Amazon access is only available to US users from the Mac-only software at the moment. A PC version is "coming soon" along with more country support. See it in action after the break.
EU seeks to make 'cranking it to 11' on DAPs happen less often
Love that brain-pounding sensation when you jack that volume past the sensible limit? If so, you best hop on the next flight to somewhere not within Europe, as the almighty European Commission is fixing to peg the default volume limit on portable media players at 80 decibels. If you're stricken with an awful case of déjà vu, you're not alone. You may recall that a similar French law forced Apple to limit the volume level on its iPod family to 100dB, and at that time, it decided to make the limit apply to all units shipped within Europe. Now, the EU is seeking to bring that ceiling down to 80dB on all portable music players in an effort to protect the precious hearing abilities of its citizens, though we should note that said level would only apply to the default setting, not overall maximums. In other words, you can override the recommended listening level if you please, but don't bet on that socialized healthcare taking care of you if The Man finds out. Kidding. Maybe.[Via Telegraph]
Thanko Microsports MP3 player is small, really small
Thanko is a brand forever tied to crapgadgets. It can, however, surprise us occasionally as it has with its new Microsports MP3/WMA/WAV player in 2GB (¥4,980 / $55) or 4GB (¥5,980 / $66) models. Measuring 16×25×22mm / 8g, it's about the size and weight of an average Bluetooth headset. And while we've seen similar micro players strung from lanyards, this is the first we can recall with an integrated ear-bud -- the second bud attaches via USB-cable for stereo audio. Looks comfy, eh? %Gallery-73295% [Via Akihabara News]
