mp4
Latest
SMS Technology shipping the M500 watch phone on August 31st?
We'll admit, there's a few sects who've already crossed SMS Technology's M500 watch phone off as vaporware in its finest form, but apparently, the firm is finally coming through on its most recent declaration. Yep, those wearable phones the company has been promising all this time are finally shipping soon, at least, we think. According to the company, "the final version of the M500 production model has been given full clearance to be supplied with full metal strap bracelets," and it sounds like deliveries should begin within a month. Furthermore, the final production model sports a longer stylus, a battery upgrade, and a few software tweaks including support for POP3 email and IM. Hang tight, the "global retail launch" is slated for September 10th, with the keyword here being "slated."[Via PMPToday]
Sweex Blizzard portable media player introduced, copied
Even if you've never heard of Sweex, it's fairly safe to assume that someone in China most certainly has -- at least judging by the eerily familiar copycat that just happened to surface alongside its release. The fairly well equipped Blizzard was built to play back AVI, MP3, WMA, and WAV files as well as tune into FM radio, but it also touts an image viewer, eBook reader, and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Additionally, it sports a 2.4-inch QVGA display, voice recording abilities, a T-Flash card slot, 1GB or 2GB of internal capacity, rechargeable battery, and USB connectivity. Interestingly, Sweex ditched the idea of tossing in a typically ho hum set of earbuds in favor of Seinnheiser's MX300, but just in case you strangely appreciate the lower-end, the Chinese-produced BENSS PMP (shown after the jump) has knocked this thing off already and probably won't cost you nearly as much. Decisions, decisions.Read - Sweex Blizzard, via PMPTodayRead - BENSS knockoff, via PMPToday
Epoq video watch classes up the joint, barely supports video
While we're not going to fault manufacturers for trying to innovate, previous attempts at featurewatches have been, well, less than attractive. Looks like Epoq sent some of their designers to a watch shop, because their new EMP-CVWC-2/4 "MP4" watch finally lets you keep that mashup of your favorite Battlestar Galactica scenes at the ready and still blend into polite company. Well, maybe -- that's still a lot of chunk to wear on your wrist, but we can't see how anything smaller than a 1.5-inch screen would be useful. We're assuming this is just a metal-and-leather reworking of the Shenzhen piece we saw a while back, since the basic specs are the same (apart from a bump in capacities to 2 / 4GB): 128 x 128 res OLED screen, MP3 / WMA / JPG support, voice recorder, FM radio, and a 2.5mm headphone jack. As with that Shenzhen, the dealbreaker is video support, which is limited to the goofy NXV format. The six people still interested should be able to find a 2GB model a couple weeks from now for about $170.[Via I4U]
Zenum's Organum MP3/MP4 Player floated into the ether
We first got wind of the Swiss outfit Zenum back in September when they announced their handsome but vaporous Opus Operis Pocket PC Phone Edition device. So we'll go ahead and tell you about their new Organum MP3/MP4 Player but you'll have to take the "end 2007" delivery date with a big dose of salt. The new DAP heavily tagged as "under development" throws down support for MP3, ASF, WMA, WAV, JPG, and BMP files and features a 1.8-inch, 128 x 160 pixel display, built-in microphone, and 2GB of storage. No doubt, she's one fine looker but Zenum will have to offer something better than just attractive industrial design in a market saturated with thin flash players. Perhaps that silver band is the new special sauce of navigators? Nah, probably not.[Via Unwired View, thanks Staska]
The Minigigi AV-11 "boom box" goes thud
Won't somebody please think of the children and put an end to these new minigigi players spilling out of Korea? It's bad enough that they have to rip (unsuccessfully) the design from Philip's PSS110 for their new AV-11 "boom box," but now they've gone and added some dubious "MP4" video playback capability into the mix. While they claim support for WAV, ASF, and AVI video at 24fps on the 2-inch, 26k color LCD, that's likely only after conversion into some oddball format first. The player packs an FM tuner, support for MP3 and WMA audio, and USB and line-in jacks presumably for recording content direct to SD cards. The unit can be powered off the mains or run for up to 10 hours off Li-Ion battery. Hopefully, it includes an alarm clock function too, cause you're not going to fill a room with sound off those 4W speakers. No word on pricing or availability... as if you care.
Shenzhen Adragon Digitek's MP4 watch gets reviewed
Shenzhen Adragon Digitek's MP4 watch was met with quite a bit of fanfare from folks who fell suddenly in love with the idea of having movies on their wrist to pass the time during class or on subways trips, and considering that Thanko brought this intriguing piece of kit to market, it's only right that we show you a hands-on review to help you with your potential purchasing decision. The folks at GearDiary landed a black rendition of the video-playing timepiece, and noted that although video files have to be converted from their current format to .NVX, software (in English, too) was included to "remove the guesswork" and make the process painless. Judging by the photos, it looks like the rubberized band provided for a comfortable fit, and although the 1.5- x 1.5-inch face doesn't look nearly as gaudy as some watch faces we've seen, it still screams geek whilst resting on your arm. Sadly, a proprietary USB cable coupled with an always-discouraging 2.5-millimeter headphone jack do warrant a few understandable digs, but the "all day" battery life, intuitive menu system, and respectable display all go in the watch's favor. On the musical front, it was said that playback was "on par" with other DAPs they tested, and while watching a movie back on such a diminutive screen wasn't apt to replace his PVP anytime soon, it was deemed a nifty feature that will "definitely garner geek points among those that are impressed by such things." So if you're interested in seeing just how long your retinas can stand to watch (ahem) a major motion picture on a 128 x 128 display, be sure and hit the read link for up close snapshots before coughing up the required dough.
Tomato unveils U20 PMP for South Korea
Although South Korea is home to more than a few oddities, the oddly-named Tomato is looking to ship its latest portable media player, the U20, to Seoul and the surrounding areas. Housed in a brushed aluminum / chrome enclosure, this simple looking device boasts a two-inch LCD screen, 15 hours of battery life, USB 2.0 connectivity, and comes in at 2.99- x 1.89- x 0.47-inches in size. Additionally, you'll find a built-in microphone, a miniSD slot for extra media storage, and an ability to play nice with AVI, MP4, WMV, ASF, and MP3 files. Tomato apparently feels that these guys are ready for pickin', as you can snag the 2GB version for 89,900KRW ($96) next week, while the 1GB / 4GB variety will be landing shortly thereafter.[Via AVing]
Brando's 2GB SOAP MP4 Player reeks of iPod
There's iPod knockoffs, and then there's the SOAP MP4 Player. This little gem unsurprisingly comes in black and glossy white flavors, boasts an unmistakable scroll wheel and stark white earbuds, and throws a few curves around the edges in a futile attempt to disclose its true inspiration. Furthermore, this device even rips a chunk of its name from another knockoff, providing two times the unoriginal fun, but sadly, we can't find a direct link to Samuel L. Jackson. Nevertheless, this 2GB PMP plays nice with MP3, MP4, WMA, WMV, ASF, and WAV, and features a built-in FM tuner / voice recorder, seven pre-set equalizer modes, USB 2.0 connectivity, 1.8-inch OLED display, rechargeable Li-ion battery, and support for a plethora of languages. So if you're looking to impress your clueless friends, or you just want a curvaceous 1G nano with a fancy screen a few extra niceties, you can pick this unit up now for $99.
Thanko brings MP4 watch to market
With SolidAlliance too busy creepin' out the kids, who better than Thanko to bring the Shenzhen Adragon Digitek's MP4 watch to market? That's right, starting today in Japan, the 1GB model is all yours for ¥14,800 (about $125) or ¥18,800 (about $159) for the 2GB version. Besides playing videos on that eye-corrosive 1.5-inch, 128x128, 260k color display, this watch will also playback MP3/WMA files which can be easily transfered in USB storage mode and listened to over standard 2.5-mm headphones. Just remember, "MP4" players of Chinese origin does not mean support for MPEG-4 video. In fact, this watch appears to support AVI, MPEG and WMV video formats but only after conversion into wildly popular NXV. Still interested? [Via Impress]
KNC unveils HR-2800 do-it-all handheld
If the bevy of PMP / gaming hybrid devices hasn't exactly met your expectations (or came to fruition at all), KNC is throwing down an impressive do-it-all handheld that puts similar alternatives to shame. The HR-2800 may resemble a jazzed-up Sega Nomad at first glance, but beneath the 3.6-inch LCD is some serious potential. Housing a 400MHz CPU and a homebrew GUI to boot, the handheld plays back AVI, MPEG4, DivX, and XviD, while supporting MP3 and FLAC (audiophiles rejoice) on the musical side. Boasting a built-in file manager, portable version of "Winamp," a full-fledged picture / text viewer, and 1.3 megapixel camera, this jack-of-all-trades can even export full-motion video to your television via its video output. In case you're looking to get your retro game on, the unit apparently sports an NES / GBA emulator, and just in case the (admittedly skimpy) 1GB of internal storage isn't roomy enough, you can add the space you need via its SD slot. While the amount of goodies crammed into the HR-2800 may garner praise, the real applause goes to the price -- at just CNY999 ($127), we've got to wonder if these KNC folks aren't just skimming the market.[Via AVing]
Ridiculously awesome Metal Slug trailer
Things blow up real good in this insanely awesome Metal Slug Collection trailer. You might notice the trailer is surprisingly gory, featuring "blood, blood and more blood." The trailer clocks in at over 5 minutes, making it quite an amazing montage of guns, explosions and gore: sounds like the perfect game for me. And because I love you guys, you can download a PSP formatted version here.[Via Gamespot]
Shenzhen Adragon Digitek offers up MP4-playing watch
If you're more interested in keeping a certain amount of full motion video strapped on your wrist than an actual clock (or breathalyzer, even), Shenzhen Adragon Digitek's MP4 watch provides the diversion you've been looking for. Similar in utility to Aigo's F209, Shenzhen's rendition provides a slightly less repulsive color scheme, and promises a very respectable nine hours of playback time. Reportedly sporting a snazzy color display, MP4 support, line-in capabilities, five EQ settings, and USB 2.0 connectivity, the timepiece can presumably provide a bit of underwater entertainment as well as it touts a "water / shockproof" enclosure. While details concerning the storage capacity, screen resolution, and pricing are MIA, the company is currently seeking firms to OEM the watch (any VCs in attendance?), so you might want to look elsewhere if you don't have time (ahem) to wait around.
Small Carrot for the small screen
A member of Small Carrot asked me to check out the site, and I was incredibly impressed by what I saw. The site offers tons of high-quality ad-free animation, in formats compatible with the PSP, iPod and cell phone. While the programming is excellent, Small Carrot goes a step further than other sites by offering a PSP-compatible version of the site and video RSS feeds. Downloading is quick, simple and intuitive.The site will only work on PSPs with firmware 2.80 or greater due to the naming conventions the site uses. But, for those of you running an older firmware, there's luck: the site will offer 1.0-compatible movies for those browsing on a computer. Not bad at all. Check out the site on your PC, or on your PSP at www.scpsp.com.
Engadget China's ultimate fake PSP collection
They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. Well, Sony should be incredibly flattered by the endless amounts of cheap PSP knock-offs there are on the market. While the bootlegs that we unearthed earlier could do only the most primitive of things, it appears that the latest batch discovered by Engadget China take a lot of Sony's functionality as well. For example, the system pictured above features a 16:9 screen and can play MP3 and WMA music files, and play MP4 movies. Sounds vaguely familiar... Check out Endadget to see the rest of their finds.
.png.cf.jpg)
Hidden secrets of firmware 2.80
PSP Vault has an impresive story detailing some of the potential hidden secrets of recently released firmware 2.80. Using their mad Japanese skillz, they took a look at Sony's PSP manuals for the firmware, which can be found here, here and here. The video standards have finally been revealed, and they show how Sony still refuses to make it easy on the end user.So for H.264 videos, you're looking at support for files ending with a .MP4 or .M4V extension. They must be 768kbps or under, have a framerate of 30fps or under, and be Level 1.3 or under Baseline Profile, or Level 2.1 or under Main Profile (but CABAC only). The audio tracks of these videos must be in the AAC format, be 128kbps or under, be 48kHz or under, and be in stereo.Uh... okay. Can't we just dump random files into our system without thinking about these technical specs? Another interesting discovery of the article shows how the recent firmware upgrade can allow for PSP-specific codes to be written into websites. For example, webpages can be created to offer downloads... but only for users of the most current firmware. Or, it could lead to some really exciting game and internet synergy. It appears that there's a lot hidden in the PSP; too bad Sony hasn't been upfront with all of it quite yet.
