PortableVideo
Latest
Zune HD hits FCC in prolific photo shoot, 16GB and 32GB capacities
Well, would you look at that. Microsoft's Zune HD's overexposed -- both in quantity of pics and in quality of photography -- camera shoot with the FCC has been made public, showing off quite a bit of the device, its internals, and its dock. We've got two model numbers listed here, 1395 and 1402 representing the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively, and in case you're wondering, that's Windows CE you're seeing above, the OS on which Zune HD's UI is built. Hit up the read link to browse yourself, or check out the gallery below for the highlights, including a NVIDIA Tegra chip sighting and an amusing "For our princess" tattoo on the inside of the back cover. Now if we could only get a MSRP or narrower release window...
RAmos T6 PMP don't need no buttons
Ah, if it isn't RAmos again. The only Chinese PMP maker that cranks out wares that aren't chock full of KIRF. The outfit's latest endeavor is the T6 icon, a sleek, simplistic media player that isn't apt to head stateside anytime soon. Packing a 4.3-inch LCD (800 x 480 resolution) and a frame that's just ten millimeters thick, the HD-capable device also boasts an HDMI output and nary a button on the front face. 'Course, the assortment of rockers around the edges ensures that your volume level and track selection isn't solely controlled by a touchscreen, but we definitely appreciate the clean look.
Samsung's AMOLED-packin' YP-M1 PMP available in Korea, secret sauce still unknown
Surely we aren't the only technophiles in attendance champing at the bit to find out if Samsung's fresh YP-M1 has some of NVIDIA's hotness inside, but it seems as if we'll still have to wait a bit longer to find out. Right on cue, the AMOLED-equipped portable media player has launched over in South Korea, bringing with it a laundry list of supported file formats, a WQVGA panel, up to 32GB of inbuilt storage and even a DMB TV tuner. If anyone feels like sashaying over to Seoul in order to crack one open and find out what it's really made of, then by all means, be our guest. Just try not to wander too close to that DMZ -- we hear Bill Clinton's rescue fees are through the roof.
I-O Data's SEG Clip brings 1seg mobile TV to iPhone and PC
Softbank's own 1seg tuner / battery charger was a novel idea, but leave it to trained assassins at I-O Data to really expound upon the concept and concoct something nearly worthy of relocating to Tokyo for. The new GV-SC310 SEG Clip is a relatively vanilla USB 1seg TV tuner that plugs into one's PC in order to pull down some of Japan's finest OTA programming. Once captured, users with an iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS or iPod touch can download a TVPlayer app (shown after the break) that enables them to wirelessly watch whatever content they've stored. Think of it as TiVo for your iPhone, but only for those lucky enough to live in the Land of the Rising Sun. Not too shabby for ¥6,615 ($68), huh?[Via Akihabara News]Read - I-O Data press releaseRead - Hands-on
Zune HD interface and media playback demoed on video
Looks like Microsoft wasn't able to keep all the cameras away from the Zune HD at the gdgt launch party in San Francisco after all -- we just got tipped this video of a hands-on demo showing the interface and media playback. The OLED screen looks lovely as always, and the UI appears to be fluid and smooth, but we're a little bummed that the multitouch browser doesn't make an appearance. Still, it's definitely intriguing stuff -- hop on past the break to check it out.[Thanks, alf]
RAmos T11 RK boasts 720p H.264 support, a stylish but all too familiar UI
Decent design, nice specs, bargain price, and a pretty poor chance of coming stateside? Yep, this must be RAmos. Its latest touchscreen media device, the T11 RK, sports the same Rockchip RK2806 processor as the Terminator T12, and also has a 5-inch, 800 x 480 display, 8GB internal memory, 720p TV out, FM radio, and support for numerous codecs including H.264 HD, DivX, XviD, MPG, and FLV. As you can tell from the picture above, it's also wielding the ever-important clock and calendar widgets, as well as a dock with some all-too-familiar, borderline KIRF inspiration, although judging by the other pictures, the UI is overall pretty classy. If you find yourself in China, this baby can be yours for 699 Yuan, or about $102 in US currency, and if not, feel free to live vicariously through the video after the break. [Via Cloned in China; hanks, xleung]
New Archos 2 Vision PMP pictured, priced, and predictably short on battery life
Meeting what we'd call the bare minimum for being able to say there's "touch capabilities," the new Archos 2 Vision PMP has quietly stepped out of the shadows and onto UK retailer MyMemory's website. Just under the 2-inch, 220 x 176 resolution display is a tactile slider for menu navigation and volume control. The credit card-sized player also sports a FM tuner and recorder, a microSD slot in addition to internal memory, and support for MP3 / WMA audio and AVI video -- nothing too fancy here. Battery life is a depressing 10 hours for audio and 4 for video, which at €60 / $85 for 8GB and €99 / $140 for 16GB models, is just a tinge south of acceptable in our book. Europeans still intrigued can pick one up now, while US consumers will either need to pay a premium for import or just wait patiently. [Via DAP Review]
Sony S-Series Walkman lists itself on French retail site, just wants to be noticed
That Sony S-Series Walkman we spotted a couple of weeks ago has reared its speaker grill-laden head once more, only this time in what looks like an accidental unveiling on French retailer Materiel's website. According to the specs list -- accompanied by some new official press shots that give us little reason to doubt its validity -- the 8GB NWZ-S544 and 16GB NWZ-S545 feature a 2.4-inch QVGA widescreen display, stereo speakers, a microphone, FM tuner, a Li-ion battery for a reported 42 hours of audio / 6.5 hours of video, and what appears to be a built-in stand for convenient video watching. Codec support includes MP3, non-DRM AAC, WMA, H.254, MPEG4, and WMV. No fanciful colors like in the first pic, we've only got black listed for now, to the tune of 129€ ($182) for the 8GB model and 149€ ($211) for 16GB. We're still waiting on Sony to fess up to the device, but really, it can't get much more official. A price and release date for US would be nice, though. [Via Sony Insider] Read - 8GB NWZ-S544 Read - 16GB NWZ-S545
Creative rents tuxedo, selects Opera for Plaszma-based Zii EGGs
We're still not entirely sure what to make of Creative's Zii EGG handheld, as the last demo we saw of the product looked interesting but also somewhat devoid of features. Now Creative has confirmed an important one: web surfing. The device can officially run either Android or the company's own flavor of Linux dubbed Plaszma, and for that latter, poorly spelled one Opera has been chosen as the defacto browser. Given the open source underpinnings users will have plenty of other options to install if they like, but the Opera Devices SDK also enables the easy creation of webby widgets to clutter that 320 x 480, 10-point multitouch screen. The hope is this will speed up software development for the... thing, thus opening the door for a flood of useless applications the likes of which we haven't seen since the last App Store update. [Via anythingbutipod]
iriver officially recognizes E200 PMP, does it proud in glorious press shots
It wasn't like iriver's E200 was really hiding from anyone, but it's still swell to see the parent company take some initiative and create a dedicated place on the web for its newest OLED-infused portable media player. Said device looks better than ever in the company's press shots, but we're still not convinced that it stands a chance in the oversaturated market without a delightfully low MSRP. Feel free to hit the read link if you're into eye candy, but don't mind those user interface shots if you're a fan of revolutionary coding.[Via PMP Today]
Zune HD's browser previewed, sounds just as sexy as the hardware
The folks over at CNET got a quick look at a recent build of the Zune HD, and the player seems to be getting rather close to a final product. Among praise for the hardware, video playback and a quite refined music player and music discovery experience, they found the Zune HD's browser to be particularly excellent. It's been built by the IE team, which bodes well for prospective Windows Mobile 6.5 users, and it's apparently very comparable to the iPhone in features and speed. There's pinch to zoom, accelerometer-based reorientation, and a good onscreen keyboard -- no Flash, but from the pain it's inflicting on the Android browsing experience, perhaps that's a good thing.
Toshiba plans to launch fuel cell chargers in next two months, may be lying
We'd love to believe you, Toshiba. Really, it would give us nothing but pleasure to sit expectantly for the next 60 days while you deliver wonderful, life-changing fuel cell technology to our front door. Unfortunately, we've been burned one too many times by your shattered promises, and we've developed a bit of a complex, to tell the truth. If you were being straight with us this time we suppose we'd be looking forward to a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) device capable of topping off small rechargeable devices like phones and PMPs, with extra juice just a cartridge replacement away. After that we could anticipate with bated breath your long awaited entry into directly DMFC-powered devices, claiming your rightful place as power generator for our phones and laptops. You tease.
FineDigital's FineDrive iQ Special helps commuters learn FineEnglish
Ah, those crazy-beautiful multi-purpose navigation devices of South Korea, is there anything they can't do? If your answer is that they can't teach you English, think again. The iQ Special features a language trainer built on voice recognition software from its predecessor, the FineDrive X700, alongside the usual fare of goodies we westerners rarely get to see: SiRF-based GPS, DMB digital TV, video and music playback, and even TPEG traffic alerts. Priced at 469,000 KWN ($384), this PND is available today, and it's probably redundant to note that it won't be making its way to English-speaking countries any time soon -- not that we doesn't need it, mind you. [Via AVING]
Zune HD dock and remote hands-on
Glossy black gadgetry lit only by the very table on which it rests isn't exactly an ideal situation for photography, but when it's our first sighting of the Zune HD video dock, we'll do our best. Microsoft had a small booth set up at tonight's gdgt launch party in San Francisco, where they were showing off the device (no shots of the UI allowed, even if it's largely unchanged since our last handling a month back). The dock was connected to flat-panel screen via HDMI and output 720p. A separate remote is provided for navigating through your videos from the comfort of your couch while leaving the media player docked, but once we got our hands on that, it was at this point that a rep made us put the camera away. Bummer. Hopefully we can get a better glimpse soon, but for now, images in the gallery below.
New Zune HD press shots emerge showing black and silver color options, true freedom from ugly
We've seen our fair share of Microsoft's upcoming Zune HD, but the company just threw together a delightful little photoshoot for its new PMP, with the black and silver versions of the device on display along with a large quantity of attractiveness in both flavors. Most of the shots are variation on a pretty basic theme (and a little small, since these haven't made their way through quite "official" channels just yet), but they do give a good idea of what the UI will look like if you're into the Black Eyed Peas. Check 'em all out below.
Kensington's iPhone / iPod charging dock throws a mini battery into the mix
At this point, you've probably assumed that there's simply no way any company can produce yet another iPhone or iPod dock that's significantly different from the legions of alternatives already out. And you're wrong. So wrong. In an effort to milk that Made for iPod / iPhone partnership for all it's worth, Kensington has just introduced its Charging Dock with Mini Battery Pack, which not only charges your dock connecting iPod or iPhone, but also energizes an external battery pack through the same USB cable. When you leave, you'll depart with a charged device as well as a charged battery pack in case you need to use 3G services for more than eight minutes. Brilliant, no? It's up for pre-order now for $69.99.[Via iPodNN]
Netflix rumored to be bringing Watch Instantly to iPhones, skepticism advised
Multichannel News is passing on word from "an industry executive familiar with Netflix's plans" that the company is prepping an app for the iPhone and iPod touch (not to mention the Wii, which we've heard before) that would let users enjoy their Watch Instantly queues from the comfort of the small screen -- likely restricted to WiFi, of course, because the mere thought of trying to stream a movie over a saturated 3G network is about as brutal as fingernails on a chalkboard. It's a cute rumor; the overlap in Netflix and iPhone owner demographics has to number in the hundreds of thousands, so it's easy to understand why the thought of catching up on Friday Night Lights on the road would go over well with the populace.A couple problems here, though: first off, Watch Instantly doesn't store content locally, which means you've got to maintain an internet connection to enjoy the show. Assuming the no-3G thing panned out -- and rest assured, it would -- who wants to be stuck in a coffee shop for hours on end because you want to finish out a movie you've started? Secondly, if there's one thing Apple loves, it's maintaining control of the media ecosystem; we'll see hell freeze over before we'll see Watch Instantly on Apple TV, so why would the iPhone be any different? Of course, there's nothing stopping Netflix from creating a Watch Instantly app, but getting it into the App Store is another matter altogether -- and barring some wild FCC ruling, we're not seeing Apple letting that happen.[Via Electronista]
Samsung M1 PMP to challenge Zune HD with some Tegra of its own?
Samsung's launched a teaser page for its YP-M1 media player (look familiar?), and while a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen is impressive in its own right, it's the mention of a NVIDIA chipset that has us most intrigued, especially given Samsung's earlier promise that a Tegra-based device was in the works. There isn't an indication that these are one in the same just yet, but we wouldn't be surprised to find that CPU packed away somewhere inside. Other known details at this point include a DMB TV tuner, 8GB of storage (at least for the base model), Samsung's TouchWiz UI, text-to-speech functionality, Bluetooth, and DivX support -- not a bad spec list considering it'll likely be up against the definitively Tegra-based Zune HD. Currently up in the air is any word of a price or release date (let along a release 'round here), although it seems Samsung could have more to say on August 13th. [Via DAP Review]
iMuz launches three new PMPs for your amusement
The already crowded PMP space just got a little more busy thanks to a trio of new portable players from iMuz. Starting with the smallest, we have the above-pictured 39,000KRW ($31) 2GB and 49,000KRW ($40) 4GB MX1, which goes nicely with creepy looking dolls and sports a 1.5-inch TFT LCD, video playback of .avi files, FM radio, a voice recorder, and the ability to read e-books (if you really hate your eyes). Next up is the MX5, a brief video tour of which is included after the break. It has a 3-inch, 240 x 400 LCD, 16GB of storage, TV output, and all the same functionality as the baby MX1. Finally comes the MU-959, featuring VibeTouch haptic feedback. It too has a 3-inch, 240 x 400 LCD, but sports a dual-core processor, enabling it to decode a flurry of video formats and play games in addition to the standard voice recording, e-book reading, and FM tuning stuff. It comes in three colors: pink, black, and luxury brown. At this point we don't have a price to pass along for either of the two proper-sized ones, but it's not likely that you'll stumble across any of the trio in a domestic retailer anyhow.[Via AVING]Read - MX1Read - MX5Read - MU-959
Rotaliana Diva iPod / iPhone dock vamps up your situation
Have you been searching for just the right kind of iPod / iPhone dock to add a touch of class to your lion's den? Well Rotaliana has you covered. If the perfect compliment to your collection of Conrad Plank-produced bootlegs involves anodized aluminum, a secret door which becomes a light, and the soft glow of an LED clock, you'll want to check out the Diva. The oddly shaped dock features embedded speakers and an AUX input, but we have a feeling you're not laying down the €360 (or about $513) for this thing because you want to hook up your MiniDisc player. If you do take the plunge, let us know how it feels to have your music shooting out of a mutated traffic cone. [Thanks, Bernard]
