portableaudio
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Zoom H1 Handy Recorder captures 24-bit, 96 kHz stereo for $99
Samson's attempt to break into the Flip-dominated portable video space didn't hit all the right notes, so the company's gone back to basics with a new handheld audio recorder -- as delightfully basic as it could go. The Zoom H1 doesn't have fancy 4-channel recording schemes or a triple-capsule mic; it's merely a twin X/Y stereo recorder that does 24-bit / 96-kHz audio at an unheard-of $99 price. With a reported 10 hours of battery life on a single AA cell, up to 32GB of removable microSDHC storage and loads of physical controls, it already feels like an obvious choice for students, journalists and the like, but of course all that's just on paper -- we'll be waiting till its July 30th debut to hear if the unit performs as positively in real life. PR after the break.
Samsung MP3 player goes 60 hours on a charge
Once upon a time, it meant something to have a digital audio player that went upwards of two full days without needing a charge. Since then, we've seen many, many examples, and it's just not that exciting anymore. But you know what? It's still not that often we see a DAP with 60 hours of battery life and a 3-inch, QVGA TFT LCD that plays ten hours of DivX, Xvid, WMV and H.264 video to boot, so we think Samsung's YP-RB might deserve an honorable mention. The player was recently spotted in a Korean distributor catalog in 4, 8 and 16GB varieties, and we hope (but doubt, given tricky patent licensing issues) that we'll see one stateside sometime soon.
An iPhone and iPod case that includes speakers
We all know that the iPhone and iPod touch have pretty skimpy speakers. iPods have no speakers, so we're dependent on headphones or speakers to get any tunes out of them. Portable Sound Laboratories has an interesting solution that will protect your electronics and give you good sound at the same time. It's called the iMainGo2, and it's a 9 oz., clamshell zippered case that will hold an iPhone or an iPod touch. There's a headphone compatible 3.5mm plug that connects the case to your device. The unit runs on 4 AAA batteries for about 30 hours. We have one on loan for review, and I've been testing it around the house for a few days. How does it sound? Better than I expected. It had nice bright highs, which were especially audible on percussion like snare drums and triangles. The bass is good, but this is not a device to equal a much bigger speaker system with a subwoofer. Still, it's more than reasonable. The unit appears to use a bass reflex or ducted port design, and if you close your eyes and just listen, you would think you were listening to a bigger system.
Audiophilleo 1 USB audio to S/PDIF converter is really high-end, really expensive
We don't see too many USB-to-S/PDIF converters 'round these parts. Really, who but the most insane audiophile (the type who thinks they can discern frequencies well outside the human range) actually needs one -- especially when they can cost as much as a new laptop? But then again, insane audiophiles (as well as, quite frankly, the plain ol' insane) do read this space, so we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that an outfit called Audiophilleo has put together something called, oddly enough, the Audiophilleo 1 Advanced USB to S/PDIF Transport. Even gadget blog editors who still listen to their old Big Audio Dynamite cassettes can appreciate something as feature-packed as this: not only does it handle up to 192KHz / 24bit audio (with drivers for Windows, OS X, and Linux), but the manufacturer developed its own USB firmware and output stage hardware (in this instance, it looks like "off the shelf" just didn't cut it). This thing even has a JitterSimulator, so you can, you know, make sure Jitter is being eliminated. Or simulated. Or something. Sounds awesome, right? Is it $900 of awesome? We'll let you decide that for yourself.
Psyko Audio finally ships outre 5.1 surround sound headset
Psyko Audio, remember those guys? No? Can't say we blame ya -- after all, they first introduced these very headphones at CES in 2009, and we're just now seeing the first sets ship to consumers in North America. We're just as curious as you as to what caused a nearly 1.5 year delay, but hey, if you've been longing for 5.1 channels of audio in a package that requires nothing more than a source and your dome, we suspect you'll be in the "better late than never" camp. And yeah, the company is indeed charging a borderline insane $299.99 for these, but considering that said outlay buys you an "unfair advantage over the competition through precise 3D sound that drastically heightens awareness of your gaming surroundings," it's fairly easy to justify. Oh, and the public humiliation that'll come with wearing these outside of your basement is on the house. Huzzah! Update: So, we found out that these have been slipping out in limited quantities since last August to those who pre-ordered, but the flood gates have just now opened up.
Sleek Audio's SA7 earphones withstand 14,000 Gs of acceleration, dent your wallet accordingly
Do you find yourself whipping about earbuds like boleadoras when you're bored? Here's a pair that can take your abuse. The long-awaited successor to Sleek Audio's famous SA6 'phones -- dubbed the SA7 -- have the same adjustable bass / treble ports and removable cords of their predecessor, but in a case machined from solid aluminum with a carbon fiber shell and titanium screws. Inside, the drivers are cushioned by shock-absorbing silicone that lets them take a 14,000 G beating, which Wikipedia tells us is roughly the same rating as a navigation chip inside an artillery round. The company told Popular Science the SA7's thin aluminum shell lets listeners hear a whole extra octave; if that tempts you, you'll only have to cough up $400 and change (plus an extra $100 for a wireless Kleer kit) for the privilege. Update: Sleek Audio pinged us to say that the SA6 is still hanging around; the SA7 is simply the new flagship. It'll be shipping at some point in 2010 -- we'll keep you posted.
Pulse Music Box evokes 1930s factory life, also happens to play tunes
We've seen more designer iPod docks than we can shake a stick at, but we've never laid eyes on one quite like this. Part pipe organ, part black monolith, this one-of-a-kind work of art is called the Pulse Music Box, and actually uses that brass organ crank to control the volume from the amp and stereo speakers tucked inside its black tiled frame. Creators Johannes Tjernberg and Rasmus Malbert told Moco Loco the dock's design was inspired by the classic Charlie Chaplin film Modern Times; hopefully, we won't have to drag them through the bowels of a giant machine to get hands-on. We hear the creation's currently headed to Milan, probably to take part in the 2010 Milan Furniture Fair -- and sorry potential buyers, we can't seem to get a lock on whether or not it's for sale.
Is Canada's iPod tax back? And if so, will BJ Snowden get her cut?
We know, BJ Snowden is an American artist -- but since her song "In Canada" is probably on every iPod and computer up north, we have to wonder whether a proposed amendment to the Canadian Copyright act will help her finally get what's coming to her. The brainchild of the New Democratic Party's Charlie Angus, the bill would extend 1997's Private Copying Levy "to the next generation of devices that consumers are using for copying sound recordings for personal use." Proponents of the plan says that it ensures that artists get paid for their work -- essentially, the government wants you to pay upfront for the music you're likely to steal anyways by taxing your next digital audio player purchase. Of course, much about the plan doesn't make sense (it doesn't address digital video, for instance, or the computers that people use to download and store their music in the first place) but we guess we'll let the Canadian government hash that one out. This is obviously not a new idea, and it is one the courts have rejected already, but who knows? Maybe this time it will "take." Lets hope not, eh? Update: No surprise, but the levy is already being shouted down by Industry Minister Tony Clement calling it "totally nonsensical" and "180 degrees in the wrong direction" with regard to the government's strategy to embrace the internet, not stifle it.
Apple serves up 10 billionth iTune, smiles all the way to the bank
Whether you love it or loathe it, there is now no way to deny the spectacular success of Apple's iTunes Store. The proprietary digital media player, organizer and salesperson has just now recorded its 10 billionth song download, marking a truly unique achievement in the still nascent world of digital distribution. Congratulations to Apple, whose response has been to thank you all for spending so much cash and making El Steve look like the techno pied piper. Hit the source link to find out what the most downloaded songs of "all time" were... you might not be surprised by the top three, but you should definitely be horrified.
Energy Sistem unloads TV2090 PMP, still can't spell 'sisstem'
Here's a slick little item you might be interested in, if your county of residence happens to subscribe to the DVB-T TV standard. Energy Sistem's just unleashed its TV2090 PMP for the world to enjoy. This attractive yet seemingly quite cumbersome looker boasts a 9-inch LCD, a stereo speaker and AV output, and it supports DivX, Xvid, AVI, MPG and MP3 / WAV playback. Now like we said, the whole unit is rather large -- measuring 265 x 32 x 155 mm -- and while we don't have an exact weight for it, we'd guess it to be... large enough to be pretty annoying. Regardless, if you're in the market for a giant PMP, this one will be released in Europe in March for around €133 (or $187, if you're keeping track).
Sony's noise-canceling earphones US-bound in February
You didn't have to wait until now to pick up Sony's MDR-NC300D noise-canceling earphones -- after all, they've been imported from Japan since their June debut. Still, now that the 'buds are hitting official status US routes in February, it'll be a heck of a lot easier to make that impulse buy. No price mentioned, but expect at least a few Benjamins to automatically eject from your wallet.
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.
SmartQ V5 MID available now to a world that's just stopped caring
When we first laid eyes on the SmartQ V5, we were pretty underwhelmed... yet another resistive touchscreen MID? We're beginning to long for those halcyon days of late 2009 when an Android handheld was a thing of awe and wonder. Just a refresher: this guy features a 4.3-inch display, 600MHz ARM11 processor (which the brave among us can overclock to 800MHz), 256MB RAM, HDMI out, and more. Of some interest to the jaded gadget-head, this guy ships with Android, Ubuntu, and Windows CE 6.0 pre-installed -- not a bad feature, if that's your thing. If you poke around the Internets you should be able to find this bad boy for near $180.
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.
Yinlips YDP800 projector PMP teases your wallet with video
We're not sure what's taken so long, but the Yinlips YDP800 pico projector PMP is finally available to the US, courtesy of online store Ownta. The good folks have released a demo video of the projector in action -- not quite at the maximum 80-inch picture that Yinlips boasts, but hey, we've just about done it before on another pico projector. For around $270 including delivery this feature-packed PMP seems to give a good run for your money, especially when compared to the $299 WowWee Cinemin Swivel. No sign of any sample pictures or videos from the 1.3 megapixel camera yet, so for now just enjoy the video after the break.
Mintpass Cube MP3 player features plenty of style, few capabilities
The folks at Mintpass, known for its adorable Mintpad touchscreen PMP, are back on the scene with a little something called The Cube. A schticky audio player that goes out of its way to recall the analog gear of lore, this 2-inch cube sports push button controls, analog displays for volume, battery charge, and frequency, 3.5mm audio out, and Bluetooth. We've got no idea what the storage capacity, price, or street date might be, but we do have some pretty pictures for you. Check 'em out after the break.
Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide: PMPs
Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide! The team here is well aware of the heartbreaking difficulties of the seasonal shopping experience, and we want to help you sort through the trash and come up with the treasures this year. Below is today's bevy of hand curated picks, and you can head back to the Gift Guide hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the holiday season. So your music-loving grandma wants a PMP, huh? Fair enough -- we've put our heads together to come up with a list of the best we could find in several price ranges -- and we tried to come up with a few that are off the beaten (iPod) path, too. The choices out there sure are varied, but we've culled out the boring and the poorly designed to come up with what we think is the... most melody-friendly group on the planet. Read on for our full recommendations!%Gallery-79789%
MSI eagerly supports HD video on its MT-V887 PMP
It's been a couple months since noticing that MSI had a renewed interest in PMPs, and now the outfit is back with yet another media player. The MT-V887 takes the sleek, understated styling of the MT-V656 and ramps the display to a none-too-shabby 4.3-inches (480 x 272). Based on the Rockchip RK2728B, this guy adds the H.264 codec and 720p support to an already insane helping of media formats. In addition to all of that, you can catch the KBBL Morning Zoo Crew on its FM receiver. No words on price or availability, but you'll know as soon as we do. Get a closer look after the break.
Altec Lansing inMotion Classic iMT620 iPhone stereo review
We've been playing with the Altec Lansing inMotion Classic iMT620 for a few days now, and before you think "man, not another iPhone stereo dock," look again. It was (mostly) love at first sight when we spotted this mini boombox -- sharp corners and minimalism are what Altec Lansing does best these days, and the hint of retro isn't hurting anyone, either. Like the iMT620's predecessors, the inMotion series still bears the portability hallmark in the form of a built-in battery (up to five hours for this model), and now with the addition of a multifunctional handle as well. But is it really worth the $149 tag? Read on to find out.
ViewSonic VPD500 and VPD400 media players handled on video
Although we saw glimpses of ViewSonic's VPD400 and VPD500 media players back in July, the no-longer-just-a-monitor company is officially pushing 'em out the door now. NetbookNews was kind enough to do a quick unboxing and hands-on for us, and although they both seem nice enough, we can't help but wonder who's in the market for a chunky dedicated PMP like these anymore -- and hey, seeing as ViewSonic's totally ripped Sony's XMB interface, you might as well save a few more bucks and get the real thing plus games by picking up a PSP here, you know? Video after the break.
