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Sonos update turns wireless S5 speaker into a premium 'stereo pair'
The ZonePlayer S5 launch was an important milestone for Sonos as it attempts to bring down the cost (and raise the appeal) of its excellent whole-home music delivery system. Now we've got a bit of good news for those of you who already picked up a few of the $399 all-in-one wireless speakers we reviewed back in October. A 3.2 software update for the Sonos controller and iPod touch / iPhone apps will be released sometime this month letting you assign left and right audio channels to a pair of S5 speakers. The result should be impressive since the portable units can already easily fill the average room with sound on their own. The update will provide owners of multiple S5s with a temporary option for parties, especially if you decide to take the show outdoors... assuming you can still celebrate knowing that you're listening to two-channel audio on $800 worth of speakers. Hey, at least the software update is free.
Viliv S5 MID gets accuracy-boosting HID driver for Windows 7
Viliv's S5 MID, the little machine that packs the Vaio P's Z520 processor in a legitimately pocketable form-factor, just got a breath of fresh air. It's an HID (human interface device) driver for Windows 7, boosting the machine's touchscreen abilities and enabling the breadth of Windows 7's tablet functionality. According to Uber Tablet this greatly enhances usability by, amongst other things, presenting the Windows tablet keyboard rather than relying on the accessibility version and enabling better calibration. The driver being used here is legitimate according to reports we've read, but it is not signed and doesn't appear to be an official release from Viliv, so you may want to exercise a bit of caution before you install -- but don't wait too long. This sounds like a pretty tasty update.
Sonos ZonePlayer S5 all-in-one speaker system now available
We managed to get a early hands-on look at Sonos' new S5 all-in-one speaker system last month, and if that got you intrigued you'll no doubt be pleased to know that the rig is now available in the US for the slightly premium price of $399. That will get you all the usual wireless connectivity you'd expect from a Sonos ZonePlayer (minus the need to purchase additional speakers), plus support for the Sonos Controller iPhone app (but no actual iPhone / iPod dock), and of course some "room-filling" sound, which we found did actually live up to its promise. Still confused about the whole thing? Head on past the break for a video.
Sonos S5 ears-on review: a premium iPod speaker dock without the dock
We had the opportunity to hear a preview of the $399 Sonos S5 all-in-one speaker ahead of its 27 October US launch (November 10th in Europe). For comparison, we had it staged side-by-side with a pair of Sonos 100 speakers -- a setup that costs $678 ($499 for an amplified Sonos ZonePlayer Z120 and another $179 for the separate loudspeakers). Unfair, perhaps, since Sonos is actually positioning its five speaker (two tweeters, two 3-inch mids, and a built-in 3.5-inch sub) S5 with five dedicated amps against premium iPod speaker docks like the $600 Bose SoundDock 10, $600 B&W Zeppelin, or legacy $349 Apple iPod Hi-Fi. So how did it sound? About what we expected, which in this case is a good thing. Click through to find out why. %Gallery-75936%
Sonos offers new portable music system controlled by iPhone or iPod touch
Sonos has announced a portable wireless music system that uses an iPhone or iPod touch for a controller. The Zone Player S5 is a one piece, 5 speaker music player that can access your iTunes library or any internet radio station, as well as Napster, Rhapsody, Pandora, last.fm or Sirius if you have the required subscriptions.The physical unit has only volume controls and a mute button. Like other Sonos products, the S5 needs a wired router connection or a Zone Bridge unit, which is a U.S. $99.00 box that plugs into your router and then allows the S5 to be wireless anywhere in the house. You can add additional S5 units that only need AC power to work. The S5 looks a bit like the Bose audio systems that dock with the iPhone. The difference with the Sonos unit is you keep the iPhone with you, and the S5 gets your music from iTunes.The S5 will be available later this month for $399.00. If you already have a Sonos system in your home or office, or are just getting started with multi-room music, this system is worth checking out.Of course Apple also provides solutions to stream iTunes with the Airport Express Air Tunes hardware/software. Apple also offers Remote, [iTunes link] a free app to control Airport Express or an Apple TV from your iPhone and iPod touch. Logitech also offers the Squeezebox family of wireless music products, and there are other good solutions as well.Choice. It's a good thing.
Sonos ZonePlayer S5 all-in-one wireless speaker lowers cost of entry (video!)
For many, the perceived high cost of getting into a Sonos wireless home audio system has been a significant barrier. While you crave whole-home, distributed audio that just works without pops, hisses, or clicks, you simply can't justify dropping $350 on a ZonePlayer ZP90 and another $200 or so for a pair of decent amplified speakers. Even then, you're still only talking about a single room -- adding more rooms (or zones) and dedicated Sonos controllers jacks the price up even higher. Today, Sonos fills a significant gap in its product portfolio with the introduction of its $399 / €399 all-in-one ZonePlayer S5 speaker. The 217 x 365 x 123-mm S5 brings a decidedly Bose-like external design while packing a 5-driver speaker system (two tweeters, two 3-inch mids, and a built-in 3.5-inch sub) that's meant to fill a room with Sonos' wireless audio. And because the ZonePlayer is integrated right into the all-in-one chassis, it easily drops into your existing Sonos device network to extend audio into any room that needs it -- no wiring required. There's even a headphone jack for stealth listening in the bedroom. Of course, the beauty of Sonos is in the wide variety of audio sources available: freebies like thousands of internet radio stations, your iTunes library, CIFS NAS storage, or line-in devices like your home stereo or MP3 player; or subscriptions music services like Last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius, or Deezer depending upon your geographic location. If you already have an iPhone or iPod touch and the ability to easily network the S5 back into your router (via fixed Ethernet or close proximity), then $399 / €399 is what it now takes to get started with Sonos. Otherwise, you'll need to add a $99 / €99 ZoneBridge to link the S5 to your router over Sonos' proprietary SonosNet 2.0 (think 802.11n but optimized for distributed mesh audio) and another $349 / €349 for the dedicated CR200 controller if the free PC / Mac software controllers don't serve your need. We'll be getting our hands-on with a unit soon and will update you with our subjective listening experience. Until then, you can ponder the "end of October" and November 10th ship dates for the US and Europe, respectively. Video demonstration after the break. %Gallery-75378% Show full PR text SONOS INTRODUCES THE SONOS ZONEPLAYER S5: THE ALL-IN-ONE WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM CONTROLLED WITH AN IPHONE Wirelessly play music in any or every room of the house for $399 per room Enjoy room-filling, high-performance sound with all digital architecture Access your iTunes® library, plus thousands of radio stations and millions of songs from the Internet Control your music experience with free Sonos Controller for iPhone™ app or any other Sonos Controller SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – October 13, 2009 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, an all-in-one wireless music system that can be controlled with an iPhone, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller. The S5 delivers crystal-clear, room-filling sound that rivals much larger, more complicated audio equipment. Plus, the S5 provides instant access to unlimited music with control from the palm of your hand. Now music lovers can find and play any song from an iTunes library, plus, a world of music and radio on the Internet, in any room of the house. The S5 will be available for $399 in late October. To see the S5 in action, please visit: www.sonos.com/S5demo. "Our customers tell us they listen to twice as much music after bringing Sonos into their homes," said John MacFarlane, CEO of Sonos. "The new S5 is our latest effort to simplify the Sonos experience so more people can enjoy more music than ever before." The S5 features a 5-driver speaker system that packs a big sound – filling an entire room with music. Sonos uniquely designed the S5 with an all-digital sound architecture for precise sound reproduction. The S5 includes two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer – each individually powered by a dedicated digital amplifier and optimized to deliver room-filling sound with smooth tonal balance and deep bass. All filter settings, bass and treble controls, active equalization, and time-alignment are done in the digital domain through state-of-the-art DSP circuitry, so there's absolutely no loss of audio quality or energy. With the Internet-connected S5, you can listen to way more music than you can with a dock that only plays the songs that fit on your iPod. The S5 gives you instant access to a world of music, including 25,000 Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts -all free of charge and pre-loaded on Sonos. Sonos works seamlessly with the most popular music services to provide computer-free access to millions of songs and stations from the likes of Last.fm, Napster, Rhapsody, Pandora, SIRIUS Internet Radio, and Deezer. The S5 also gives you instant access to any iTunes library stored on any computer or Network Attached storage, such as an Apple Time Capsule. The S5's analog audio input lets you connect to an external audio source (such as an iPod, CD player, TV, DVD, VCR, or radio) and play music or audio on all ZonePlayers in the system. When it comes to controlling your S5, you simply reach into your pocket for your iPhone or iPod touch. With the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app (available on the iTunes App Store), you can search for songs and stations, choose the music and control the volume in as many rooms as you like. And because the iPhone is controlling the music, and not the source of it, when a text comes in or you need to make a phone call, the music doesn't stop. That also means you can keep your iPhone in your pocket, not stuck in a dock. The S5 also includes free Sonos Controller software for your Mac or PC. Or you can let everyone in the house share the control with the dedicated Sonos Controller 200 (sold separately). As with all Sonos ZonePlayers, the S5 is simple to set up, easy to expand and 100% compatible with all other Sonos products. Just plug in the S5 wherever you want music. One ZonePlayer or Sonos ZoneBridge™ (sold separately) must be connected to your router and all the rest will work wirelessly. When you're ready to play more music in more rooms, simply add S5s or other ZonePlayers without adding wires. Now you can play the same song in every room with perfect synchronicity or mix it up by playing different songs in different rooms. The S5 will be available for purchase in the United States beginning in late October. To learn more or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.
PSB rolls out a whole new Image-series speaker lineup
There's no shortage of quality loudspeaker brands that come to the US from its neighbor-to-the-north, and the incremental improvements to longstanding models flowing across the border usually goes without notice. But when updates are made across an entire product series, it deserves mention -- as in the case of PSB updating its Image lineup (not to be confused with its Imagine speakers). All in, there are eight new models that can blanket your HT setup: T5 ($899) and T6 ($1,199) floorstanders, B5 ($399) and B6 ($499) monitors, B4 ($299) sub-compact/surrounds, C4 ($275) and C5 ($375) center channels, and S5 ($799) bipolar surrounds. The Image lineup has always been value-conscious, so all those prices are per pair -- not the cheapest, but you've got to pay for quality. Interested? Hit that link for details.
Viliv X70 Series MID headed to the US, starting at $599
Viliv's X70 Series MID already looked like a pretty solid option for anyone wanting an S5 with a larger screen, but things have now gotten even more interesting, as US retailer / importer Dynamism has put up a product page listing a starting price of $599. That, as jkOnTheRun points out, is the same price as the S5, which packs a smaller 5-inch screen compared to the X70's 7-incher (though both are WSVGA). Otherwise, the two are fairly similar, with each sporting the usual Atom processor, Windows XP for an OS, built-in GPS, optional 3G, and 1GB of RAM. The X70 also mixes things up a bit with your choice of 32GB or 64GB SSD drives, while the S5 packs a standard 60GB hard drive. Still no word on a release date, but Dynamism will gladly take your email now and your order later.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Microsoft showing off Windows 7-powered Viliv S5 MID at Computex
Being that Release Candidate 1 just hit the tubes, we weren't really expecting a big Windows 7 presence at Computex this year. Much to our surprise, Viliv has announced that it will be showcasing the first official Win7-powered MID at the Taiwan-based show later this week. The heralded S5 will be the lucky device, with a duo of WiMAX-equipped cousins (X70 EX and S7) hanging around to demonstrate live video streaming. Needless to say, we'll be doing everything we can to drop by and see how things are going.[Via CNET]
Viliv S5 Air, HSDPA-equipped Air Ready coming to China in June
The Viliv S5 has had its fair share of positive reviews, in spite of its not-as-friendly $600 price tag, and now it looks like the company's ready to up the ante with the S5 Air and S5 Air Ready, according to a report from our friends at Engadget Chinese. From what we gather, both will see an improved, haptic keyboard and support Chinese character input / handwriting input, while the Air Ready also throws in HSDPA to boot. Those in the country can pick one up reportedly in June for an as of yet unknown price, while the rest of us around the world will just have to wait and see if Viliv decides to launch it anywhere else.
DigiFi and Kleer debut Digital Opera S2, S5 wireless earbuds
We haven't heard much from the Kleer / DigiFi combo since they finally brought their first Opera wireless earbuds to the US at the beginning of the year, but they're now back with not one but two new sets of 'phones, including the follow-up Digital Opera S2 and the Made for iPod Digital Opera S5. As you might suspect, both models are mostly identical, and pack the same 32 foot range and ten hours of playtime as before, along with the usual promise of uncompressed, CD quality audio. The S5 model, however, adds an iPod-compatible transmitter and some control buttons right on the headphones themselves, while the S2 opts for a basic 3.5mm-based transmitter to accomodate your non-Apple gadgets. No word on pricing just yet, but both should be available on June 20th.
Viliv S5 reviewed, is mostly smiles with good video playback
You've seen its introduction, its unboxing -- in two different languages, no less -- and maybe even fancied the pre-order page. Now Pocketables has what appears to be one of the first full-fledged review of the Viliv S5, and the verdict? It's quite a sturdy and well-built MID, with surprisingly good battery life and video performance from the Intel Atom Z520 processor (same one as found in the Vaio P). The virtual keyboard leaves a lot to be desired for, and it's a shame to hear the joystick's mouse functionality is limited to four directions, but despite these complaints and a $599 price tag, the conclusion is still a overwhelmingly positive for those who like the form factor. Hit up the read link for the full examination.
Viliv S5 unboxed in beautiful, epic video
We've had our eyes and hands all over Viliv's S5 for quite some time now, but we'll freely admit that we kind of can't get enough of the little guy. Well, until now, maybe. jkkmobile's got an exhaustive video unboxing which shows the device off quite nicely -- its 4.8-inch haptic touchscreen looks super responsive -- and overall, this UMPC is shaping up to be one decently impressive piece of work. They're expected to ship around May 8th in the U.S. for $599. Video is after the break -- it's a little long, but be sure to stick with it until the end, when Ilsa takes off in a plane for America, leaving a teary-eyed Rick on the tarmac. You won't be disappointed.
Viliv S5 pre-order details firm up: $599 and it's yours May 8th
It's been a long and winding road filled with unboxings, impressions, and comparisons, but it looks like the last few details surrounding the U.S. release of Viliv's Atom-powered S5 MID have now finally been firmed up. According to retailer Dynamism, the device will be available for pre-order on April 27th (at 1PM Eastern) for just $599, or $50 less than previously expected, with the first orders expected to ship on May 8th. Better still, those that pre-order the S5 will also get a free spare battery, a car kit, and a leather pouch, which Dynamism says is a $135 value. No word on the number of units available in that initial batch but, if the Hong Kong and Korean releases are any indication, they could sell out pretty quickly.[Via thegadgetsite, thanks K.C.]
Viliv S5 unboxed and handled in Hong Kong
We've seen plenty of Viliv's S5 tablet PC, but the fine folks of Engadget Chinese have scored some precious unboxing time with the little dude, and it's looking pretty great. The XP-running MID has a 4.8-inch touchscreen, a 60GB hard disk, an Intel Silverthorne-class 1.33GHz Z520 CPU, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and 1GB of memory. It's available in Korea now, though it appears to have missed its European / U.S. shipping dates at the end of March -- but we'll let you know when we start seeing these babies hit the streets. They're supposed to be priced at $649 when they do become available in the States. There are a few more shots after the break, but hit the read link for the entire, stunningly awesome set.
The Queue: Glory of the Hero
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today.Hey, everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to remind all of you that Adam and I are not the same entity, even if we both have A names and contribute to the same column. There's been a lot of confusion over the last year, so let me repeat: Adam Holisky and Alex Ziebart are two different people. Adam is not Alex, Alex is not Adam. And when you throw Allison into the mix, Allison is neither Adam nor Alex and they are not she. Are we on the same page here? Great.Herumor asked... "As things are now without the Maelstrom, is there any point to adding the upcoming water mounts without a large water based area? I don't really see a use for them other than showing off, and even that's kind of difficult to do."
Viliv S5 MID detailed impressions, now with video!
We got to play with the Viliv S5 at CES, and now the gang at UMPC Portal have some detailed impressions they'd like to share with the world. The haptic touchscreen device has "one of the best" on-screen keyboards this reviewer's seen, although it pales in comparison to a physical keyboard. Other minor issues include a lack of a microphone and physical mouse pointer, though you could quite conceivably get along just fine without 'em. That said, this bad boy apparently has "an overall good feeling" that makes the reviewer want to use the device more and give the touchscreen typing situation "a chance." Kudos for the "incredibly impressive" battery life, and not even the lack of 3G and an SSD prevents him from declaring it "the best pocketable UMPC," one that "raises the bar." But that ain't all -- check out the video after the break for the handheld in all its glory.
Arena Season 5 to close soon
We've been hearing an awful lot about Ulduar and patch 3.1 lately. As such, this announcement is really not a surprise. Vaneras and Bornakk posted on the forums today to warn us all that Season 5 is drawing near an end. The current season should close at the same time 3.1 drops, or very shortly afterward. (I'd guess "very shortly afterward" means "the following Tuesday.") Your Arena points will reset with the season transition, though your Honor points will remain banked. The announcement doesn't set a specific date. He just says "soon." Since we traditionally get at least two weeks' warning before an official season ends, that does mean that the patch probably won't drop for at least three. And since Noblegarden has been expanded on the PTR, then I expect the patch to hit and season to wrap up in the beginning of April.We haven't heard details about season-end rewards yet. That's important because we don't demonstrably know whether those rewards are going to be based on personal rating, team rating, or even the Match-Making Rating. The details of season-end rewards tend to fluctuate a little, but the best Arena teams can probably expect a title. The very, very best can expect the Arena mount. However, we don't know if it'll be a Nether Drake or maybe even a Proto-Drake. We'll let you know as we find out more.
Hot vs. not: Viliv's S5 vs. UMID's Mbook M1
While neither has officially gone on sale yet here or abroad, two anticipated MIDs, the Viliv S5 and UMID M1, both went on pre-order last week in their home nation of Korea, and while the S5 sold out of its initial allotment of 1,000 units in just 8 hours, UMID still has unclaimed devices from its first batch of 500. This is at least in part due to some sketchy quality on the M1, with a finish on early machines that looks like a Tamiya kit haphazardly glued together by a four-year-old. The company is saying it will step up and replace all of the pre-ordered units with better ones once it gets its molds to line up, but having to trade in your new computer after a few weeks seems to partially defeat the purpose of getting one early in the first place. Of the two only the S5 is said to be officially coming to America at this point anyway, so hopefully that's the one that caught your fancy.
Viliv S5 and X70 MIDs hands-on with video!
We just played around with Viliv's latest MIDs, the stylish S5 and X70. Both devices use haptic feedback for onscreen keyboard input, and despite the resistive screen we found them both to offer some of the best touchscreen interaction we've seen on devices like this. They were both running Windows Vista, and seemed rather responsive and usable, even with Atom under the hood. What's really impressive is the X70 (pictured), which is thinner than the S5, and also can be mounted to an optional leather case that brings a keyboard and foldability to the device, and turns the unit into a laptop of sorts. Neither device is particularly thin or light, but there's a lot of quality going on here, and for folks sold on this sort of functionality and form factor, it would be hard to do much better than these at the moment -- of course, you'll have to swim to Korea to do it. Video of the S5 is after the break.%Gallery-45216%