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Pretec, SanDisk kick CompactFlash capacities up to 16GB
You're probably already aware that CompactFlash cards in 32GB and 64GB capacities exist in prototype form, but currently no sizes larger than 8GB have been available to the gigabyte-hungry public. Enter SanDisk's Extreme III and Pretec's 16GB CF cards which will go into mass production later this year. Pretec's remaining mum on the price of its card, but SanDisk has admitted that the Extreme III will have a hefty suggested retail price of $1,049, and €633 in Europe. Fortunately for SanDisk and Pretec, the target market for these kind of cards, Digital SLR owners (read: paparazzi), likely won't care: more capacity means that many more compromising shots of Paris Hilton, price be damned.Read - PretecRead - SanDisk
Creative poised to throw down an 8GB Zen V Plus?
While Creative and Apple may have settled their legal battles, they're continuing to duke it out in the ring of portable media players. According to epiZENter's "reliable source," Creative wants to introduce a new contender with an 8GB version of its Zen V Plus, to compete with the newly-supersized 8GB iPod nano. We're all for competition in the marketplace, but Creative is going to have to move pretty fast if it wants to get its players out in time for the holiday shopping craze. Anonymous source or not, it's well within the realm of possibility that Creative would want to go toe to toe with Apple -- but of course, both Apple and Creative will have to take on the SanDisk Sansa e280 in the maxed-out flash-based DAP department.[Via DAPReview]
SanDisk partnering with Real on Sansa Rhapsody line
Apple has certainly struck gold with its finely tuned iPod+iTunes system, and Microsoft is seemingly ditching that whole PlaysForSure effort in exchange for the upcoming Zune Marketplace, so RealNetworks has joined the bandwagon by narrowing its focus (and hopefully the scope of incompatibility issues) by teaming with SanDisk to produce the Sansa Rhapsody. While the company already nailed down a partnership with Slim Devices, it's now venturing into the saturated DAP market by co-engineering an e200 with specialized Rhapsody software -- dubbed Rhapsody DNA -- to ensure the device consistently plays nice with Real's services. SanDisk is looking to release 2, 4, and 6GB editions of the Rhapsody-friendly Sansas, as well as offering its expandable 8GB e280 model for those toting the heftiest of subscription playlists. Aside from the (supposedly) guaranteed compatibility, these special units will apparently come stocked with 32 hours of tunes from a plethora of record labels that goes MIA if not synced with a Rhapsody account within 30 days. While there's no hard deets on pricing nor availability, we don't envision SanDisk charging anything extra just for keeping it Real.[Via GigaOM]
SanDisk intros 4GB miniSDHC card for cellphones
It may not be as small as a microSD card, but if you value size in bytes over size in millimeters, SanDisk is looking to hook you up with their new 4GB miniSDHC flash card, announced at CTIA. SanDisk is pushing this one squarely for use in cellphones, touting it as the cure-all solution to your multimedia woes, able to store some 2,000 high-res pics, 1,000 songs, or 8 hours of MPEG-4 video. You will, unfortunately, have to wait a bit to get all that sweet storage space in your phone -- SanDisk's currently offering samples of the cards to OEMs, with a retail release of the card set for sometime next year, though no price has been announced. Either way, you'd better hope miniSDHC is a feature your cellphone supports.
Altec Lansing to launch inMotion iM510 speaker dock for SanDisk Sansa
If you've settled on picking up a SanDisk Sansa e200 or c200 but feel a bit left in the cold in terms of specialized accessories, Altec Lansing is rushing in to heat things up. In what appears to be a spinoff of the "Made for iPod" agenda, Altec Lansing has partnered with SanDisk to create a lineup of accessories geared specifically towards the Sansa music players. The flagship device -- dubbed the inMotion iM510 -- is a black docking speaker station that doesn't veer too far from the company's iPod-friendly versions, save for its Sansa compatibility, of course. While details thus far are a bit slim, we do know the portable system will dock, sync, and charge the e200 and c200 series DAPs, and will play nice with the (optional) BB2001 subwoofer. Although no word on pricing nor availability has been given, the coinage should be a tad lower (we'd guess, um, 10 percent or so) than the iPod-conforming units when it hits the street. [Via MobileWhack]
SanDisk MP3 seizure at IFA overturned
Just a few days back, Sansa-manufacturer SanDisk was shot down by Sisvel and forced to take down its displays at Berlin's IFA expo, but it seems that some fast-acting (and talking) lawyers have somehow reversed the decision just in time for SanDisk to show their products on the final day of the show. Tangled in lawsuits concerning MP3 patent violations, the company still insists its playback technology isn't infringing on any patents, but Sisvel maintains its insistence that SanDisk should be included in the nearly 600 companies that pay royalties to the licensing firm. Apparently SanDisk wasn't the only company forced to put its show on hiatus, as 19 other outfits had products unexpectedly seized for "similar violations." Sisvel isn't going down without a fight, however, as it has already filed an appeal to have the reversed order un-reversed -- while it may seem a bit redundant (to say the least), it's certainly not out of character for the sue-happy Sisvel, who proudly joins the growing list of "you've got to be kidding me" lawsuits.
SanDisk busted at IFA, forced to take down display DAPs
Now we've never actually manufactured a product ourselves, but if we had, and we were showing off said product at a major European trade show, we'd be mighty embarrassed if a bunch of lawyer-types showed up at our expensive booth and told us to stash the goods out of public view. Well apparently that's exactly what happened to Sansa-manufacturer SanDisk over the weekend at Berlin's IFA exhibition, after an Italian patent management company called Sisvel convinced a German prosecutor to issue an injunction against the US's number two DAP seller. No surprises here, but the beef that Sisvel has with SanDisk centers around certain MPEG audio patents that many big-name companies -- including Apple, Archos, and Creative, to name just three of over 600 -- have taken seriously enough to license, with SanDisk being the one notable exception. SanDisk and Sisvel are already locked in heated legal battles in several large countries, and until the courts pick a winner or SanDisk decides to pay up, Sisvel wants to make sure that they can only show pictures of their products at events like IFA -- not exactly the best way to impress potential buyers. If we were SanDisk in this situation, we might take a page out of iPod Shuffle knockoff manufacturer Luxpro's book -- you know, the ripoff artists who got busted by Apple legal at CeBIT -- and comply just long enough for the hired guns to leave the building, followed by a mad dash to put the players back up on their displays and put our big fake sales grins back on our faces.
SanDisk's V-MATE: records video to what else, flash memory cards
Sandisk is plenty busy with new products at IFA in Berlin. Now, they've thrown down with a whole new product line-up by launching the V-MATE video recorder. And since SanDisk likey their flash memory, the V-Mate is designed to record directly to a wide variety of memory card formats from any composite video source such as your set-top box, DVD player, or TiVo. The V-MATE features a remote control, on-screen programming interface, and an infrared emitter to turn on your TV tuner device and select the right channel for programmed recording. And MPEG-4 compression delivers about 1.8 hours of playback per 1GB of flash at the V-MATE's maximum 640 x 480 recording resolution or up to 3.6-hours when the rez and bit rate are throttled back for the requirements of say, your cellphone display. Available in October for about $130.
SanDisk's Sansa Base Station dock with remote for Sansa players
If you're one of the non-conforming, iDon't conformers then you'd best get with the program son. SanDisk just hit us with their Sansa Base Station which, for all the hyperbole about it transforming your Sansa MP3 into a home audio jukebox, is just a run-o-the-mill dock and remote for you Sansa player. As such, it includes a USB 2.0 and RCA jack, remote control, and of course, a "universal connector" which slots into the bottom of your e200 or C200 series players for some hot DAP-on-dock charging action. Thing is, for all their marketing audacity, the only bit we find surprising is the fact that this "must-have" accessory didn't already exist. Yours for $70 bills by October in the both the US and Europe, you choose.
SanDisk intros Made for Sansa
You're doing your damnedest to position your MP3 players as the top alternative to the iPod, so what do you do? Well, if you're SanDisk you counter Apple's "Made for iPod" licensed accessories program with your very own "Made for Sansa" licensed accessories program, right? SanDisk is launching the program with about 40 different products, including speaker docks, travel cases, headphones, armbands, FM auto transmitters, chargers and cables, from many of the same companies (Altec Lansing, DLO, Griffin, HandStands, Macally, Maximo Products, and Speck Products) who are already making iPod accessories. It's a smart move on SanDisk's part -- the massive ecosystem of accessories is one way that the iPod maintains its dominance over the market -- and presumably they aren't asking for a licensing fee of 10% of the wholesale cost of each accessory like Apple does with the Made for iPod program.
SanDisk intros Sansa c200 player
SanDisk is kicking out a successor to their aggressively-priced c100 line of flash-based players. The c200 won't be out until October, but you're looking at a 1GB model (the c240) that'll sell for $80 and a 2GB model (the c250) that'll go for $100. Both will support playback of MP3, WMA, and WMA DRM files (that includes PlaysForSure compatibility), and sport an FM tuner, integated voice recorder, a microSD memory card for adding up to 2GB of additional storage capacity, a 1.4-inch, 128 x 98 pixel LCD screen, and a battery life of about 15 hours.
Engadget Podcast 085 - 08.22.2006
What's with all the negativity, man? It's summer time and we'd think everybody'd be at the beach or drinking a beer, and yet it seems like we can't get through a week without this company or that going at another's throats -- or just laying down dead. EchoStar and TiVo have been really heating up this past week, but we really, um, exploded with the news that they are launching what amounts to be the largest consumer product recall in recent memory -- possibly in the history of consumer electronics. 4.1 million Dell batteries will make their way back to Dell at the same time Boeing kills off their in-flight internet access division, Connexion, but it's not all doom and gloom. SanDisk's latest 8GB Sansa is out, and you know we're excited about that. Plenty more on today's podcast! Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS] Add the Engadget Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3). [MP3] Download the show (MP3). [AAC] Download the enhanced show (AAC). [OGG] Download the show (OGG). Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International) Format: 37:14, 17.1 MB, MP3 Program: 0:52 - TiVo awarded $90M and permanent injunction aginst EchoStar 2:05 - Federal Court grants stay on EchoStar's TiVo injunction 8:00 - Dell recalls 4.1 million batteries 13:05 - Boeing disconnecting Connexion 21:35 - Wii for November under $250, and it "won't have hidden fees or costs" 27:13 - SanDisk unveils 8GB, expandable Sansa e280 LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com
SanDisk unveils 8GB, expandable Sansa e280
SanDisk is making its latest push against Apple's venerable iPod nano, and unlike the sour grapes iDon't campaign, this one has definite potential to knock a few precious percentage points off of Cupertino's still-overwhelming market share. Besides officially unveiling the 8GB Sansa e280 that we'd seen coming for awhile, the Milipitas-based company also announced price drops on the entire e200 lineup of players, bringing the 6GB e270 down to $220, the 4GB e260 to $180, and the 2GB e250 to just $140. As with other members of the Sansa family, the e280 also includes a microSD slot for jacking total memory up 10GB -- meaning that even if Apple can get an 8GB nano out the door by the holiday season, SanDisk will still hold the title of "most capacious flash-based DAP." The other value-added features that have helped SanDisk quickly acquire its number two position in the marketplace are also still present: you're getting video playback capability (using a proprietary converter, granted), an FM tuner with "on-the-fly" recording, a user-replaceable 20-hour lithium ion battery, embedded voice recorder, and support for MP3, WMA, and PlaysForSure tracks. All this functionality will set you back just $250, so unless you've already got thousands of FairPlay songs sitting on your hard drive (and don't feel like stripping the DRM), the Sansa e280 looks like an awfully strong contender from where we're standing.
SanDisk debuts 2GB microSD card
Now that you've picked up that sexy little bit of Chocolate from Verizon, you're probably looking for a hefty storage option to load up all some of your tunes, and luckily SanDisk has got you covered with its new 2GB microSD card. First to market with a two gig flavor of this type of card, SanDisk has given VZW a 60-day exclusive for selling it in the US, while the rest of the world should be able pick it up at any number of locations. Available immediately, this card -- with its 1,000 VCAST song capacity -- will set you back an even $100, and probably less if you can find one of the OEM versions that SanDisk also announced.[Via Aximsite]
Sandisk buys Msystems for $1.55 billion
Far be it from us to assert that Sandisk's acquisition of Israeli Msystems is a bit, shall we say, ridiculous in figures, but hey, the deal did got done. Sandisk handed over $1.55 billion wholly in stock to Msystems in exchange for their business; the firm will become a wholly owned subsidiary, and will presumably keep on doing that think they've been doing (like creating the U3 with Sandisk not so long ago). Not really a whole lot to see here otherwise though, just thought you might like to know since that's such a mighty huge number for to acquire an ally.[Thanks, Jake]
SanDisk's Extreme IV CompactFlash cards
Today's speed record for fastest CompactFlash writes set by: SanDisk. Their new SanDisk Extreme IV CF cards come in sizes up to 8GB, and offer speeds of at least 40MBps, not to mention the extreme environmental conditions they can suffer through (-13°F to 185°F). The cards are surprisingly affordable, however, weighing in at $160 for the 2GB, $320 for the 4GB, and $640 for the 8GB. Perhaps it's overkill for your puny mid-range DSLR, but from the looks of it you'd probably hang on to this memory card a lot longer than your average digital camera.
SanDisk joins the SDHC club
With Toshiba and Panasonic having already unveiled their respective 4GB SDHC cards, you didn't really think that industry powerhouse SanDisk would be too far behind, did you? For the uninitiated, SDHC (or SD 2.0, as it's also known) is a new FAT32-compliant format designed for capacities up to 32GB, with cards that look exactly like regular SD models, but that won't work in any but the newest of digital devices. SanDisk's offering -- available sometime before the end of the month -- is rated as a Class 2 card, meaning that it guarantees a minimum transfer rate of 2MB per second. The $200 pricetag also gets you a "free" MicroMate card reader, which is not only handy but vital to making the most out of your new card, as the SD readers you currently own won't have any idea what to do with this thing.
More clues about SanDisk's 8GB Sansa
So it's starting to look like those leaked pictures we saw last month supposedly depicting an unannounced 8GB flash player from SanDisk are the real deal. You'll recall that an Anything But iPod forum member claiming to be a SanDisk tester posted a shot of what's generally referred to as the Sansa e280, and now the eagle-eyed editors over at ABi have discovered even more tantalizing clues on the company's website. The most telling bit of evidence comes when you launch the 360-degree demos for either the 4GB e260 or 2GB e250, which instead of featuring the players' respective capacities on the backside, show a model clearly adorned with an "8GB" label -- see the screenshot, right. Furthermore, the entire Sansa lineup is being hit with price cuts, which could be an indication that a product launch is imminent. If SanDisk is in fact able to get this model to market before Apple breaks us off with an 8GB nano -- aluminum enclosure and all -- it would seem to do more for the company's market share than a negative advertising campaign ever could.[Via Anything But iPod]
SanDisk planning 8GB Sansa e280?
So we can't vouch for the validity of the photo you see here, but if we're to believe an Anything But iPod forum member claiming to work as a tester at SanDisk, then it depicts a pre-production version of the unannounced Sansa e280 with a "nano-killing" 8GB of flash memory -- plus a memory card slot to jack that total up to 9GB. Although anything posted to forums should be viewed with no small amount of skepticism, a WHOIS query supposedly confirms that this member was indeed posting from SanDisk's Virginia campus when he revealed his info, and the fact that the pic looks pretty legit only further enhances this rumor's believability. Plus, Apple will surely boost the nano's capacity at some point or another, so it's obvious that SanDisk will have to do the same if it hopes to shed its runner-up status -- because simply insulting potential customers doesn't seem like a great way to gain market share.
Creative Zen V Plus reviewed
Looks like CNET managed to get a Zen V Plus from Creative a while ago, and have already put the thing through its paces and posted their glowing review of the device. First, and fairly notable: for sheer value, the Zen V and V Plus really have the iPod nano beat, since not only do Creative's new players feature similar capacity for a good bit less, but the players also have the quite convenient line-in capability, and V Plus adds in FM and video playback for a bit of extra nano smackdown. As for design, CNET seems to be a fan; noting its cute, Tamagotchi-like feel and form factor as a definite asset. They also felt more confident with the sturdier design of the player in comparison to the nano, which is thinner but taller than the Zen V, and didn't complain about the "bulk" in regards to pocketability. Unfortunately, the joystick is a bit small and cheap feeling, and the player lacks two of the face buttons of its big brother, the Zen Vision:M. We're also concerned about the lack of scrolling capability which does show up in the Sansa and nano, but we're just worriers like that. Apparently, the 1.5-inch OLED screen is looking good, with a bit of an visible pixel grid, and some bright sunlight problems, but overall "vivid" performance. We can't say that changes our mind about the actual functionality of video playback on this thing, but if you need to know, the V Plus supports MPEG-4, WMV, DivX and more, and comes with the ToolBox software to convert files for playback. The device of course supports MP3, WAV, PlaysForSure WMA and Audible audio, and you can nab podcasts with Creative's ZenCast software. Other than USB host capability, or WiFi, the Zen V Plus has about every feature you could ask for, even PIM functionality with Outlook syncing. As for what really matters, Zen V shines with 20 hours of batter life (5 more than Creative's 15 hour rating), and solid audio quality and volume. Sounds like Creative could have a winner on their hands, and CNET's Editors' Choice award can't hurt, but we're still not sure we've seen something that can actually manage to beat the nano at its own game in this market.
