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Dear Veronica: File formats and follow-up freak outs!
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-406442{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-406442, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-406442{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-406442").style.display="none";}catch(e){} #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-739196{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-739196, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-739196{width:570px;display:block;} Last week, I asked for photos of your busted up (but still functional) phones, and you delivered! I noticed a trend of there being way more iPhones compared to Android devices that were sent in, so I'm trying to figure out: do you viewers just have more iPhones, or do Android users just chuck theirs when they get a chip because they're less expensive? Anyway. We also talk about the best file formats for your mixed-OS household, and I go on a bit of a rant about follow-up emails. Enjoy, and keep sending those questions to veronica@engadget.com, or using the hashtag #DearVeronica! See you next week!
I tried to identify high-quality audio samples and failed miserably
High-resolution audio is getting a lot buzz as of late thanks to the efforts of Tidal, Neil Young and others. While Tidal had a test of its own, NPR set up another quiz to see if you can tell the difference between MP3s and uncompressed WAVs. I couldn't, and I listened to the samples through a pair of B&O H6s routed through an Apogee Groove DAC/headphone amp. In fact, the only track out of the six in which I was able to accurately identify the uncompressed audio was Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" (oddly enough, I'm a big KP fan). For reference, 320kbps MP3s, which are the mid-grade option here, are what streaming services like Spotify, Rdio and others use for their catalogs.
Engadget Primed: digital audio basics
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. You can follow the series here. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. Digital audio. There's a very good chance that you've enjoyed some today. It's one of the more universal aspects of technology. In fact, perhaps the more relevant question would be, when was the last time you listened to an analog format? The truth, for many, will be quite some time ago -- vinyl purists and the odd cassette fanatic aside. Yet, despite its ubiquity, there's a lot of misunderstanding and confusion about digital audio. Some believe it'll never match analog for true fidelity, some assert quite the opposite. Many lament the lack of a tactile format, while others love the portability that comes with zeros and ones. In this installment of Primed, we take a look at the history of digital sound, as well as provide an introduction to some of its key components, with the view to helping us understand it better. Wondering what bitrate to encode your MP3s at? Or whether you should choose a 96 or 44.1KHz sample rate? We thought as much. By the time we're through, these questions should no longer lay heavy on your mind, and you can enjoy that latest Knife Party, or Britney track as much as its bit depth allows. What's bit depth you say? Well, read on to find out...
iRiver B100 wants you to 'touch the supreme sound', pedants grumble
It's been some time since we heard much from iRiver but the PMP maker is keeping busy with the snow-white B100. This capacitive touchscreen media player will offer up to 36 hours of music playback, or eight and a half hours of video watching. The 3.1-inch TFT screen has a resolution of 320 x 480, but it's backed up by a (relatively) long list of media codecs, including OGG, WAV, APE and ASF compatibility. If you're sick of limited playback options, you might want to consider downscaling those screen-size desires for improved format freedom. The PMP launches today, with prices starting at 11,800 yen (around $144) for the 4GB model, while the 8GB version will set you back 13,800 yen (around $168) at online Japanese retailer, Rakuten. The Google-translated PR awaits your quizzical looks below.
Sony's Music Unlimited cloud service comes to limited non-cloud Walkmans
Sony's connected Music Unlimited offering is already available online, on gaming devices, on Android phones and tablets, so nice to see it's finally available on its, you know, Walkman music players. In what feels somewhat like an afterthought, "compatible Walkman devices" (currently just the NWZ-E465) can play your favorite channels and playlists on the move -- no connection required. Only those paying the $9.99 premium, however, get to add songs from the actual Unlimited music catalogue. Plug-in at home, sync the music, and listen at your leisure offline via the dedicated app, but with so many other competing ways of enjoying your music from the cloud, on a plethora of connected devices, it really is surprising this wasn't already possible. Still, if you own an NWZ-E465, and subscribe to the Music Unlimited, you can feel all gooey knowing Sony has your back. Hit the PR after the break for more info.
BOSS's Micro BR-80 digital multitrack and field recorder fits the band and studio in your hand
Who needs a recording studio -- or even a full band -- for that next demo? Grab your guitar, BOSS' latest portable Micro BR digital recorder and a fistful of ego for a do-it-yourself session that only a mother could love. The BR-80 lets you record two tracks at once and offers eight tracks of playback along with 64 virtual tracks to mix and master any epics you're dreaming up. For hookup, it's packing aux and 1/4-inch inputs, a headphone out, and even a USB port to interface with a computer. You can also record using its onboard stereo field mics if you lose your cables at a gig. Inside, it's packing four and six-string COSM effects, DNA from its VE-20 to spice up your vocals, and eBand options. There's support for WAV and MP3 formats, but better yet, SD cards up to 32GB giving you a whopping 550 hours of recording time to lay those burnin' licks down. It's currently available and shipping for about 300 bones -- eRoadies not included. Full PR after the break.
uSolo FX Media player review
This is a picture of a digital media player. It doesn't look quite like an iPod, though, does it? No hint of Zune here either, we don't think. In fact, it looks a lot like a CDJ unit, and that's for a reason: it acts just like a physical media-loving digital disc jockey's unit, but without the 5-inch slot at the front. Instead, it's got USB and SD ports up top. If you're a DJ, you might be familiar with the rest: navigate your folders to find a song, cue it up with the jog wheel, and mix it up. DJ Tech, which started operations in the US just last year, has the uSolo FX as its flagship unit -- does it compare to its competition from giants like Pioneer and Numark? Read on to find out! %Gallery-120496%
Tascam outs new DR-07 Mark II audio recorder, touts adjustable mics
If you're in the market for a quality audio recording device to capture demos somebody other than your mother would listen to, here's your chance to get those songs past her and out into the real world. Tascam, maker of professional music studio equipment, has just announced their newest addition to the recording family, the DR-07. Depending on what you'll be recording, the device allows the user to capture sound in XY or AB configuration using the adjustable dual microphones -- the XY adjustment for a tight stereo recording and AB for ambient, larger noise. The Mark II comes bundled with a 2GB microSD slot, features 17.5 hours of battery life and grabs MP3 audio at up to 320 kbps or WAV audio at up to 96 kHz. If you're interested in picking one of these up, hit up the more coverage link and drop the $150.
Korg Sound On Sound sneers at multitrack recording, offers unlimited tracks
Multitrack digital recorders might not be front and center of the gadget lover's mind right now, but slap that "unlimited" modifier in front and all of a sudden interests are piqued and ears prick up. Korg has made official its new Sound On Sound Unlimited Track Recorder, which will do exactly what its name suggests while keeping each overdub separate for future modification or retuning. You'll be able to fit up to 26 track hours on a 16GB MicroSDHC card and a dedicated guitar input is available alongside mic and line-in ports. Another useful-sounding feature is Sound Stretch, which should allow you to alter speed to between 25 and 150 percent of the original recording without altering pitch. Price is tentatively set at £230 ($375) for a March 2010 release.
Two-mic system detects fetal heart rate anomalies, prenatal beat sampling
Patel Institute of Engineering and Technology's A.K. Mittra and associates have devised a clever and inexpensive early warning detection system for monitoring the fetal heart rate of that bun months-long in the oven. With two microphones -- one placed on the pregnant soon-to-be mother's abdomen and one inside the bedroom -- hooked up to a nearby computer, the two audio feeds are used to estimate and subtract the ambient room noise for a better read on the baby's vitals just before the woman goes to bed. Converted to a wav file, if anomalies are detected it's immediately compressed to MP3 and sent to the doctor for further testing. An efficient plan, to be sure, and we can only hope the baby is healthy and hyper-intelligent enough to give normal heartbeats and start recording his or her first LP.
iPhone 2.0 supports playback of WAV voicemail
If you've been aggravated at your iPhone or iPod touch in the past for its inability to play back WAV voicemail files from home phone services like Vonage or AT&T (synergy foul! yellow card), you may now breathe easier. TJ Luoma was 95% through building a rather elaborate script to convert incoming WAV voicemails to MP3 for iPhone playback (and, while he was at it, add some reverse lookup magic) when he discovered that the 2.0 firmware now includes the ability to play back the particular flavor of WAV file used in these voicemails. Problem solved.It may not be a headline feature (or even a stealthy but universally acclaimed UI addition) but for those of us who need it, it's going to save a lot of time and trouble.Thanks to TJ & to Curt for independently sending this one in.
Zen Wav washes up on US shores
We don't know how many of you were patiently waiting for the Zen Wav to hit our fair shores, but it looks like the tiny black DAP has finally made it out of Asia. Other than the tinny built-in speakers, there's not a lot you haven't seen from Creative before: 4GB of flash, 1.5-inch screen, line-in, smug sense of non-conformity, and an FM tuner. All yours at Wal-Mart for $99. [Via EpiZENter]
Creative's Zen Wav caught on video
We know, no one was expecting the minuscule integrated speakers within Creative's Zen Wav to be anything more than a mild joke, but just in case you wanted to hear this thing with your own two ears before plunking down the cash to pick one up (or point and laugh), TechEBlog's got you covered. In this brief hands-on look, Creative's Zen Wav is videotaped in a cradle pumping out a sample jam that admittedly highlights treble, but at least it's at least somewhat listenable. Of course, judging the audio quality based on a handheld camcorder is a far cry from scientific evaluation, but click on through anyway for a quick listen and look at the Wav in action.
Creative's Zen Wav tossed onto the DAP pile
If DAP choice is your thing then Creative's certainly got the bases covered. Now you can officially add the Zen Wav to the Zen Stone, Vision W, Vision, Vision:M, Neeon 2, Neeon, V Plus, V, MicroPhoto, Nano Plus, and Touch to the list of Creative Zen devices. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned the 6 other MuVo DAPs from their portable audio/video portfolio -- that's 19 now, in case you're counting. The all aluminum, all the time Zen Wav features a 1.5-inch, 65k color TFT LCD, mic with line-in dubbing, FM tuner, and a pair of itty bitty speakers which should support the built-in alarm clock well enough. Otherwise, they'll likely prove them selves to be just loud enough to annoy. And despite the name, it plays back MP3, WMA, and transcoded AVI in addition to WAV files. While the WAV does appear on the Creative Singapore website, it was launched without a press release and just that janky pic you see to the right. We'll take that as a measure of its potential to dominate the MP3 player market. 2GB of flash will cost you about $121 in Singapore-only for now. [Via GererationMP3]
SAFA's SS200 series players
Take a healthy dose of Samsung's YP-K5, sprinkle in some LG chocolate, and bake-in the latest Korean design trends for a pair of new DAPs from Safa. The SS220 is a bit of a mystery. In addition to featuring touch-based controls and a built-in speaker, we know it's capable of splashing a range of unspecified video, photo, and text formats up onto its tiny 1.5-inch screen. It also packs in an FM tuner just in case the few reticent GBs of audio dumped to flash can't slake your jones. We know a bit more about the other player -- the SS200 -- a 71 x 48 x 12-mm wafer with a 2-inch, 260k color, 220 x 176 pixel display. The SS200 is capable of 6/8-hours of video/audio playback with support for MP3, WMA, and WAV media formats. No ship date or pricing unfortunately, hell, we can't even say for sure which of the two is pictured above. Let's just be thankful for the scraps they've thrown, mkay?
Apacer's Audio Steno AU522 flash-based DAP
What do you get when you cross an iPod Shuffle with Nokia's 7280 fashion phone? (Hint: it's not Transcend's T.Sonic 310, but good guess.) Why, Apacer's upcoming Audio Steno AU522 DAP, of course. This fairly-stylish little number comes in capacities ranging from 256MB to 2GB, supports MP3, WMA, and WAV files, and includes a memory card slot for boosting storage by another gig. A built-in USB connector allows you to use the AU522 as a flash drive or reader for all those MMCmicro cards you have lying around, and you can also record directly from the FM tuner and share your music with a friend thanks to dual headphone jacks. The two-color, 128 x 64 OLED screen is another nice touch, though it probably contributes to the player's mere eight hours of battery life. No word so far on either pricing or availability, but if you really have a desire to snatch one of these up, we're confident that you'll be able to make it happen.[Via MP3 Player Guide]
Sharp's MP-B300: where thin and ugly meet
This 8.9-millimeter thin Sharp-made eyesore goes by the name MP-B300. It ekes-out up to 1GB of on-board memory with the possibility for more via miniSD expansion. Yeah, the included FM-transmitter is kinda cool, allowing the player to pump tunes over your car's stereo system without any irritating accessories, and it does playback MP3 and PlaysForSure WMA in addition to boasting the ability to record directly off the integrated FM tuner. Still, at roughly the same price as that thinner, not-to-be-named player with color screen, well, we just gotta wonder why Sharp, why?[Via Akihabara News]
NTI Comodo's NP-950 DAP with in-dock VoIP and DJ functions
Talk about a convergence device-- not only does NTI Comodo's new NP-950 digital audio player perform the obligatory playback and recording functions, it can even act as a VoIP "handset" or broadcast tunes DJ-style over the Internet when docked in its USB cradle. Being marketed as the "Universal MP3 Player" in conjunction with OpenCast, this model is available in 512MB or 1GB flavors and supports MP3, WMA, ASF, and WAV audio tracks, WMV and AMV video files or JPEG/BMP/GIF photos on its 1.5-inch LCD, as well as English, Korean, Japanese, or Chinese eBooks. We're not really sure exactly who's being targeted with this unit -- whose price and release date are unknown -- since you can't store all that much content on it, and the chat/broadcast features seem more gimmicky than useful.
Cowon's 4GB iAudio6 DAP reviewed
Cowon's gotten some rather mixed reviews in the past for their line of iAudio DAPs, but the outlook seems mostly positive for the upcoming hard drive-based iAudio6, with Anything But iPod finding very few flaws in the diminutive player's design, features, or performance. Especially impressive is the 1.3-inch OLED screen, which gets high marks for both color depth and clarity -- ABi calls it "simply brilliant" -- and makes watching XviD-encoded movies almost bearable on such a small display. The iAudio6, which we first spotted at CES, can handle up to 4GB of MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, or WAV-encoded tracks on its .85-inch drive, but it's the drive that leads to one of the few knocks on this model, which is a noticeable lag time between operations. Other nice features include USB host capability for device-to-device file transfer with other UMS-enabled hardware, software that automatically tags certain tunes with the corresponding lyrics, line-in and voice recording, and surprisingly powerful output that can drive even large headphones. If you don't mind a bit of a delay when recording or changing tracks, or a bit of eye strain when watching your flicks, then the iAudio6 sounds like it'll make for a solid purchase whenever it becomes available Stateside.[Thanks, James]
Viliv announces new US-bound PMP, the P2
So apparently the viliv P1 personal media player is doing so well in the US, that the company has already announced plans to release their new model, the P2, Stateside as well. The P2 takes all the P1's multi-codec goodness (MPEG-1/2/4, H.264, DivX, WMV 7/8/9, XviD, MP3, WMA, OGG, AC-3, and WAV), subtracts the iPod resemblance, and adds a 60GB option as well as an optional GPS receiver. Powered by a 400MHz AMD processor, the P2 runs on Windows CE 5.0 and sports a large 4.3-inch, 800 x 480 widescreen LCD, and also can also act as a USB 2.0 host device. Expect to see these for sale sometime in the middle of August, although pricing has yet to be announced.
