ZiiEgg
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Creative Zii EGG Android build demoed on video
We're still not entirely sure what Creative has planned for the Zii, but things appear to be going according to plan: as promised, an Android 1.6 installer for the Zii EGG developer unit was released today. Things are still pretty rough, however -- the camera doesn't work, and leftover bits of phone code like the signal strength icon are still present. We're guessing that means we're still ages away from seeing anything resembling a consumer device come out of all this, but let's hope this is the first step towards a whole slew of kickin' Android-powered KIRF devices. Video after the break. [Thanks, Yuki]
Zii Egg Android installer arrives next week, consumer devices nowhere in sight
Zii hopefuls will be pleased to hear that ZiiLABS is releasing the Android installer "next week." The tweeted update means that developers with the Zii EGG will have the chance to get friendly with Google's droid as Creative's project attempts to walk our for retail on something other than its homegrown Plaszma OS. While this would have made stellar headlines in early 2009, at this point, with Microsoft and Apple both offering a stunning pair of dedicated, full-screen media devices, and a shedload of media-capable Android-based phones now hitting the market, well, it all seems to be too little and much too late for Creative. But if its only intention is to serve as the foundation for China's KIRF market then why should we care anyway? [Thanks, Jonathan K.]
Video: Creative Zii EGG gets firmware updated to 92.02, still looks pretty janky
Creative's just rolled out a firmware update -- version 92.02, if you're counting -- for developers of the Zii EGG. The updates include adding support for media playback on the SD card, a 3D close line effect for when you're browsing in landscape view, plus a stretching effect for browsing lists. The sample shots taken with its camera look pretty decent, and in the video which is after the break, you can catch a look at both the close line and stretching effect -- the latter of which we think has some potential to be useful, even if it's all still looking a bit rough around the edges for now. Like we said, the video is after the break -- hit the read link for test shots.
Video: Creative Zii EGG development kit gets a second look
We already know the Creative Zii EGG development edition is shipping out to eager hands, but for the even more eager eyes out there, the folks at Anything But iPod managed some pretty nice, well-lit HD video to give another illustration of how the hardware will look and feel. The narrator is quick on multiple occasions to remind viewers it's an early build running on Creative's Plazma OS only (no Android yet) and he takes issue with the feel of the thin film of plastic on the touchscreen, but that and slow load times notwithstanding, the device is looking mighty impressive. Pictures through the read link, and mosey on past the break for digital peep show. [Thanks, Mathieu]
Creative Zii EGG orders shipped, hands-on videos posted
It looks like somebody's Zii EGG orders have shipped, and we got the video to prove it. A staff member named DaHarder over at the DAP Review forums has just received one of the lusted-after devices, and luckily for us he's given it the ol' hands-on treatment and posted the evidence for our perusal. "The screen," he says, compares "very favorably" with the S Series Walkman, with colors described as bright and vibrant, even if the blacks leave something to be desired. And how about sound? He rates it as being "the best sounding Creative player" he's heard yet, "and that's without any EQ/Z-Fi etc." Not too shabby for a development model, eh? But that ain't all -- peep the videos after the break, and then hit the read link to jump in on the conversation your own self. [Via DAP Review]
Zii EGG SDK roadmap revealed, some important features not coming until end of year
Remember back when Sony introduced Rolly to stunned silence followed by a protracted effort to determine exactly what the hell it was, an effort that arguably continues to this very day? Yep, that's kind of where we're at right now with the Zii EGG, and nothing in the SDK documentation we've received today -- the same documentation paying developers are just now getting -- is helping us flesh that out. We can tell you that it's well-equipped -- there are proximity sensors and accelerometers on board, it's got native support for Flash Lite, voice recognition, and 3D acceleration and it'll eventually have support for Creative's X-Fi audio tech -- but really, that's like saying "the Rolly is well-equipped." What does it mean? Here's what we do know: out of the gate, it seems the EGG will only be running Creative's homegrown Plaszma OS, though Android support is forthcoming. The Plaszma SDK is being rolled out in three phases spanning the rest of 2009, and some pretty important stuff -- Bluetooth support, for example -- won't even be available to developers until the third phase, which is a pretty strong indication that Zii-powered products intended for consumer consumption probably won't be around in time for the holidays. For the moment, there isn't any indication on when devs will have access to Android support libraries, which we think might be where Zii's true value lies, because let's be honest -- the world realistically doesn't need another target platform for mobile. Interestingly, Creative is using Zii to actively target China-based devs that it says "may not have brands but have an insatiable appetite for ready-to-go technologies, and can adapt these technologies very quickly to new market opportunities" (in other words, KIRFers) through its "Shanzai program," a mix of prototype boards and support packages that it says will help small businesses bring products to market faster. If that means we can get the next great N97 clone running Android in record time, we're all for it. Check out the full Plaszma SDK roadmap in the gallery below. [Thanks, Joe]
Creative Zii EGG orders being processed, will ship by the end of the month
We still don't know what to make of Creative's Zii EGG and "stem cell computing" but it looks like we'll be getting our first answers relatively soon -- pre-order customers are being charged and told units will ship by the end of the month. As an added bonus, Creative is apparently including a free HD-out cable in these early deliveries, but we don't know if these are being pre-loaded with Android or that Plazma OS. Anyone else join the early adopter club? [Thanks, Joe]
Creative patent filing reveals drag and drop interface with "action tabs"
Creative's made itself pretty well acquainted with the FCC as of late, and it looks like it's also been doing its part to keep the old Patent and Trademark Office busy as well, with a recently revealed application showing off some plans for a drag and drop touchscreen interface. That's obviously somewhat of a tricky area to patent, but it seems that Creative's big new idea is something called "action tabs" that could be used for something as simple as tabbed web browsing, but would apparently also be applied to other OS elements as well -- letting you drag something to the clipboard, for instance, or drag a photo to an action item of some sort. Just as interesting as the patent itself, however, is the fact that it's assigned to Creative subsidiary 3DLABS, now known as ZiiLABS, makers of the touchscreen-based Zii EGG. Like we said, interesting.[Via Tech in Hiding]
Creative Zii EGG gutted for expanded FCC report
Now that the cat's out of the bag on Creative's Android-powered Zii EGG, the FCC has gone ahead and released its full report on the touchscreen handheld, after giving us a teaser early last month. Now online are external and internal photos, for the gadget fiend who likes to see products gutted, and a user guide that conspicuously fails to mention its "Android" or "Plaszma" platforms at any point in the guide. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but we've got hope someone can cram a 3G chipset in that array of circuitry. Hop on through the read link to peruse the expanded report for yourself. [Via epiZENter]
Engadget Podcast 157 - 07.31.2009
Another quiet week, podcast fans -- but we were still excited by a few new toys, like the new Creative Zii EGG, the Kodak Zi8, and the Nikon D300s. We also spent some time with the new Sony Walkman X-series, which got us thinking about Sony's fortunes in this brave new world and how the company might need to change -- and speaking of change, both Apple and Palm need to rethink some of their current policies. Oh, and to top it all off, the Wall Street Journal totally whiffed that Apple-at-CES story, and we've got the scoop on how our old friend Ryan Block laid some truth on things. Hm, maybe it wasn't such a quiet week after all. P.S.- Just Josh and Nilay this time, but we promise the whole band's getting back together soon. Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel Producer: Trent Wolbe Song: Bohemian Rhapsody Hear the podcast 00:02:56 - Creative debuts Android-powered Zii EGG for developers and OEMs 00:15:26 - US Sony Walkman X-series unboxing and hands-on 00:29:22 - Kodak's 1080p Zi8 HD pocket camcorder in hand 00:34:45 - Nikon D300s officially announced -- 720p/24 movie mode with autofocus and mic input 00:40:24 - Google Voice iPhone app rejected, current GV apps lose connection with iTunes 00:45:25 - Unofficial Google Voice client for Palm Pre makes the scene 00:51:50 - Editorial: Palm, iTunes, and the ties that don't bind 01:04:35 - WSJ: Apple going to CES 2010. Reality: Nope. Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com. Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Zii EGG prototype gets a hands-on demonstration
Our interest was fairly piqued last week when Creative officially unveiled the Zii Egg handheld which we'd seen earlier at the FCC. Details are still a bit vague in some areas, but we know that the Zii Egg is really aiming at developers for its "Plaszma" platform. The Zii Egg also runs Android, though will not come pre-installed on the device instead coming as a download once the device is shipping. CNET Asia just got a chance to have a sit down with a pre-production model of the handheld, and here's what we're noticing in the video. The hardware, which looks pretty great, doesn't look very heavy or substantial to us -- which is not to say it looks cheap. The 10-point multitouch capacitive touchscreen was not operable at the time of the demonstration, but it sure sounds promising, and there also wasn't any real display of the software or applications as of yet. It looks like Creative will be filling its pre-orders for the Zii Egg in the second half of August, so we don't have too long to wait to see what this thing is all about. Hit the read link for the video.
Video: Creative Zii EGG 3D gaming demo
Now that the gang at Creative have 'fessed up to the Zii EGG first seen at the FCC earlier this month, we imagine we'll be encountering this bad boy quite often over the coming months. If you need your StemCell Computing fix right now, we have a video that showcases the newest developer platform running a racing game in all of its accelerometer-packing, 3D OpenGL ES-enhanced glory. Peep for yourself after the break.[Via EpiZENter, thanks Michael]
Creative debuts Android-powered Zii EGG for developers and OEMs
It's hard to know where to begin with this, but Creative has confirmed that Zii EGG handheld we saw pass through the FCC a few weeks ago, and proceeded to slap every odd marketing term the company has come up with over the past few years on it. The Zii EGG runs the new "Plaszma" platform, which has something to do with "StemCell Computing" and allows developers to simultaneously develop for Plaszma and Android. Since for now the Zii EGG is aimed at developers and OEMs, it runs fairly vanilla Android on top of Creative's ZMS-05 chip. The hardware itself is rather impressive, with front and rear facing cameras, HD playback, 1080p video output, OpenGL ES support, X-Fi audio processing, 32GB of built-in memory and a full SD slot. Other more "run of the mill" features include WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and a 3-axis accelerometer. The 320 x 480 screen sounds strictly ordinary, but on top is some 10-point multitouch capacitive input -- Synaptics' new ClearPad 3000 if we had to guess.The big drawback here is the lack of cellular data, but hopefully somebody can solve that before long. The Zii EGG is a developer platform, after all, but Creative says the platform is "market-ready" for picking up by OEMs for production -- hopefully they aren't far removed from shoehorning a 3G chipset in there somewhere as well. The Zii Plaszma Starter Kit bundled with the Zii EGG can be had for $400. A video demo is after the break.[Via DAP Review]
Creative Zii and Zii EGG touchscreen players with HD cameras served up by FCC
Guess who's back? Creative. Hard to believe, we know, but the company we've all but forgotten looks ready to make a comeback in the portable audio / video game. Creative Labs Zii and Zii EGG just made their first appearance at the FCC. Can't say that we're too enthused by the "EGG" moniker but we're definitely liking the looks of that "HD Camera" module along the backside of these "MP4 players with touchscreens" in addition to the Bluetooth and 802.11b/g WiFi radios. That "developer edition" is also a good sign that Creative is looking to make this a software platform a la the ol' iPod touch only with Creative's Zii system-on-chip architecture secret sauce. In fact, these devices could very well be running Android atop Creative's ZMS-05 chipset as we saw back in February. Welcome back Creative, you've got until September or so before Apple adds a camera to its own iPod touch... best get to work.
