Category Archives: Media Players

Audio, Media Players

Apple Updates The iPod Touch With New Colors and Lower Prices

Apple-iPod-Touch-2014

Apple today updated the iPod Touch lineup with the introduction of new vibrant colors and lower prices, making the perfect everyday music player an even better value. Now, starting at $199 for the 16GB model (instead of $229), the iPod Touch features a 5-megapixel iSight camera on the back, as well as several other colors including yellow, blue, silver, pink, space gray and red, plus the standard already-known specs which notably include a 4-inch Retina display, along with a front-facing camera, iOS 7 and Apple’s A5 processor inside. Finally, the other models (the 32GB and 64GB iPod touch), which were previously priced at $299 and $399, are now respectively priced at $249 and $299. The new models/prices are officially available in the U.S Apple store today and worldwide in the coming days.

[Apple]

 

 

Audio, Media Players

Cowon Announces D20 MP3 Player With 90 Hour Battery Life

cowon-d20-audio-player

Alright, let’s start this off with a little confession: I own a Cowon mp3 player and I think it is simply the best. Far better than anything else I have ever had before (and I do have quite a lot of audio gear, you know). Better amp, better structure, better music handling features. Thing is, that most people I talk to today don’t even use mp3 players anymore – over time mobile phones have slowly taken their place. But for audiophiles, the mp3 player is a must have. Ultimately, that is why the South Korean corp is starting to market the D20, a 2.5-inch (320 x 240) digital audio device with either 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage at your choice, an integrated SD card slot, FM radio, voice recorder, TV output, and resistive touchscreen on top. But what is so special about it, you may ask? Put it simple, the battery part is very well planned, with 13 hours of video playback, and up to 90 hours(!) of music at your fingertips. 90 hours, sheesh. As for pricing? The Cowon D20 will sell for ¥11,800 ($125) and ¥16,800 ($178), respectively. 

[via Akihabara News]

 

Media Players

Apple Introduces New iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle Media Players

At San Francisco California, Apple has just introduced a new line of iPod devices, including a powerful iPod Touch, a redesigned iPod Nano and a new version of the tiny iPod Shuffle.

iPod Touch:

The fifth-gen iPod touch player appears to be one of the most impressive products that has ever hit the market.

This new iteration boasts that same gorgeous4-inch display (326 ppi panel) the new iphone 5 packs, while the structure itself is nothing but amazing. Only 88 grams (3.1 ounces) of heft behind it and it just 6.1mm thin. As far as architecture goes, the new Touch will sport an A5 chip inside, that is guaranteed to give you roughly seven times the graphics performance (compared to Apple’s previous model).

The built-in battery was also upgraded. When fully charged, it seems to last at least 8 hours of video broadcast or 40 hours of music playback.

The rear camera has been bumped up to 5 megapixels, alongside a backside-illuminated sensor and an f/2.4 lens aperture. There’s also support for 1080p video playback / recording, in addition to the new and highly efficient image stabilization factor. The front facing camera of the Touch holds the 720p resolution.

We’ve also learned that the one strange silver button on the back of the Touch was added in order to hook up a safety lanyard onto the body. OK, whatever. Fortunately, there are some positive news for us software aficionados, as the new player said to support Siri personal assistant, out of the box, and claimed to be shipped along with Apple’s latest and greatest iOS 6 platform.

Finally, the iPod Touch will be offered in a variety of colors, including raw aluminum, black, blue, yellow,and red. We’re also told that the rest of the system’s configuration is pretty respectable, with the new ipod Touch models to run you $299 and $399, housing either 32GB and 64GB, respectively.

More about the new lineup after the break.

Update: Looks like Apple’s new iPod touch, shuffle and nano players just went up on Amazon, so you can place your orders right away, with shipping to start in about 2 – 5 weeks.

iPod Shuffle:

A new version of the iPod shuffle was also recently announced. And while most of the the changes to this new iPod flavor are basically minor, we still thought they’re worth a mention. Well, as a matter of fact there is only one major change, and if you haven’t guessed by now, we’re talking about the colors. The new iPod shuffle will come in eight different colors. That three additional hues from the latest line of shuffles.

iPod Nano:

Apple says it wanted to “reinvent” the nano lineup for quite some time now, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. The new iPod nano (seventh-gen if you’re counting), like the Shuffle, will come in seven different colors. But if the colors weren’t enough, Apple was looking to give it a large display, some nice controls, a thin design and that same small 8-pin lightning connector. The results are pretty impressive, to say the least. The new and entirely revamped nano device holds a few physical controls along the chassis, while the 2.5-inch screen, on top of the DAP, is the biggest display the company ever put in a nano, and it’s covered with a multitouch interface. Oh, and there’s a home button, can you believe it? And it’s widescreen too. That’s nice and all, but at the end it’s the inner parts of the product that make it so special, and in this case, there is a bluetooth connection for pairing wireless headsets or cellphones, along with an FM radio tuner and a fitness pedometer. The average battery life is rated at about 30 hours for audio, with the standard capacity to sell for $149 and 16GB of storage.

 

[Apple]

Audio, Media Players

Cowon’s X9 Media Player Now Available Online, Delivers up to 110 hours of Music Playback

Korean audio giant Cowon has just released a new media player, the X9, that will be offered to the public right away, for about $229.99 at most. The 4.3-inch  (480X272) touchscreen PMP which comes either in Black or White colors, supports most popular audio formats such as MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, WAV, XviD, WMV and ASF. In addition it includes a built-in speaker, an FM tuner, a G-sensor, a voice recorder, and a TV-out for easy viewing on your LCD display. The player is equipped with a massive battery that can play up to 110(!) hours of music playback and is said to arrive in either 8GB, 16GB or 32GB of internal flash storage at your choice, alongside a MicroSD slot. So if PMP devices are still your thing, you can checkout Amazon, they’re selling it online through their website, before it gets to the retail stores.

[Cowon]

 

 

Media Players, Music

Sony Launches New Line of Walkman Products

Today, when tablets have become very popular, and mp3 players are considered “meh” it is rare to see a company at such high-profile as Sony announce plans to launch a new range of small media devices, that people barely notice anymore. But that will not deter a company like Sony in pursuing business opportunities, right? Well, as a matter of fact, it has just rolled out a few different types of new music players; among them you’ll find the Walkman F800 and the E470/570 series. And while the F group is more of an upscale, high-end look, the E series is an entry-level set at the top of the line.

So what do really get and for how much? The Walkman F800, Sony’s new flagship player, is said to run Google’s Android 4.0 platform out of the box, along with a 3.5-inch display, WiFi / Bluetooth connectivity, fairly reasonable 4.5 hours of video playback, and storage capacities of 8GB/16GB/32GB at your choice, with a European launch expected in the next coming months, and prices vary, starting at about £210 ($280).

The E series, on the other hand, is expected to be a lot cheaper than the F. The noise-cancelling feature in the Walkman E570 lineup is one of the most noticeable things you’ll find in this upcoming iteration , and it’s expected to pack a 2-inch LCD screen, as well. Another model in that series, the Walkman E470, is likely to sell for around £80 (or $80), in a wide variety of colors and a battery life of up to 36 hours for music playback . The new versions will also have an optional dock that can charge ’em up and increase their volume level.

Lastly, there’s the Walkman S770BT model, for those who like to stream music over their bluetooth wireless speakers.

Full PR after the break.

 

Latest Walkman® MP3 players from Sony with Android™, Bluetooth® and digital noise cancelling

Walkman® F800 Series: Web-enabled with Android™, 8.9cm/3.5″ multi-touch LCD and S-Master MX Digital Amplifier
Walkman® S770BT Series: Wireless listening with bundled Bluetooth® headphones
Walkman® E570 Series: Brilliantly clear sound with digital noise cancelling
Walkman® E470 Series: Vibrant colours and 36 hours battery life1

Walkman NWZ-E470

Experience your perfect summer soundtrack, with the new range of Walkman® MP3 audio and video players from Sony.

Whatever your tastes, you’ll be satisfied by legendary Walkman® sound quality. Clear Audio technologies by Sony assure richly-detailed sound, with deep, powerful bass, crystalline highs and reduced leakage between stereo channels. Walkman® even restores those subtle high frequency details that get lost when you’re listening to heavily-compressed digital music files.

This summer’s line-up of MP3 audio and video players by Sony includes the sleekest, slimmest Walkman® models ever. Just 7mm thin, the new S770BT and E570/470 Series take up little space when they’re slipped into a pocket or bag. With up to 36 hours play time1 from a single charge, there’s plenty of stamina to keep you entertained on long journeys. And if you’re looking for a supreme listening experience, Walkman® F800 Series brings you an exciting world of ultra-detailed hi-fi sound, Wi-Fi connectivity and apps.

All new Walkman® models are compatible with Music Unlimited from Sony Entertainment Network, allowing easy access to the millions of music tracks on offer2. As part of a simple monthly subscription, Music Unlimited lets you transfer your favourite personalised playlists and ad-free radio channels to Walkman®, so you can enjoy a world of music discovery even when offline.

It’s easy to load up your existing media collection, too. Walkman® supports drag-and-drop transfer of music, photos, videos, podcasts and playlists from iTunes (non-DRM content only) or Windows® Explorer.

Walkman® F800 Series
Walkman F series
Treat yourself to an extreme on-the-go entertainment experience. Powered by AndroidTM 4.0 (“Ice Cream Sandwich”), the web-enabled Walkman® F800 Series lets you enjoy a generous range of pre-installed apps, from email to maps and media gallery. Connect wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® and download more from an ever-growing choice on Google PlayTM. Interacting with your media collection, apps and games is a pleasure, thanks to the large, highly-responsive 8.9cm/3.5″ multi-touch screen, plus plenty of processing power for smooth, speedy responses.

You’ll enjoy crisp highs and full, thumping bass powered by S-Master MX Digital Amplifier and five Clear Audio technologies. You can even share your sounds out loud via the built-in xLOUD® speaker system that cuts distortion and unpleasant clipping for clearer listening.

Walkman® S770BT Series
S 770
Supplied with colour-matched in-ear Bluetooth® headphones, Walkman® S770BT Series lets you enjoy your favourite sounds without a tangle of wires. Even when your Walkman® is in a pocket or bag, it’s easy to make fumble-free volume adjustments or skip tracks with handy controls on the headphone cord – while Walkman® stays safely hidden.

At home or on the move, Walkman® S770BT Series can also stream high-quality sound to other Bluetooth® compatible devices3, like speaker docks, home audio systems or your car audio system.

Walkman® E570 Series
Walkman NWZ-E570
Immerse yourself in a world of pure, uninterrupted music when you’re commuting into college or just relaxing at home. Walkman® E570 Series can reduce background sound levels by 98%4, thanks to its unique combination of built-in digital noise cancelling technology, and the high-quality noise cancelling headphones that come supplied.

Walkman® E470 Series

Walkman NWZ-E470

Enjoy a perfect introduction to the world of crisp Walkman® sound and powerful bass with slim, colourful Walkman® E470 Series. It’s packed with fun features like Karaoke mode and synchronised lyrics display to help you get the party started. New to Walkman®, there’s even a choice of entertaining games to enjoy on the bright, detailed 5.1cm/2″ LCD screen while you listen.

Also available, Walkman® E473K includes a portable speaker dock with eye-grabbing new styling that’s great for sharing your sounds out loud, whether you’re indoors or relaxing in the garden with friends. Powered by the MP3 player’s internal battery, the dock delivers punchy sound with rich bass while being small and light enough to carry with you anywhere.

Walkman NWZ-E473K

The new Walkman® range of MP3 audio and video players from Sony is available in Europe from 18th July 2012.

Media Players, Music

Samsung Galaxy Player 70 Plus Announced, Packs Dual-Core Processor Under The Hood

Samsung will be updating its Galaxy players lineup with a new upgraded Galaxy Player 70 Plus, a spec bumped version of the previous generation, commonly known as the Galaxy player. While the South Korean mobile giant doesn’t give any further details on availability, the 5-inch Android PMP device is likely to have a 1GHz dual-core processor on board, along with a reasonable 5-megapixel camera, a range of dedicated apps like Kakao Talk messenger and such,  a 2,500mAh rechargeable battery, and a DMB TV tuner for those in Korea. As for the price, the lowest capacity of 16GB is going to be retailed around 399,000 won (about $355), while the 32GB variant will be available for purchase at 469,000 won ($417). Hit the jump below for the full PR.

[Samsung]

 

Equipped with dual-core ‘plus 70 Galaxy players’ release

◇ 5.0 inch large screen, 1GHz dual-core processors operating environment provides a comfortable applying
◇ education in the area Wi-Fi, messaging, games, etc. using various functions

Samsung Electronics launched in March last year, ‘Galaxy player 70’ smart player that improves the performance of the new ‘Galaxy Player 70 Plus “will be released on the 5th.

‘Galaxy player 70 plus “with a 1GHz dual-core performance, upgrade the AP mount, and you can use two kinds of frequency bands supporting a dual-band Wi-Fi wireless internet access more convenient can.

In addition, students applying 5.0-inch large screen when viewing Internet lectures to clearly see the words on the blackboard, and Megastudy, Gangnam-gu · EBS lectures are also supported a variety of educational services. Gibontapjaedoen ‘diohdik dictionary’ and Samsung apps available for download at off the ‘Smart Edu’ there is an advantage.

Wi-Fi in the region ‘chaeton’, ‘kakaohtok’, etc. You can enjoy messaging services, including the gyro sensor tapjaedwae racing game you can enjoy more fine-grained operation.

In addition to the large 2500mAh battery, 5.0 megapixel camera, terrestrial DMB, external memory slot and the various support functions, 16GB/32B product’s selling price 399,000 won, respectively, is 469,000 won.

Samsung Electronics official said, “enhanced” 70 Plus Galaxy players’ emphasis on learning and messaging services to consumers that 10 is expected to gain popularity, “he said.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Player 70 Plus Backpack giveaway to celebrate the launch, product marketing, will conduct a variety of cheheomdan is a popular idol group Infinite Spiral TV commercials as a model will be unveiled later this month.

Media Players

Cowon’s iAudio 10 Makes Official Debut

Mp3 players are no longer considered as the “cool kids on the block,” though many of us are still quite happily using them. But the reality is that most people don’t, atleast not any more. Still, there are plenty of them out there, and one of the latest machines on ground is Cowon’s iAudio 10, which was recently announced in South Korea, and said to include a 3-inch 240 x 400 display, along with an FM radio, a mic, an integrated TV output and 4GB to 32GB at your choice. Oh! And there’s this cool Color Therapy UI that will make your background look a lot more interesting, but it might take some time before it hits some of the European shelves or lands close enough to U.S national seashores.

Update: Cowon just started shipping the iAudio 10 across the States, with pricing starting at $159.99 for the I10-16WH (the 16GB version) which comes in White, and $199.99 for the ebony I10-32BL model (that’s 32GB of internal storage).

 

[Cowon]

IFA, Media Players, Music

Sony Android Walkman Makes Official Debut at IFA 2011 (Update: Now Official as Sony Walkman Z)

What we’ve got here is a new Sony Walkman Mobile Entertainment device running Android Gingerbread platform on board. Say that again? A new Sony Walkman? Sounds like a post from mid 2009, but apparently it’s truth. The Japanese corp has just announced at IFA 2011 a new 4.3-inch LCD toucscreen device, carrying the good old Walkman brand, and sporting an HDMI output, along with a bluetooth connectivity, a micro USB hub and Sony’s exclusive S-Master MX software suite which is supposed to improved your very favorite music when traveling on-the-go. Regretfully, there’s still no word about price or availability, but you can be sure you’ll hear more about it, in the coming future or so.

Update: Turns out this all new Android Walkman series from Sony is more fascinating than we had expected. According to the company’s official PR announcement, the  4.3-inch WVGA player (dubbed Sony Walkman Z) which runs an Android Gingerbread platform under the hood, is also said to sport a 1GHz Tegra 2 chipset, paired with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity, an HDMI output, 16, 32 or 64GB of storage capacities, red/black or black/blue flavors, and battery that delivers up to 20 hours of audio playback and 5 hours of video. And while price details are still vague at the moment, the Japanese are saying that the new Z PMP will probably go live in Japan on December 10th and not one day before. Wow!

 

[via techcrunch]

Continue reading Sony Android Walkman Makes Official Debut at IFA 2011 (Update: Now Official as Sony Walkman Z) →

Media Players

Microsoft Discontinues Zune

Microsoft is going to kill the Zune player, if a Bloomberg report is to be believed. According to “A person familiar with the decision” the Redmond giant will stop the Zune production entirely, and will put considerable effort into the Zune software that already has a good and seamless integration with the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 platform. And while uncertainty remains regarding Microsoft’s final decision, the stakes unfortunately are extremely high. That being said, we’re definitely likely to see Microsoft keep on selling you their Zune product piece-by-piece until the stock runs out.

 

[Bloomberg]

Audio, Media Players, Operating Systems

Cowon D3 Plenue Is The New Android PMP On The Block

Say hi to the new Cowon D3 Plenue: At first sight, it looks like a basic mobile phone, same size, same shape, same overall appearance. But beneath the 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 AMOLED face lies an Android 2.1 PMP with 32GB of storage, SD card expansion, a built-in accelerometer and a T-DMB tuner. And if it wasn’t already cool enough, it also comes with an HDMI output, WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth 3.0 support. Sadly, we’re still not sure whether it is going to include an Android Market access at this stage – though we’re surely going to see some sort of applications on board – but one thing’s for sure, you can definitely expect to hear more about it in the coming months, weeks or perhaps in early January, at the 2011 CES show. Stay tuned.

Update: Amazon has just now listed a pre-order page for Cowon’s latest and greatest Android D3 Plenue player, priced at $370 and set on an undetermined release date. Is it just us that think this is way too much for a player, at this point?

[Cowon]

Audio, Media Players

Samsung to Officially Announce a 4-inch Galaxy Player at CES 2011

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Rumor has it that Samsung is planning to showcase a new Galaxy Player at CES 2011, early next month. The player, which purportedly boasts a 4-inch Super Clear LCD display with 800 x 480 screen resolution, is said to run a Google android 2.2 platform, together with Samsung’s most efficient TouchWiz layer, right on top. Additionally, it’s also been reported to pack a 1GHz processor, along with a 1200mAh removable battery, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth 3.0, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB storage capacities and a rear 3.2 mexapixels camera plus another one (VGA), conveniently located up front. Software-wise, we’re looking at SoundAlive audio enhancement technology which Samsung has wisely embedded inside along with GPS navigation capabilities, HD video playback and T-DMB support. Unfortunately, there’s still no official announcement about price, full specs and release date from Samsung, but you can be sure we’ll be on-hand to bring you all the details as soon as they come out. The only question that left: Can Apple maintain the iPod’s relevance? The only answer we can come up with is: Only time will tell.

Update: And looks like Samsung’s 3.2-inch Galaxy Player has just made it into the pre-orders section at Amazon UK with a January 7th shipping date, full Android Market access, and two capacity flavors to choose from: 8GB that will run you for £150 (about $235), and 16GB that costs only £30 more (or about $280).

[via Samsung Hub]

Audio, Media Players

Iriver U100, P100, and D2000 Media Players Sprout Out In Korea

It’s nice to know some companies still believe in portable media players, these days. One of them is Korean giant, iRiver that is teasing us with a new line of top-notch media players which come in a series of fancy colors and intriguing rectangular looks. And while details are scarce at the moment, the only thing we can all be sure about is that the new series will offer three different models, U100, P100, and D2000, which are likely to be out sometime at the first quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, while we’re gathering more details, make sure to checkout the video after the break.

Update: You can watch the video here.

[Akihabara News]

Continue reading Iriver U100, P100, and D2000 Media Players Sprout Out In Korea →

Media Players, Music

Cowon To Release a 4.8-inch 3D PMP Device In South Korea

Do you think that wearing 3D Glasses to watch TV is silly? Well, how about ditching the discomfort of wearing over-sized plastic 3D shades but watching the third dimension over a 4.8-inch media player, eh? No, we’re not kidding. Want more proof? make sure to check out Cowon’s latest 3D PMP revelation – the world’s first official device ever to support non-glasses 3D visualizer in portable players. 3D on-the-go, can you believe it? Of course you gonna get an HDMI output with it, and up to 64GB to store your high-def videos, but most importantly (at least for some of you), it has WiFi within, and its battery can deliver up to 10 hours of continuous video playback. Sweet!  Interested? You may want to start saving the pennies for this high-end number; we’re adamant it won’t be cheap. In fact, it’s gonna cost you (when it gets out in south Korea on December 10th) KRW499,000 (around $430) for the 32GB flavor or KRW589,000 (around $510) for the 64GB version.

[Cowon]

Media Players

Creative’s Android-powered Zen Touch 2 PMP Officially Out

What do you think the new trend in media players? For those of you who answered “Android OS“…you were right. First it was Archos who wisely added Google’s burgeoning platform into its latest PMP series, and now it’s Creative’s turn to do exactly the same. The new model on stake is the Android 2.1-based Zen Touch 2 player which packs a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen on top along with WiFi, Bluetooth, an accelerometer module and inbuilt speaker under the lid. In addition, there’s also a 2 megapixels camera, an FM radio, GPS, digital compass, and microSD slot. Storage wise, you get to choose between 8GB and 16GB capacities while the smallest one runs for £149.99 and the bigger edition is priced only £10 more. Let’s go Android! let’s go.

[Creative]

Media Players, Mobile, Operating Systems, tablets

Greenpois0n iOS 4.1 Jailbreak For Windows Users Released

It looks like jailbreaking season has finally started folks, with Apple’s iOS 4.1 most anticipated hack tool, “Greenpois0n”, officially been announced and released to the pond. And while still available just for Microsoft Windows users at the moment (Macs should wait or use VMware/VirtualBox apps to install), this latest update, courtesy of Chronic Dev Team labs, will shine only with Cupertino’s iPhone 4 / 3GS, iPod touch (3rd / 4th generations), and iPad 1st gen devices, already preloaded with iOS 4.1 firmware which turns to be vulnerable to George “geohot” Hotz recent limera1in USB boot ROM jailbreak exploit, that Steve Jobs is likely to block. On his next firmware roll out, that is, of course.

Update: Well…it didn’t take long for both Geohot and the guys at Chronic Dev Team to introduce their own proprietary Mac format into the market (limera1n and greenpois0n), each with varying degrees of advantages and disadvantages of its own. As always, proceed with caution and back up your stuff first, you just never know where troubles might come from.

[Chronic Dev Team]

Media Players

Cowon’s 4.3-inch X7 PMP is Now Out in Korea (Update: Also in Europe)

While some folks strangely cling to the belief that PMPs have gone obsolete, others hold on to the idea there is still a lot of untapped potential with this specific department. Well, mainly strong names like Cowon, that has recently launched a brand new player of its own. And it’s been pre-named for your convenience as Cowon X7, so if you’re planning on getting one, mind you it’d cost 339,000 KRW in local currency or about $304 in US silver coins. The 4.3-inch player which was designed explicitly to consume audio and video content will pack 160GB of storage and is allegedly capable of playing up to 10 hours of video playback or 103(!) hours when switched to audio mode. Besides that it will also include a Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, and is said to deliver a very wide range of codecs support. Availability wise, the South Korean users will probably be able to get one immediately, but Western fanboys will likely have to wait just a little bit more.

Update: While still unavailable Stateside, the new 4.3-inch Cowon X7 player has apparently begun to show up in some European countries. With a built-in bluetooth connectivity on board but NO WiFi at all (shame), the 480 x 272 screen resolution PMP will run you in France for €299 (120GB) or €329 (160GB). Wanna see more? Check out Le Journal du Geek hands-on cover before you buy your own.

[via Akihabara News]

Media Players, tablets

Archos 32 Android Internet Tablet Officially Breaks Cover

2 Comments

So Archos has a new “internet tablets” lineup, and the first model to roll out in the coming days will be the 3.2-inch Archos 32 – a mini tablet and a media player hybrid which runs for $149.99 and offers a 400 x 240 touchscreen display (resistive) that packs underneath an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, along with 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, G-sensor, and Android 2.2 for the OS. Formats support is apparently pretty impressive and battery is claimed to deliver up to 24 hours of audio and 6, in case you’re just interested in watching videos. stay tuned for more updates from Archos.

[Archos]

Media Players, Music

Samsung’s Android Galaxy Player 50 Unveiled

Everywhere I turn it seems I hear about Samsung’s portable media devices, these days. And now that the South Korean electronic giant has officially launched its most hyped 7-inch Android Galaxy Tab at the IFA show in Berlin, there are numerous other cool products in Samsung’s Galaxy lineup one could definitely see them coming. One such example is the new Android-powered Galaxy Player 50 that Sammy has just announced – which looks pretty much like a mobile smartphone at first glance – But it’s not. As a matter of fact, this small whitish bad boy is actually a 3.2-inch WQVGA LCD player, which boasts an Android 2.1 OS, 8GB or 16GB of storage, a microSD slot expansion (up to 32GB), a 2 megapixel camera, 802.11n WiFi connectivity, and the ice on the cake – multitouch screen support. Regretfully, at this point there are no pricing or availability details to share with the world, but the full PR is just around the corner, so hit the break and read the note.

[via Android Center]

Continue reading Samsung’s Android Galaxy Player 50 Unveiled →

Media Players, Music

New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display

One of the most interesting products that Apple has just rolled out at the Music event yesterday morning is the new iPod nano device which the company has completely revamped and transformed it into a nice squarish touchscreen player. Yes, the 6th generation iPod nano is actually equipped with a neat multi-touch user interface, while the body itself is now 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter than previous models. In addition to that, the Cupertino guys have also added couple of hard volume buttons on top and a tiny clip on the back (no more armbands needed). And despite the fact that Apple has officially ditched cool features like the integrated camera or video playback support, It would be still reasonable to shell out $149 for 8 gigs or $179  for double the storage in order to get yourself one, especially now when the new nanos boast a 24 hours battery pack, along with a pedometer, FM radio tuner and even Nike+ support. Full PR and a quick hands-on video (courtesy of Engadget) after the break.

Continue reading New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display →

Audio, Media Players, Music

New iPod Touch Players Get iPhone 4 Features Without The Phone

Apple has just updated its iPod Touch PMPs lineup with a new slick model which apparently includes iPhone 4 stunning Retina Display screen, together with a 3-axis gyroscope and that strong Apple A4 chip that will easily support all those brand new features inside such as the great Game Center and the Face-time capabilities which can now be used on iPod Touch players thanks to the latest rear and front-facing camera additions. Cupertino will start taking your pre-orders today as prices start at $229 for 8GB and climbs to $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB. Full PR after the break.

Update1: We’ve just added a quick hands on video, courtesy of Engadget, so check it out after the jump.

Update2: And looks like the iFixit team has done it again and managed to nab one of Apple’s latest and greatest 2010 Apple iPod Touch player in order to tear it apart and eventually expose its inner parts to the world. First results indicate that the new 640 x 960 LCD touchscreen is actually fused to the external glass, while the area between the front end and the battery is protected by an 11-gram EMI shield. Other than that, you’ll find a 3.44Whr Li-Pol cell, firmly soldered to the board, but the headphone jack isn’t. There’s plenty more info at the iFixit website and one image that says it all right after the break.

Continue reading New iPod Touch Players Get iPhone 4 Features Without The Phone →

Media Players, Mobile, Operating Systems, tablets

Apple iOS 4.1 For iPhone / iPod Touch and iOS 4.2 For iPad Announced (Update: Now Available)

2 Comments

Apple’s just announced iOS 4.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch devices, coming up free of charge via iTunes sometimes next week. According to Steve Jobs, the new update is going to fix a few bugs (including Bluetooth, proximity sensor and some iPhone 3G issues) along with some pretty neat add-ons such as High Dynamic Range photos, HD video uploads over WiFi, TV show rentals and the most anticipated Game Center which proved to be very impressive and will match you up with other players on the net.

Next on Apple’s future plans is the iOS 4.2 version, which was specifically designed for iPad devices and is supposed to bring in the entire iOS 4.1 features along with additional dedicated capabilities including the AirPlay feature which lets you stream music and video content over WiFi, or the wireless printing option that enables to remotely manage your entire print jobs. This new iPad iOS edition is claimed to go live somewhere around November.

Update: iOS 4.1 is officially live n kickin’ through your iTunes. That’s of course in case you own one of the following devices: iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 2nd gen, iPod touch 3rd gen, or iPod touch 4th gen.

Media Players, News, tablets

Archos To Officially Release a New Android 2.2 Tablets Lineup

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We’ve already seen a bunch of Archos Internet tablets based on Android 1.6 landscape, in the past. Thankfully, the next wave, which will happen this year, will focus on Google’s upcoming Android 2.2 platform (Froyo), as the upper level models will also include multitouch capacitive touchscreens inside. We’ll see a mix of 5 different Android versions getting unleashed – some are more of media player devices and some will likely go live as tablet machines.

Archos 28 ($99.99) – A budget version. Comes with a 2.8-inch, 320 x 240 resistive touchscreen which packs underneath 4GB of storage along with a pretty impressive 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and a wide range of audio / video codecs support. It also boasts an Android Froyo operating system and a new Archos music app that will display your album art in the most convenient way. Regretfully it won’t have Market Apps access nor Google apps preloaded, but fret not, you won’t be left with nothing inside. Get yours, starting this September.

Archos 32 ($149.99) – Another basic PMP version. This one, however, comes equipped with a 3.2-inch touchscreen display, boasting 8GB of storage and a rear 720p camera to catch your very precious moments. In addition, if you want this one you can get it somewhere around mid-September with a slew of touch buttons down the lane and a composite port for TV connection.

Archos 43 ($199) – Up next in this new lineup is the Archos 43 which looks like a new Archos 5 version with a much slimmer design and a more powerful 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor. In addition to the 4.3-inch touchscreen you’ll also get (somewhere around mid-October) that rear 720p camera, along the Android Froyo platform and an integrated screen accelerometer.

Archos 70 ($274.99) – A 7-inch Android Froyo tablet that is supposed to go live somewhere around mid October and replace the previous Archos 7 flavor, yet again with an Android 2.2 OS running inside and a slick capacitive multitouch display placed on the top. This one has a mid-October availability dates as well.

Archos 101 ($300) – The most interesting member in that gang, probably because of the 9.7-inch Apple iPad analogy. Comes fully equipped with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, along a slim .5-inch thick chassis and only .93-pound of weight. It houses that same strong 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and runs Google’s latest Android 2.2 platform onboard. In addition you get a front facing VGA camera for video conference chats and in term of ports it is said to include an HDMI output, a microSD reader and one single USB host. It’s going live somewhere around mid-October as well, but at the meantime you can checkout the full PR, specs chart,and  Engadget’s Johanna Stern quick hands-on video right after the break.

[via Engadget]

Continue reading Archos To Officially Release a New Android 2.2 Tablets Lineup →

Audio, Media Players, Operating Systems

Philips’ GoGear Connect PMP Goes Live In Europe With Android 2.1 Platform Already Preloaded Onboard

Android media player – that apparently looks like the latest greatest trend among audio-video gadgets across the pond, and the new joiner within that sphere is Philips and its most awesome GoGear Connect PMP. The slick silver device which you can find listed in online retailer store Argos, priced at €264.99 (about $340), boasts a 3.2-inch 480 x 320 display, running Android 2.1 platform and tucked with 16GB of flash storage, an integrated GPS navigation system, an FM tuner, a microSD, a 3.5mm headphone jack and battery pack delivering up to 25 hours of audio playback and 5 hours of continuous video work. It should already be available throughout the European continent while US release is yet to be determined.

Update: Philips just went official with its brand new 3.2-inch GoGear Connect PMP which apparently supports a very wide range of audio and video formats, including mp3, wma, .m4a (AAC), ogg, and flac audio; wmv, mp4, H264, and avi video; or JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF images. It is also said to have a built in camera inside, paired with microSD slot, android 2.1 for the OS and an integrated GPS platform to navigate your way on the go. Worldwide release (including the US) is scheduled for October of this year, with prices at €249 (about $315) for the 16GB flavor.

[Argos via Engadget]

Media Players, Operating Systems

Samsung’s YP-MB2 Android PMP Pops Up In The Wild

Hey! What’s this…A new Samsung PMP running Android OS inside? Though not official yet, it still looks and feels like the real thing for us, and judging from the rumors, it’ll probably make an official debut soon – South Korean style. For a nondisclosure price you would get yourself a 4-inch Super AMOLED display, paired with 1GHz processor, WiFi, Bluetooth, 3mp camera and last but not least – Google’s Android OS platform swiftly running inside. The name is YP-MB2, in case you wondered, and y’all should stay tuned  for more juicy details to come.

[via Samsung Hub]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Sony NWZ-E350 Walkman Lineup Announced

Do they still create mp3 players these days? Apparently yes. Take a look at Sony for example. The company has recently announced a new E350 Walkman lineup, and reportedly plans to sell it around the globe either on Red, Blue or Black flavors at your choice, priced at merely $70 for the 4GB model or double the size for only 10 bucks more. Battery wise, you get to play up to 50 hours of music playback with this gadget, or up to ten hours, in case you prefer the video mode. Full PR is just after the break while the official release is due to September.

Continue reading Sony NWZ-E350 Walkman Lineup Announced →

Media Players, Music, Video

Cowon’s New V5W PMP Gets a WiFi Connectivity Upgrade

Korean audio giant Cowon has just relaunched its good ‘ol V5 media player, this time in the form of a V5W PMP. And while most specs remain the same – a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, running Windows CE 6.0 with one HDMI output, one USB 2.0 slot and 16/32/64GB storage capacities at your choice –  that little “W” letter tabbed to the name, apparently represents the new WiFi connection capabilities the company has added to its frame. Regretfully, both price and availability are yet to be determined at this stage, but just to give you a sense of direction, you guys should be ready to spend somewhere around 250 bucks if you want the V5W so bad.

[Cowon]

Media Players, Mobile, News, Phones, Video

iPhone 4 Officially Announced, Due Out June 24th For $199 With 3.5-Inch Retina Display, FaceTime Video Chat And OS4

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Apple has just introduced its brand new iPhone 4 at the WWDC 2010 event in San Francisco, CA, with CEO Steve Jobs telling the open-eared crowd “Now, stop me if you’ve already seen this” and adding “This is one of the most beautiful designs you’ve ever seen.” But we’ve already seen it before, due to recent unpleasant leaks, and all that left is for Cupertino to finally make things official.

Basically, the new iPhone 4 is firmly constructed from a stainless steel band, used for structural support and works as dual-antenna, while both front and back are coated with real glass cover. The screen is sized at 3.5-inch, with 960 x 640 points of high resolution (x4 more) and 1:800 contrast ratio – Apple calls it “Retina Display” for its super-sharp display, boasting 326 pixels per inch. The good news is that Apple has apparently added that strong A4 processor it first planted inside the iPad, into the new iPhone. Despite its 9.3mm thick, Apple has somehow managed to stuff up the iPhone 4 with a pretty impressive battery which can literally deliver 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music, and up to 300 hours of standby – did we say impressive already? Connectivity wise, you get a 802.11n WiFi, paired with Bluetooth and equipped with GPS capabilities.

Beyond that, one of the things that is talked about a great deal  is the FaceTime video calls feature that Apple has finally tossed into the four-gen iPhone, with future plans to make it an open industry standard. In general, there are two different cameras onboard – the rear one, is at 5 megapixel with a backside illuminated sensor, x5 digital zoom, and a LED flash, featuring 720p HD video recording at 30FPS (Portrait or landscape), while the second is a front facing camera that lets you conduct smooth video calls through your iPhone – the suspense – it can only be made over wifi networks at the moment. At that note we should mention Apple’s new iMovie app that gives any iPhone user the opportunity to edit his/her video content without the need to leave your mobile device in favor of your desktop platform. iMovie is said to be available at the App Store right away for a small $4.99 price tag.

As expected, the new phone is going to run on Apple’s latest OS4 (AKA: iPhone OS 4) that includes all the good stuff we’ve already written about, such as folders, multi-tasking, iBook, iAds and more.

Other than that, the iPhone 4 also houses a microSD slot and a a three-axis gyroscope.

The new iPhone will be available in June 24th, both in white and black flavors, running for $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB), with Pre-orders start a week from tomorrow in 5 countries: US, France, Germany, UK, Japan, and 18 more following in July. The 3GS, on the other hand, will now be $99 only. PR and videos after the break.

[Apple]

Continue reading iPhone 4 Officially Announced, Due Out June 24th For $199 With 3.5-Inch Retina Display, FaceTime Video Chat And OS4 →

Audio, Media Players, Music, Operating Systems, Video

Viliv’s Prime P3 Media Player To Run Google’s Android 2.1 Inside

With the growing prosperity of netbook devices from one side, and rapid increase in tablet consuming from the other, one should be questioning himself/herself  if there’s enough room for any type of media player to fit today’s market. Korean company Viliv, still thinks positively regarding this matter, and rolls out its latest Prime P3 PMP, which packs a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen on top, and dual booting platform, running both Android 2.1 and Windows CE 6.0 for the OS. The new player also packs up to 32GB of internal storage, while CPU wise you get the 800 MHz ARM Cortex flavor, capable handling your entire 720p content, stutter free. Other than that, for a non-disclosure price or availability, you get a built-in accelerometer, paired with WiFi connectivity, TV out and microSD slot expansion – all offered in variant of colors to choose from. a quick video demo is right after the break.

[Viliv via I4U News]

Continue reading Viliv’s Prime P3 Media Player To Run Google’s Android 2.1 Inside →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Another iPod Touch Prototype With 2 Megapixel Camera Shows Up In The Wild

We already know that future iPod Touch devices, powered by a two-megapixel camera, are planned to come out later this summer – that’s not a secret anymore – a few of them, marked as “design verification test” versions have previously appeared on eBay auctions, one month before. But given the fact those random prototype photos were too misty and blurry to convince, a concrete evidence, the kind that would eventually make us believe this rumor is real rather than a hoax, was desperately needed. Luckily, the good Vietnamese guys from Tinhte (same guys that got exclusive footage of Apple’s iPhone 4G), somehow miraculously managed to get their hands on Cupertino’s presumable third-gen player,  and were kind enough to fill us in with some of the details, suggesting it would pack up to 64GB of flash storage, paired with that rear 2mp camera, placed right next to an illuminated sensor backside. Regretfully we are unable to officially confirm any of these images at this stage, however, you gotta admit – they look real, especially in that tangible video, right after the break.

[via Tinhte]

Continue reading Another iPod Touch Prototype With 2 Megapixel Camera Shows Up In The Wild →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Archos Vision 3 Gets a VGA Camera, Due Out Later This Summer

We’ve already seen a glimpse of the Archos vision 3, when first announced by the French corp, couple months ago. Back then, we have hold the very basic information about internal parts and specs, but now, six months later we know a handful of details about this “under $100” media player that should be out somewhere this late summer boasting an integrated 640×480 VGA camera inside, tucked with a 3-inch resistive touchscreen display and 8GB of internal flash drive. The new name it was given is Vision A30VC, and the new camera it packs allows both taking stills photos, and recording reasonable video footage in a matter of seconds. Other than that, it’s just a nice usual audio device with well known ingredients such as micro SDHC card slot, FM radio tuner, a 14 hours of battery workout, and a built-in voice recorder – the price, however, is very attractive, considering what you get. One more image after the break.

[Archos]

Continue reading Archos Vision 3 Gets a VGA Camera, Due Out Later This Summer →

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Apple iPod Touch Prototype Surface On eBay With a Rear Camera

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It’s been a while since we’ve last heard anything new from good ol’ iPod Touch player, but if we are willing to take these two eBay photos (recently popped in the wild for a second) seriously, then Apple’s future alleged audio lineup  – expected to be announced this summer –  is likely to include rear facing cameras – about time, isn’t it? Apparently, there seem to be two different versions of Cupertino’s next-gen players, both marked with this “DVT” caption which presumably stands for “design verification test”, an Apple production milestone.  And while both devices are said to house 32GB of storage each, the “DVT-1” model hints for that back top camera, at the time where that “DVT-2” boasts an “Apple Development Team” label, stamped behind. Other than that, they both wear that same chrome-case cover we’ve already seen on previous generations, only this time adorned with that shiny rounded camera, that somehow keeps resurfacing on Apple’s leaked images time and time again – which might indicate the authenticity of the data contained in it, but we’re just speculating here. Another image after the break.

[via 9to5Mac]

Continue reading Apple iPod Touch Prototype Surface On eBay With a Rear Camera →

Applications, Audio, Games, Media Players

Zune HD Now Has Doom

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It was just a matter of time before someone would eventually come up with a crazy first-impression shooting game for Zune HD players, and make it live for everyone to snag – especially now, when Microsoft’s iPod killer has been officially hacked and the OpenZDK toolkit that grants access to game developments, has finally become available. Now frankly, what good is a portable gaming console without the option to play Doom with it? The answer to this cardinal question is literally similar to a well known campaign slogan – Yes We Can! At least that’s what ZuneBoards forum member, Netrix, says and you can get the impression yourself in his video, right after the break. You see, It’s very simple to execute, as long as you run those Doom WAD gaming files through the app itself.

[via ZuneBoards]

Continue reading Zune HD Now Has Doom →

Media Players, Mobile, News, Phones

Apple’s Next Real iPhone 4G Images Revealed

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It was just a matter of time before someone would act on the unthinkable and nab Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone prototype, few months before its time. And the one missing piece, reported by Apple to be lost (or stolen), has found its way to Gizmodo that took photos from every possible direction, examined and even shot some videos – and if they were to be real (and we have no way to verify them at this stage), they sure look amazing. On the positive side, the new phone does show up in iTunes, Xcode, and System Profiler, not to mention the original Apple components found inside. Regretfully, it wasn’t possible to activate the device itself and get impressions of how the pre-loaded OS4 actually works – someone remotely destroyed it before Gizmodo guys first started tackling with it. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of detail to suggest this device is the real deal and not just a hoax.

For the time being we’d settle with the exterior, which unveils a thinner device version compared to the iPhone 3GS, but at the same time 3 grams heavier, thanks to a 5.25 WHr at 3.7V battery which is 16 percent larger than the one you’ll find inside the predecessor. Other than that, the 4G prototype (AKA: iPhone HD) boasts a front-facing camera and a bigger back camera tucked with a flash kit, while screen size remains unknown at this point but said to deliver higher resolution – about 960×640 if you really must know (3GS’s stands at 320 x 480 only). Besides that it packs a second mic for noise cancellation, dual volume buttons to the left and a Micro-SIM slot, similar to the one included in the iPad, placed to the right side of the box. Next, we have the flat back surface that appears to boast either glass or ceramic coat (instead of the 3GS’s rounded plastic cap) and a lavish Aluminum stripe surrounding the elegant squarish edges of Apple’s new phone. Storage capacity is yet to be determined, as etched caption indicates “XX” at the back of this premature model. Hit the break to check Giz hands-on video or go through the link for plenty more additional shots. You can also check out the list of 29 things we personally think that Apple should add to its coming four-gen iPhone.

Update1: Apparently it’s the real deal and the prototype has been confirmed to be original Apple device, lost by one of its talented iPhone Baseband software engineers, 27 years old Gray Powell, who lost the phone on the night of March 18, at Gourmet Haus Staudt, a nice German beer garden in Redwood City, California. The person who found the desirable gadget handed it over to another person and weeks later Gizmodo acquired it for an undisclosed price (rumors say that Gawker, the mother company of the tech blog paid either $10,000 or $5,000 plus percentage from revenues).

Update2: Apple’s legal department has filed a claim to receive the lost iPhone 4G , and Gizmodo guys now say they’ve handed it over, back to the place it really belongs.  End of chapter 1.

[via Gizmodo]

Continue reading Apple’s Next Real iPhone 4G Images Revealed →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Onda VX560 Touchscreen PMP Introduced, Bares Noble Aspirations To Be a Tablet

It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from Onda, but it seems like the Chinese brand has now managed to return to business, this time on a new shape and form embodied in a 7-inch slate/PMP device, known as the VX560, and might (just might) remind you of quite another tablet machine on another world entirely. But it’s not. In fact, it’s just a natural evolution of the product, that now boasts a 800 x 480 touchscreen display, stuffed with an ebook reader (supporting PDF, PDB, and CHM files), and outputs 1080p videos via HDMI, along some other common formats such as H.264-MKV, AVI, MOV, MPG, and FLV. Still no word about price or availability for our Western audience across the globe, but looks like Eastern chaps will get their chance to add one to the cart in the not too distant future.

[viaIMP3]

Audio, Media Players

Sony’s Waterproof NWZ-W250 Walkman Series Announced

Here’s where your brand new tablet won’t be helpful – under the water. Which might explain why Sony has recently launched a new water resistant Walkman series, the NWZ-250, which offers either 2GB or 4GB of internal capacities at your choice, along  four kinds of flavors, including silver, black, lime green, and magenta, with battery that can handle up to 11 hours of  audio playback and minuscule weight of 43 grams only. Count 60 bucks for this little fellow when picking it up, later this month. Full PR after the break.

[Via SonyInsider]

Continue reading Sony’s Waterproof NWZ-W250 Walkman Series Announced →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Creative To Release ZEN X-Fi Style and ZEN Style Portable Media Players

It seems as we have almost forgotten about this PMPs phenomena, in light of recent excessive talks about sleeky slates and quirky tablets. Even though, Singaporean company, Creative has vowed to convince us they’re still here – live and kickin’. In fact, the company has just announced its new ZEN X-Fi Style and ZEN Style lineup, in a desperate effort to win our hearts again. The first of the two, ZEN X-Fi Style, boasts a 2.4-inch non-touchscreen display, with your choice of  8GB/16GB/32GB capacities, FM radio, built-in speaker, microphone, TV out, RSS reader and X-Fi sound enhancement support – with prices range from $80 to $170 at most. The second, ZEN Style 100 and 300 models, both to endorse a 1.8-inch display and 4GB, 8GB or 16GB capacities to choose from, with the 300 version to include an FM tuner as well as a built-in speaker on top – starting at $50 and up to $80, respectively, with shipping to take place from April 14 and on.

[Creative]

Applications, Audio, Media Players

Zune HD Firmware v4.5 Goes Live

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Well folks, looks like Redmond has just released the latest Zune HD firmware update v4.5 to the pond, which adds some cool features to your portable Microsoft multimedia players, including Smart DJ mix that will let you do exactly what Apple’s iTunes Genius does, personalized recommendations, TV Marketplace support, and more video codec support such as Xvid files and MPEG-4 part 2 format. Like always, plug your Zune HD player to the Zune PC software and get this latest update right away.

Update: Apparently, the Zune HD (and probably previous Zune players as well) just got hacked – for real! So now, you literally have access to Microsoft’s XNA game development platform, which means you can practically load inside everything you’ve ever dreamed about, including games, apps, fun emulators to play with and more. But that’s not all, because according to Zuneboards a group of hackers has just released what they call the OpenZDK toolkit that allegedly, lets you develop lots of stuff for the Zune through their software. In other words, get ready for a whole new range of games and apps withing this exciting sphere.

Audio, Media Players

Coby’s MP570 Looks Like a Mouse, Serves As an MP3 player

Alright, enough with all those tablet verbiage for the next…5 minutes. Media players, remember? Coby, remember? Well here’s a new and stylish mp3 player, courtesy of the US company, which carries the most forgettable name – Coby MP570. With no price or availability dates, at this point, this Red flavored audio gem is claimed to carry only 2GB of flash storage, without any slot extension attached, but a basic range of codecs support including MP3 and WMA formats that will run for up to five hours of audio playback at a very uncertain quality. At least we like the color, and that’s probably a lot these days, isn’t it?

[Coby]

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Zune HD 64 Sprouts Out In The Wild (Update: Confirmed)

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Well, look what do we have here, a 64GB Zune HD player, sneaking out on Microsoft’s Zune official website just like that, out of the blue, boasting twice the size of an ordinary 32 gigs version and maybe with some other interesting treats hidden under the lid. Regretfully, it’d be hard to tell right now since most details are slim or missing. So meanwhile, ’till it gets tangible, you can hit the bottom link  and hope for juicy info like price and availability to show up as soon as possible.

Update1: The new 64GB Zune HD is now confirmed and due out on April 12th for $349.99 and myriad of colors including Platinum, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Purple and Magenta, while both 16GB and 32GB versions to get a price reduction, that will set prices at $199.99 and $269.99, respectively. Press release after the break.

Update2: Apparently, it’s now available for your orders, at $349.99, as predicted, but won’t include the v4.5 firmware update preloaded, so you’ll have to upgrade on your own.

[Zune]

Continue reading Zune HD 64 Sprouts Out In The Wild (Update: Confirmed) →

Media Players, Mobile, News, Phones, software

Untethered Jailbreak For iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch and iPad Devices Is Possible

Word on the street is that Geohot, the guy that makes Apple challenges look like kids game, has finally managed to jailbreak Cupertino’s latest iPhone and iPod Touch versions. In other words, new machines such as iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 2G/3G and even iPad slates, are now said to be available for a jailbreaked, based on a software hack he’s about to release, and without the need of tethering. In his blog, Geohot says:

“The jailbreak is all software based, and is as simple to use as blackra1n. It is completely untethered, works on all current tethered models(ipt2, 3gs, ipt3), and will probably work on iPad too.”

And considering his record, it would be hard not to believe. See the video for yourselves, after the break

[Geohot]

Continue reading Untethered Jailbreak For iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch and iPad Devices Is Possible →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Cowon J3 PMP Breaks Cover Officially

Given the fact it has a long stretched body design and a brushed metal cover, one may think that Cowon has jumped on the mobile bandwagon and released a new nifty smartphone to the already crowded pond – but it hasn’t – as you can learn from the company’s official announcement that recently released. So what exactly is that craft you ask? A new PMP device (yes, they still create this things nowadays) which carries the name J3, and packs a 3.3-inch 480 x 272 AMOLED touchscreen, along a built-in accelerometer, integrated Bluetooth, a TV output, and 4, 8, or 16GB of storage capacities at your choice. At this point, both price and availability are yet to be determined, although some tech junkies would swear in god that this bad boy player will presumably go out live in no time period.

Update1: Prices in South Korea are likely to range between 189,000 and 359,000 Won or somewhere around $165 to $315 in US currency. Still no tangible indication for a western debut schedule. stay tuned.

Update2: Apparently, US consumers can now order themselves a Cowon J3 PMP device for $199.99 (8GB) or $239.99 (16GB). It comes with a 3.3-inch capacitive touchscreen panel, you know. Not to mention the integrated accelerometer, microSD expansion, Bluetooth, TV output and other goodies to make you want it, except one – there’s no WiFi, and for $199 an iPod Touch will do the work just fine.

Update3: Now, also available in a 32GB version, which will run you in Japan for ¥29,800 (about $325), either in black or white flavors.

Update4: We’ve added a quick preview video after the break, courtesy of Generationmp3.

[via Movie Player]

Continue reading Cowon J3 PMP Breaks Cover Officially →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Archos’ Run Of The Mill Vision A43VB PMP Introduced

This is kind of surprising, because Archos, a well known French manufacturer who build top-notch media players as well as tablets and MIDs, has taken a Chinese player (probably a RAmos T8) with what appears to be a very basic and unresponsive 4.3-inch touchscreen display and re-branded it to this Vision A43VB, which boasts 8GB of storage capacity along a microSD expansion slot and a cheap plastic frame. The UI itself is very basic, and not the most co-operative you’d get, while battery on the other hand is quiet reasonable with 30 hours of audio playback. And still with no official release date, make sure you have spare change to get yourself this one, in fact it’s about €99 ($135) to be accurate. Hands-on video, courtesy of Charbax, after the break.

[via PlayerBites]

Continue reading Archos’ Run Of The Mill Vision A43VB PMP Introduced →

Audio, CeBit, Computers, Media Players

Archos 7 Home Tablet Introduced, Running Android Platform and ARM 9 CPU Onboard

1 Comment

We’ve already seen a glimpse from Archos’ 7-inch Android-powered tablet one month ago, but now things turn to be official at CeBIT 2010, with the French debuting their 600MHz ARM 9 Home Tablet machine, aiming the low cost market with attractive and very affordable prices – €149 in Europe and only $179 Stateside. And despite that unconvincing HD friendly resistive touchscreen, we can find a lot of reason for you to buy it. First and foremost, it’s cheap, second, it comes with WiFi so you can easily surf the net without the need for other device, third, it looks great at 12mm thin and weighs only 350g and fourth, it has 2GB of storage capacity inside and a microSD card extension slot. No, it doesn’t include an integrated accelerometer inside so you won;t be able to see your photos in landscape mode or read your favorite eBook vertically, but still, for that pricing level it sure worth a try, especially when it comes to the battery that delivers seven hours of video or 44 hours of audio playback. Checkout the hands-on video right after the break.

Update1: And just when things are getting busy within the tablet realm, the Android-powered Archos 7 8GB tablet device appears online in couple of places, available for a pre-order (and as an iPad alternative) for merely €200 ($270) on the German Amazon or at €180 ($240) on Redcoon’s website.

Update2: Looks like the Archos 7 Home Tablet is now finally available to order on Amazon for $199.99, with an official release date – yet to be determined (probably towards the end of April).

Update3: Unfortunately, the Archos 7 won’t be available in the market until early June of this year. That said, according to the French corp, those who pre-ordered the 7-inch, Android 1.6 tablet may get their piece of craft somewhere towards the end of May. Full PR after the break.

[via UMPC Portal]

Continue reading Archos 7 Home Tablet Introduced, Running Android Platform and ARM 9 CPU Onboard →

CeBit, Computers, Media Players

Mio Moov V780 MID Breaks Cover Ahead Of CeBIT

Top-notch navigating systems with 3D maps and live traffic reports are probably some of the things that come to your minds when hearing the name Mio. And while GPS systems have turned to be part of our day-to-day usage, one can argue it would just be enough to satisfy today’s self indulgent clients. I mean, lets be series for a moment, don’t you want the all-in-one package instead of carrying so many gadgets around? Well, someone in MIO has already figured that out, otherwise we’d probably seen yet another nav box hitting our headlines, no? And getting into details, we speak about the company’s latest Moov V780 MID – Entertaining machine that has recently popped out with a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen and should officially see first lights at CeBIT 2010. It has a strong 600MHz processor tucked with an HDMI output, DVB-T digital TV support, a built-in WiFi and optional WiMAX connection. Furthermore, it’s claimed to include the new Mio Spirit navigation software, but OS wise, you won’t be seeing anything but Windows CE running inside, not to mention an Android 2.0. Price and availability are still to be unveiled, hopefully this coming week, at the Hannover show.

Update: The good guys at jkkmobile have managed to put their hands on MIO’s new V780 MID while at CeBIT, and we’re lucky to have their video up and ready to be watched, right after the break. As you can see, the V780 will presumably offer an optional cradle where users will be able to place the V780 in and do their stuff with a real QUERTY keyboard attached – something we have seen in Lenovo’s U1 Hybrid machine, remember?

[Mio]

Continue reading Mio Moov V780 MID Breaks Cover Ahead Of CeBIT →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Philips’ GoGear Muse PMP Sprouts Out With Touchscreen and HDMI Output

It looks like the good guys at Philips have finally decided to invigorate their relatively known GoGear lineup with contemporary specs and a chic design. For this matter, the company has just rolled out the Muse, a 3.2-inch touchscreen PMP which boasts either 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB sizes at your choice, covered by a slim metal brushed chassis, etched with a single rocker button, down the lane. The player, that will hopefully go out somewhere this year, priced within the range of $155 – $185, is claimed to include a built-in FM tuner, a microSD slot (supporting up to 32GB cards), and a 720p HDMI output. It suppose to support most common audio formats through the open sourced Songbird player, instead of Windows Media Player (interesting!), and said to be capable of importing song lists from services like iTunes, Last.fm and 7digital. Stay tuned.

[via Pocket-lint]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Window G85HD Touchscreen PMP Released, UI Looks Surprisingly Responsive

As far as we know, the word ‘Windows’ is a Microsoft registered trademark, but that as a fact apparently didn’t stop Shenzen guys from launching Window G85HD PMP to the Asian world – and frankly, we probably wouldn’t be talking about it at all unless the stunning touchscreen it boasts. You may think this is yet another 4.3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, but the Chinese somehow worked it out to respond flawlessly with the player’s platform – actually one of the best we’ve ever seen, so far. Well maybe it’s this strong Rockchip RK2806 processor inside that makes it smoothly float, but this way or another you can either watch movies on that nice looking screen or pump them out through the 720p video output the G85HD owns. Other than that, just the usual lineup of 8GB or 16GB internal memory store along FM radio tuner, 3.5mm jack, a Chinese-English dictionary, wide range of formats compatibility and a microSD card slot. No word on price at the moment but a quick hands-on video (in Chinese) is few lines under these notes.

[via PC Online]

Continue reading Window G85HD Touchscreen PMP Released, UI Looks Surprisingly Responsive →

Audio, Media Players, Video

RAmos’ New T13FHD And T17FHD Touchscreen PMPs To Support Full HD Content

Chinese company RAMos has launch a new PMP lineup which includes the T17FHD and T13FHD models, both to handle 1080p videos adequately. Make no mistake, these are not MIDs or tablets, just media players with a built-in HDMI port and touchscreen display on top. Starting with the T13FHD, made of zinc alloy magnesium, you get  a 4.3-inch display along a USB host, TV output and a headphone jack, positioned to the left, while the second, T17FHD, literally sports the same screen size with 800 × 480 resolution, but also packs 16GB of flash storage, a microSD card slot, ebook reader compatibility and wide range of formats support, including H.264, MPEG1/2/4 decoding, MKV, RMVB, AVI, MOV, MPG, MPEG, DAT, MOV, MP4, MP3、WMA、WAV、RM、OGG、and JPG、BMP、PNG、GIF image files. No word about price or availability at this point.

[via imp3]

Media Players, Operating Systems, Phones, software

iPhone OS 3.1.3 Goes Live

Apple just issued iPhone/iPod Touch OS 3.1.3, available on your iTunes right away, offering bug fixes to some of the few problems users were moaning about like improved battery level indicator, or third-party applications that failed to launch in some of the occasions. Other issues this update resolves include a Japanese Kana keyboard fix and security breaches related to CoreAudio, ImageIO, Recovery Mode and WebKit.

Update: And those of you, Mac OS X users, who’ve been patiently waiting for a hack ‘n crack to go out, it appears like Dev-Team‘s new Pwnage jailbreaking tool is now officially up and ready to grab. As usual, proceed with caution.

Applications, Computers, Media Players, Mobile, Phones

iPad UI Now Available On iPhone And iPod Touch Devices

Have you heard the joke that claims you can turn your iPhone into an iPad once looking at the screen from close range? Well, you don’t really need to, that of course in case you have jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch machines at your disposal. But even if you don’t, just think about it, the idea of carrying at the back of your pocket a mobile device that packs iPad capabilities like 3D interface, iBook reader, neat photo display or other cool functions sounds pretty cool, isn’t it? If so, maybe you’d like try it yourself, after all, getting it is as simple as taking your favorite vanilla cookie out of the jar, just get into Cydia app store and look for the “Simple iPad Theme”, exactly as shown in the video, step-by-step, right after the break.

[via PMPtoday]

Continue reading iPad UI Now Available On iPhone And iPod Touch Devices →