Category Archives: Media Players

Hardware, Media Players, Mobile

iGPS360 Brings GPS To Your iPod Touch Player

From personal knowledge, I know there’s a great demand for third party GPS system that will be able to upgrade the iPhone and the iPod touch devices with full navigation capabilities. Regretfully, since Cebit 2008, we haven’t seen anything tangible, making its way to the market, until today, as Orange 360 has decided to change the game by announcing a state of the art iGPS360 module, that will be able to hook up to your iPod touch players or your First Gen. iPhone handheld, in order to bring a GPS hardware system and answer the very basic needs of navigating. Despite the fact it’s still in production, the iGPS360 will be available only for the first 1000 buyers, for a reasonable price of $75, so If youcan’t wait anymore, it’s up for pre-order at the company’s website.

[Orange360]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Cowon O2 PMP Gets a First UI Video Impression

The new Cowon O2 will make its way to the market in early November. Meanwhile, we get a chance to look at some of the early images that popup from different directions. First impression unveils an elegant look with a nice 4.3-inch 480 x 272 touchscreen, sans buttons, and a traditional Cowon slot that contains an SD port, a TV output and a mini USB connection. Format wise, the O2 supports almost every available codec on earth, including MP3, WMA, FLAC, OGG, AAC, ASF, WAV, APE, WavPack, True Audio Lossless, MusePack, Monkey’s Audio, AVI, WMV, MPEG-4 SP, MKV, OGM, MPEG-2, DAT and MTV. As for storage, the flash-based PMP offers 8GB/16GB or 32GB capacities to choose from. Hit the jump to catch the video, presenting the UI.

Update: It is now available on JetMall, Amazon, NewEgg and others, priced at $219.99 (8GB), $249.99 (16GB) or $299.99 (32GB).

[via Crave]

Continue reading Cowon O2 PMP Gets a First UI Video Impression →

Audio, Media Players, Music

Sandisk To Introduce Sansa slotMusic Player

Honestly, I have no idea why Sandisk has any desire to release the Sansa slotMusic player, specially when the initiative to distribute music and movies on microSD cards, wasn’t a big hit. So, I understand the new player is a sort of “accessory” that might help the consumers to play their microSD $15 pre-loaded DRM-free music, from diverse artists, but as a matter of fact, the same thing can be done with other players, the kind that HAVE a built-in display, and not just a card sleeve that plays tracks. Anyways, it can be used for different commercial promotions, so i guess you won’t mind getting this $20 device in one of those big fairs. In any case, it is a basic MP3 player, that comes with a microSD slot, houses a 1 single AAA battery that can last 15 hours, and sized at 72.1 x 36.8 x 15.2 mm 48g. In addition, it supports MP3, OGG, FLAC, WMA file formats and is supposedly available now, across North America, while followed by Europe and other destinations in 2009.

[Sandisk]

Audio, Internet, Media Players, Video

Archos 5,7 Devices Get OGG / Flac Support And Better Battery Workout With The New Firmware Update

Archos fans can be very pleased, as the company has just released firmware update 1.0.87 for the Archos 5 and Archos 7 internet media tablets, coming up with OGG / Flac formats support, after so many years. As an Archos avid, I must admit, it wasn’t expected at all and from my personal knowledge, many media junkies haven’t made any contact with the French players because of that specific reason, so I guess these are great news, wherever you are. Additionally, the new firmware version substantially improves the battery life to 22 hours of audio and 7 hours of video, together with some major bug fixes. It is also been reported that the wifi range was increased and the USB transfer rate has been raised. You can download firmware version 1.0.87 from here.

Meanwhile, we hear that the guys at Pocketables.net have compared websites loading time between the Archos 5, iPhone 3G and the Nokia N810, and the results are truly amazing, as the Archos 5 was the clear winner in every aspect, thanks to the strong 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor. Checkout the comparing table after the break.

[via Archos]

Continue reading Archos 5,7 Devices Get OGG / Flac Support And Better Battery Workout With The New Firmware Update →

Audio, Internet, Media Players, Video

Archos 5 Gets an Official Guided Tour

Following Apple’s steps, French multimedia manufacturer, Archos, has just released a 13 minutes guided tour video, introducing its latest Internet Media Tablet lineup, together with some of the main key features and the optional plugins/accessories you can get, in order to enhance your experience. It is the first time that Archos releases such a video tour, as part of its new global marketing strategy, to push forward the new Archos 5 and the Archos 7 media tablets. Checkout the video after the break.

[Archos]

Continue reading Archos 5 Gets an Official Guided Tour →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Maxian M1 PMP Is Officially Available

After the new lineup announcement, at IFA 2008 in Berlin, Korean company, Maxian, rolls out the M1PMP, coming up with a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 touchscreen, a strong 500Mhz CPU and Windows CE 5.0 onboard. It packs a T-DMB tuner, an electronic dictionary, 9 EQ, an FM tuner, a microphone, SDHC slot and TV output. In addition, the M1supports MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, AAC, FLAC, APE, TTA, JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, AVI, MPEG4, WMV , ASF, VOB, MP4, SMI, TXT, DOC, HTM, XLS, PPT, PDF file formats, and sized at 106.5 × 61×13. 1mm (113g). Still, no word on pricing or international availability, but if you happened to be in Asia, you will be able to choose either 8GB or 16GB internal flash storage, covered with a nice black flavor.

[via moveplayer]

Applications, Audio, Media Players

SanDisk Sansa Fuze Gets Ogg And FLAC Formats Support

Fuze owners can clap hands with joy, as firmware version 1.01.15, that was recently released, has brought FLAC and Ogg codecs to their Sansa players, which means – quality sound, spiced with lossless encoding. In addition, the new update fixes some of the bugs and improves the user interface, and the rumor says the Sansa Clip is next, to get these cool additions.

[Sandisk via DAPreview]

Audio, Media Players

Zune To Get "Gears Of Wars 2" Special Edition Version

Shooting games are very popular among the gamers communities, specially when it comes to futuristic combat zones, which provide next-gen battle field experiences and top-notch weapons to handle. But the excitement, doesn’t necessarily, have to stay in our leaving rooms, in front of the game consoles,  It can also be shifted to our multimedia hanheld, as it was carried out by Microsoft, with the announcement of the “Gears of War 2” Zune 120 special edition PMP, pre-loaded with tons of freebies, including 244 fragments from the game, the soundtrack, behind-the-scenes videos, making the art, and many more, all packed in a blackish version, engraved with a shady skull at the back, now available for pre-orders at Walmart.com and Amazon.com, if you can shell out $280 and wait for the shipping date, somewhere around November.

[via gmp3]

Audio, Media Players, Video

SmartQ Introduces The New TAO PMP

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SmartQ has officially introduced the new TAO media player, coming up with a sleek blackish design and a 3.3-inch 480×320 HVGA display. It has a 500mhz Blackfin processor, a 4GB capacity, an FM tuner , A microphone and SDHC slot, to expand your storage. This 105 × 62×14 mm PMP supports wide bunch of formats, including MP3, OGG, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, WAV (PCM, ADPCM), FLV, WMV, ASF, 3GP, MPEG, RMVB, DAT, MP4, Xvid, and even high-def Divx (720 × 480). Battery can provide up to 20 hours of audio or 6 hours of video, which is fairly reasonable for a $100 price tag.

[via gmp3]

Audio, Media Players, Video

MobiBlu Rolls Out The New T20 PMP

Korean company MobiBlu has released their latest T20 media player, coming with a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 display, an FM radio, a voice recorder, and flash storage, ranged from 1GB up to 8GB. It is compatible with MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, APE, RM / RMVB, AVI, JPG, BMP, TXT file formats and already available in Asia for around $200 (8GB). I guess there are some other alluring alternatives to spend the money on. Meaning, we need a better price.

[via gmp3]

Audio, Media Players, Video

iRiver P20 Media Player Gets Official Release In Korea

iRiver has officially released the P20 media player, to be available in 80GB or 120GB storage capacities, along with 4.1-inch 480 x 272 AMOLED screen, an FM tuner, a microphone, a speaker, a DMB tuner, and SD-MMC-CF card slot. It packs a TV output and compatible with MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, APE, FLAC, JPEG, RAW, BMP, GIF, PNG, MPEG4, XviD, WMV9, DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF, HWP, GUL, HTML / HTM / MHTML, TXT, SWF file formats, so there are plenty of audio, video and image codecs you can stock inside. Prices start at $430 for the 80GB version and climb up to $460 for the 120GB model, but these are probably Korean rates only. In any case, the iriver Spinn looks more appealing to me.

Update: the P20 will make a debut in Japan on February 27th, priced at ¥39,800 ($436) for the 80GB version.

[iRiver]

Continue reading iRiver P20 Media Player Gets Official Release In Korea →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Porient H12 UMPC Makes a Debut With 4.8" Touchscreen And Linux Based OS

The new Porient H12 UMPC can easily compete head-to-head with the latest Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet, as it comes with a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen and a strong 520MHz Intel XScale PXA270 processor. However, the 300gm device packs only 2GB of flash storage, so i guess there’s an obvious winner between the two, having the Archos 5 housing 60/120/250GB capacities onboard. Notwithstanding, the H12 features an SD/MMC card slot, mini-USB port, 802.11b/g WiFi connectivity, built-in GPS navigation system, DAB/DVB-H/DVB-T tuners and assimilated capabilities, including a web browser, RSS reader, multimedia player, voice recording, email, PDF viewer, office software, etc. Still, no word on price or availability, but it seems you can place your order for a bulk of units.

[via pocketables]

Audio, Media Players, Video

RCA To Introduce A New Lyra Slider PMP

It might look like one of those updated cell phones, but it’s actually RCA’s new Lyra slider PMP, to be available somewhere in the fall, with 4GB / 8GB storage capacities, an FM radio, USB 2.0 connection and battery life, delivering up to 50 hours of audio or 8 hours of video. Count $79.99 for the 4GB version or $99.99 for the 8GB one.

[via engadget]

Media Players

Zune Players To Feature New Colors Collection

Following the new Zunes announcement, Microsoft has decided to variegate the collection with some new refreshing colors, as the Zune 120 will have blue and white flavors, joining the black version, while the 8GB Zune will be offered in red and white hues, together with the stunning blue flavor that we’ve already seen.

[via zuneboards]

Audio, Media Players, Music

Pioneer XM XMp3 PMP Pops Up In The Wild, Can Play Sattelite Radio And Audio Music

This new XM XMP3 Sattelite radio PMP from Pioneer, showed up on Best Buy’s website for couple of seconds and immediately vanished for some reason. Naturally, it has a built-in XM sattelite radio with up to 170 channels that you can access for a flat monthly fee of $12.95. In addition, you can play any MP3 / WMA files, stored on any microSD card with 8GB capacity at most. You can also record 100 hours of XM Radio on five different channels simultaneously, and schedule them as you want. The package contains a home dock, home antenna, a remote control and cables that will be available in about 2 weeks, for $279.99.

Update: checkout the video after the break, featuring the XM’s interface.

[via orbitcast]

Continue reading Pioneer XM XMp3 PMP Pops Up In The Wild, Can Play Sattelite Radio And Audio Music →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Quantum To Launch a New Video Touch PMP With Navigation Capabilities

The new Video Touch PMP from Quantum has been officially announced, featuring GPS navigation capabilities, including traffic and weather updates, plus a built-in digital TV with up to 30 channels, using Siano DVB-H receiver inside. In addition, the new PMP supports mp3 audio files – to listen to your favorite music, images  – to collect your entire digital album and video – to watch your movies on the go. The touchscreen is compatible with gesture interface so the UI is expected to work smoothly. Still no word on price or availability.

[via techfresh]

Applications, Media Players

DevTeam Releases New Pwnage And QuickPwn Tools To Jailbreak Your iPod Touch 2.1 Firmware Version

As expected, now that firmware update 2.1 has been officially released, you get a chance to jailbreak your iPod Touch player with the new Pwnage and QuickPwn tools that DevTeam has just unveiled. To do so, you’ll have to follow 13 steps in order to accomplish the assignment. Mind you, iTunes 8 can detect those jailbroken devices and won’t recognize them, so you might rethink, either upgrading to the latest iTunes or staying with the previous version, until a better solution comes up. Still, no iPhone Jailbreak application released, but be sure it will.

[DevTeam]

Audio, Media Players

Kenwood Announces New Media-Keg MG-E DAP Series

Japanese corporation Kenwood has introduced a new mp3-players lineup, to be available at the end of September in black, white or red flavors. The Media Keg MG-E devices feature a 1.5-inch color organic display, 2GB or 4GB Built-in flash memory capacity, 9EQ, a microSD / SDHC slot, and lithium ion battery that can deliver up to 54 hours of music. Also, they are compatible with wide variety of formats, such as MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, JPEG, BMP and there are 7 different menu languages available, including Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Dutch, or Spanish. You can get the 2GB version for $130 or the 4GB for $145.

[Kenwood]

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

New iPod Classic Announced, Coming With a 120GB Version

Apple cuts Classic’s sizes, announcing new skimmed iPod Classic player with 120GB storage capacity, to match the Microsoft Zune head-to-head. Regretfully, this is going to be the only available Classic model in the market, since Cupertino has decided to bury those fatty 160GB players and reduce the storage by 40GB. However, you still have some limited time to get one to your collection before it leaves us forever.

Audio, Media Players

Apple To Introduce iPod Nano 4th Gen With Tall Skinny Design, Built-In Accelerometer And a New Interface

So there it is, the new iPod Nano 4th generation was officially announced at Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event and it looks exactly as we’ve expected. The new Nano comes with a 2-inch display, integrated accelerometer that will automatically switch from Landscape mode to Cover Flow, a voice recorder(!) inside the new enclosed headphones, a tall skinny design with curvy edges on both sides and a brushed metal body, offering 9 colors to choose from, including silver, gunmetal, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and pink. In addition, the fourth generation player packs storage capacity ranged from 8GB ($149) to 16GB ($199), as the fresh seamlessly interface features the new Genius playlists menu that we’ve seen in iTunes 8, together with a surprising shake to shuffle feature, to choose random tracks while listening to your favorite music. Battery can provide up to 24 hours of audio or 4 hours of video, same as previous generations. To get one, you can start ordering right now from Apple’s online store or wait until it hits the shelves this weekend. Meanwhile, checkout the video after the break.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple To Introduce iPod Nano 4th Gen With Tall Skinny Design, Built-In Accelerometer And a New Interface →

Applications, Media Players, News, Operating Systems, Phones

iPhone Firmware 2.1 Announced, Will Fight The Bugs And The Crashes

Apple is desperately looking for new solutions to fix those pesky iphone/ipod touch bugs, crashes, call drops and bad reception, announcing new firmware update, to be available on Friday for a free download (regretfully, ipod touch owners will have to pay $10 for it). Also, the coming 2.1 version will apparantly improve battery life and backup synchronization, but won’t tackle with the copy & paste problem – hopefully it will – one day.

Update1: You can download it RIGHT NOW from here.

Update2: iPod Touch owners with firmware version 2.0 are entitled to download the new update for free.

Slashgear

[Image courtesy: Slashgear]

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Microsoft To Launch a Blue 8GB Flash Zune, Together With Zune 3.0 Firmware Update

3 Comments

Following last week’s Zune 16GB and Zune 120GB appearance, turns out there’s another kid on the block, joining the forthcoming lineup, a blue 8GB flash Zune, to be released in September with a 320 x 240 LCD display, wireless sync capabilities, Zune to Zune wireless sharing, an FM tuner and other alternative flavors, including black or silver. The new Zune supports wide variety of formats, like WMA, AAC, MP3, MPEG-4, WMV, H.264, or JPEG to play all your videos, music and images.

In addition, Microsoft will launch the Zune 3.0 platform, which includes some new features, such as Buy from FM, which lets you listen to your favorite FM radio stations and click to tag the songs you like for later purchase when you sync your device with your PC1. Zune Pass that lets you download millions of tracks, whole albums or playlists with Zune Pass subscription service. Device to Cloud that allows you to access thousands of wireless hotspots around the country to automatically update your collection, browse Zune Marketplace, refresh Channels, exchange favorites with friends, or buy songs you’ve tagged from your FM radio. Channels are custom programming stations that deliver personalized playlists to your Zune from a variety of sources you select, such as music experts, celebrities, or top radio stations. Games Zune Players now come with a selection of fun free games to choose from. Play and challenge yourself with Hexic, and make sure you play your favorite song from your collection to create your own personal game soundtrack. Video/TV Shows you can choose from a growing selection of TV shows now available on the Zune Marketplace video store. Recorded TV shows or movies from Windows Media Center in Windows Vista can be imported and synced to your Zune.

The 8GB flash-based model will be available for $149.99 and we look forward to play with the new models.

Update1: Redmond has confirmed the new lineup, to be scheduled for September 16th. Prices, as expected, stand at $250 for the 120GB Zune, $199 for the 16GB flash version and $149 for the latest 8GB model. Mind you, the new Zune 3.0 software supports all Zune players, so if you hold in your pockets older devices, you’re covered. Hit the jump to see the video from CNET News, hosting Joe Belfiore from Microsoft.

Update2: As promised, Microsoft has launched Zune 3.0 update, now available to download from here. Mind you it’s one hefty file, sized 165MB(!).

[via Zunerama]

Continue reading Microsoft To Launch a Blue 8GB Flash Zune, Together With Zune 3.0 Firmware Update →

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Presumed New iPod Nano and iPod Touch Dimensions Slings Out

1 Comment

With Apple, it’s all about enigma, spiced with some mystery and tidbits that show up in the wild from time to time, make you wondering if it’s fake or real, specially when unofficial images emerge to the cybernetic medium, introducing new ipod Nano and ipod Touch players with a refreshing design and mint dimensions.

This time, these are the guys from iLounge who break the news with sketchy pictures of the presumable future devices, that will probably make it official at the Apple event on Thursday the 9th this month. From those pictures, we learn that Apple plans to release a 4th generation iPod nano and a 2nd generation iPod touch, while the new Nano measures at 90.75mm x 38.75mm x 6.08mm (compared to 90mm x 40mm x 6.5mm 2nd Gen nano), and the new iPod touch looks like the iPhone 3G, with a curved back and tapered edges, sized at 111mm x 61.8mm x 8.4mm (against 110mm x 61.8mm x 8mm at the first ipod touch version) with the same headphone jack and dock ports. Mind you, these are unofficial images, so you’d better hold your breath for the real thing next week.

[via iLounge]

Continue reading Presumed New iPod Nano and iPod Touch Dimensions Slings Out →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Meizu M8 Gets Another Interface Preview

It was back at the CeBIT show when we first spotted the Meizu M8 UI, but ever since, there were more speculations than a real product. Today, we finally get a chance to look at what appears to be a tangible video of the new Meizu M8 interface, presented by Mr. Jack Wong himself, introducing a smooth iphone-alike surface, with a flowing touchscreen and some new icons, different from the first imitating ones. Still, no word on when or where this long-time saga is about to end, if at all, but we do keep following. Meanwhile, checkout the new video.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/iDQ-coSHPCQ" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
_____________________________________
[via meizume]

Audio, Media Players, News

Zune 16GB and 120GB Pop Up In The Wild

Assuming those images are real, and we do get a confirmation from B&H they are, then Microsoft is about to launch two fresh Zune models, including a 16GB flash player and a 120GB HDD-based version, already available for pre-order for $249.95. Still, no info when exactly these new players will hit the stores but i guess it’s just a matter of month or so. Stay tuned for more to come.

[via zunited]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Onda Intros The New VX787 Touchscreen PMP

Onda has introduced its latest VX787 PMP, coming up with a 4.3-inch touchscreen (480 x 272), a microphone, a speaker, an FM tuner, 7 EQ, microSD slot, a TV output and storage capacity, ranged from 2GB up to 16GB. This player, which is about to make a debut in September, supports wide variety of formats, including MP3, WMA, ASF, WMV9 SP, MPEG-4 SP, RM / RMVB, AVI, FLV, ASF, MP4, MPG, MOV, WMA, WMV, 3GP, SWF, TXT, JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and plays 30 hours of audio against 10 hours of video. Count $200 for the 16GB version. There’s a video preview after the break.

[via mp4global]

Continue reading Onda Intros The New VX787 Touchscreen PMP →

Audio, IFA, Media Players, Music, Video

IFA 2008: Sony Officially Introduces S, E And B Walkman Series

2 Comments

Following Sony’s recent Walkman lineup revelation, the company has decided to go official, introducing “S”, “E”, and “B” Walkman players, to be released in the coming September with prices ranged from $45 up to $180.

The S series

Includes the 4GB NWZ-S736F and 8GB NWZ-S738F Walkmans, coming up with a light 7.5mm thick design, a 2-inch QVGA LCD display, an FM tuner, noise-cancelling technology, drag-and-drop file management and wide formats support, like MP3, WMA, AAC, Linear PCM, JPEG, and MPEG-4. Battery life is very impressive and can deliver up to 40 hours of audio playback or 10 hours of video.

[via cellphonehits]

Continue reading IFA 2008: Sony Officially Introduces S, E And B Walkman Series →

Audio, IFA, Media Players, News, Video

IFA 2008: Samsung To Introduce The New YP-Q1 PMP

4 Comments

It’s not official yet, but word on the street says that Samsung is about to announce their latest YP-Q1 media player at the IFA 2008 in Berlin. The new YP-Q1 is expected to have a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, together with a microphone, an FM RDS tuner, 4GB/8GB or 16GB capacities to choose from, and USB2.0 connectivity. It will support wide formats range, including MP3, WMA, WAV, Ogg, FLAC, MPEG4 or WMV and suppose to deliver 30 hours of audio or 4 hours of video. No word on price or availability, but Samsung will offer the Q1 black, white, silver or pink flavors. Stay tuned for more to come.

Update: Samsung has officially confirmed the new YP-Q1player, to go live in October, together with the YP-U4 version that is already available. Checkout the video after the break.

[via gmp3]

Continue reading IFA 2008: Samsung To Introduce The New YP-Q1 PMP →

Audio, Media Players

Microsoft Jumps Into Politics, Rolls Out Republicans and Democrats Limited Edition Zune Players For The Conventions

Microsoft joins the US presidential rally, introduces two limited edition Zunes, designed for the Republican and the Democratic National Conventions. Both players are equipped with 4GB of storage, while the Democrats get the green color, which refers to the “Green Delegates Challenge” for environmental responsability, and the Republicans, on the other hand, get the red flavor, marked with their elephant symbol and the environmental responsibility slogen. Not sure where you can get these, probably in the conventions.

[via Gizmodo]

Continue reading Microsoft Jumps Into Politics, Rolls Out Republicans and Democrats Limited Edition Zune Players For The Conventions →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Maxian To Introduce a New Lineup, Including The L900S, M1 & T2 PMPs

Moments before the beginning of IFA 2008, Korean company Maxian announces the release of a new media players lineup, including the L900S, T2 and the M1, coming up with hefty storage capacities and wide screens.

Maxian L900S

Packs a 4.3-inch WVGA TFT LCD screen (800 x 480), T-DMB tuner, 160GB HDD capacity and wide codex support, including MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, AC3, AAC, FLAC , EPA, MKA, TTA, AVI, JPG, WMV, ASF, DAT, VOB, MP4, TS, MKV, and JPG.

[via gmp3]

Continue reading Maxian To Introduce a New Lineup, Including The L900S, M1 & T2 PMPs →

Audio, Media Players, Music

Trekstor To Boost Up New Players, Including Vibez, i.Beat Organix & Nova

It’s been a while since we last heard from Trekstor. This time, it announces the release of some new players, including the company’s flagship PMP, the Vibez, coming up with a new 32GB flash memory version, coated with the same shape and features. The other players include the i.Beat Organix, available in 4GB/8GB versions, 55 hours of battery life, a small OLED display and four colors to choose from, while the i.Beat Nova, which is considered to be the smaller in the group, comes with a tiny OLED screen, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB flash capacities and a USB stick design. Prices start from €29 ($43) for the Nova models and climb up to €129 ($191) for the high-end Vibez, when they will be launched across Europe around September.

[Via DAPreview]

Continue reading Trekstor To Boost Up New Players, Including Vibez, i.Beat Organix & Nova →

Audio, IFA, Media Players, News, Video

Cowon Unveils The New O2 Touchscreen PMP

Korean company Cowon has just introduced some of its latest products, to be officially released next week, during IFA 2008 at Berlin. Together with the sexy curved S9, we find the O2, a 4.3-inch touchscreen (480 x 272) PMP, coming up with a T-DMB tuner, a microphone, a loud built-in speaker, an SD slot, a TV output and storage capacities, range from 8GB up to 32GB. The O2 supports wide variety of formats, including MP3, WMA, AC3, AAC, FLAC, OGG, Apple Lossless, WAV, G.726, PCM, True Audio, Monkey Audio, MusePack, DivX, XviD, WMV, H.264, M-JPEG, MPEG-4 SP / ASP, and MPEG1. The battery can play 18 hours of audio and up to 8 hours of video, which is very impressive in terms of media players. Still no word on price or availability, but you will be able to get one of those in black, white or pink flavors.

Update1: The O2 is set to be released around October.

Update2: Cowon has announced O2 European pricing as follows:

  • O2 iAudio 8GB White – €289.99 ($400)
  • O2 iAudio 8GB Pink – €289.99 ($400)
  • O2 iAudio 16GB White – €309.99 ($428)
  • O2 iAudio 16GB Black – €309.99 ($428)
  • O2 iAudio 32GB White – €365.99 ($505)

[Cowon]

Continue reading Cowon Unveils The New O2 Touchscreen PMP →

Audio, Events, IFA, Media Players, Music

Cowon To Introduce The S9 Stylish Curved PMP

2 Comments

Cowon announces some new products to be officially released next week, during IFA 2008 show at Berlin. One of the most interesting devices within the new lineup is the S9, a nice curved PMP with a 3.3-inch 16M colors capacitive AMOLED  touchscreen (480 x 272) and a strong 500MHz DualCore processor. It packs a T-DMB television tuner for Korean market, an FM tuner, a bluetooth connectivity, TV output and even a G-Sensor accelerometer. Still, no info about storage capacities or codecs support, but you can trust Cowon to be generous as usual. Battery life, on the other hand, was confirmed and will deliver up to 40 hours of continuous music. Stay tuned for more to come later this week.

Update: The S9 will be available next month with 8GB or 16GB storage capacities, while a 32GB version will hit later on. As mentioned, it will support many codecs, including MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV audio formats and MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, H.264 BP video formats.

[Cowon]

Audio, Media Players, Music

YAMAHA To Release BODiBEAT, First Music Player That Matches Songs to Workout Pace

1 Comment

YAMAHA starts shipping the new BODiBEAT PMP, which is considered to be the world’s first music player that selects songs to match the pace of the user’s workout and automatically syncs music selections with the steps of the user’s walk or run, making exercises more fun than ever before. In addition, you get a BODiBEAT Station, software that automatically categorizes each downloaded song by beats per minute (bpm), and a small heart rate monitor that clips onto the user’s ear, allowing BODiBEAT to track the metrics of your workouts, including distance, time, pace and heart rate. To make it more comfortable, YAMAHA added an armband, designed for ease-of-use during active pursuits. The player itself packs only 512MB of internal flash memory and a 12 hours battery life when fully charged. There are four main operating modes, like Free, Fitness, Training and Music.

Free mode: BODiBEAT automatically matches the music to the exercise pace.

Fitness mode: you get Walk Fitness and Jog Fitness, each of which works in conjunction with the heart rate monitor to select the most appropriate music for optimal aerobic exercise at the user’s fitness level.

Training mode: tells users when to speed up and slow down for ideal results, and it does so while playing their favorite music.

Music mode: BODiBEAT functions as a standard portable audio player.

As for prices, the suggested retail price of $299 seems expropriated, considering the poor 512MB internal memory, but somehow, we get the impression it will be around $199 (just a hunch).

[YAMAHA]

Continue reading YAMAHA To Release BODiBEAT, First Music Player That Matches Songs to Workout Pace →

Audio, Internet, Media Players, Mobile, Music, News, Video

Archos To Introduce "Internet Media Tablets" Lineup, Including 5, 7 & 5G PMP Models

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Archos has officially unveiled their 6th generation PMPs lineup, known as “Internet Media Tablets”, including Archos 5, Archos 7 and Archos 5G models, to make a debut across the world from September 2008. The 6th Gen comes with new clean sleeky design, as Archos decides to dump the side tactile buttons from the 5th Gen and focus on bigger touchscreen and slim look.

Archos 5 & Archos 7

are equipped with a strong bullet ARM Cortex processor, storage capacities, starting from 60GB up to 320GB, three on top buttons, including power and Volum +/-, high-resolution 800 x 480 touchscreen, as the Archos 5 comes with a 4.8-inch display and the Archos 7 packs a 7-inch screen. In addition, both models feature Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g connection, 3.5mm mini jack for headphones, free Opera web browser, built-in speaker, HD video support and DVR station dock/DVR snap-on accessory (optional) to record your favorite TV shows or play 5.1 audio via your stereo Hi-Fi. Mind you, the new DVR station houses an HDMI output to display high-definition 720P video content.

Archos 5G

One of the most interesting devices from the new series, packs 30GB storage capacity, together with 3.5 HSPDA 3G cellular modem that lets you surf the internet wherever you want, without the need to be around a Wi-Fi hotspot. It comes with the same 4.8-inch high-resolution touchscreen (800 x 480) and same video/audio capabilities, supporting MP3, WMA, WMA Pro 5.1, WAV (PCM / ADPCM) for audio, MPEG-4 (ASP @ L5 AVI), WMV, M-JPEG (Motion JPEG video) QVGA resolution, for video and JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, PDF, SRT for the rest.

Estimated shipping dates & prices

Archos 5 – September: 60GB – $350, 120GB – $400, 250GB – $450
Archos 7 – October: 160GB – $450, 320GB – $550
Archos 5G – December: 30GB – $550

The Archos 5g, could be subsidized by carriers.

Checkout the initial video and full specs after the break.

Update: early than expected, the Archos 5 & 7 “internet media tablets” go live on Amazon with a wide range of accessories, including DVR Station ($99), a DVR Snap-On ($80), a Mini Dock ($30), a Battery Dock ($50), a Helmet Camcorder ($130), and more.

[via Archos]

Continue reading Archos To Introduce "Internet Media Tablets" Lineup, Including 5, 7 & 5G PMP Models →

Communication, Internet, Media Players, Mobile, Music, News

Lenovo IdeaPad U8 MID Goes Live at The Olympics

The new Lenovo IdeaPad U8 MID makes a debut right on time, as the Beijing Olympic games take place these days and new world records are getting smashed. Official specs include a 4.8-inch touchscreen, Intel Atom Z500 800MHz processor, GPS navigation system, front/rear cameras, 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G and even Wimax support (wow!). In addition it has 1GB of RAM, 6GB flash storage and a place for a dongle, to receive China Multimedia Mobile Broadcasting signals, in order to watch the Olympics for free, if you happened to be in China, all for the size of 21 x 173 x 84mm and 350 grams. No word on price, but you should expect a smartphone costing, so start saving.

Update: Price is set to be around $730 (4,999 yuan) which is not that cheap, considering you can get a laptop, but sometimes you have to pay for light portability.

[Via Pocketables]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Sony To Release The New NWZ-E4xx Walkman Lineup

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New Sony Walkman lineup coming up soon, including NWZ-E435, NWZ-E436, and NWZ-E438 models, all equipped with a 2-inch QVGA LCD display, an FM tuner and storage capacity, ranged from 2GB up to 8GB. The players support MP3, WMA , AAC, Linear PCM, JPEG, AVC (H.264/AVC), MPEG-4 files and the battery can provide 30 hours of audio or 4 hours of continuous video playing. Still, no word on price or availability, but you will be able to get those 8.5mm thick Walkmans in black, turquoise , pink or red flavors. Stay tuned for more to come.

[via gmp3]

Accessories, General, Media Players, Music

Logitech To Get Into The Earbuds Market, Buying Ultimate Ears

Although earphones are no stranger to Logitech, the company has announced it’s aquiring US-based company Ultimate Ears, a market leader in custom in-ear monitors for on-stage musicians and iPod or iPhone consumers. The $34 million price tag is fairly reasonable, as it gives Logitech the abillity to strongly penetrate the mp3 players niche with quality in-ear earbuds, and to expand its portfolio of digital audio products. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in August.

[via Ultimate Ears]

Audio, Media Players, Video

RAmos Introduces The New T8 iMovie PMP

If you’re looking for a cheap PMP to deliver your basic needs, the new RAmos T8 iMovie PMP might be the right solution, as it features a 4.3-inch WQVGA touchscreen (480 x 272), 32GB of storage and only 10mm thick case. The player supports RMVB, AVI, FLV, WMV, MPG, MP4, DAT, 3GP video formats, together with the regular audio codecs. It is equipped with a TV out and built-in micro speakers, to play your favorite songs loundly, all for merely $219.

[via PMPToday]

Audio, Media Players

JVC XA-M DAP series Introduced

Not long, after releasing the Alneo XA-V lineup, Japanese company JVC introduces the new Alneo XA-M series, coming up in October with 5 different colors, including blue, red, white, cream or black. The new players feature a black and white OLED display, an FM radio, a built-n microphone, 5EQ, and storage capacity, ranged from 1GB up to 4GB. All models support MP3, WMA, WAV file formats and equipped with 35 hours audio play battery. Prices start with $110 for the 1GB model and climbs up to $150 for the 4GB version, which is pretty expensive for a black and white monochrome screen.

[via akihabaranews]

Audio, Media Players, Video

SmartQ To Release The New T5-II PMP

SmartQ announced the release a new Asian PMP model, the T5-II, coming up with a 3-inch TFT 16M color  screen (320 x 240), 2GB or 4GB storage capacities at your choice and SD / SDHC expendable slot. In addition, it has an FM tuner, a microphone, 8EQ, USB 2.0 and more. The player supports wide range of formats, including MP3 , OGG, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, WAV, CUE, AVI (XVID/DivX3.11), RM / RMVB, FLV, WMV, ASF, 3GP, MPEG, DAT, MP4, JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG, TXT and battery can play up to 20 hours of audio or 6 hours of video. Prices are relatively reasonable with a $100 price tag for the 4GB model.

[via gmp3]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Sony Announces The Release Of The PMX-M89 PMP For The Chinese Market

Sony has introduced its latest PMX-M89 PMP, designed exclusively for the Chinese market and equipped with a 4.3-inch wide screen (480 x 272), an FM tuner, a microphone, 9EQ, a memory card slot and 16GB of storage capacity. It is sized at 116.9 x 74 x 12.7 mm and has a Map Browser which is a sort of an A-GPS application to navigate your way, wherever you are. Format support is reasonable, with MP3, WMA, AAC audio files, AVi, MP4, MPEG-4 video files and JPEG compatibility for image files. Available in black and white, the player will play 6 hours of video or 18 hours of audio , so if Sony is a brand you like and China is your next destination, $330 and the player is yours.

[via gmp3]

Audio, Media Players

iVoicePro Lets You Record With Your iPod

Macally announces the release of the iVoicePro, a voice and audio recorder for your iPod, which supports iPod (5th Gen), iPod nano (2nd and 3rd Gen), and iPod classic devices.  The new iVoicePro is equipped with a built-in microphone, an external speaker, LED status indicator, input mode switch, 3.5mm output jack and even a USB port to charge your players while recording stuff. Unfortunately, there’s no info concerning price or availability at the moment, but you can expect this one to go out soon.

[via gmp3]

Audio, Media Players, Video

iRiver Spinn Touchscreen PMP Goes Live In Korea

As reported, the new mysterious iRiver Spinn PMP is about to make a worldwide debut, and first to enjoy it are the Koreans, as the new player is already available for pre-order in the country, and about to be released in the UK somewhere in August. From the new coming details, we learn it has a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen (480 x 272) and a 360° spinning hinge, as demonstrated in here. In addition, it has an FM radio tuner, Bluetooth 2.0, T-DMB TV, and 4GB or 8GB storage capacities (No 16GB at the moment). The player supports MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC ASF audio formats, together with MPEG4, WM9, WMV video codecs. Prices are at 259000 Won ($257)for the 4GB or 299000 Won ($296) for the 8GB. Stay tuned for more news concerning the UK and the US launches.

Update: checkout the video, demonstrating the player in action.

[via Akihabara]

Continue reading iRiver Spinn Touchscreen PMP Goes Live In Korea →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Sarotech Introduces The New DVP-260X Portable Multi-media Player With Up To 320GB Storage Capacity

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Korean’s Sarotech announces the release of the DVP-260X, a new portable media player, coming up with a 2.5-inch display and two giant storage capacities, including 160GB ($278) or 320GB ($328). In addition, the new 260X features an FM tuner, a photo viewer, an e-book reader, and PAL/NTSC compatibility. It supports many formats, including AAC, WAV, AC3, MP3, OGG, WMA audio formats with 5.1channels out, and H.264, MKV with up to 1080p over HDMI, concerning video. Regretfully, it will be available for Korean market only, in black or white flavors and we already start feeling a bit jealous.

[via Aving]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Creative Announces The Release Of The Zen Mozaic PMP

Creative seems to be very dominant lately, as the company rolls out yet another player after recent introductions of the X-Fi and the Krystal. The new Zen Mozaic lives up to his name, coming up with a 1.8-inch TFT display (128 x 160) and three optional storage capacities, including 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB flavor. It has an FM tuner, a microphone, 8EQ, built-in speakers and USB 2,0/MTP connectivity. You get three colors to choose from, black, silver and pink, when all versions support MP3, WMA, WAV, Audible, JPEG file formats and 36 hours of battery life. The player is set to be released in Singapore somewhere around August for $99, $129 or $169 respectively.

Update: the player is now available, as promised, only in 2GB ($59.99) and 4GB ($79.99) versions at the moment.

[via Creative]

Continue reading Creative Announces The Release Of The Zen Mozaic PMP →

Applications, Media Players, Mobile, News, Operating Systems, Phones

iPhone 3G: Windows PC Jailbreak Goes Live

Windows OS users, this is your day, as Pwnage 2.0 version for your PC (AKA: WinPwn 2.0) has been released, allowing iPhone 1st Gen, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch users to jailbreak their devices and unlock their sim cards if necessary. Although it was already available, for early adopters, only 24 hours after the official Dev-Team Mac release, this one is much easier, especially with the ability to make your jailbroken handset – Sim Free – in one click. Mind you, this is only a preliminary version and it might have some bugs, so stay cautious while updating your device.

You can download the software from here or here or here.

read the instructions after the break.

Update: There are new versions available in here.

[via WinPwn]

Continue reading iPhone 3G: Windows PC Jailbreak Goes Live →

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Cowon P5 PMP Officially Introduced

Cowon has officially announced the release of the new P5 PMP, coming up at the end of July and suppose to replace the Q5W version. The new P5 features an impressive brushed metal body in 3 different flavors, including red, black and platinum. Like the previous version, it runs Windows CE 5.0 and offers 40GB, 60GB or 80GB capacities, at your choice. In addition it has an FM tuner, a microphone, a built-in speaker, strong Alchemy AU1250 700Mhz processor, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi connection to surf the internet, TV output (Composite, S-Video, Component), a T-DMB tuner USB2.0 host and a 5-inch touchscreen, 16M colors (800×480). The player supports wide range of formats, like MP3, WMA, ASF, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE, MPC, WV, AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG, DivX, XviD, MPEG4, WMV9, JPG, BMP, PNG, RAW, TXT, CXD, SMI, and SRT. Battery improves, comparing to previous model, as it can play 14 hours of music or 9 hours of video, where dimensions stand at 138.8 x 88.5 x 20 mm 380g. The new P5 is planned to make a debut in Korea on July 29th for an estimated price of $435. More pictures after the break.

[via Cowon]

Continue reading Cowon P5 PMP Officially Introduced →

Audio, Media Players

iPod Gets a Limited Edition Simpsons Version

I guess that should have happened long time ago but it’s better late than never, as The Simpsons arrive to the iPod in a few different styles that are engraved onto different iPod devices, including iPod Classic 80/160GB ($329 and $439), Nano 4/8GB ($219 and $269), Shuffle 1/2GB ($89 and $109), and iPod Touch 8/16/32GB ($389, $499 and $599). Naturally, they cost a little more but you will be able to add your name or other caption at your choice. Mind you, there are only 2000 pieces of each, so if you consider yourself a real Homer junky, you should hurry up.

[via chipchick]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Electro Box To Introduce The New miShake PMP

The new miShake PMP from Electro Box houses a Shocktronix mechanism, which allows users to change songs while shaking the player. Mind you, this is not a revolutionary feature, as we’ve already seen this Shake Control Technology on Sony Ericsson W980 Walkman devices. Still, it is refreshing to see a bulky PMP with those kind of “Samba” elements, coming up here and there. In addition to the rocking function, you can find a 2.4-inch touchscreen, an FM tuner, a microphone, a built-in speaker, miniSD card slot and 4GB of internal memory, all for the price of $240.

[mishake via gmp3]