Tag Archives: Creative

tablets

Creative’s 7-inch ZiiO Tablet To Finally Receive Android 2.2 Froyo Update

It looks like Creative is about to push out a firmware update for the latest Ziio tablet that launched in the last couple of months, with Google’s Android 2.1 OS already preloaded on board. And while we highly recommend getting a new Android tablet with Honeycomb platform installed, the 7-incher on the other hand will have an Android Froyo upgrade, coming this Friday, and another one for the 10-inch model in the next few weeks or, so. The new update looks like it will be bringing greater language compatibility, as well as new passcode options, a text-to-speech engine and external storage app installation support. And if you don’t have any plans to switch to the current Android 3.0 operating system anytime soon, you can get this update either from Creative’s website or the ZiiO Space portal, once it’s finally released.

 

[Creative]

Continue reading Creative’s 7-inch ZiiO Tablet To Finally Receive Android 2.2 Froyo Update →

tablets

Creative’s Android 2.1 ZiiO Tablet Officially Goes Live

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Creative is finally acknowledging publicly the burgeoning trend of reasonably cheap Android 2.x tablets. Although the company is best known for its wide variety of audio players, it was only a matter of time before a commercial launch of such a device (a tablet) would eventually happen – and the sonner, was probably the better! As of this week, the Koreans are finally offering their very own Android 2.1 slate, known as the ZiiO, with a 7-inch 800×400 touchscreen display on top of the lid and a LABS ZMS-08 HD processor, along with 8/16GB of storage, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, and a 1.3 megapixels camera, up front. Did we mention cheap? In that case, you should know that the 8GB version is priced at only $249.99, while its bigger brother, the 16GB flavor will cost just $20 more. Will it be a hit or miss for retailers this holiday shopping season? Only time will tell.

[Creative]

tablets

Creative Announces a 7 and 10 Inch Ziio Android Tablets

Oh look who decided to join the Android tablets bandwagon, none other than Creative. About time guys, but what’s with those sluggish resistive displays? Why aren’t we going capacitive, eh? Alright, enough with those self-proclaimed mumblings – let’s dive into the details, shall we? From the few published info, we know that there are two Ziio tablets: One at 7-inch (480 x 800) and the second with a 10-inch (1024 x 768) display – Both are running Android 2.1 platform, both are packing a ZiiLabs ZMS-08 processor, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and microSD slot. Not due out until December of 2010, the first model (7-inch) will run you for €229 (8GB) or €259 (16GB) while the second, the 10-incher, is priced at €289 (8GB) or €319 (16GB) and not a single penny more.

[Creative (1), Creative (2)]

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]

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]

Audio, Media Players, Video

Creative's ZEN X-Fi2 Devices Get Their First Firmware Update

Just when you were thinking that Creative has abandoned its X-Fi2 users in favor of the Zii EGG ones, the Asian corporation has rolled out a new firmware update, version 1.10.04, that reportedly includes some neat add-ons to Zen devices, but first and foremost fixes some responsive issues that bothered many users for quite some time. Besides that it brings games like Sudoku, new set of colorful icons, accelerometer usability (at last) and plenty items more. Download link is right in here, while a walkthrough demo was added right after the break.

creative-zenxfi2-firmware

[via DAPreview]

Continue reading Creative's ZEN X-Fi2 Devices Get Their First Firmware Update →

Audio, Media Players, Operating Systems, Video

Creative Zii EGG Prototype Finally Gets The Android Treatment

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Still in development, the Zii EGG prototype – which hopefully will go live somewhere next year – is one desirable media device we’d like to see floating around. With a 3.5-inch multi-touch display, WiFi, GPS, and 1080p HD support – it just can’t go wrong. In fact, it seems to be walking the right directions, with its mother company, Creative, choosing the Android 1.6 path, and making it look pretty promising on this new nifty portable bud. Too bad the entire UI is a bit sluggish and the integrated webcam is not exactly functional (not to mention the inaccurate signal marks at the top). Yet, it’d surely improve in the next build, we’re positive, very very positive. But ’till then, hit the jump and watch the video.

creative-zii-egg-android-

[via anythingbutipod]

Continue reading Creative Zii EGG Prototype Finally Gets The Android Treatment →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Creative Zen X-Fi2 Touchscreen PMP Announced

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While vigorously pushing the limits and thereupon, making big headlines with its latest Zii EGG capacitive-compatible prototype, it seems that Creative isn’t going to give up any of its PMP lineups in favor of new ones. On one hand, Zen’s X-Fi first edition wasn’t exactly the one player we’d get ourselves over iPod Touch or Zune HD expenses, but from the other, it looks like Zen’s new version -X-Fi2 – the company has recently announced, is more of the type we’d buy for a use. Regretfully, at this point you’ll only get a 3-inch resistive touchscreen display, but nonetheless, the new device still has a lot to offer, with Creative dropping those pesky buttons out of the top, while looks and design are cleaner and sleeker. Other than that, the list goes pretty much the same, including a microSD card slot expansion, FM tuner radio, a mic, an RSS reader that syncs with your PC and three optional storage capacities – 8GB ($129.99), 16GB ($179.99) or 32GB ($229.99) to choose from. No word about availability, but full specs list is just after the break, paired with unboxing and UI demo videos for your convenient.

[via prweb]

Continue reading Creative Zen X-Fi2 Touchscreen PMP Announced →

Audio, Media Players, Music

Creative Zii Egg Prototype Spotted In The Wild, Excitement Was Noticed Around

Turns out a staff member named DaHarder, at DAP Review website, was lucky enough to get his hands on one of the few Creative Zii EGG multimedia prototypes available in the market, and kindly shared his recent experience on two short preview videos, that can be found after the break. From his impressions, one can learn the Zii EGG machine (that Creative was just beginning to ship), boasts a 3.5-inch screen display which “compares very favorably” to Sony’s S series OLED, with “shockingly” bright and vibrant colors, while sound quality is described as “the best sounding Creative player” ever heard “and that’s without any EQ/Z-F”. Pretty exciting, isn’t it? Hit the jump to take a look.

Update1: And, in case you were looking for one more evidence that will make you believe Creative’s new prototype machine is rockin’, the good guys at AnythingButiPod have managed to put their hands, as well, on one of those Zii EGG developer editions available at the market, and posted their impressions on a clear and bright video that can be watched after the break, still with Plazma OS only rather than Android.

Update2: It’s not out yet, but Creative has just released a firmware update for the Zii EGG machine, version 92.02, which apparently adds media playback support for SD cards, along with some other cool features, including a neat 3D “clothesline”  add-on for landscape view, and a one of a kind stretching feature for browsing lists, that may influence the way we flip long screens. Hit the break to see the news.

creative-zii-egg_2

[Via DAP Review]

Continue reading Creative Zii Egg Prototype Spotted In The Wild, Excitement Was Noticed Around →

Audio, Internet, Media Players, Operating Systems, Video

Creative's Android-based Zii EGG Handheld Officially Introduced

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We’re not so sure what Creative is trying to do, and what is the final product we’re about to see in the following months, but one thing for sure, the latest Zii EGG handheld, the company has just introduced as an Android-based device, powered with the new “Plaszma” platform that was created for developers and OEMs, is really rocking our geeky brains with tons of high class features and updated specs that include a 3.5-inch 320×480 multi-touch display (Capacitive 10-point multi-gesture touch display), along with up to 32GB of internal flash memory, paired with SDHC slot (supports up to 32GB of external SDHC Card), 256MB Mobile DDR RAM (similar to the iPhone 3GS), dual cameras for video conferencing, as the front camera supports HD quality, 3-axis accelerometer, a built-in speaker, a mic, and of course, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity are also included in Creative’s “StemCell Computing” project, to let you connect with outbound entities. Other than that, this amazing machine (which you have to admit, looks exactly like an iPhone), packs X-Fi audio processing and supports OpenGL ES and HD playback with 1080p video output (via HD cable). Creative says the platform itself is “market-ready” for OEM manufacturers and can be bundled with different outfits for retail price of $400, but until we figure out whether it will be released as an mp3 player, mobile phone or other alternatives, checkout the video demo after the break.

Update1: With so much potential, stuffed into a one small device, it’s just a matter of time until we’re going to see more neat features, demonstrating the Zii EGG phenomenal specs to the world, and as for a start, hit the jump to checkout the other video, introducing the Zii, running a racing game demo, using both its accelerometer and OpenGL ES capabilities.

Update2: You know the drill, first comes the introduction, then it’s the traditional dissection, which in this case is up, courtesy of the FCC report (and not a cracking group), that every company has to pass through, to ge its productst into the US market. Hit the break to see the inside part of the Zii.

Update3: And if web surfing is something you find yourself using quite often while on the go, mind you that Creative has officially chosen Opera as the main browser inside the Zii Egg. Good or bad, it’d be up to you to decide, once the Zii gets available.

creative-zii-egg-official

[Via DAP Review]

Continue reading Creative's Android-based Zii EGG Handheld Officially Introduced →

Audio, Media Players, Video

Creative's Zen MX PMP Introduced In Japan

Creative is refreshing the lines, introducing a new Zen PMP which will go live in Japan on May 5th for ¥9,800 ($100) in case you’re into the 8GB model or ¥13,800 ($140) if 16GB will suit you better. Other than that, the Zen MX includes a 2.5-inch 320 x 240 display, a traditional SDHC expansion slot, and size that stands at 83.2 × 55 × 11.9mm, 66g. Different from previous Zen devices, this one can handle a limited codecs range, like MP3, WMA (DRM support), Audible 4, JPG, WMV, DivX and Creative’s own video-CMV format, so don’t expect miracles in this one for such a low price. On a different note, the company announces a substantial price cut in Zen X-Fi prices to make your recession just a little sweeter than it is right now — how thoughtful.

[via impress]

Audio, Media Players

Creative Goes Kiddy Style With The New Zen Moo

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Creative announces the release of the Zen Moo, a new Zen Stone mp3 player evolvement with various amusing cows design, in tribute to Chinease 2009 year of the plastic cow. The Moo version includes a small OLED screen, a microphone, an FM tuner, a tiny speaker, 2GB of memory and battery that can provide up to 20 hours of playback. Mind you, it is exlusive to China, so if you wish to have one of those funny cows, just order a ticket to Beijing and don’t forget to visit the Chinese wall.

[via imp3]

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 →

Media Players, Music

Creative To Introduce The New Zen Krystal Mp3 Player

Creative has released a new mp3 player for the Chinese market, named Zen Krystal. It looks very similar to the Stone Plus players, featuring 4GB storage capacity, small 0.7 ” monochrome OLED display (64 x 64), an FM tuner, a microphone, a pedometer, a stopwatch and basic compatibility with MP3, WMA, WMA file formats. Battery offers 10 hours of continuous play and the price stands on $87, so if you happen to visit Asia in the following weeks and need a small reliable player, it might be a good solution.

[via anythingbutipod]

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Creative Zen X-Fi Wifi Officially Introduced

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reative has officially unveiled the new Zen X-Fi PMP, coming out in Singapore at first mid-July, offering 8GB, 16GB and 32GB versions for $149.99, $199.99, $279.99 respectively. In addition, the new Zen X-Fi boasts 802.11 b/g wifi connectivity with Yahoo and MSN built-in messaging clients, a 2.5-inch LCD screen (320 × 240), an FM tuner, SD/SDHC slot expansion, 9 EQ,  9-pad keys and a speaker onboard. It will host some PDA features, including a calendar and an alarm clock and will support WMV9, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4 / 5, XviD, MP3, WMA, AAC (. M4a), WAV (ADPCM), Audible 4, JPEG file formats. Battery will be able to play 5 hours of video or 36 hours of audio, as dimensions are 83 x 55 x 12.8 mm to 68.75 g. The bundle includes a pair of EP-830 earbuds, for maximum music quality, as you listen to your favorite melodies. Moreover, Creative plans to release various accessories for the new player, like wireless TravelSound docking speaker, Silicone / Leather cases, Armbands, and more.

But wait, there’s more, Creative will offer limited edition 8GB/16GB Red Cliff versions (pictured after the break) which will include pictures of the film cast and the movie trailer preloaded – all for the same prices.

Checkout the videos and the other pictures after the break. You can read a full review in here.

creative-zen-x-fi-2 [via slashgear]

Continue reading Creative Zen X-Fi Wifi Officially Introduced →

Audio, Music

Creative Unveils The First USB 2.0 Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1

Creative announces the release of the new Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 sound card, designed for PC or notebooks. This USB 2.0 audio solution can easily enhance your audio experience and turn your music into your own personal concert or your downloaded videos into a full cinematic surround sound, thanks to the X-Fi technology that provides playback up to 24-Bit/96kHz 5.1 and CMSS-3D Surround, for maximum enjoyment. It is equipped with all needed outputs, including headphone out, RCA outputs, optical SPDIF output, microphone in and stereo line in. In addition, it supports both USB1.1 and USB2.0 interface, so if you want to upgrade your  music, games or videos by a simple USB connection, the new X-Fi Surround 5.1 can be yours for only $59.99.

Creative-X-Fi-Surround

[via newlaunches]

Media Players, News

Creative Might Face Huge Class-Action Payments Due To Hard-Drive Capacity Manipulations

If you purchased a Creative Labs MP3 player between May 5th 2001 and April 30th 2008 you might be privileged to a class-action settlement, concerning false quoted hard-drive capacity, allegedly made by Creative during this period of time. According to sources, the company has apparently deceived the customers by adding 7% more storage capacity to its media players, as real data proved different. Although Creative has never submitted an admission, it seems the company is urging for an agreement that will grant anyone who apply for the payout, to get either a 50% discount on a 1GB player or 20% off on any Creative product from their online store. Mind you, claim forms need to be submitted by August 7th, at the latest, so if you bought a player between those dates, it’s your chance to get a fair discount.

Update: Creative has lost. The company will be forced to offer the plaintiff 50% discount on a 1GB ZEN Stone mp3 player or 20% off on any Creative product from their online store.

creative-zen-32gb

[via anythingbutipod]

Media Players

Creative Zen Gets New Pinkish And Reddish Colors

Creative has decided to broaden its Zen lineup by adding new sporty colors, including pink and red. There’s no special cause behind it, just a stylish move to offer the player to customers with different flavor. Beyond that, everything else pretty much stays identical to the previous models, including the 2.5-inch TFT display (320 x 240), storage capacity – ranged from 2GB up to 32GB, SD/SDHC slot, FM radio and more. Mind you, the pink version is exclusively available in Walmart, as the red one appears at Buy.com. Checkout the full specs after the break.

Creative-ZEN-Red-Pink

[via gmp3]

Continue reading Creative Zen Gets New Pinkish And Reddish Colors →

Audio, Media Players

Creative To Release an X-FI Dock For iPods

Creative wants to extend its audio lineup, introducing the X30, an X-Fi dock, designed for the iPod players. The new device sports a remote control, an S-video or an AV-output to connect your player directly to the tele, an audio output to plug a pair of speakers, and a USB hub. Unfortunately, there are no further details, but one thing is sure, the X30 won’t support any bluetooth or wireless streaming. The dock is set to be released in Europe around April for €79 ($125).

creative-xfi-x30

[via gmp3]

General, Media Players

Creative Zen 4GB/8GB Get a Price Cut

Creative wants to increase the competition, the company has decided to cut down the prices of the Zen 4GB and 8GB models, in order to place an alternative to the costly players, and when we say “costly” we refer to iPods. The 4GB model is now $99, and the 8GB model drops to $149. That’s an impressive move that might influence other manufacturers to go all the way down with their prices.

creative-zen-32gb

[via creative]

Accessories, Video

Creative Introduces a New Webcams Lineup For Notebooks

Creative unveils 4 new Plug n Play webcams for your notebooks, with built-in microphones and a sleeky design. The new Live! Cam series includes the Notebook Pro VF0400, Notebook Pro VF0250, Notebook, and the Notebook Ultra models. The one that has captured our eyes was the Live! Cam Notebook Ultra with a true 1.3 megapixel resolution and up to 5 megapixel image capture still. The Live! Cam Notebook Ultra supports a Wide-Angle Precision Lens, smooth full-motion 30fps digital video streams, a Smart Face Tracking function, 240 degrees swivel rotation, a strong PowerGrip to fit your lappy, a special effects add-on, and a hands-free stereo headset in the bundle, to speak with your friends on Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and other compatible messaging services. If you like the new Live! Cam Notebook Ultra, like we do, you can get yours for merely $120.

Creative-Live!Cam-Ultra

[via Creative]

Media Players, Music

New Creative Zen Stone & Stone Plus Get A Speaker

Creative released a new line of Zen Stone and Stone Plus MP3 players, equipped with a built-in speaker and encrusted with aluminum body. From what we read, the external speaker is surprisingly good, though it has a limited range. Like the previous Stone players, the new line includes an OLED screen, FM tuner and a microphone. Price is set for $60 to Stone Plus models with a screen and $50 to those without one.

zen-stone

[via gmp3]

General

Creative Zen 32GB Goes Live

                   creative-zen-32gb

Finally, after months of expectations, the new Zen 32GB is available for customers, incidentally on Xmas time. This credit card-sized player comes with 2.5″ screen and plays music, videos and photos.

specifications:

  • Display: 2.5″ TFT 16.7 million colors (320 x 240 pixels).
  • Audio: MP3, WMA, WAV, Audible 2/3/4.
  • Video: WMV9, transcode MPEG2, MPEG4, DivX and XviD.
  • Pictures: JPEG, transcode GIF, TIFF, PNG and BMP.
  • Features: SD slot card, FM radio, Voice recorder and more.
  • Battery Life: 30 hours audio, 5 hours video.
  • Size:3.26″ x 2.16″ x 0.44″.

Price: $349.99

[via engadget]