Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Video, Wearables

Apparently snapping shots on a whim to tell your life story just isn’t good enough these days, as folks are writing scripts to take unplanned photos of their groggy faces and strapping head-mountable cameras to their skulls in hopes of producing the next worldwide YouTube hit. Jumping on the “record everything, everywhere” bandwagon is PMP-producer Archos, and its aptly-named Helmet Camcorder gives you on-the-go recording ability that reportedly plays nice with the company’s 404, 504, 604 and 604 WiFi units. The “plug-in mini-cam” records directly to MPEG4 and sports a built-in microphone / remote to somewhat control the insanity, and can presumably be channeled instantly to your Archos PMP or transferred to your PC via USB 2.0 for future editing. The company claims “DVD quality” (640 x 480 resolution) results from the 0.25-inch Sony Super HAD CCD, and the entire webcam gets its juice from the mighty Archos device that it’s plugged into. So if you still haven’t gotten around to using your PMP for television recording, you can make a few comedies of your own this winter for just $149.99.

[Via Tech Digest]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

So, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen or heard from the Archos 604 WiFi, that new wireless-enabled portable media player may well put the Zune to shame. Well, we’re here to give you some happy news — according to TechWeb, this bundle of sexiness will be released in US in the next fortnight. To review, the Archos 604 WiFi is loaded up with a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 touchscreen, a version of the Opera browser, and Windows file sharing; so gather up your cash over the next two weeks, as this will likely drop for something in the neighborhood of $500.

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wireless

So Archos is getting into the WiFi PMP game. With as much buzz as devices like the Zune and the eternally unconfirmed wireless iPod get, you’d think it’s the absolute holy grail of the PMP. But in truth you need some spankin’ good software to back up the 802.11, or you’re just wasting a chip. From the looks of the documentation of the Archos 604 WiFi, they’ve at least got it half right. The new version, which we spotted last week, includes not only 802.11b/g connectivity, but replaces the 4.3-inch 480 x 272 screen with a touchscreen version. As reported, they’ve packed in an Archos-specific version of the Opera browser, making the device much more akin to Nokia’s 770 tablet than the Zune. Along with tabbed browsing and other touchscreen-based perks, the new 604 has full-fledged Windows file sharing capabilities, and seemingly robust WiFi connection tools. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any snazzy WiFi-based sync, sharing or purchasing capabilities — all main selling points of the Zune — so the verdict is still out on how successful this could actually be. Still, we’re definitely willing to give it a once over, and a harmless little cage-match-to-the-death between it and our 770 shouldn’t go too far amiss. Keep reading for a few pics of the WiFi in action.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

This morning, across the pond, Archos had a press conference where they presented the rest of Generation 4 of its personal media players. Those lucky French got the first crack at the latest three additional Archos models, the 404 Camcorder, the 504, and the 604 WiFi. So here are the deets: the Archos 404 Camcorder (359€) is your 404, but armed with a 1.3 MP camera and will be able to take 640 x 480 MPEG-4 videos and save them to its 30GB drive (remind you of anything?). The 504 (399€ – 699€), essentially the same unit as the 604 with its 4.3 inch screen, but it comes in 40, 80 or 160GB sizes, and packs a bigger punch too. The 504 is both thinner (22mm) and has a better battery life, up to 17 hours of audio or five hours of video. Which brings us to the 604 WiFi (499€): same as the 604, except with touchscreen capability (either with its stylus or your fingertips). It’s designed to last for 16 hours of audio, five hours of video, and four hours of WiFi, using the Opera-based browser. According to Henri Crohas, president of Archos, the 604 WiFi will soon be compatible with IPTV. Archos also demoed some of its accessories, including the DVR Station, which turns your Archos PMP into a mini-TiVo for the cost of a cool Baroque bridge (i.e. 100€). In addition, it announced a Docking Adapter and DVR Travel Adapter for 29€ and 49€ respectively. Archos seems to raise its own bar each time it comes out with one of these — we can’t wait to get our hands on ‘em.

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wireless

Not too many surprises here — after all, we’ve already seen a full review of one of these new models — but now PMP pioneer Archos has officially taken the wraps off of all the so-called Generation 4 devices we initially spotted over two months ago. First out of the gate will be the 3.5-inch 404 and 4.3-inch 604 media players whose specs and performance have gradually been revealed over the last few weeks, and all we really had wrong about the two thirty giggers was their prices: the former will go for $300 while the latter will set you back $350 when they ship next month (though pre-orders are already being taken). Coming later in the year will be a version of the 404 with an integrated camcorder as well as a touchscreen, wireless-enabled iteration of the 604 (for downloading internet content), and like all the Gen4 models, these will require a separate DVR docking station in order to record content from and playback content to external sources and monitors. Last but certainly not least is the surprisingly capacious 160GB 504 (we originally thought it would sport only a 40GB HDD), although at this point Archos is keeping mum on such deets as screen size, pricing, and availability. All-in-all a very exciting new crop of PMPs, and like previous products from the company, these will likely continue to be the media players against which all other competitors are judged.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

It appears that Archos has got this portable media player gig down pat, as the 30GB 604, unveiled as an affordable replacement for the well-received AV500, has done quite a commendable job building itself a bit of buzz. Rather than altering too much of a good thing, Archos decided to just tweak the 604, adding several meaningful extras while removing a few advanced features in order to get that price tag down to near-bargain basement levels. The folks over at CNET were able to get some face time with the new PMP, and in similar fashion to its predecessor, received an excellent rating. Although the 604 isn’t the most pocket-friendly unit reviewers had seen, they felt that increasing the screen size from 4.0 to 4.3-inches (and improving its durability / performance) was well worth it. The brushed metal look must have really struck a chord as well, as this sexy sidekick was touted as being “pretty hot” in regards to its design. One feature that definitely made the review crew sweat was the nifty kickstand, something sorely absent on the AV500 (and its “main competitor,” the Cowon A2). The controls and well-developed GUI left a very positive impression, and its ability to play back all types of media ranging from AVI, MPEG-4, PlaysForSure WMA and WMV, MP3, and WAV garnered even more praise. But, as expected, not everything was entirely peachy, as those looking to record video / audio right out of the box won’t find the tools they need. Archos apparently made a purposeful omission and left the DVR gear as an optional accessory, just in case some folks didn’t want to pony up the extra $100 for the at-home convenience. It was noted that the unit performed well when paired up with the Archos DVR Station, and the staff was more than satisfied with the 14+ hours of audio / 4 hours of video use reportedly on tap via the removable battery. If you haven’t caught the drift at this point, here’s the skinny: the Archos 604 is a worthy update to the respectable AV500, and if you’re looking to snap up a PMP (and maybe add recording capabilities down the road), it’s not a bad way at all to spend $350.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Archos is no stranger to the portable audio player market, and while we’ve known about its 104 for some time now, PCMag has finally given it a good once over in the testing lab. Apparently designed to compete with other miniaturized devices like the iPod mini / nano and Cowon iAudio 6, the 104 sports a 4GB hard drive, 1.5-inch OLED display, and an enclosure that’s about twice as thick (though just as tall) as the nano. Available in black, silver, or pink, the relatively bare-bones DAP didn’t have a whole lot to showcase aside from its decent design. Reviewers noted that controls and menus were simple, yet effective at navigating through libraries, and did allow bookmarking to keep your place in those lengthy audiobooks. The inability to play any flavor of lossless format was a bit of a letdown, and although its “playlisting functions” were said to be “excellent,” the included headphones were anything but. The unit took some serious criticism when the review team attempted to view pictures on the color display, and found the results to be “terrible,” as “jaggies” distorted every photo they tried, even turning attractive faces into “scary sights.” The biggest dig, however, came from the lackluster battery life — by keeping the tunes rolling for only 11 hours, 50 minutes under “normal listening conditions,” it fell several hours of short of expectations. The so-so player earned a well-deserved “average” rating, as the lack of extras (like an FM tuner) and poor display / battery performance really put a damper on things. But if your primary interest is keeping it simple, and you don’t mind finding a charging port every 12 hours or so, you can snag the Archos 104 for a very competitive $159.99.

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Archos launched its 404, 504 and 604 players a month ago, and now here’s a bit of information about its upcoming 700 TV model, a fine-looking porto-player that promises over-the-air digital television using the Freeview format. It’s equipped with a 4.3-inch screen, WiFi, GPS and a cellular modem. Maybe all that connectivity is why the thing needs four ugly antennas sticking out the back; we’re hoping that’s just a preproduction model.

In the company’s “Investor Kit”, there are some intriguing technologies, including a digital video recording docking station into which you can place this 700 TV player, resulting in an MPEG-4 TV recorder for your time shifting enjoyment. The docking station can also record video from a satellite-based PVR-equipped set-top box. However, talk is cheap. These products aren’t available yet, and the company didn’t say when they would be. – Charlie White

Q2 Investor Kit [Archos]

Filed under: GPS, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wireless

In a refreshing change of pace from the frustrating veil of secrecy under which most consumer electronics companies keep their future plans, Archos has done us all a big favor and posted a roadmap highlighting some of the technologies we can expect to see in its upcoming devices. Most prominently featured in this so-called investor kit is one of the models we spotted in a Swiss catalog last month, which is now starting to look very much like the ultimate PMP: besides a 30GB hard drive and 4.3-inch screen, it seems the 504 will also sport the always-popular docking cradle, along with WiFi, GPS, and even a 3.5G cellular modem for pulling in Internet TV broadcasts and direct downloading of purchased content. We also saw what looks like a revised version of the AV 700 called the AV 700 TV (pictured), which appears to have no less than four antennas sticking out of the top for tuning into Freeview and presumably other OTA digital TV formats. Keep your eyes peeled, video fans, because it sounds like Archos is really planning to shake things up this year by packing in more connectivity options than anyone else on the market -- and that's just fine with us.

[Thanks, Bray]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

A trio of new PMPs from Archos have been popping up around the web courtesy of a snapshot from the Trois Suisses winter catalog, but details are still scarce as all that's known about these models comes from the little big of information we can glean from the included French description. Making matters even more confusing is the fact that the so-called 604, with its 10.9-centimeter screen and 30GB hard drive, appears to cost about $130 more than the $500 504 which has the same screen but 10GB greater capacity -- although its seemingly slimmer design may account for some of the disparity. Meanwhile, the 404 sports an identical drive to the 604, but only an 8.8-centimeter screen, and is supposedly priced at $440. Both 30GB models are said to be scheduled for a July release, while the 504 should be available in August, but we'll do our best to get specs on these before then, because we like knowing about stuff before anyone else does.

[Via GenerationMP3]

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