Filed under: Portable Audio

Usually when you see a ridiculously overpriced item on Amazon it’s the result of a glitch in their system, but if you happen to come across an MP3 player with a $20,000 pricetag, you’ll know that you’ve landed on the pre-order page for TrekStor’s i.beat organix Gold edition. That’s right folks, the same gold-plated (18 karat), diamond-encrusted (62 one-karat bits of ice) 1GB DAP once commissioned by a Russian-Canadian billionaire (and cheekily tagged with the term “waste of money”) can now be yours for the price of a pimped-out Honda Civic or down payment on your first home — although interested parties better hurry, as this is a limited edition item, and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. The perfect companion gadget for your Goldvish cellphone, the organix Gold edition features all the amenities you’d expect from a multi-thousand dollar player, including ample codec support (MP3, WMA, WAV, ASF, and OGG), an “extremely sharp” two-color OLED display, and an FM tuner with 16 presets and built-in station search. While we’re mighty tempted to take out a loan and pick one of these up ourselves, an Amazon “reviewer” perhaps put it best when he/she dryly noted that “I’ve heard that TrekStor will soon be introducing a 4GB model for under $30,000. I’m going to wait.” Smart move, intrepid Amazonian, although if you wait too long, you may not qualify for the FREE Super Saver Shipping available on this 1GB version. Decisions, decisions.

[Via I4U News]

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Filed under: Laptops, Portable Audio

In a move that will be seen as gracious by some, extortionist by others, Apple has offered to pay a New Jersey woman an undisclosed sum to rebrand a laptop bag she sells so that it no longer includes the word “pod” — but not before reminding her in a letter that she was in potential violation of the closely-guarded iPod trademark. Until recently, Medford Lakes resident Terry Wilson had been selling her protective case under the name “TightPod,” which as we all learned from the ugly little Profit Pod incident, is dangerously diluting the brand significance of Apple’s cash cow. Unlike the electronic Profit Pod, however — which Apple referred to as “a small, flat, round corned rectangular device with a display screen” — we can’t see all that many people confusing a furry computer case with the world’s most recognizable audio player. Still, you gotta do what you gotta do to proactively protect your brand, we suppose, so we’re just waiting by the mailbox to receive a big fat check that will allow us to begin the long, painful process of rebirthing the Engadget Podcast as the Engadget Zencast.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Well, well, well — it seems that Toshiba’s been up to more in the portable media space lately than just helping Microsoft out with the Zune manufacturing. In fact, ole Tosh has been working on a DTV-less version of its Japanese OneSeg-capable 30GB V30T; shake off the TV tuner, and you’ve got America’s own MEV30K. This model borrows many of its features from the popular S series — including Microsoft’s Portable Media Center software, WMV9, WMV10, and PlaysForSure video playback, plus support for MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, WAV, and Windows DRM 9 / 10 audio files — but, like the V30T, tosses what will probably be some well-received spec bumps into the mix. Besides the addition of a built-in speaker, the main changes here involve screen size and battery life: the V30K sports a 3.5-inch TFT LCD (compared to the 2.5-incher on the S, though both share the same QVGA resolution) and promises up to 8 hours of video or 25 hours of audio playback on a full charge (as opposed to the meager 2.5 and 12 hour lifespans for video and audio, respectively, on the S). We’re sure that there are more than few people interested in this stamina-filled $400 Gigabeat, so the good news is that pre-ordering begins today through Crutchfield and Amazon, though a nationwide rollout is not expected until sometime in October. Let the iPod comparisons commence!

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

So Acer’s upcoming MP-340 PMP doesn’t really hold a candle to the last media player we saw from the company — it’s pretty sparse in the video codec department and has a smaller, lower-resolution screen — but on the plus side, it’s infinitely more pocketable and probably a whole lot cheaper. Unlike the MP-500 which preceded it, this model’s got just a 1.8-inch, 160 x 128 TFT display (a little too small for extended viewing sessions, in our opinion) and only supports H.264-formatted video; however, you’re still getting a 20GB hard drive, MP3, WMA, and WMA DRM compatibility, along with voice recording and the obligatory JPEG photo playback. Also on board are an SD slot for a little expansion action, two headphone jacks for sharing that tiny screen with a friend, a 10-hour rechargeable battery (with the screen off, of course) and a number of preloaded games, including everyone’s new favorite, Sudoku. Since this model is officially debuting at IFA in Germany next month, pricing and availability are still a closely guarded secret, but if you happen to be in Berlin from the 1st through the 6th, try to stop by the Acer booth and smooth talk that info out of the booth babes company reps for us.

[Via MobileWhack]

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Filed under: Digital Cameras, Portable Audio, Portable Video

You’d think that we would have heard of a company that’s made (or perhaps rebadged) literally hundreds of DAPs and PMPs since 2004, but until we came across the swivel-screen M790, we’d never caught wind of a Chinese manufacturer called Newman. Most of its products are simply cookie-cutter devices that resemble so many of the other products we’ve featured on these pages, but the M790’s unique design and large-ish 2.5-inch screen convinced us to give it another look. As with many foreign products of its ilk, this DAP’s exact specs are a little hard to come by, but we do know that it sports a QVGA resolution, built-in speakers, a camera of some undetermined pixel count (machine translation pegs it as a 20 megapixel shooter, but frankly we’re a bit suspect), and support for MP3, WMA, JPEG, and unspecified video files. Storage on this one is a paltry 512MB (expandable through the SD / MMC slot), but that’s just as well, as it’ll take a pretty long time to load up even that amount of data over the sluggish USB 1.1 connection. Also along for the ride are your typical assortment of dictionaries, games, voice recording, audio line-in, and the all important timekeeping functionality. It seems like you can pick up the M790 sometime this month (maybe even right now!), but it’s obviously not available in the US, so factor in the cost of a plane ticket to China along with however many yuan this happens to be retailing for.

[Via Anything But iPod]

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Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Transportation, Wireless

So Sirius just held a little party for its upcoming crop of devices, and besides the anticipated Stiletto 100 portable receiver we already knew about, the company also introduced the WiFi-less $249 Stiletto 10 (whose name should indicate its recording capacity) along with four new universal plug-and-play radios in the vein of the Sportster. Speaking of the Sportster, the first new model happens to be a stripped-down version of the Sportster4, with the $120 Sportster3 (pictured after the break) “sporting” all the same features as its big brother minus that handy 44-minute Replay functionality. Replay can still be found, however, in the new Starmate4 (pictured above, also $120) — though not in the “lower-end,” $100 Starmate3 — both of which feature extra-large displays and are obviously new iterations of the original Starmate. Finally we have the brand new Stratus (anyone else getting overloaded with “S”es here?), which at only $60 is the cheapest of the bunch, and seems to cut corners in the areas of both design and accessories (no remote or vehicle dock, for instance). All the plug-and-play radios are compatible with the new generation of home and car docks and boomboxes, and the entire family of new products will be released gradually throughout the months of September and October.

Read- Starmates, Sportster, and Stratus
Read- Stilettos [Via Orbitcast]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Speaking of unholy abominations, Sony decided to take some design tips from their own PSP, functionality from the OQO, usage scenarios from Nokia’s 770 (and a wee dash dash of inspiration from Ixi’s OGO), and mash it up all together into a single device: the mylo. The name refers to “my life online,” ahem, which we assume probably has a little something to do with the Sony’s old school MYLO / My Life Online, a wireless service Sony launched launched at PC Expo 2001 “to offer mobile users an original and personalized way to access information and entertainment content for work and play.” (Yeah, that’s specific.) This blast from the past now takes shape as a $350 WiFi-centric handheld features a slide-up 2.4-inch screen, VoIP capabilities via Skype, web access, media playback capabilities, 1GB flash, and a Memory Stick slot — just think of it as a UX180P, you know, for kids.

[Thanks to Eric and everyone who sent this in]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

If RCA’s new M5000 series of DAPs look familiar, then you’ve got a good eye: we’ve seen the exact same models before branded as the MSI P610 and Packard Bell Vibe 360. Therefore the feature sets on the 1GB M5001 and 2GB M5002 should come as no surprise, with both models sporting a 1.8-inch color screen capable of AVI and MOV video playback, line-in / voice / FM radio recording, and support for MP3, WMA, and PlaysForSure audio tracks. Those of you who’ve been kicking yourselves for passing over the MSI and Packard Bell can pick up the M5001 immediately for around $130, while the M5002 still seems to be lacking both pricing and release info.

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Read- M5002
[Via DAPreview]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it seems like Korean manufacturer iOPS has mad love for almost all of the major DAP makers on the market. Having already taken design cues from Samsung’s YP-U1 and Apple’s iPod mini — they actually got sued for that one — it looks like the company now has its sights set on the iRiver Clix with its latest offering, the BlueQ. Formerly known as the Q18, this model sports a 1.8-inch, 262,000-color screen, up to 4GB of flash storage capacity, and most impressively, Bluetooth support for wireless enjoyment of your tunes or 30fps vids. Expect to see the BlueQ in stores sometime in mid-August for an unknown price, but probably not in the US. Watch out Sandisk and Creative — we hear that iOPS’ engineers just got their hands on a Sansa and Zen V.

[Via DAPreview, photo courtesy of popco]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Sanyo’s got a new digital audio player poised to drop on the Japanese market, though it’ll mainly be of interest to folks with a couple of extra SD cards laying around, as the DMP-M400SD contains neither a hard drive nor any flash memory. What you are getting with this latest member of the Diply Music line is a pendant-style device sporting a backlit screen that supports MP3 files as well as WMA tracks with or without DRM. Clearly stressing size over features, the M400SD is pretty lean when it comes to extras; in fact, besides acting as a USB mass storage device, there’s really nothing that makes it stand out from the crowd — especially the rather ho-hum 12-hour battery life. If this still sounds like an attractive option to you, then $60 is all it will take to pick one of these up when they’re released on the first of next month.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

If we didn't know any better we might say LG's new MFFM20 smacks of a little post-Rio-inspired design, spiced with a dash of Sony n' Ilo. Wherever this 512MB or 1GB device got its asymmetrical design cues from, the little shiny OLEDtastic player supports PlaysForSure, and has a 20 hour battery life. Not much else to see here, as expected, but for those whose eyes it caught, know that it appears to be heading for Euro release before landing ashore in the US -- that is, if it ever heads here.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

From the looks of it our own Stephen Speicher was on to something in his latest edition of The Clicker. We've received word from a trusted insider (no, not Mr. Speicher) that the shape everyone's been expecting the Zune to take may not be the approach most people (including us) assumed. Here's what we learned:

• The Zune name isn't being kicked around with Microsoft; so as far as we know that's still a project codename, but probably will not be the device's final title. This is no surprise.
• Microsoft's forthcoming portable will not use Microsoft's established media platforms. This includes Windows Media, Windows Media Player, URGE, PlaysForSure DRM, and probably also Portable Media Center. Instead it will use its own software, music store, and DRM that will be incompatible with all the major stores, systems, and device out there right now. Yes, this will piss off the industry (and some of the Microsoft faithful) to no end.
  
• Due to this approach, the system is being referred to as the "Integrated Experience." This, we can assume, is not going to be positioned as the final name for the device, but the implications of the description and MO are clear.
  
• It will be wireless and not flash-based, so large storage capacities are to be expected; wireless music trading is an important part of the device's feature set and marking presence. This we all already knew.
  
• All this information does not conflict with information we've received from our other trusted sources.

We know, we know, this raises more questions than it answers. When Microsoft has already invested millions in establishing their software and DRM platforms, hooking up with huge names like Napster, Yahoo, Real, and MTV, and encouraging hardware partners to get Microsoft-centric devices on the market, now they're going to throw all that away and compete with everyone else (and themselves)? Well, the answer is very simple. In order to fight fire with fire against Apple, it's obvious a music service + device ecosystem like what Microsoft offers now can't compare to the user experience of an incredibly tight vertical integration. Microsoft can't take on the iPod without taking on its own platforms and partners -- they have to fight fire with fire.

If J. Allard and his crew at Microsoft really are behind this project, these details make perfect sense. The corporate culture of the company is such that Allard's team is expected to work outside the confines of Microsoft's typical boundaries, which might otherwise hinder the company getting a foothold in previously unentered markets. Does anyone actually think the Xbox 360 is anything like the normal Microsoft product and marketing experience? No. But it's definitely shaping up so Microsoft's media player is going to be more media player than Microsoft.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Watch out Apple and Nike, because Sony’s got a new set of Network Walkmen waiting in the wings that pack a pedometer right into the players themselves, eliminating the need for a separate kit and expensive pair of sneakers. Although it doesn’t sound like the cigar-shaped, 2GB NW-S205F and 1GB NW-S203F will offer the same online experience as you’d find at the Nikeplus website, you’re still getting calorie, step, and distance counter functionality right out of the box, along with a stopwatch and FM tuner — plus an armband to keep everything secure. The nano still holds the edge in screen quality — and capacity, obviously — as the new Sonys sport but a one-line OLED display. Pricing here is pretty attractive, with the black S205F and silver S203F going for $150 and $120, respectively, when they hit stores in either September or October.

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Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio

Among the copious quantities of accessories available for Apple’s DAP, the DIY creations just seem to rock our world. The latest invention to surface, dubbed the I-Deck, is a fusion of old school and new, sure to impress even the most creative gadgeteers or 19th century aristocrats. Don’t confuse this gramophone-record player hybrid with that other i-deck iPod dock; this elaborate sound system provides functionality even we find refreshing. Aside from pumping tunes through the fixated mono speaker, the I-Deck’s LCD turntable displays the album art of the current track while doubling as an enlarged iPod scroll-wheel to let that inner DJ kick out the jams. Although this isn’t available to the masses (yet), we think creator Michael Kennedy has masterminded quite the show-stopper sure to rope in all manner of retro-futurist nerds.

[Via TechDigest]

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Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio, Wearables

Even if the the Nike+iPod Sport Kit were inaccurate, unintuitive, and uncomfortable to wear — which it doesn’t seem to be — the handful of reviews we’ve read so far all agree that it possesses at least one attribute that might still make it a worthy purchase: it actually motivated the reviewers to run harder and more often than normal. Fortunately for people who also like their gear to function properly, the wireless pedometer cum personal trainer sounds like it does indeed perform as advertised, offering runners and joggers an easy setup, useful mid-workout statistics and updates, and perhaps most helpfully, a polished online interface to plot one’s progress against personal goals or compare esoteric stats with exercise enthusiasts around the world. There are a few downsides here, though, not the least of which is the fact that this is basically a disposable product; the non-rechargeable, non-replaceable battery will supposedly crap out after about 1,000 miles or a year of regular use (and that’s assuming you remember to reach into your stinky shoes and turn off the transmitter after each run). You’ll also have to shell out for a new armband to secure your nano, as most currently available options (except for those from Nike, of course) won’t hold the combination of iPod plus wireless receiver. Overall, it doesn’t seem like the kit alone is compelling enough to encourage more folks to snatch up a nano, but if you already own one of these diminutive DAPs, it’s a cheap way to give it some extra functionality — especially if you forgo the special pair of $100+ Nike sneakers for a quick and easy DIY mod to your current kicks.

Read- Cnet
Read- Shiny Shiny
Read- Tewks

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

Reader Matt Z. spotted yet another PSP knockoff in the wild, this one at a computer show in Pittsburgh. C’mon, guys, if you’re gonna have the nerve to copy a product’s name along with its design, at least take the time to get the logo right.

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Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio

Even though most FM transmitters barely have enough signal strength to reach the head unit of your car, a post-World War II-era English law that's still on the books has made these devices illegal for Brits to own and operate, as they could possibly interfere with other, legal broadcasts in some sort of Bizarro world. Well now it looks like the UK's Office of Communications, or Ofcom, has finally wised up and is poised to give the transmitters an exemption from 1949's Wireless Telegraphy Act (geez, even its name is antiquated), which currently threatens scofflaw music lovers with up to two years in prison. Ofcom is holding a "public consultation" on the matter until September, so if you're British and sick of being unable to share your Spice Girls and Gnarls Barkley tracks with pedestrians and other motorists, speak up and let your voice be heard.

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Portable Audio

Now that you can actually go out and purchase a Nike+iPod Sport Kit, you're probably wondering what exactly it is that you're getting with this package, so iLounge was kind enough to snap some photos of the unboxing process and post a few screenshots of the new menu options that will show up on your nano. Feature-wise, there's really nothing here that we didn't know already, though we did learn some more details about the kit's integration with the Nikeplus website -- besides tracking your workout statistics and long-term progress, you can also compare your performance with runners much better than yourself, providing you with an incentive to either work harder or try your hand at another sport. Also worth noting is the fact that the kit will definitely not work with any iPod other than the nano, and your device must sport the latest firmware in order to recognize the adapter. Keep reading to scope out a few of the menu screens, head over to iLounge for the full rundown, and stay tuned for a roundup as reviews start trickling out...

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Filed under: Portable Audio

UK DAB enthusiasts now have yet another way to listen to those sweet digital broadcasts on-the-go thanks to a new portable radio from Genus; and as if that alone weren't exciting enough, the so-called SLM also includes an FM tuner and SD slot for rocking out to MP3s. Actually, there's really nothing here that we haven't seen before from manufacturers like Pure Digital and MPeye, but it can never hurt to have another product on the market driving down prices, right? One feature you're not getting with this unit -- besides the inability to record OTA programming -- is DRM support, so if you want to load up your PlaysForSure- or FairPlay-protected tracks, you'll need to strip out the copy protection with one of those handy pieces of software first (not that we'd ever encourage that sort of behavior, of course). It looks like you can pick up the OLED-equipped SLM right away from either Curry's or directly through Genus, and at $182, it's pretty reasonably priced -- though you'll have to shell out more loot if you're in need of a blank SD card for storing tunes.

[Via Shiny Shiny]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Either Microsoft has never had a Super Bowl commercial, or they’ve wasted some serious cash on mega-expensive advertising that no one — at least not at Engadget HQ, anyway — can seem to recall being aired in recent memory. Looks like that could soon change though; amidst all this hype about the Zune / Argo / Xboy / Microsoft portable media player / whatever the hell it’s called, we’ve received word that Microsoft may be taking this effort all the way to the end zone. According to Digital Music News, the Zune could be starring in a Super Bowl XLI commercial in 2007, which would, of course display the company’s commitment to the project initiative — as well as giving it the kiss of death. Remember what happened to the last prominently placed portable media player to get some Super Bowl commercial action? Yeah, barely, right?

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Well, the info’s finally starting to come in about Microsoft’s wireless media player; the project, dubbed Argo, will apparently spawn at very least one device, which we saw yesterday. By way of our trusted sources we now know the device is currently dubbed Zune — though we don’t know whether that name will stick — and we’ve got ourselves a product logo (shown above). We also understand that Zune to Zune wireless song transfer – a PlaysForSure feature currently highlighted in the MusicGremlin — is said to be a prominent aspect of the device’s development, and in addition to the white shade we saw yesterday, we can expect a complement of colors to be available at or near launch. Oh, and apparently the Zune will have a brushed metal back with an engraved logo, not unlike the you-know-what. More to come, folks.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

So it’s starting to look like those leaked pictures we saw last month supposedly depicting an unannounced 8GB flash player from SanDisk are the real deal. You’ll recall that an Anything But iPod forum member claiming to be a SanDisk tester posted a shot of what’s generally referred to as the Sansa e280, and now the eagle-eyed editors over at ABi have discovered even more tantalizing clues on the company’s website. The most telling bit of evidence comes when you launch the 360-degree demos for either the 4GB e260 or 2GB e250, which instead of featuring the players’ respective capacities on the backside, show a model clearly adorned with an “8GB”  label — see the screenshot, right. Furthermore, the entire Sansa lineup is being hit with price cuts, which could be an indication that a product launch is imminent. If SanDisk is in fact able to get this model to market before Apple breaks us off with an 8GB nano — aluminum enclosure and all — it would seem to do more for the company’s market share than a negative advertising campaign ever could.

[Via Anything But iPod]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Chinese ripoff artist DAP manufacturer Yue Qi knows that not everyone has $200 laying around to throw down on an iRiver Clix/U10, which is why the company thoughtfully stole licensed the popular design for its similar-looking LUCKYee LY-PM06. Even more amazing than the $50 and $62 pricetags for the 512MB and 1GB versions, respectively, is the fact that Yue Qi's managed to enhance the video playback from 15fps to 25fps, which had been one of the few knocks against the real Clix. Overall, we see a bright future for this fiery young firm- with its crack team of engineers, dirt cheap prices, and no need for a design team, it's not clear how Apple, SanDisk, and friends will be able to compete.

[Via DAPreview]

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

Some more details have leaked out about Microsoft's unannounced-but-well-known WiFi-enabled digital music player that shed some light on its role in Microsoft's overall home entertainment strategy -- though you'll still have to deal with that blurry pic for now. According to sources cited by The Seattle Times, the upcoming DAP is only one of several offerings that will be part of a larger lineup of Xbox-branded products, which will also include Microsoft's upcoming online media service -- the one that will dupe all your iTunes tracks for free -- and a dedicated software media player. Codenamed Project Argo, this initiative is said to be spearheaded by Xbox co-founder J Allard, and is rumored to support the so-called XNA toolkit for allowing developers to easily port games to multiple platforms -- possibly setting the stage for that heavily-rumored Xbox2Go . There's not too much here that we didn't already know, but it's becoming increasingly clear that Redmond has a definite battle plan for waging war against Apple and others in your living room, and that the company is starting to make good on its promise of turning the 360 into a true digital hub.

[Via Joystiq]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

RCA-parent Thomson announced three new MP3 players for the European market today, along with a 30GB PMP called the X3030E, which should look quite familiar because it’s just a re-badge of the Lyra X3030 that we covered a few months back. First up is the 6GB EH306, also known as the Black Diamond, which is a nano-like device sporting a 1.5-inch color OLED display, MP3, WMA, WMV, and MPEG-4 file support, fifteen hours of battery life, and that old standby, the FM tuner — all for around $320 when it hits stores in October. Next we have the Lyra EM2600 (pictured), a 512MB or 1GB flash-based model which is basically a color version of the RD2312 we spotted at CES 2005, and which will cost $100 or $126 depending on capacity. Bringing up the rear is arguably the hottest model of all, a little waif of a DAP known as the EM2802. With this one you’re getting the same color screen and codecs as the EH306, but in a much smaller package and in capacities of either 1GB or 2GB — which will go for $165 and $216, respectively, upon their November launch. You’ve already seen the EM2600; now keep reading to check out all the other upcoming devices…

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