October 8th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
It’s been a long wait since we first saw iriver hint at the SPINN way back at CES in January, but the flash player is finally shipping — just a few days late. Our full hands-on impressions are on the way, but there’s no denying that iriver has caught our eye with this distinctive player. 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen, unique spin controls and that traditional iriver eye for design make this thing potentially worth the hefty $250 (4GB) and $290 (8GB) asking prices — though we have a few issues with long-term usability we’ll need to hash out. It’ll be available at iriverinc.com, Amazon.com, J&R and B&H online stores, though iriver’s seems to be the only one with it live just yet.
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Posted in iriver, shipping, spinn, iriver spinn, IriverSpinn | No Comments »
September 29th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio
If you’ve been tickled or otherwise delighted by the sheer cuteness of iriver’s little Mplayer in its multi-colored, gold, or pink-bow variations, this one might send you through the roof. The company has introduced a new riff on its Disney-branded music machine, and it’s dubbed the “Mplayer eyes.” The device comes sporting ten LED “eyes” (naturally), 2GB of storage, and can be picked up for around $50 in light pink and baby blue. Of course, the player — which was shown off at this year’s IFA — is only available in Korea right now, but with looks like these, we have a feeling you’ll be importing. [Warning: read link is in Korean]
[Via Akihabara News]
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Posted in dap, mp3 player, Mp3Player, disney, iriver, mplayer, mplayer eyes, MplayerEyes | No Comments »
September 29th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
If you’ve been seriously jonesing for a viable and attractive alternative to Apple’s iPod offerings, you may just be in luck. According to iriver, the geek-lust SPINN PMP will be available — and shipping — on October 3rd in both 4GB ($249.99) and 8GB ($289.99) varieties. In case you’re unclear on the specs, the unique widescreen device sports a 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 AMOLED display, support for MP3, WMA, OGG, APE, FLAC, AVI, and WMV (amongst other) files, FM tuner, and Bluetooth 2.0. Of course, the devices are destined for XP / Vista setups, and don’t feature any of that fancy wireless connectivity users are likely getting used to — but then again, they certainly don’t look like other players on the market.
[Via Pocketables]
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Posted in pmp, dap, media player, MediaPlayer, mp3 player, Mp3Player, pre-order, iriver, dvp, preorder, spinn, pre order | No Comments »
September 25th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio
Well it took three years, but Rockbox 3.0 has finally made it on the scene, with a major overhaul in the sound decoding department and support for several new players. This open source firmware replacement is chock full of tasty new features, including codec support for over 15 formats like FLAC and Ogg, 5-band parametric EQ, MPEG video, multilingual interface, Doom and a pile of other games, not to mention freedom from iTunes. Oh yeah, and it can talk to you via a spoken interface — which comes in handy for not driving off bridges and what not. iPod, iriver, Sansa, iAudio, Gigabeat and Archos models are all supported, though Archos didn’t get many of the major 3.0 improvements like expanded codecs.
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Posted in ipod, gigabeat, mp3 player, Mp3Player, mp3, firmware, iriver, sansa, archos, iaudio, rockbox, Rockbox 3.0, Rockbox3.0 | No Comments »
August 29th, 2008 by
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Portable Video
iriver came to IFA with the usual collection of concept gear we crave. Unlike other manufacturers, iriver usually brings its prototypes to market, eventually, so you’ll want to pay attention. First up is a concept horn speaker (pictured top) attached to an iriver SPINN. The device plugs into the existing headphone jack bringing a sense of gramophone nostalgia to this most-modern device.
Next up is iriver’s latest take on the Unit2, the UNIT2-S, a simpler multimedia communications device for the home. Remember, it’s just a concept, but as envisioned, the working prototype functions as a video phone, digital photo frame, web browser, FM radio, flash gaming rig, SMS/MMS receiver, and audio / video player with DMB television tuner. The specs list a 4.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, 30GB hard drive and 2GB of flash (presumably in the base unit and handset, respectively), mic, stereo speaker, and Li-Polymer battery all packed into a 185.4 x 117 x 19.8-mm tower.
Last up is the R1 DAB radio concept (pictured bottom). Again, the prototype is fully functional and capable of playing back internet, DAB, and FM radio or audio streaming from PC or local storage through a pair of 2W stereo speakers. They also included an alarm clock to remind you that these concepts are just part of an iriver dream — for now.
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Posted in dab, oled, iriver, concept, speaker, r1, gramophone, amoled, ifa, ifa 2008, Ifa2008, unit2, unit2-s | No Comments »
August 29th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
As good as the SPINN is, we can’t rave about iriver’s newest PMP, the P20 launching today at IFA. Looks like our early excitement about the product back at CES was misplaced. First off, it’s big — a true brick by today’s PMP standards. Also, we’re not sold on the implementation of the SPINN interface here. The P20 uses a combination of vertical and horizontally placed thumb wheels, an “ok” button (why not just press in the thumbwheel like on the SPINN?), and touchscreen AMOLED — a heap of overly-complex overkill based on our admittadly, limited time with the device. The touchscreen was also rendered unusable by menus only accessible by the thumbwheels as well as an incredibly high bezel framing the display thus inhibiting screen touches along the edges. As to the specs, it’s everything we heard: 4.1-inch 480 x 272 pixel display, FM tuner, TV-out, voice recording, and integrated DMB TV option, 80GB or 120GB hard disk, and Li-Polymer battery for 12-hours of audio, 9-hours of video, or 8-hours of DMB in a 130 x 97 x 20.5-mm slab. Expected to launch in Korea next month at an undetermined price — rest of world to be determined.
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Posted in oled, hands-on, iriver, amoled, features, ifa, ifa 2008, Ifa2008, p20 | No Comments »
August 29th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
We’ve seen iriver’s SPINN (above between the HTC Touch Dual and iPhone 3G) floating around Korea in pics and video for a few weeks now. But damn if this little 3.3-inch DAP doesn’t make a distinct impression in person. Of course, you’ve heard the term “iPod killer” tossed around for years with obvious effect. But this, this little SPINN with brilliant OLED display and up to 16GB of storage looks to be device-for-device superior to the bigger iPod touch. The SPINN navigation is very well implemented and allows for natural and precise one-handed operation with heavy tactile control — touchscreen too if that’s your preference. Of course, making an iPod killer is about more than just the device — it’s the ecosystem of PC software, third party accessories, and daunting global distribution and retail model which faces any upstart vendor. On sale now in Korea, iriver hopes to address the latter piece of the puzzle as they prepare for a global (US, UK, and Europe) launch in September and October — assuming they can sort out the necessary distribution / retail channels this week at IFA.
Continue reading Video: Hands-on iriver’s SPINN, the first true iPod killer
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Posted in video, dap, oled, hands-on, iriver, spinn, ifa, ifa 2008, Ifa2008 | No Comments »
August 29th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
We’ve seen iriver’s SPINN (above between the HTC Touch Dual and iPhone 3G) floating around Korea in pics and video for a few weeks now. But damn if this little 3.3-inch DAP doesn’t make a distinct impression in person. Of course, you’ve heard the term “iPod killer” tossed around for years with obvious effect. But this, this little SPINN with brilliant OLED display and up to 16GB of storage looks to be device-for-device superior to the bigger iPod touch. The SPINN navigation is very well implemented and allows for natural and precise one-handed operation with heavy tactile control — touchscreen too if that’s your preference. Of course, making an iPod killer is about more than just the device — it’s the ecosystem of PC software, third party accessories, and daunting global distribution and retail model which faces any upstart vendor. On sale now in Korea, iriver hopes to address the latter piece of the puzzle as they prepare for a global (US, UK, and Europe) launch in September and October — assuming they can sort out the necessary distribution / retail channels this week at IFA.
Continue reading Video: Hands-on iriver’s SPINN, the first true iPod killer
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Posted in video, dap, oled, hands-on, iriver, spinn, ifa, ifa 2008, Ifa2008 | No Comments »
August 25th, 2008 by
While traditionally known as a forum for HDTVs, the big IFA show in Berlin is also shaping up as a showcase battle for Korean DAPs. Hot on the arching heels of Cowon’s S9 Curve comes this, the (re)announcement of iriver’s P20. While we first saw the P20 as a plastic prototype at CES, we’re desperately hoping for a fully functional, 80/120GB media player this time around. The device is still spec’d with a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen display capable of pumping 12-, 9-, or 8-hours of music, video, or DMB TV at a clip, respectively. It’s also likely sporting a SPINN UI judging by that thumb-wheel. Also on deck is the M3 portable GPS navigator / media player with 3.5-inch touch screen LCD. More details on Friday when trade show floor opens its doors.
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Posted in pmp, dap, oled, pnd, gps, iriver, touchscreen, amoled, m3, ifa, p20 | No Comments »
August 7th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
We just caught sight of a video of iriver’s sleek new Spinn media player the other day, but if you’ve been hankering for an even closer look at the device, you can now hit up Crave’s UK site for a thorough hands-on look at it. That includes, as you can see, a comparison with a slew of other devices (the Spinn is the shining beacon of silver in the middle), as well as some pics that give a better indication of the device’s fit and finish (and unfortunately non-standard USB connector). What’s more, while they’re reserving final judgment for their full review, the folks at Crave certainly seem to be impressed with the unit, saying that AMOLED screen is “unbelievably crisp,” and that the player itself is “well worth the excitement.”
[Thanks, Andew]
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Posted in iriver, spinn, iriver spinn, IriverSpinn | No Comments »
August 6th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio
Eww. Clearly, the jaded, nicotine-stained Engadget editor in his big-boy trousers is not the target for the latest incarnation of the iriver Mplayer. While the 1GB innards remain unchanged, iriver has slathered the ¥14,800 (about $137) MP3 player in a healthy crust of Swarovski and silk to invoke the little girl trapped inside us all. Clap clap, bounce bounce, curtsy… a few more samples after the break.
[Via AVING]
Continue reading iriver’s Mplayer ties one on
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Posted in japan, pink, iriver, swarovski, mplayer, crystal, silk | No Comments »
August 4th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Oh yes it is. iriver’s 3.3-inch Spinn media player with AMOLED display has finally been captured on video. That gives us a first look at the new SPINN Wheel controller and how it assists with navigating the touch-screen AMOLED display with haptic feedback. Gotta say, the navigation looks extremely impressive causing our want factor to burrow a bit deeper down into our wallets. Check the UI in action after the break.
Continue reading iriver Spinn caught on video, kills without words
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Posted in video, iriver, spinn, spinn wheel, SpinnWheel | No Comments »
July 29th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
You read that title correctly, iriver’s Spinn is apparently touchscreen (not D-Click as mentioned in the FCC leaked user manual) and features haptic feedback to boot. Now that it’s officially spec’d on iriver’s Korean site, we’re also seeing a slightly degraded audio lifespan of 24-hours (not 27) and the apparent removal of the mini SD slot — it’s no longer mentioned in the specs and we don’t see a suitable slot on any of the pictures. Otherwise, it’s the same sleek slab of 10.7-mm thick metal and plastic sporting a 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 pixel AMOLED display, T-DMB TV, Bluetooth, and new analog SPINN Wheel we’ve seen kicking around since CES. Currently on pre-order for South Korea with the 4GB model fetching 259,000KRW (about $259) or 8GB for 299,000KRW (about $299). That’s right, it maxes out with just 8GB of flash. Check the gallery while we all anxiously await iriver’s international launch plans including the rumored August UK release.
[Via DAP Review, thanks Al]
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Posted in breaking news, BreakingNews, dap, iriver, touchscreen, korea, s.korea, spinn, haptic | No Comments »
July 25th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Sure, it doesn’t look like much thanks to the FCC’s staunch aversion to photo glam, but that’s iriver’s Spinn PMP, a product which had us at a full, rigid swoon back at CES. While this would generally be good news, the model approved features a DAB radio and DMB television tuner — in other words, it’s not intended for US consumption. The user manual also confirms a FM radio, Mini SD slot, Bluetooth, D-Click System interface, 27 hours of audio and 5 hours of video, and support for SWF (Flash), TXT, MP3, WMA, OGG, JPG, AVI, MWV file formats. With FCC approval out of the way, the rumored UK August release date is presumably in the bag.
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Posted in dap, fcc, dab, iriver, Flash, ogg, dmb, swf, spinn, reigncom | No Comments »
June 28th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio
If anyone is going to make a decent waterproof MP3 player this time around, it would have to be someone like the tight bathing suit-producing Speedo brand. The Speedo Aquabeat — made by Iriver — contains 1GB of storage, plays for nine hours on one charge, come in three colors, and weighs just 35 grams. So what’s so Speedo about them? These players (and earphones) are good for up to 3 meters below the surface and they float — so you can just leave the things floating about while you go mix another margarita. Retail price is $145, available now from your local Speedo dealer or high school coach — just listen for the whistle.
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Posted in mp3 player, Mp3Player, iriver, waterproof, swimming, aquabeat, speedo | No Comments »
June 21st, 2008 by
Filed under: Podcasts, Portable Video
iriver’s Lplayer, which we just got done handling ourselves, made it over to the review crew at PC Magazine. As expected, both design and interface were smiled upon, and critics also felt the price was fair. Upon using the admittedly wee device, they seemed to have problems getting the click buttons to respond like they wanted, but aside from that, hardly anything negative was said. The broad codec support was praised, the built-in equalizer worked as advertised and the FM tuner / voice recorder were welcome extras. All in all, it was seen as a worthy rival to the iPod nano, and if you’re the type that prefers something different in the pocket, this puppy just might be the ticket.
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Posted in pmp, dap, review, reviewed, iriver, lplayer | No Comments »
June 17th, 2008 by
Filed under: Storage
iriver sure does know how to cut away the excess on its products, and it looks like its new Domino flash drive is no exception. Available in 2GB and 4GB capacities, this one packs one of those sliding USB connectors that iriver seems to be increasingly fond of these days, and is available in your choice of white, silver, black, chocolate, pink or coral pink color options. No word on a release ’round these parts, unfortunately, but those in Korea can apparently get their hands on one now for the local equivalent of $21 or $34, depending on the capacity.
[Via AVING]
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Posted in flash drive, FlashDrive, usb flash drive, UsbFlashDrive, iriver, usb drive, UsbDrive, Thumb Drive, ThumbDrive, domino, iriver domino, IriverDomino | No Comments »
June 13th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
We unwrapped iriver’s new US-bound Lplayer from its space age packaging and took it for a whirl. It must be said, iriver’s design chops really shine when comes to these tiny little D-Click experiences — perhaps the E100 is just too much canvas to work with. The 2-inch QVGA screen is plenty sharp, even if it could withstand a stronger backlight, and the interface is as intuitive as ever. Codec support is just dandy, with MP3, WMA, ASF, FLAC and OGG Q10 for audio, and MPGE, WMV9, XVID for video — no AAC, though. Sound is decent enough with the included headphones, but plugged into our regular home stereo setup the player pushed out very little low end. FM worked fine, as did voice recording, but there aren’t many other frills here. The 4GB version will go for $110, while the 8GB is slotted for $160 (the same prices its much larger E100 counterpart goes for), and both should be available in the States on June 24.
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Posted in unboxing, hands-on, iriver, lplayer, features | No Comments »
June 10th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio
We first spotted iriver’s Volcano back at CES, and it looks like the stick-shaped DAP is finally shipping in Europe under the T7 model number. Specs are the same as we had in January: 2 or 4GB, OLED display, MP3 / WMA / ASF/ Ogg, FM, and voice recording in a variety of colors. €35 ($54) for the 2GB, €50 ($77) for the 4GB. Let’s hope we get word on an official US release with some more dollar-friendly pricing soon, eh?
[Via DAPreview]
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Posted in dap, t7, iriver, volcano, t7 volcano, T7Volcano | No Comments »
May 30th, 2008 by
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
[Thanks, Alsyl]
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Posted in iriver, spinn, iriver spinn, IriverSpinn | No Comments »
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