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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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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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We’re pleased to see some improvements in SmartQ’s latest PMP. Screen size and resolution for the TAO weigh in at a staunchly 3.3-inches 480×320 HVGA with 262,000 colors. It hosts a decent lineup of multi-codec niceties like MP3, OGG, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, WAV (PCM, ADPCM), along with a 500mhz Blackfin processor — not too shabby for soaking up video. Xvid and Divx AVI res hit 720×480 with RMVB topping that, and FLV, WMV, ASF, 3GP, MPEG, DAT, MP4 formats are also supported. If you’re jetting over to China any time soon, you should be able to pick up a 4GB model for around 699RMB ($102.)

[Thanks, Nick]

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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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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Just like gasoline-powered automobiles, the Li-ion-powered DAP is a fading gem. Okay, so maybe that’s grossly inaccurate, but at least it gives us a warm fuzzy feeling to think that Trevor Baylis’ Eco Media Player Revolution has a sizable budding fan base. The follow-up to the smashing Ecodigital wind-up PMP takes on a glossy black motif and features 4GB of built-in storage space, an SD card slot for capacity expansion, an FM tuner and support for a whole litany of audio / video formats. Best of all, you can connect your dead mobile to this thing, give it a few cranks, and boom — your cellie now has enough juice to make one very urgent call for more lunch money. Sure justifies the £129.99 ($241) asking price, huh?

[Via SmartPlanet]

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Filed under: Displays, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Remember that Freestyle Audio player that was supposed to blow folks away with its integrated color mirasol display? Yeah, that one that still hasn’t shipped? Qualcomm is apparently uninterested in that tiny little factoid, as it’s proudly pumping the MFM Pro headphones as the “second color mirasol-enabled design for the US market.” According to Jim Cathey, vice president of business development for Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, the deal with Skullcandy is being made to “move mirasol displays into the hands of more consumers,” but considering just how long we’ve been waiting for the aforementioned DAP, we’d say the burden of proof is squarely in its court. Oh, and the ship date for these cans? There isn’t one.

[Via Slashgear]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Remember those new Walkmans we saw recently? Well the folks at Sony have decided to get all fancy and official with them. The electronics-maker is introducing S-, E-, and B-Series PMPs, all featuring MP3 and WMA playback, drag-and-drop file management, and a variety of storage capacities. The 4GB NWZ-S736F and 8GB NWZ-S738F sport Sony’s “Open Platform” which allows AAC, Linear PCM, and other codec support, 40 hours of battery life, in-flight noise cancellation, and SensMe — which creates song shuffles based on user listening habits. The 4GB NWZ-E436F and 8GB NWZ-E438F come in a handful of colors and deliver up to 45 hours of playback, while the low-end 1GB NWZ-B133F and 2GB NWZ-B135F add an FM tuner and voice recording functionality. The players will be available come September, ranging in price from around $45 to $180.

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

A whole new slew of Walkmans have hit Sony’s New Zealand site, and we’ve got the goods on them. The new models, dubbed the NWZ-E435, NWZ-E436, and NWZ-E438 all sport a 2-inch QVGA LCD display, FM tuner, codec support for MP3, AAC, WMA, and Linear PCM files, and clock in at a very petite 8.5mm / 50g. The players will be available in 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB variations, with various color options for each model (except for the NWZ-E438, which only comes in black). Apparently, the PMPs play nice with both Windows Media Player and iTunes, offering drag and drop management for files. No word yet on price, regions, or release date, but we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for these sweet babies.

[Via Sony Insider]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Wearables

If you’re scouting the strange, the weird and the weirder, you’ll find plenty to get absorbed in over at the research facilities of NTT DoCoMo. The Japanese giant is at it once more, but this time the invention is actually somewhat down to Earth. It’s mission? To create a method for easily controlling a music interface (on a PMP or cellphone) with just your eyes. By rolling one’s eyes and jerking them from side to side, the outfit is hoping to have the corresponding music player change tracks and get louder / softer. If you’re not exactly keen with freaking out fellow citizens on the street with completely erratic eye movements, you may also appreciate a similar technology it’s working up which can detect a user’s finger tapping to achieve to same goal. Of course, said technology would be halfway useless on the smash hit-packed ZVUE Journey (no way you’re bypassing any of those tracks, son), but we guess you could check out your toes every now and then to keep from constantly staying at 11.

[Via ShinyShiny]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Chinavasion isn’t known for offering up cutting-edge gadgetry — far from it, to be honest — but the MP4 player known only as the CVSJ-1304-4GB is actually fairly notable. According to the dodgy specifications, the $39.55 device checks in at just 4.5-millimeters thick, which is certainly thinner than the other so-called “world’s thinnest” DAP. Of course, this may only be true due to the “MP4″ moniker, seeing as most units not created and sold exclusively in China are called “MP3″ players. Semantics aside, the unit also includes a 1.8-inch display with a 160 x 128 resolution, a curious 2.5-millimeter headphone jack, a USB 2.0 port and a rechargeable battery. So, do any of you have a competitor that’s a hair thinner? Our hunch is yes.

[Via PMP Today]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Brace yourselves, dear readers. The item we’re about to explain just might be is most certainly the best thing to ever happen to the digital audio player market. ZVUE’s 1GB pre-loaded Journey MP3 player not only reeks of the early ’80s in design alone, but this thing actually arrives with 22 Journey tracks loaded on (11 new joints, 11 of your childhood favorites). It’s like buying Journey’s greatest hits and getting a DAP for free — go on, be good to yourself, it’s only $39.88. Jump past the break if you need some encouragement / discouragement.

[Via AnythingButiPod, thanks Dula]

Continue reading ZVUE’s 1GB Journey DAP comes with 22 tracks you’ll never delete

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Apparently Creative is cooking up more than just the ZEN X-Fi as of late, according to a discovery made by anythingbutipod forum members. The crew stumbled onto the ZEN Krystal, a small MP3 player that features 4GB of storage, a blue OLED display, an FM tuner, and support for MP3 and WMA files. What really makes the device pique our curiosity, however, is the included built-in pedometer, which can track distance and speed à la Nike+, as well as the handful of games that come on-board the little guy. Right now the player is only up on Creative’s Hong Kong site, and we’ve got no word on price or release date.

[Via anythingbutipod]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video

These days, the cool kids are looking to do more than just play back the freshest jams on their portable media player. We’re talking video, PVR, WiFi, the works. Have a listen at Marco’s question, and if you think you could do one better, send in your inquiry to ask at engadget dawt com:

“I’m looking for a new PMP, but I want a unit that can do it all. A large screen, big hard drive, support for lots of codecs, PVR functionality, TV output, etc. I’d also like Bluetooth and / or WiFi if possible. I don’t mind units that are somewhat bulky, but I want one with a great user interface and decent battery life. Any help here?”

Yeah, he totally just called the Archos / Cowon fanboys from the woodwork, but seriously, what would you recommend to this fellow? Is your current PMP a dream come true? Would you advise against getting whatever you’ve got? Spill your soul in comments below.

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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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Filed under: Portable Audio

Philips has just released a handful of new GoGear MP3 squares (emphasis on “square” — these things are boring as all get-out), the SA2840, SA2825, and SA2820. All of the miniscule players sport 128 x 64 embedded OLED displays, MP3, WAV, and WMA playback, voice recording capability, built-in EQ, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Additionally, the SA2825 features an FM tuner. The devices range in capacity from 4GB to 2GB of flash storage, and prices run from around £34.99 to £44.99 ($68 to $87) — all are available now, in the UK at least.

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Filed under: Portable Audio

If there’s one thing that could put a stop to terrorism once and for all, it’s this DAP. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of an anti-American jihadist like this hideous MP3 player loaded up with Deerhoof b-sides and the entire Duran Duran back-catalog. The next time you snake under barbed wire and behind enemy lines, let them know where you’re coming from by flashing this baby before you unload round after round of righteousness. Sure, it’s only got 1GB of storage, but it’s not about how many tracks you’ve got — it’s about showing off your American spirit with this Chinese-made product.

[Via anythingbutipod]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

Finally, an MP4 player that suits our lifestyle. When we’re out on the street, feeling the hot rays of the sun, hustling to stay afloat, and generally just jamming, the Neux Corp. Ltd. NXMP324 is what we want. Sure, you can’t actually crack this puppy open and gulp it down like a real soda, but you can take a sip of the funky combination of 128MB to 4GB capacities, MP3, WMA, WMV, WAV and ASF file support, built-in USB 2.0 jack, and bonus FM radio. Seriously though, the can comes in red or blue, but there isn’t a color in the rainbow that would convince us to buy this thing.

[Via PMP Today]

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Filed under: Portable Audio

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Man_arrested_for_using_MP3_player_7_21_PM_7_h’; Next time you’re reaching down for that iPod or Zune (or anything else for that matter), take care that you don’t alarm the authorities with any suspicious movements — or you could end up like the UK’s Darren Nixon. Apparently, the mild-mannered mechanic was on his way home from work when the Bobbies surrounded him and drew their guns, believing that the MP3 player in his pocket was a firearm. According to the Daily Mail, Mr. Nixon was tracked on CCTV, arrested at gunpoint, swabbed for DNA, fingerprinted, and thrown in a cell — all for listening to a bootleg of Chinese Democracy on a 4GB Philips GoGear. Said Darren, “I was really shocked when I saw the guns. They were pointing them right at me. It was a pretty scary experience. I had no idea what was going on.” After the team of Mentat cops realized their mistake, they couldn’t even offer an apology, said Nixon, “They just dropped me off at home and said a quick ’sorry for any inconvenience’, and that was all I got from them, which I thought was pretty out of order.” Once again, a hot serving of sweet justice.

[Via CrunchGear]

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Filed under: Handhelds, Portable Audio

Looks like Sony had its thinking cap on with these two — after all, who wants to lug around a voice recorder these days that, you know, only records voices? Thankfully, the ICDUX70 and ICDUX80 include 1GB / 2GB (respectively) of internal storage space as well as the ability to play back MP3 files and record in MP3 stereo format. According to Sony, you can capture some 290 / 581 hours of audio in LP mode, and rather than supplying a AAA of your own, owners can just plug it in to any spare USB port and let the rechargeable cell within regain its strength. No word on a price at the moment, but you can keep an eye out for the UX70 in black / pink or the UX80 in black / silver to land later this month.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

At first glance, we assumed the completely misnamed Christmas MP3/MP4 player was merely a mephistophelean covering for an older iPod nano, but apparently, Putian Hengwang Trade Company put in the legwork and actually knocked off a DAP (or at least an interface) from Apple’s past. This creature fittingly arrives in red or black and features 1GB, 2GB, 4GB or 8GB of storage, a 1.5- / 1.8-inch display, optional FM tuner and built-in speaker, a rechargeable Li-ion and support for MP3, WMA, WAV and ASF file formats. Sadly, there’s no mention of a price, release date or pickup location, but there’s a decent chance you’ll find ‘em awkwardly stacked up beside the Cross MP3 Player somewhere in Beijing.

[Via PMPToday]

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