Samsung’s YP-F2 2GB pendant MP3 player
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YP-F2 is a redesigned update to YP-F1 player which was released last year.
YP-F2 comes with 3 line LCD display, MP3/WMA/OGG/WAV audio playback, EQ, DNSe 3D and up to 12-hour battery life. It also includes necklace-style earphones.
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But if you are looking for FM tuner support, you’ll have to wait the YP-F2R player which is expected to launch this year.
The YP-F2 is expected to retail for around $227 USD for the 2GB, $140 for the 1GB, and $105 for the 512MB model - and is expected to be available in Europe this April. |
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March 17th, 2006
ARCHOS Debuts Affordable, Ultra Compact and Colorful MP3 Player With Capacity for 2,000 Songs and 40,000 Photos
New 4-Gigabyte* ARCHOS 104 Stores, Displays and Plays More for Less Money, Features a Crisp Color Screen, Windows Media(R) Player 10 Synchronization, and Is Available in Three Colors
IRVINE, CA — (MARKET WIRE) — 03/15/2006 — ARCHOS, a global consumer electronics manufacturer and leader in portable digital entertainment solutions, introduced today the ARCHOS 104 MP3 player, with a 4-gigabyte* (GB) hard drive for storing up to 2.000 songs(1) or 40.000 photos(1), a 1.5″ color screen, a JPEG photo viewer, and Microsoft® PlaysForSure™ support. Thanks to its small form factor and competitive entry-level price, the new ARCHOS 104 is the perfect device for people seeking a compact and affordable music player.
March 17th, 2006
CBS Sports & Apple Offer 2006 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on the iTunes Music Store
Condensed Versions of All 63 Games from CSTV Available with New iTunes “Season Pass” For Just $19.99
NEW YORK and CUPERTINO, California—March 14, 2006—CBS Sports and Apple® today announced they will bring the 2006 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship distributed by CBS Corporation’s College Sports TV (CSTV) to the iTunes® Music Store (www.itunes.com). For the first time ever, college basketball fans can pay $1.99 per game for condensed versions of all the 2006 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball championship games. Customers can also choose the new “Season Pass” feature on iTunes for $19.99, and receive condensed versions of all 63 games the day after they are played for viewing on a computer or iPod®. Full-length versions of this year’s semifinals and championship game, as well as compilations of buzzer beaters, upsets and memorable championship games from past NCAA Tournaments will also be available on iTunes.
March 17th, 2006
Archos 104 First Look
Portable media player pioneer Archos is replacing their Gmini XS 100 portable audio player with a new model available in three colors – grey, black, pink - and priced at under $150. The new Archos 104 will debut in May 2006 and offers up 4GB of hard drive based storage, which makes the player capable of holding up to 2000 songs of the MP3 and WMA music file types.
March 17th, 2006
InterVideo selling video copying software for iPods, PSPs
| Owners of Sony PlayStation Portables and Apple fifth generation iPods with video playback capability might be interested in taking note of a new software offering from InterVideo which reportedly makes it easy to copy personal videos for playback on these devices. InterVideo iVideoToGo will be available for retail purchase as well as download for $29.95. |  |
InterVideo iVideoToGo, the company said, offers a three-step solution for copying non copy-protected (via CSS-encryption) DVDs and video files into PSP and iPod compatible video files that reportedly deliver flawless playback. The software program offers a simple interface, utilizing a single window for all tasks and is designed to work on Windows 2000 and XP systems.
March 15th, 2006
SanDisk Sansa e270 (6GB) Review
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SanDisk Sansa e270 (6GB) Review
The SanDisk Sansa e200 series includes the e250, e260, and e270. The 2GB, 4GB, and 6GB are a new breed of high capacity flash based MP3 player set to compete in features, as well as price, with the Samsung Z5 and iPod Nano. The Sansa e200 has a few advantages over the two, such as a brilliant 1.8” screen, video playback, expandable memory, and a user replaceable batter.
Today CNET has published a review for SanDisk Sansa e270 (6GB) and gave it an ‘Excellent’ ratting 8.0 out of 10.
The good: The SanDisk Sansa e200 series combines copious features such as subscription compatibility, an FM tuner/recorder, voice recording, and photo and video playback into a compact and durable device. We like the tactile navigation wheel, as well as the well-designed software interface. The user-removable battery and the Micro SD slot are nice touches, and the device has decent sound quality, processor performance, and battery life. Finally, the Sansa e200 is durable and attractive, and it offers a competitive price in a high-stakes world of high-capacity flash players.
The bad: The buttons surrounding the SanDisk Sansa e200’s scrollwheel can be difficult to press; the mechanical scrollwheel can tire out some thumbs; photos and video must go through conversion with bundled software; the expansion slot can be used with music only, not photos or other media or data; and recordings are made only in WAV. The scrollwheel is not as easy to use as the iPod Click Wheel. Low levels of system noise can heard through headphones at low or zero volume.
The bottom line: The SanDisk Sansa e200 series offers a boatload of features for a reasonable price, in a package that is much nicer than that of past SanDisk models. For those looking for a high-capacity, compact, skip-free MP3/WMA player, start with the e200 series. |
March 12th, 2006
Solar-powered MP3P ‘MEGA PLAYER 540′
MSI has unveiled the first solar-powered MP3 player, MEGA PLAYER 540 at CeBIT 2006.
This 4GB HDD MP3P is powered by lithium-ion battery with a separate solar charger on the exterior. So, it can be easily charged where there is sunlight.
It will be available in the market at the end of this year.
A report from IDG News Service published at PC World:
March 12th, 2006
DLO offers up new iPod nano all-in-one accessory
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Digital Lifestyle Outfitters on Wednesday announced a new accessory for the iPod nano which they say is the only accessory specific to that player you’ll ever need. The new DLO nanoTube is priced at $69.99 and available now.
The DLO nanoTube , the company said, has a combined size with the nano which is smaller than a cell phone. Features on this versatile device, which connects to the nano through the dock connector port, include wireless FM transmission of audio over a nearby radio, the ability to receive and play signals from FM radio stations, amplification of the volume through headphones by 25 percent and an integrated protective case which doubles as a desktop stand.
“The nanoTune might be the only accessory an iPod nano owner will ever need,” said Jeff Grady, CEO of DLO, in a statement. “In designing the product, we realized that protecting the nano was critical. Then, with a transmitter, FM radio and headphone amp, we were working with an end-all, be-all nano accessory.” |
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March 11th, 2006
Apple iPod Hi-Fi Review
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Apple iPod Hi-Fi Reviews
Not long after iPod Hi-Fi was released a few weeks ago in February, PC Mag posted a reviewed about it. PC Mag editor gave it a rating of ‘Very Good’ with the following comments
What they like about it
Excellent sound quality. Can run on alkaline batteries or AC power. Optical and analog audio inputs.
The cons
Menu button on remote doesn’t activate the iPod’s menu system. No video pass-through. Not available in all black.
And the bottomline
It’s no surprise that the new champ among iPod speakers/docks comes from none other than Apple. It’s versatile and loud enough for almost any listening needs, though it lacks video output.
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March 10th, 2006
Is Apple trying to take over the iPod accessory industry?
On the heels of Apple’s launch of its own iPod speaker system and leather cases, some iPod users on the forums on this site and elsewhere have questioned whether Apple might be looking to take over the iPod accessory industry, which has long been in the hands of third parties, and claim the whole market as its own. These users claim to see a pattern. First it was iPod socks and nano tubes, then the FM radio tuner, and now speakers and cases. With each passing month, Apple brings another iPod accessory to market, seemingly making it progressively more difficult for third parties to compete. All this leads to the question: is Apple really trying to claim the iPod accessory industry for itself, or is there more at work here than meets the eye?
March 7th, 2006