Posts Tagged ‘Mp3 Players’
Black Friday Deals List Updated [Black Friday]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on November 25th, 2009
Our Black Friday List is updated with deals from Vizio, WireFly, HP and Amazon, including an entirely new page for Blu-rays and DVDs. That's in addition to Best Buy, Office Depot, Dell, Target, Walmart, K-mart and more. Start saving here.
Elusive “Atomic” Zune HD Seen Prancing About eBay For More Than $2,000 [Zune Hd]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on September 27th, 2009
Massive shortages, a slick UI and an elusive "atomic" flavor that's currently tearing up eBay with a $2,025 bid (as of 9 a.m. Sunday morning)? Sounds like there may be something to this Microsoft Zune HD thing. Updated.
Now, whether that "something" lasts for the long run—especially with a definitive lack of apps–is another thing, but for now Zune HD lovers can head on over to eBay for what amounts to a ludicrous price for a super rare, unreleased color and get their bid in before the auction ends in about two days.
The eBay user conveniently lives in Washington, and said they procured this rare kit from a friend. Now they're selling it for cash and are set to make a small fortune off this Zune HD with a nifty little paint job.
Now, will this model eventually be released en masse to the public at the usual Zune HD price? Sure, it probably will. But, if this wacky series of tubes has taught me anything, it's that there are plenty of people who'd love to win this auction and yell "FIRST!" to the rest of us.
Update: Yeah, this thing is getting all sorts of lame and suspicious. Crazy bidding, sketchy seller—everyone with half a brain proceed with caution. Maybe just watch the insanity take place from afar. [eBay via Anything But iPod via Engadget]
Sony S640, S740 S-Series Walkmans Have TV-out, Long Battery Life [PMPs]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on September 16th, 2009
Yesterday we argued that the old-school PMP might be dead, but Sony sure doesn't think so. It's just updated its S-series with two 2-inch LCD Walkmans that include the new 720x480 TV-out and noise-canceling features built into the upcoming A-Series.
Apart from being colored differently, the NW-S640 (top left) and the NW-S740 (top right) are pretty much identical, though the S640 lacks noise canceling.
The players have an FM radio, usual codec support, and an eye-opening stated battery life of 42 hours for music, and 10 hours for video. They also come with premium MDR-EX300SL earphones, and a matching speaker bundle will be available when they arrive in Japan in October.
The S740 series will be: 8GB (Y16,000; $177), 16GB (Y19,000; $210), and 32GB (Y25,000; $276). The slightly cheaper S640 series is: 8GB (Y14,000; $154), and 16GB (Y17,000; $188). We'll fill you in when we know more about an almost-certain U.S. release. [Sony Insider]
Sony A-Series Is the Thinnest Walkman Yet, Has OLED Screen [PMPs]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on September 16th, 2009
The pretty player has a 2.8-inch OLED screen (240x400), FM radio, TV-out, noise canceling, and is beautifully thin at 7.2mm. Oh, and it only weighs 2.2 ounces. But unlike the failed X-Series, the A has no touch screen or Wi-Fi.
Along with standard codec support, there's also new drag and drop feature that auto-transcodes video from your computer. And in Japan at least, the player comes with premium MDR-EX300SL earphones. Battery life is listed as 29 hours for music, and 9 hours for video.
No word on U.S. availability yet, but if the recent S and E series Walkmans are any gauge, the wait won't be long after it hits Japan on October 31. Pricing there will be: 16GB (Y24,000; $226), 32GB (Y30,000; $332), and (Y40,000; $443).
Enough to tempt you away from the more powerful $280 32GB Zune HD or $400 64GB iPod touch? I just don't know about those Mickey Mouse like controls myself... [Sony Japan (translated) via Akihabara News]
Sansa Clip+ Review: Big Sound, Tiny Body [Review]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on September 4th, 2009
Sandisk's Sansa Clip has been the preferred cheap mp3 player for audiophiles for awhile now, and the Clip+ improves on the original in price, design, capacity and features. Basically, this is the best trash mp3 player around.
When I say "trash," I don't mean it's bad; quite the opposite, actually. But at $40/$50/$70 for 2/4/8GB capacities, the Clip+ is very nearly disposable—you can knock it around or drop it and not feel bad—making it an excellent player for workouts or as a spare in case your main PMP runs out of juice on a long trip.
What's New
The Clip+, unlike the Clip, packs a microSD slot for cheap expandable memory (up to 16GB at the moment). The microSD slot also supports SanDisk's own (admittedly stupid) SlotRadio cards. The clip on the back is no longer removable, and the headphone jack has been moved to the right side of the player, away from the miniUSB port. Oh, and the control pad is now square instead of circular. That's pretty much it for new features.
Why It's Great
What makes the Clip+ better than competitors like the iPod Shuffle and Creative Zen Stone is surprisingly excellent sound quality. This little guy has some power behind it, sounding as good as my Zune with a pair of decent earbuds. SanDisk clearly knows what they've got, since the Clip+, unlike other tiny budget mp3 players, supports audiophile codecs like FLAC and OGG.
It's got an FM radio, podcast support, and a voice recorder as well. It also auto-detects OS and will choose either MTP (Windows) or MSC (everything) when plugged in, meaning it supports every OS perfectly. The two-color OLED screen is bright and readable, and the player itself is miniscule and feels very tough—I've actually dropped it twice and there's nary a scratch on it.
Flaws
In terms of controls, it's not ideal—I'd really like to see a dedicated Back button instead of having to hit Menu and then select "Back to Music List," but after two minutes of toying around with the player, you'll have it figured out. The battery life isn't thrilling, rated at 15 hours, and I would have preferred a dedicated hold switch to the Home button playing double duty. Also, scrolling through long lists of artists or songs is a little pokey—it's no problem if you've only got a few GBs of music, but if you have a filled 8GB player with a microSD card, it'll be annoying.
Conclusion
It's the best low-end mp3 player on the market, without question. And did I mention it costs $50 for 4GB? That's $20 less than the iPod shuffle and the Clip+ has the shuffle handily beat on features and sound quality. I recommend the 4GB version—it's worth the $10 upgrade from 2GB, and 8GB is really more music than the little guy is built to handle. The UI's a little dated, but it's totally serviceable, and the player's strengths more than make up for its drawbacks. I've got absolutely no hesitation about recommending the Sansa Clip+ as a workout or spare mp3 player. [SanDisk]
Tiny and rugged body
Excellent sound quality and surprisingly extensive codec support
Competitively priced
UI hasn't evolved since previous model
Creative Zen X-Fi 2 Trades Buttons for a Touchscreen, High Price for Low [PMPs]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on September 2nd, 2009
It's a new model name, sure, and the distinctive button panel has been booted in favor of a touchscreen, but the most important part of the X-Fi update has nothing to do with hardware, and everything to do with dollars.
Aside from the slightly larger, ever-more-fingerable TFT screen, the X-Fi 2 supposedly adds improvements to sound quality, which are down to murky machinations inside Creative's X-Fi audio processing system, as well as TV-out, which is particularly useful considering the player's generous video codec support. The rest of the specs are more or less unchanged: There's an FM radio, built-in mic, a microSD expansion slot, and syncable calendar, task list, contacts and RSS reader apps. It actually looks like the player has lost a feature since v1 too, since the prior model's Wi-Fi access is nowhere to be found. Not that it ever did much, but still.
Anyway, price! It's pretty low, considering what you get: It's 230 for the 32GB model, $180 for the 16GB and $130 for the 8GB. The highest price point seems like a dig at the iPod Touch, and it could be a clever one: The two players offer completely different things, and if you want to do more than play music and videos, the iPod is the clear choice. On the other hand, if that's all you want to do, a 32GB touchscreen PMP makes a case, if not a particularly strong one. It's available for preorder now, and should ship within a few weeks. [Creative]
SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player Keeps the Bizarre slotRadio Dream Alive [Mp3 Players]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on August 31st, 2009
Remember slotRadio, SanDisk's anachronistic plan to load microSD cards with sometimes-DRMed music, as if they were CDs? It was strange! Also strange: SanDisk still believes in it, and they've even produced a second, fuller-featured player, called the Clip+.
The core concept hasn't changed since it was introduced, so here's a quick refresh: The first tier of the system is a fairly literal update to the CD, in which customers pays around $15 for a DRM-free MP3 album on a microSD card. The second, and potentially more interesting, part of the plan is slotRadio, which upped the SD card content to 1000 songs, the price to $40, and the DRM warning level to "Critical." It didn't win too many fans here (or anywhere), partly because it was a flawed concept, and partly because the player sucked.
And for what it's worth, the Clip+ looks like a better piece of hardware. Alongside the slotMusic/Radio shtick, it's a fairly standard entry-level MP3 player, with an FM radio, anywhere from 2GB to 8GB of storage, and prices from $40 to $70, and—this is notable, sadly—a way to navigate your music via a one-inch OLED screen. For its benefit, you should probably just think of the Clip+ as another one in the growing pile of commoditized low-end MP3 players, that just happens to support one of the most misguided marketing ploys the music industry has ever seen. The players will be available online tomorrow, and in stores on the 13th of September. [SanDisk]
SanDisk Debuts Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player – Offering Big Sound and Tons of Features in a Tiny, Stylish Package
New microSD Card Slot Extends the Fun Indefinitely, Letting Consumers Listen to Thousands of Additional Songs in Seconds
MILPITAS, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced the Sansa® Clip+ MP3 player. The new Sansa Clip+ MP3 player comes equipped with a new microSD™ memory card slot that enables consumers to listen to thousands of additional songs effortlessly.
microSD Card Compatibility Offers Major Music Enjoyment:
As the successor to the best selling full-featured sub-$100 MP3 player in America, the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player is fully compatible with SanDisk slotRadio™ and slotMusic™ cards, as well as any microSD card pre-loaded with music. By sliding any of these cards into the new Sansa Clip+ memory card slot, music lovers can instantly listen to premium songs and handcrafted playlists without consuming any of the device's onboard memory.
* slotRadio cards: SanDisk slotRadio cards (starting at $39.99 MSRP, U.S. only) give consumers immediate access to some of their favorite styles of music, including Rock, Country, Oldies and Hip Hop/R&B. Most slotRadio cards contain 1,000 songs** featuring chart topping artists from the Billboard® charts.
* slotMusic cards: Consumers can also insert a SanDisk slotMusic card into their Sansa Clip+ MP3 player's microSD card slot to plug-and-play the latest albums (on microSD card) from today's hottest artists, as well as greatest hits' compilations from past decades (cards start at $14.99 MSRP, U.S. only). slotMusic cards make music portable and can also be used in mobile phones with a microSD card slot that can play MP3 files, computers with a microSD USB reader or an SD card adapter, and even some car stereos with a microSD USB reader or SD card adapter.
* Custom-loaded microSD cards: Consumers have the option of inserting a microSD card loaded with their own music library to listen to - up to 4,000 additional songs1 per 16GB card - which again adds interoperability with other devices, including mobile phones that are microSD card compatible.Tailor made for budget and time-conscious music fans looking for the best MP3 player for the money, the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player offers outstanding sound quality; long-lasting rechargeable battery; bright, easy-to-read screen, and compact wearable design.
"We made a great product - the Sansa Clip - even better," said Eric Bone, vice president, retail product marketing, SanDisk. "This small player packs big features, including a new microSD memory card slot that gives music lovers the ability to listen to thousands of additional songs in seconds. It's the perfect player for travelers, busy moms, fitness buffs or anyone looking to enjoy music without the hassle of loading songs from their computer or updating playlists."
The Sansa Clip+ MP3 player is expected to be available at sandisk.com and bestbuy.com on Aug. 31, and at other retailers nationwide on Sept. 13. The device will be available in Canada and Europe in time for the holiday season. The music player comes in a variety of capacities, including 2-gigabytes* (GB) of onboard memory for up to 500 songs1 for $39.99 (MSRP), 4GB which holds up to 1,000 songs1 for $49.99, and 8GB, which has an up to 2,000-song1 capacity for just $69.99.
Consumers can show off their style by choosing the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player in red, blue or black. (Capacity and associated colors vary.)
Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player Features:
* Superior sound – one of the best sounding MP3 players on the market
* microSD expansion slot which is compatible with slotRadio and slotMusic cards and any standard microSD card
* A wearable clip for hands-free portability and effortless enjoyment of digital music on the go
* Large(1"), bright (OLED) screen with a simple user interface that makes it easy to choose playlists or songs sorted by title, artist, album, genre
* FM tuner with 40 presets for listening to sports, tuning in at the gym or your favorite music station
* Built-in microphone to record thoughts while on the go
* Equalizer mode to fine tune the listening experience
* Rechargeable, lithium ion battery with up to 15 hours of life2 - one of the most competitive battery performances for an MP3 player of its size on the market today
* Solid state flash memory for skip-free playback of music
* Support for many music download and subscription services including Rhapsody®, Napster, eMusic and others
* Designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of music formats, such as MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Audible files (for audio books), in both unprotected and protected filesThe Sansa Clip+ MP3 player is the first Windows 7 certified MP3 player (along with the Sansa® Fuze™, Sansa® View, and Sansa® Clip portable media players). This compatibility simplifies the user experience and offers a smooth transition to the forthcoming operating system.
The Sansa Clip+ MP3 player updates SanDisk's Sansa audio/video product family, which includes the popular full-sized Sansa Fuze MP3 player, SanDisk slotRadio™ player, SanDisk slotMusic™ player and the companion SanDisk slotRadio and slotMusic cards.
How Many iPods/Non-iPods Have You Owned? [Question Of The Day]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on August 21st, 2009
We have asked this question before, but with the possibility of an iPod-related Apple event coming up, it seems like a good time to revisit the issue and dive a little deeper this time around.
More Zune HD Impressions: Beautiful Hardware, Clever Software, and… a Decent Browser? [Zune Hd]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on August 5th, 2009
An hour with the Zune HD inspired a moment of rapture for CNET reporter Donald Bell, who breathlessly told the world "I am tentatively reaffirming my faith in Microsoft." Reading his impressions, it's easy to see why.
We got a few minutes with the Zune HD all the way back at its announcement, and everything felt and looked like something to get excited about, but that was just a tease; now we know that the Zune's relative stagnancy over the last few years hasn't been for nothing. The hardware feels "expensive, solid, and sexy" and the 3.3-inch OLED screen looks "outstanding," while the software—particularly the music playback screen and music recommendation features—sounds miles ahead of the Zune's already decent interface. It's great to hear that our hopes were warranted, but there's a bombshell buried in here, a few paragraphs down.
Speaking of Wi-Fi, the Zune's new Web browser smokes. Not since first using the iPhone have I been this impressed with a mobile web browser. There's no branding on the browser, but I was told it was cooked up by Microsoft's Internet Explorer team (makes sense). [Ed. note: It does?] Page load was snappy, and pinching and reorienting pages work just like the iPhone and iPod Touch.
As anyone who has used Windows Mobile in the last—well, ever, including the much-improved-but-still-only-tolerable-Mobile IE 6, this is a comeback for the ages. I just hope Bell wasn't swept away in the moment; if these observations hold, the Zune HD could be a certifiable Very Big Deal. Or possibly, if Microsoft wakes up and drops a cellular antenna into this thing, a Very Very Very Big Deal. [CNET]
iPods Headed for the Grave [Proclamations]
Posted by: Gadget Boy in Gadget News on July 24th, 2009
This week, Apple announced that iPods are in a nosedive. Meanwhile, we are seeing evidence that the Nano is about to get a camera. My response is "Why?" The old clickwheel iPod isn't dead yet, but it's definitely dying.
I have a 160GB Classic, as I thought I needed it. But with a 32GB iPhone, I end up leaving my iPod at home, even when traveling. I once had a fantasy that I'd sync a ton of video to it, to serve up. That fantasy was never realized, though, because these days it easy to just plug your laptop into a TV. I like having an iPod Touch in the house, however, because when my kid wants to watch videos, I'd rather give her that than my own phone. Besides, some apps like Sonos' controller and Apple's Remote are better suited to a device that lives in the living room. An iPod Touch with a camera makes sense, getting a step closer to the iPhone; it's an equally intuitive device for people who want to keep clear of AT&T.
Put a camera in the Nano, and the opposite occurs: It becomes a mystery object, something unlike all other products in the universe, and not in a good way. It would be something to learn, with even more buried mystery functions than it has right now.
Let's be honest, the Nano is built to play music. Video playback on that tiny screen is a joke, accelerometer or not, and I have never met a soul who actually stores calendars and contacts, or uses any other mini-app or game. Putting still more tech into the Nano is a mistake that companies other than Apple would make—sure, it will be "neat," but it's impractical and a waste of development.
The Classic is a different story, one of diminishing demand. Hard drive players are almost nowhere to be found, and there's discussion of late that the 1.8" hard drive is headed for extinction, because flash memory is finally cheap. I think Apple will still sell a Classic, at least until they can pop out 64GB flash iPod Touches for under $400, but I don't think they'll do anything to modify the current Classic in any meaningful way, and they certainly aren't going to go all the way to 240GB, even though it's possible.
If the Classic is justifiable for music library owners like me, but mostly a non-starter, the Nano's raison d'etre is being a "value" option. It's cheaper than the iPod Touch, which hovers at the $230 only to distance itself from the 16GB Nano, at $200. If Apple dipped that iTouch to $199, they'd sell fewer Nanos than they are selling now.
Screw the camera—what Apple should do is lower the Nano price even more. Samsung and SanDisk sell 8GB players for less than $100 now, and you can even find a few 16GB players in the $130 range. That's $50 to $70 lower than what Apple charges, and nowadays, most of those devices will play anything you buy from iTunes—little or no manipulation required. Meanwhile, almost all PMP development from other companies is geared to building a cheap iTouch replacement, not a Nano clone.
As Apple itself declared during their earnings call, "We expect traditional MP3 players to decline over time as we cannibalize ourselves" with iPhone and iPod Touch. They readily admit that iPod Touches sell like hotcakes while demand for clickwheel iPods has slackened. It's just a puzzle that when these devices should be on life-support, Apple seems to be want to push them further. [iPod/iTunes]
