smartech

If any of you wondered whether Samsung has any upgrading plans for its fancy YP-P3 PMP, the company has just got the answer we were looking for, announcing a 32GB edition to go live in Korea  right away for merely 389,000 won, which are just about $290. Still no word about Western availability, but like previous versions, be sure it’ll make a worldwide appearance short time after.

[Via PMP Today]

With its alien capsule design, the new X-mini Happy PMP from XM-I can definitely win our “most bizarre look” of the year, as the grayish player reminds sort of a medical device rather than a multimedia package. And we say “package”, we refer to both player and speaker integrated inside the tower, which also houses a built-in SD card reader that seats next to a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB 2.0 port, to transfer your files. Battery wise, the Happy delivers up to 6 hours of playback, or 11 hours of speaker use, although you won’t be enjoying them, probably until Q3, when the new PMP is scheduled to be released.

[via Cnet]

We’ve recently seen a lot of action coming from MSI’s direction, specially within the netbooks world. However, the company proves to have myriad of values to share with, as a new PMP series has been announced in China, featuring five different platforms to choose from. Starting from the basic, the MV622, which will cost you only 198 yuan (US $29), features a 2.4-inch display, 2GB of internal storage and three flavors to be picked. the second one is the MV651, which boasts a 3-inch 400 x 240 screen, together with FM tuner, 4GB of storage and a TV-output, all priced at 299 yuan ($44). The third, MV652, offers either 4GB ($51) or 8GB ($58) capacities, while seems to be the only kid in the block which has an integrated touchscreen inside, as the fourth version, MV881 sports a 4.3-inch display (without a touchscreen) along with the same traits you get inside the previous device, for $58 (4GB) or $73 (8GB). Last but not least, is the MV882 that comes with an S-video output and 720P video support for high-def interaction, priced at merely $58 (8GB). Naturally, you get to play most of the common formats (available in the market) in all units and some can also handle your e-book files, still we can’t be sure those new cheap PMPs will ever find a place on Western shelves.

[via imp3]

It started getting trendy nowadays, with multimedia companies showing off their top-notch HD devices, covered with lavish designs which contains impeccable capabilities inside. However, while most units support up to 720P, Cube has taken few steps forward by integrating 1080i video output and turned its latest H100HD PMP into one of the most advanced machines in the market, that plays myriad of formats in one small place. Sure, the new player can easily handle 720p as well, but the big thing is the 1920 X 1080 screen resolution this bad boy can handle. HD video aside, the new H100HD player packs an FM tuner, e-Book reader and a nice trait that lets you play flash games on the road. We’re not so sure if any of you, western users, will ever have a chance buying this phenomena across the street, but we do promise to update the price and availability, once released.

[via akihabaranews]

No, Arnold Schwarzenegger is not involved in this new T12 PMP from RAmos, still, it carries the “Terminator” title, along with a 5-inch 800 x 480 display and a strong Rockchip RK2806 processor, which can easily upscale any Avi/RMVB files to 1280×720 resolution at a full 30fps, or just play H.264 videos, placed inside the 8GB, 16GB or 32GB capacities the player has to offer. Additionally, the 12mm device, that somehow reminds us the Archos 5 media tablet, comes with a small knob wheel (on the right side), so you can handle the menus upside down as fast as a rocket while playing your favorite Depech Mode album on the go – And yes, both  T12 and Depech Mode are expected to go out on live tour (separately) somewhere in May – We do hold a DM ticket but still don’t have any clue about the Terminator’s pricing.

Update: Checkout the video after the break.

[via mp4nation]

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LEGO (in partnership with Digital Blue) releases a new mp3 player, shaped as a colorful brick and scheduled  to hit your kids’ playground somewhere this summer for $39.99. The new audio toy comes with 2GB of storage and includes a small LCD screen to display playing songs together with their talented performers.  Other than that, the brick can easily connect speedy USB 2.0 ports to let you transfer any MP3 or WMA files, while the bundled pair of earbuds will smoothly hook into the built-in 3.5mm Headphone Jack, so you won’t have to listen to Tweedledee and Tweedledum back and forth.

[via engadget]

Chinese company Teclast introduces a new PMP device, which answers the name M66 and packs a 5-inch display, supporting 720p video decoder, together with a wide range of format compatibility (like H.264 MKV, RM / RMVB, or AVI) to handle high-def media. Additionally, the M66 features a Rockchip RK2806 processor, that seems strong enough to play rich content on the go, while UI control is navigated by a group of sensitive buttons, placed under the screen. Right now, there’s no word on price or availability, but we’re doing our best to bring this info as fast as we can.

[Via PMP Today]

With only 950 pieces available, the Prince Opus limited edition version hits the iPod Touch scene (storage capacity is obscured), featuring purple shade on front and big Prince’s symbol at the back, preloaded with an exclusive 40 minutes movie, made by Prince himself, joining the live soundtrack from Indigo Nights, which includes 15 tracks aboard. Additionally, you get a rare book of Prince photography, taken from Kraken Opus and offered as part of the package, that can easily attract worldwide fans, in case they have $2100 to shell out.

[Via All Things Digital]

So this is the new trend in Asia, right? high-definition PMP’s to handle quality videos and compete with those big netbooks that hardly can get into your pockets. This time It’s Cube with their latest B52HD device that boasts a 5-inch 480 x 272 display and wide range of codecs support, including MP3, WMA, WAV, APE, FLAC, Ogg for audio files or RM, RMVB, MPEG, AVI, FLV for video playback, with a video output that can play 1280 x 720 encoding on your tele. In addition, the B52HD packs 8GB of storage, together with a slot expansion, to make it even bigger room for your media files – all for about 499 yuan ($75).

[Via PMP Today]

According to a tipster, Microsoft will presumably release a new Zune player with HD capabilities, somewhere this year. Naturally, we have no other details, nor any specs of the new device itself, but if this info is correct, and it sure looks reliable, the Zune 4th Generation should be available with a wide and sharp touchscreen, supporting high-def video and some other features, which you can find in the iPod Touch players. Stay tuned for more to come.

Update1: More uncertain specs show up across the cyber world, revealing a 16:9 AMOLED display with multi-touch usability (capacitive), joining the mini-HDMI output and the HD Radio feature, both bundled inside, along with a full HTML browser, to wirelessly surf the web. And while we have no special ability to determine “details accuracy”, you should take our word when we say it’ll be offered either in 16GB or 32GB capacities. However, In case you look for even more speculative rumors, Zune fanboys will also tell you the new HD device might support 3D XBox games, thanks to the integrated NVidia chipset, which we really hope to see included. Other than that, a worldwide release is said to take place somewhere around September, so stay tuned for real things to come.

Update2: May 12th 2009 – According to ZDNet, the next Zune / Windows Mobile device (AKA: Chassis 1) will feature a whole bunch of top-notch specs, including a 3.5-inch multi-touch display along with ARM v6+ processor, 1GB of RAM, OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics hardware, 3 megapixel camera, GPS navigation system, WiFi / Bluetooth connections, built in accelerometer and even Nvidia’s Tegra platform, integrated with TI’s OMAP 3  and “Qualcomm 8k” chipsets, to handle those strong requirements. Of course, these are just rumors, and we can’t take them that serious, although we do hold an opinion that Chassis 1 will be strong enough to match market demands.

[Via Engadget]

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After a quick appearance at the CES show, Samsung has officially launched the MBP200 micro projector unit in Korea, to be available for ? 400,000.00 (€225). Sized only 109.7×48.8×19mm at 140g, the new ultra portable device features a 2.2-inch 320 X 240 color LCD, along with 190MB of internal memory (expendable up to 16GB with both included microSD/SD card slots), DMB TV tuner and photo viewer. But if projecting your stuff isn’t enough, the MBP200 can also be used as an mp3 player, supporting most common formats, like MP3, WMA, OGG, AAC, and WAV for audio playback, or DivX, Xvid, WMV9 Simple Profile, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 for video broadcasting. Additionally, you’ll be able to read your Adobe/Office documents through the machine itself, which can easily load up PDF, PPT, DOC, XLS, and TXT files whenever you’d like. Still no word when this thing is about to make a Stateside debut, but in the meantime you can hit the jump to read the full specs.

[via akihabaranews]

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It looks like Chinese corporation Onda is trying to flood the market with HD players, supporting 720P video quality. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why on earth the company has just released the VX555HD, only 3 months after the VX535HD has made its first appearance in public. HD compatibility aside, the new PMP packs a 3-inch display, an FM tuner, TV output and wide range of codecs support. Other than that, the people in Onda  promise a low and competitive price tag that will match global recession atmosphere, and while availability is obscure you’ll have to stay tuned to learn more.

[via gmp3]

Nothing special about the new MRT800 PMP besides the “Lenovo” pedigree. But brand aside, it has a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 TFT LCD with FM tuner, voice recorder, microSD expansion slot and wide range of codecs support, including RMVB, AVI, ASF, MP4, or FLV for video, and MP3, WMA, OGG, APE, FLAC, or WAV for audio. Regretfully, there’s nothing else to share in terms of pricing and availability, so stay tuned.

[via imp3]

After an unsuccessful effort to get into the mp3 players world with the 105 mediocre device, French company Archos is retrying to take a foothold within this category by releasing two flash players out of the blue, to be available in different hues and different capacities. First one, which already is available in Amazon for few hours and known as the Archos 2 packs either 8GB ($60) or 16GB ($92) capacities, together with a 1.8-inch 128 x 160 display, a microSD slot expansion, an FM tuner, a mic and a battery that can play up to 12 audio hours or 4, in case you prefer video files. The second, which is yet to be revealed, also known as the Archos 4, and is expected to have a 4-inch display with up to 32GB capacity inside. Other than that, there are no further details to share, so stay tuned for more to come.

Update1: Looks like Archos2 just turned official and is now available for purchasing  at the company’s website, as the 8GB version, which is still in “coming soon” status goes for $59.99, while the 16GB model will set you back for $99.99. Additionally, a blue version should be released somewhere this year, but we have no specific date to share yet.

Update2: Checkout Archos 2 video preview from Charbax, after the break.

Update3: Archos has re-branded both the 2 & 4 players, which are now called 2 Vision and 4 Vision. Both devices will go on a UK sale very shortly, a 1.8-inch display with optional 16GB capacity and a £50 ($80) price tag, and a £20 ($32) release, in case you settle with the 2GB version.

[via ArchosLounge]

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Following the popular E100 and its “Season 2” sequel, iRiver has just introduced the E150, which is pretty much the same PMP from inside and a little different from the outside. So what do you get for a $78 4GB bit or alternatively, a double storage $100 device? Well…Pretty much the same 2.4-inch QVGA screen, microSD slot, a full range of formats support and either black, silver, and pink colors to choose from. Only different, if you’re asking, is the extra 2mm width, housing integrated buttons and attractive speaker grills, which give a lucrative look to the new player. Regretfully, there’s no word about a US release at the near future, but you can start counting down until it comes – because it will.

[iRiver via DAP Review]

Those who missed iRiver, should be interested knowing that reigncom has just announced a new PMP device with 802.11b/g Wifi connection and full browsing capabilities. The new P35, which is already on sale in South Korea, sports a nice sleeky design, packing a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 display, SPINN navigator and a built-in accelerometer, for landscape viewing. In addition, it comes with a microSD slot, DMB-TV (bundled with a remote control), wide range of codecs support and either 8GB or 16GB capacities to choose from. Further more, you get the ability to use the “FTP Server” from the player itself, while playing with the UCI widgets that iRiver included inside. Regretfully, there are no details about Stateside shipping, but word on the street says you’ll be able to get the 16 gigs for only $286.

Update1: Hit the break, to checkout the video, presenting iRiver’s P35 interface.

Update2: There’s another video preview after the break, focusing on iRiver’s design.

Update3: Apparently, iRiver has officially confirmed a US release for the P35 PMP in Fall. Still no pricing details.

Update4: While still waiting for an official Stateside appearance, looks like iRiver has already pushed a new 32GB P35 model in Korea, which is presumably identical to the previous version, only with that double sized storage capacity onboard.  No word about a scheduled western release but getting this one in Asia, will cost you 488,000 won or about $390 USD.

[iRiver]

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Although it may have some P3 qualities, the new YP-CP3 PMP from Samsung looks a little bigger, but still well designed. Other than that, it is expected to house a 3-inch 400 x 240 display, together with an FM tuner, a mic, microSD expansion slot and a joystick control, to navigate your way through the menus. We can’t be sure whether this device will include a WiFi connection, but formats wise, it does support a wide range of files, like MPEG4, WMV, SVI, RMVB, WMA, Ogg, WAV, FLAC, RM,  and TXT. Naturally, at this point there are no price or availability details to share, so stay tuned for more to come.

[Via PMPToday]

Apple’s OS 3.0 preview event in Cupertino, California was just ended with some interesting announcements concerning hardware accessories, firmware tweaks, App Store business model improvements and some new games/software developments – answering most of our long lasting expectations. Although it was more of a conference, targeting third party developers, some of the news are all about iPhone’s consumers usability. That includes:

• Copy & Paste capabilities.
• MMS messaging support.
• Forward and delete for multiple messages.
• Peer-to-peer connectivity over Bluetooth for gaming and info exchange.
• A2DP stereo Bluetooth add-on
• Voice Memos.
• A new home screen page with Spotlight feature, allowing universal search on the phone (like Palm’s Pre).
• Shake To Shuffle function.
• Landscape keyboard, available in Mail, Notes and SMS.

First event without Steve Jobs around, and everyone in Apple talks about a complete return to CEO position somewhere around June 2009. But illness matters aside, we’ve learned that the company craves for extra revenues, specially from third-party applications. That is why developers will be able to include subscription fee inside paid apps, together with optional paid content that can be purchased directly from the app itself (like T-shirts and other stuff). Developers will also be able to build apps combined with Google Maps or connect with hardware accessories, such as computer speakers, keyboard and even a blood pressure monitor, through their applications. The new package will include 1,000 new APIs, allowing push notifications (at last), in-game voice use and built-in tethering functionality, that will hopefully work in the future. Other than that, users will get auto WiFi login around hotspots, full parental controls over TV shows/App Store apps and even Bluetooth functionality, in case you’re a 2G iPod touch owners.

OS 3.0 Beta version for developers is now available in here. The other 3.0 firmware update for consumers will be launched in the summer, free of charge. Those who hold iPod Touch devices in their hands will have to pay the usual annoying fee (which stands at $9.95), to get the new version.

Update1: checkout the video after the break.

Update2: iPhone OS 3.0 beta 2 was just released (for developers) and looks like we’re about to get the opportunity to use up to 11 home screens instead of the 9 screens limit on the current one. Additionally, Apple will finally add the push notifications feature in the upcoming version, so here’s a good reason to look forward for something.

Update3: You’ve guessed it right, the guys at QuickPwn have just kicked in with their latest release, which jailbreaks Apple’s OS 3.0 for free use. As always – at your risk – just to the following link, as download is available in here.

Update4: Looks like you’ll also get Voice Control (which stands for voice dialing), together with some other goodies like video recording, auto-focus camera, a compass and a digital battery indicator.

[Apple]

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Transcend comes up with a new PMP device, to be available in 4GB (Ivory) or 8GB (Onyx Black) flavors, along with a bundled silicon cover, for those who highly concern about their player’s protection. Additionally, the new MP850 sports an FM radio, high quality voice recorder with VAD (Voice Activity Detection), 7 EQ, a real-time worldwide clock, and a tiny 1.8-inch 176 x 220 TFT-LCD screen, which means no quality video on airplanes, although the battery, which can play up to 22 hours of continuous playback, might be enough for a transatlantic flight – full of music. And speaking about music, this compact sized machine (81.5mm long x 41.5mm wide x 12.7mm deep) can easily handle MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM10, WAV audio files, JPG, BMP image files or MTV video files, in case you really want to make your eyes tired. To get this one you’ll have to shell out $60 for the 4GB version or $73.50 for twice the storage.

[Transcend]

Only reason we got our eyes on these players from Evergreen is the special design, featuring Chinese horoscope figures in each of the units, allowing you to choose between a monkey, a tiger, a boar, a bull, a chicken, a dragon, a horse, a mouse, a rabbit, a sheep, or a snake accordingly. Other than that, you get 2GB of storage and some fragile buttons at the back of the animal, to handle the entire system, which can play up to 5 hours of audio for less than $30.

[via Akihabaranews]