smartech

It’s Samsung’s turn to officially come out and introduce its latest Pine Trail Atom N450 lineup (although we’ve already seen the N220 across the pond) which includes the N210, N220, N150 and NB30 netbooks – all to include Intel’s Atom N450 processor, together with a a 10.1-inch anti-reflective display and a very unique mark-and-scratch resistant casing , to protect your netbook from dirt and smudges. Other than that, what makes this new series so special is the battery life, that somehow manages to surprise with long working life for every single charge. The N210 and 220 versions are claimed to reach 12 hours of “connected mobility”, while the NB30 will get you up to 11 hours and the N150 “only” 8.5 hours. Three out of the four netbooks don’t have an integrated hinge at the far end of the chassis, but the N150 does have one. as the NB30 is the only machine that includes HDD protection sensor and a water-resistive coat (up to 50cc) – just in case, you know. PR announcement after the break.

[via Newswire]

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Korean company Viliv, that already proved us it can release great MIDs and UMPCs, jumps on the PMP bandwagon with the latest HD5 which suppose to make an official appearance at CES 2010 in just few days. Until then, from the sparse details we found, it seems the HD5 player will pack a 5-inch touchscreen display (800 x 480 resolution), hiding underneath 8, 16, or 32GB of storage, SDHC expansion, a DMB/DAB tuner and an HDMI port that can upscale your video library up to 1080p. This slick 13mm device will presumably run Windows CE inside, but don’t count on it at this point. Stay tuned.

Update: We’ve added a quick hands-on video coming straight from CES 2010, courtesy of engadget. Check it out after the break.

[via gmp3]

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Despite market flotation, we keep seeing more and more entry-level players surface up in the wild, targeting non-deep pockets, at the time where branded ones are out of their reach.  This way or another, some manufacturers, like Korean iRiver, occasionally offer both. From one hand we have a pricey touchscreen media player such as the P7, which costs hundreds of dollars, and from the other, the E30, that represents the slim and light lineup. The late, that enters into Chinese markets these days, packs a 1.8-inch display and either 4GB ($59) or 8GB ( $79.99) capacities to choose from. Besides that it sports a 52 hours battery and runs almost every known format, available around.

Update: Amazon now has it, up for order both in 4GB and 8GB storage capacities.

[via gmp3]

Korean manufacturer SAFA has rolled out a new mp3 player, SAFA XING LED, cramming both audio and style in one  small device. The Xing LED, which comes with 27 LED lights that can be tweaked with various icons at your choice or used for playing simple enjoyable games like Rock, Paper, Scissors or Dice, packs a 12 hours battery, paired with a G-sensor mode, one USB connector, a mono speaker lump and 4-directions touch keys. Price and availability are yet to be released while storage capacity is still under examine – well, nothing that’d stop us announcing the XING as our new fashion accessory.

[via Safa]

We’ve already seen some of Myracer’s stuff in the past, but hands down, their latest Lisse Q10 PMP is one of a kind. Basically, you get everything that any other media player will give these days, including a 3-inch 400 x 240 touchscreen, 8GB flash drive, an FM tuner, an e-book reader, a mic, one TV output and microSD slot expansion. Different from others, this one comes with a stunning stylish retro design, featuring a rounded dial nub on front and three colors to choose from (black, silver or gold). Codecs wise, it will support most common formats, such as MPEG4, H.264, DivX, XviD, RM/RMVB, MP4, 3GP, MPG, WMV video, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG, FLAC audio and JPEG, BMP, GIF image files – but alas! price and dates still remain a secret. Stay tuned, more to come.

[via itechnews]

Hope you’re not confusing with Cowon’s S9, which is more of a PMP rather than an mp3 player. Anyway, we’re glad to see the Koreans keeping up with the good media-players launching pace, while this time it’s the iAudio 9, which apparently packs a 2-inch LCD screen, along with a built-in microphone, an FM tuner, TV output, an integrated speaker and lots of media codecs to play, including AVI, WMV, XViD, ASF and many more. Regretfully, we’re still missing storage capacities and pricing details, but as you know we’re all over it to bring’em on.

Update1: While Western debut may  look vague at the moment, Asian release is much clearer, as Cowon’s iAudio 9 is expected to see light, in Japan, on mid-November, priced at 14,800 yen (around $160) for the 8GB model, and 17,800 yen (around $195) for the 16GB model.Stay tuned.

Update2: The guys at Le Journal Du Geek were lucky enough to put their hands on a Cowon 9 mp3 player, few weeks before its European start, which suppose to give you, for merely €180 ($265), a 16GB of internal storage, a 2-inch screen display, integrated mic, built-in FM radio, wide range of codecs support and a pocketable sized black/silver body design. Hit the break for one more footage, or click this spot for the entire collection.

Update3: Looks like Cowon’s iAudio 9 is finally up on sale in the US, with prices starting at $129 for the 8GB version and climbing up to $169 for the 16GB one.

[gmp3]

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It’s not a real player these days without a full fledged touchscreen panel hovering the entire media device from bottom to top, and South Korean Digital Cube is one company that seems to realize it pretty well with its latest i-Station Emerald E9 PMP, which practically boasts a resistive 3-inch display, clean of buttons on top. In Apple’s well-received iPod Touch tradition, the new Emerald device packs a built-in accelerometer for landscape view, along with other typical features, including an FM tuner, a mic, a video output, 7EQ, an e-book reader, and flash storage drives, sized at 4GB ($115) or 8GB ($132) capacities at your choice. Formats support looks pretty extensive, no matter what color you get to choose – either black or white – neither of them will cross western lines, soon.

[i-Station]

We already know Viliv and the highly rated MIDs and UMPCs it makes, but even though, the Koreans won’t settle with scarce line of products and apparently these days, are showing off at IDF 2009, their new portable series which seems to include the S10, which looks like a new 10-inches tablet netbook device that technically packs 1,366 x 768 resistive swivel touchscreen, but also Intel’s Atom 1.33GHz or 2.0GHz processors (the 2.0GHz CPU isn’t available yet) and Windows 7 OS, the premium version. Besides that, Viliv lets you choose between 32 or 64GB SSDs (at 70MBps read rates), together with an optional 3G WWAN, 1GB of RAM, a 10 hours battery that runs at one single charge and a built-in webcam, probably a 1.3 megapixels one. Still no word when or where this White/Black hues unit suppose to go live (more likely around Q4 09), but starting price is claimed to stand at $500. Hands on video – for your eyes only – is right after the break.

Update1: Apparently, Viliv’s S10 tablet netbook just turned official. The 10.1 inch multitouch swivel screen, known as the Blade, integrates 4G mobile WiMAX and 3G HSPA connectivity inside. In addition, viliv has also launched the 4.8-inch clamshell MID, N5 which packs 3G and WiFi as well. PR after the break.

Update2: We’ve added a short hands-on video of the Viliv N5, coming straight from CES 2010, courtesy of engadget. Check it out after the jump.

[via umpcportal]

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Korean company UMID didn’t have much of a success when first launched its 4.8-inches M1 mini netbook version, a few months ago. But now, after finally fixing up some of the main issues that turned its first round somehow repelled, a new edition, which carries the name “M2″ has risen up from the dark, and is now ready to be rolled out somewhere towards the end of the year, for a much cheaper price of $499 (instead of $765). First thing you’ll notice is the screen, that apparently flips out and turns widely open on the M2 (thanks to the new hinge), compared to its very angle-limited predecessor. This fact will help new M2 users hold the unit comfortably in their hands and type the keyboard in a more convenient way than previously done. Other thing you might be noticing, is the real USB port that was hooked to UMID’s M2 revamped chassis, which doesn’t necessarily require any dongles to connect. Besides that, the company has also integrated an optical mouse, that seats on front of the M2 bezel frame, while both left-right buttons were placed to the left. As for internal specs, you get to choose between 1.2 or 1.6GHz Intel Atom processors, which will presumably operate under the much expected Windows 7 OS and a larger 1GB of RAM. Other than that, UMID will probably stick to most of the parts, included in M1, but that’s for us to find out in the coming months. Until then, checkout Chippy’s recent introduction video right after the break.

Update: Turns out UMID M2 is now known as Onkyo BX, but besides the re-branding process nothing substantial has really changed. It still has that Intel 1.2GHz Atom Z515 processor, along a 4.8-inch 1024 x 600 LCD, a 32GB SSD and 512MB of memory. Design remains the same as well, so does the price – Â¥64,800, or $730. One more image after the jump.

[Via jkkmobile]

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Despite Microsoft’s Zune HD event, which takes place this coming Tuesday, things look just as usual around DigitalCube’s  Korean headquarters, as the company officially debuts with iSTATION S3 PMP that “surprisingly” sports a 3.5-inch 800 x 480 AMOLED display, which packs underneath an HDMI output and a strong battery, running around 20 hours of audio and up to 8 hours of video. Other than that, the new S3 supports most common files while storage wise, is being offered in 8/16/32GB capacities. Prices and dates of release are yet to be determined. Be sure we’re here to get’em right away.

[via Aving]

While impatiently waiting for Samsung’s N510 ION-based netbook to finally show up in Europe, and with models like N110 , N120 or the NC310 already splashing deep in the pond, it seems the Koreans should better straighten out the lines instead of launching new ones. Nevertheless, and despite crowded rooms, the company just rolled out two new models to the pile, as the first, N130, is yet another 10.1-inch Atom machine netbook that packs exactly the same features its predecessors have, while the second, N140, is not much of a difference, although it has a pair of 3W stereo speakers and a stronger battery (5,900 mAh) that is claimed to deliver up to 11 hours of usage. In any case, both devices will presumably include a lightweight MS Office inside while colors wise, they will run at your choice either in black, white, sea blue or peach pink flavors, somewhere this month.

[via Crave]

Samsung has been very active lately within the media players market, and even when we were thinking we’ve seen them all, the South Korean giant has given us yet another prove  it ain’t going to halt any production. In fact, not only the company has never stopped, it was actually shifting gear and going official with another PMP player, this time the Samsung YP-R1, which is scheduled to go live at the Berlin IFA trade show, next month, for a starting price of $180. Specs wise, the new player will presumably pack a 2.6-inch 400 x 260 touchscreen, while the TouchWiz interface will give you the freedom to enjoy any audio/video files anywhere, and the BeatDJ feature will enable users adding their own voice and sound effects to their favorite songs. Besides that, the 8.9 millimeter-thick player will eventually come with a choice of 8GB or 16GB memory capacities, while Samsung’s DNSe 3.0 digital sound engine is about to be the first to support DivX format. Regretfully, no other details, nor video previews were popping up at this point, so stay tuned for more updates to come.

[via Newswire]

With strong and powerful audio brands like Cowon, iRiver or Samsung, it’s probably hard for unknown Asian companies to get their 15 minutes of fame in such an overcrowded market of dominant media players. But brands and popularity aside, sometimes you pay a lot more for much less and today, when recession keeps knocking our windows (or bank accounts), maybe it’s time for other names to make their debut. And, one of the companies that recently decided to go out with a new player is Atree, that has rolled out the J100 machine, which boasts a 3-inch touchscreen, together with a microSD expansion, DMB digital TV tuner, 4GB of internal flash storage and even an e-dictionary support. Formats wise, the J100 is compatible with MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC and APE lossless audio files while video playback will presumably run any AVI, DivX, Xvid and WMV footage. Hence, if you happen to visit the southern part of the country and find it attractive having an “anything but iPod” DAP in your pocket, you should start counting 198,000 KRW (about $158), the price it costs.

[Atree]

Korean giant LG announces another X-Note netbook edition, this time it’s the Mini X130, which apparently looks pretty much similar to previous versions, only with a 9-cell battery that can deliver up to 12 hours of working hours and up to 7 and a half hours of video playback – very cool, isn’t it? And while price tag stands on 789,000 Won ($639), you might consider getting one either in Black, White, or Pink colors, the company offers. Battery aside, the new X130 boasts the usual specs, including a 10-inch 1024 x 600 display, along with a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, 802.11 b / g / n WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR support, and the standard Windows XP OS onboard. Not sure when this thing is about to make a US appearance, but be sure it will. Meanwhile, hit the link at the bottom, there’s a short video to watch.

[LG]

While anxiously waiting for ION-based netbooks to finally show up in the market, Korean giant, Samsung, has already made it available for a pre-order, with its latest N510 netbook machine, which is expected to go live in Europe somewhere around September, priced at €499 (about $718), packing  an 11.6-inch 1 366 x 768 display, along with Atom N280 processor, 6.5 hours battery NVIDIA’s ION chipset, paired with 9400M graphics, to handle 1080p high-def videos smoothly. Other specs include expandable 1GB of RAM, 1.3 megapixels webcam, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI output, WiFi 802.11b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR,  3 in 1 card reader slot and  160GB SATA II HDD. Stay tuned for more to come.

Update1: Apparently, Samsung’s desirable N510 ION-based netbook  will make its way Stateside somewhere around September for a whopping price of $599. Sometimes, you have to pay to be one of the first, experiencing top-notch technologies, eh?

Update2: The good guys at Netbooknews.de were kind enough to share with us some real photos of the ION-based Samsung N510 netbook they got to play with, moments before it goes life in Europe. But if images are not your cup of tea, they also added a short video preview, showing the powerful wonder sitting side-by-side next to another Samsung phenomena, the legendary NC10. hit the jump to take a look.

[Via Blogeee]

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While most details are still missing, Korean giant Samsung is about to release another PMP device to the market, this time it’s the YP-R0 player, which suppose to be available in the following months with a 2.6-inch touchscreen, a slim chassis (only 60g weight), 8GB of flash storage, an FM tuner (RDS compatible), a microSD card slot expansion and wide range of codecs support, including MP3, OGG, WMA, ASF, FLAC, WAV, AAC, MPEG4, WMV, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and GIF. In terms of pricing, you should expect shelling out about KRW 130,000 ($185) when it gets available. Stay tuned.

Update: Word on the street says that Samsung’s R0 PMP is finally up in Korea, either in Indie Black, Techno Silver, or Rap Pink hues, and includes a 2.6-inch TFT display, along FM radio, microSD card slot, an integrated photo viewer and wide range of codecs support. Storage wise, you get to choose between 4GB and 8GB, while prices stand at KRW139,000 ($120) or KRW179,000 ($155), respectively.

[via journaldugeek]

Apparently, Korean corp. iRiver is doing efforts to keep the “E” PMP lineup (which wasn’t the best one ever) live and kicking,  giving it another try, this time with a nice aluminum finish – covering the chassis – instead of this cheap plastic frame you probably noticed with E100 and E150 predecessors. But metal gear wasn’t the only change that iRiver has pushed inside the new E200 PMP. As a matter of fact, the new player also boasts a 2.8-inch OLED display, paired with nice capacitive touch buttons beneath, microSD expansion, an FM tuner and a built-in speaker to share your music around, and while we’re still looking for price and availability details to show up, you might be satisfied knowing there is a wide range of codecs the E200 supports, including RMVB, MPEG-4 SP, WMV9 SP, XVID SP and MP3, WMA, OGG, or FLAC files. Stay tuned for even more to come.

[via Dapreview]

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In case you haven’t heard, South Korean iRiver has just released a new PMP device for the Asian market, with minor chances to hit some western shelves in the near future. Nevertheless, the new B30 device is claimed to have a 2.8-inch QVGA display, along with an FM tuner, T-DMB connectivity, a microSD expansion slot, and either 4GB, 8GB or 16GB storage capacities to choose from. Additionally, this wide range codecs-compatible unit is offered in various flavors, including Black, White or Silver hues, while battery should provide up to 40 hours of audio playback or 5.5 hours of video time – all competitively priced at $155 (4GB) and $183 (8GB), with flight costs excluded.

Update1: Checkout iRiver’s B30 promotion video after the break.

Update2: You should also check the other video in the line, featuring iRiver’s B30 UI , navigated via the touch sensitive buttons

Update3: Looks like the B30 is now available on a UK online shop, DAD, listed for £139. Hit the link for more images.

[iriver via dapreview]

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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]

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 109.7×48.8x19mm 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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