smartech

Creative seems to be very dominant lately, as the company rolls out yet another player after recent introductions of the X-Fi and the Krystal. The new Zen Mozaic lives up to his name, coming up with a 1.8-inch TFT display (128 x 160) and three optional storage capacities, including 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB flavor. It has an FM tuner, a microphone, 8EQ, built-in speakers and USB 2,0/MTP connectivity. You get three colors to choose from, black, silver and pink, when all versions support MP3, WMA, WAV, Audible, JPEG file formats and 32 hours of battery life. The player is set to be released in Singapore somewhere around August for $99, $129 or $169 respectively.

[via Creative]

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This new Publio TX-700 from JVC was primarily created to run video advertisements and promotional stuff in stores or retailers. The bulky PMP comes with a 7-inch display, an SD card slot, built-in stereo speakers, USB 2.0 connection, and some programming options. It is compatible with video codecs as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MP3 audio format and JPEG/BMP files. Regretfully, there is no word on price or availability but you may see this player updating you with sales and advertising campaigns in Japan.

[via akihabaranews]

Audio, Video, WiFi, internet surfing, today’s mega gadgets are not just a simple player, they are all-in-one devices, cramming advanced multimedia features into a relatively small box. Cnet has decided to make a comparison duel between top 2 mega PMP players, the Archos 705 and the Cowon Q5W, in order to determine which device is the one true king of the non-pocketable media players. Cnet has gathered three gadgets experts to judge both devices according to 5 categories: Navigation, Sexiness, Compatibility, Sound and Science, Wallet Factor. The results are as plain as the nose on one’s face, Archos 705 is the undoubtable winner, collecting 56 points against 50 of the Q5W. Check the full details here.

[via Cnet]

Teac announces the release of three media players with very basic features and a standard design. All models come with FM tuner, LCD screen and recording capabilities.

Teac MP-370 : 1.5 “LCD display, 1GB/2GB/4GB storage size, FM tuner, 19 EQ, mic, USB 2.0, compatible with MP3, WMA, JPG, SMV. Dimensions: 10 x 70x 40mm, 40gm. Priced at $69.90 for the 4GB.

[via gmp3]

Check the other models after the break.

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Creative wants to increase the competition, the company has decided to cut down the prices of the Zen 4GB and 8GB models, in order to place an alternative to the costly players, and when we say “costly” we refer to iPods. The 4GB model is now $99, and the 8GB model drops to $149. That’s an impressive move that might influence other manufacturers to go all the way down with their prices.

[via creative]

Fifth generation 30GB iPod Video owners, who wish to add a Bluetooth connectivity to their players, can easily do so with ipodhackers step-by step tutorial. First thing you have to do is to disassemble the device, then integrate a Bluetooth module into it, remove the hard disk and replace it with a Compact Flash card. The last is needed since the 30GB model is tight to house both the Bluetooth module and the original hard drive. If you are not tech geeks, don’t try to get into this advemture !

[via ipodhackers]

Korean company, MyRacer, introduced their latest portable gaming device, equipped with a 2.4-inch (320 x 240) display and a media player. Personally, i don’t think Sony has to be fearful for its PSP gaming consoles, but the MF101 does support AVI, MP3, WMA, WAV, JPEG and BMP. Additionally, it has 1GB internal flash memory, expandable SD slot and 2 keypads on both sides. The MF101 sports a flash interface and supports Adobe Flash-based games. The device is available in S.Korea for 104$.

[via technabob]

Sony unveils the A-series media players lineup with a 2.4-inch LCD display (320 × 240) and a Bluetooth2.0 A2DP connectivity, delivering wireless music to your bluetooth headset/speakers. The new PMPs feature 8GB (NW-A820) or 16GB (NW-A829) storage size, support MP3, AAC, ATRAC Advanced Lossless, DRM WMA, linear PCM audio formats, and MPEG4, AVHC, H.264 video formats. The battery is very strong, providing 36 hours of music and 10 hours of video. Dimensions are 93.9 × 51 x 9.3mm, 59gm. An optional VRC-NW10 dock, enabling scheduled TV/Radio recording, will be available during this year. All players will be equipped with a 13.5mm EX headset and we expect to see them retailed in Japan around March and a month later in Europe. The NW-A820 is priced at $260, the NW-A829 at $353 and the optional cradle at $186. You will be able to choose between black, silver, pink and gold colors.

[via gmp3, slashgear]

Check out the pictures and video after the break.

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TG presents the Favicon, a new PMP-navigation device with dual DMB - PIP functionality (thats two TV channels at once) and a 532MHz Freescale CPU. This 7″ WVGA player houses TPEG GPS navigation system (providing traffic info), 4GB storage size, SD card slot, multimedia player and a Windows Vista OS (!). Release date is unknown but you will be able to find it only in Korea for 420$ .

[via akihabaranews]

If you own a wifi enabled device such as iphone, ipod touch Nokia N-Series, HTC smartphones or any other wifi media player, this is your moment to cheer up, as PacketVideo introduced its new mobile broadcasting receiver, enabling mobile TVs to be displayed wirelessed on any mobile set with wifi connectivity, so if you’re making your favorite dish in your kitchen and afraid of losing your favorite show, just connect your unit and stream the video all the way to the cooking area. The PV will support DVB-H/MediaFLO broadcasting and TDtv/WiMAX streaming. The 6.4 x 1.8 x 4-cm block is expected to go live at the end of the year and i have the feeling it might change some of our TV watching spots.

[via engadget]

Another picture after the break.

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Sumvision unveils the ICE1000, a mini PMP with a 2.8″ touchscreen. It seems everyone wants to have their own touch device and the iPod Touch is the one to set the rally. We’re not so sure this is the right killer but the market votes for the buttons-less players. With a clean design, the Ice1000 might be just the cheaper alternative. Check out the specs:

specifications:

• Display: 2.8″ TFT LCD (320 × 240).
• Storage Size: 4GB internal flash memory.
• Audio: MP3, WMA.
• Video: MP4, WMV, XviD, AVI.
• Pictures: JPEG, RSC, TXT.
• Features: microSD slot, FM radio tuner, a microphone, USB 2.0, external speaker, e-book reader, 7 EQ, multi-language interface.
• Battery Life: audio-10 hours, video-4 hours.
• Size: 90 × 55 x 12mm, 62 gm.
• Price: $88.00.

[via gmp3]

Coby aims the touch market, as the company unveils the new MP-835 PMP with a slick design and a 3-inch touchscreen. The new player already received FCC certifications, so you might find it on US retailers very soon. With a smooth look and the right features, it might be a cheaper alternative to other touchscreen players available on the market. Check out the specs:

specifications:

• Display: 3″ TFT LCD (480 × 272).
• Storage Size: 2GB or 4GB.
• Audio: MP3, WMA, OGG.
• Video: WMV, AVI.
• Pictures: JJPG, BMP, GIF and TXT.
• Features: microSD slot, FM radio tuner, USB 2.0, multi-lingual interface.
• Size: 52 × 97 x 10mm.
• Price: Not Available

[via gmp3]

Sony Ericsson has just introduced the new W980 quad-band HSDPA 2100 Walkman lineup, with nice rounded black shell design and “Walkman on Top” function, allowing full player control without opening the shell. The W980 sports the following features:

• Display: 262,144 colors (240 x 320).
• Storage: 8GB internal capacity
• 3.2MP camera with video recording.
• Features: HSDPA high speed connectivity, FM radio transmitter, Bluetooth A2DP, MP3/AAC audio compatibility, Shake Control Technology - shake your phone and change the song.
• Availability: Q3 2008.
• Price: Unknown.

[via gizmodo]

More pictures after the break.

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Almost 2 months after Creative released the upgraded Zen 32GB, the company decided to cut down the prices from 349$ to merely 299$. This move was meant to remind us there is a cheaper alternative to the very expensive iPod Touch 32GB model, and we say: let the competition roll…

[via Creative]

Archos released an upgraded version for the 405 PMPs. The new model features 30GB hard drive storage instead of the previous flash memory, 3.5” TFT screen 16M colors, a microphone, ext. speaker, TV output and more. Archos removed the previous SD / SDHC slot configuration and fixed the price on 290$ (€199). The new 405 is expected to be available immediately in Europe.

[via archoslounge]