December 2009 Archives

CNET UK have published a review of the Sony Walkman B series (NWZ-B142F) MP3 player. 'The NWZ-B142F works with Windows Media Player, so you don't need to download or install anything new to sync and transfer albums and playlists. Plug it straight into a USB port to both sync and charge. A full charge doesn't take too long -- just over an hour, in fact -- and will lasts for a claimed 18 hours of playback. Testing the player, we only needed a single charge for several days-worth of normal day-to-day usage. If you do ever happen to find yourself low on juice, however, a useful 'quick charge' feature can give you up to three hours worth of playback time from just three minutes of charging.'

About.com have published a review of the Sansa Clip+ (Plus) MP3 player. 'The Sansa Clip+ has a feature set that really gives this device great bang for the buck. Besides playing music, audiobooks and podcasts, the device also has a digital FM tuner, voice recorder, and SlotRadio and SlotMusic capability. It can even record songs from the FM radio. The Clip+ easily fits in the palm of your hands and is easy to take with you anywhere. You can throw it in your pockets or, as its name implies, clip it to your clothing. This makes it perfect for jogging or during plane trips when space and weight are both prime considerations.'

A review of the Philips Gogear Opus 8GB portable media player has been posted over at Computeractive,co,uk. 'The player is a wide, lozenge-shaped device that has a screen on one side and a control pad on the other. It was easy to use with the clear menus showing up well on the bright screen. There is not much clutter, just options for playing music and video, listening to the radio and changing the settings.'

The Cowon O2 8 GB Video MP3 Player (White) has been reduced from $189.99 to $172.99 over at Amazon Marketplace. 'The player's sleek minimalism marries cutting-edge technology with simple, sophisticated details. The O2 is much more than an eye-catching MP3 player--it boasts support for more audio and video codecs than you can count on both hands, a brilliant 4.3-inch touchscreen, image and document viewing, voice recording, and plenty more. The O2 is a compact and versatile media player that'll keep you entertained no matter where, no matter when.'

The Zune HD 16 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) is on offer for $200.99 over at Amazon.com.
Tech Details:
• IMPORTANT PRODUCT INFORMATION: To get started using Zune HD, download the latest software to your PC from zune.net/setup and charge your Zune using the supplied cable for at least 30 minutes before use
• 16 GB capacity for up to 4,000 songs, 24 hours standard definition video, or 5 hours high definition video
• 3.3-inch OLED screen with 480 x 272 resolution and 16:9 display
• HD Radio gives you access to many local stations with crystal-clear digital sound at no extra cost
• Watch supported 720p HD movies, TV shows, and videos in high definition
• Buy, stream, and update your music, download free games, and surf the web via a Wi-Fi connection

The Archos 605 Wi-Fi Portable Media Player (30 GB) has been reduced from $299.99 to $139.99 over at Amazon Marketplace. 'The Archos 605 generation 5 portable media player comes with a convenient WiFi feature, an attribute that offers the fastest and easiest way to access digital entertainment. You can use the built-in Wi-Fi capabilities of the Archos to download online media content from the Archos content portal: All you need is a usable Wi-Fi connection, and you're good to start downloading (fees may apply). With the Archos in hand, for the first time you can download favorite movies, TV shows, and music wherever you are, without being tied to the PC or Mac.'

AnythingButiPod have published their review of the Philips GoGear Aria portable media player. 'The Aria is something in between an Insignia Pilot and a Meizu M6, design wise. It's a landscape-only player meaning the screen is 220x176 pixels not 176x220, with the controls on the right not the bottom. The 2" screen covers part of the front along with a 7-way d-pad. There aren't many players with 7-way d-pads on the market and most of them have a scroll wheel for volume in those 7 controls (iPod nano/classic, Sansa Fuze/e200/view etc) but the Aria actually has a fully tactile 7-way d-pad as well as regular volume buttons on top.'

Digital Trends have published their review of the Barnes & Noble Nook eReader. 'The look of the Nook is not much different than the Amazon Kindle. Both measure in at about 8 by 5 inches and both come with 2GB of internal memory, although the Nook is a tad bit heavier and noticeably thicker. That's where the cosmetic similarities end, however. The biggest difference between the two eReaders is obvious at first glance. Instead of a built-in keypad like on the Kindle, the Barnes & Noble Nook instead uses a secondary color LCD touchscreen display located at the bottom of the device. It's this touch display that you will use for browsing the vendor's catalog of books and magazines, for changing the settings of the Nook and for all around typing - and it looks great too.'

The iriver SPINN 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Silver) is on offer for $89.99 over at Amazon Marketplace. 'The SPINN gets its name from iriver's SPINN System, which is a cylindrical scroll wheel on the side of the device that allows you to quickly and easily navigate your files and player functions. Users also have the choice of navigating using the device's touchscreen. With 480 x 272 (QVGA) resolution, you'll enjoy a great picture while watching your favorite videos. As for navigation, the screen features haptic response, now popular in many mobile touchscreen devices. It allows the user to feel as if they are pressing buttons or keys by providing vibration feedback to user actions.'

PC Advisor have published their review of the Barnes & Noble Nook ebook reader. 'The Barnes & Noble Nook (due for wider availability in January 2010) joins a growing array of e-readers, led to date by Amazon and Sony. The Nook's most directly competes with the Amazon Kindle 2. Both models are of similar size, have similar prices, and are the only models that provide direct-from-device wireless access to each bookseller's e-book store (Sony's Reader Daily Edition will add wireless connectivity, as will other readers to be announced at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show).'

A review of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet/portable media player has been posted over at DevHardware.com. 'Being a touch-screen device, the design of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is pretty simple. It's portable enough to fit in your pocket; it measures 5.6 inches wide by 3.1 inches tall by 0.8 inch thick and weighs 10.1 ounces. The versions with less memory than 500 GB are not as thick. The exterior has a glossy black finish, which brings on the inevitable issues with fingerprints and smudges. That's not to say that the finish isn't very attractive, but keep a cloth handy to wipe it occasionally.'

Reg Hardware have published their review of the Amazon Kindle International Edition digital reader. 'Since Amazon expects most Kindle users to buy content from, well, Amazon, the Kindle's primary e-book format is Amazon's own AZW, though it can also handle DRM-free Mobipocket files. If you ask us, an e-book reader that doesn't support ePub is a bit of a three-legged nag. Despite what Amazon may think, ePub is now the e-book standard with even Sony - never a company to relish the adoption of technologies it didn't invent - recently converting its entire DRM e-book library to the format. The real advantage of any e-book reader is that you can head over the likes of Feedbooks and grab the entire output of Jane Austen, HG Wells, Dickens and Tolstoy, and not pay a penny. Thankfully, Feedbooks offers its content in Mobipocket format as well as ePub and PDF.'

PC World have published a review of the Sony Reader Touch Edition (PRS-600). 'This device looks like a refined version of Sony's previous full-size reader (the PRS-700), with a 6-inch, 8-grayscale E Ink screen framed by a metallic case (available in silver, black, or red). Though it's on the heavy side for a reader (at just over 10 ounces), it's only a couple of ounces heavier than its smaller sibling, the Sony Reader Pocket Edition. The stylus slides smoothly in and out from a slot in the top right of the case. Sony provides a neoprene pouch to protect the screen in transit.'

The FLO TV Personal Television is on offer for $249.99 with free two-day shipping over at Amazon.com. 'With integrated speakers and a built-in adjustable stand, the FLO TV Personal Television is at home wherever you are. Put it on the counter while you're making dinner, on the vanity while you're getting ready, or at your desk while you're working. The FLO TV Personal Television just might be your favorite TV in, and out, of the house. The FLO TV service is delivered via a dedicated nationwide network that was built from the ground up. To check if FLO TV service is available in your area, please visit www.flotv.com/maps.

The uTronix 2GB Touch Screen MP3 MP4 Video Player 2.8 Inches LCD (Retail Package) is on offer for $45.99 over at Amazon Marketplace.
Product Details:
• 2.8 INCH 65,000 TRUE COLOUR TFT LCD DISPLAY,MP3/MP4/JPG/JPEG/WMA/Movie/Photo/Picture Player
• Integrated FM Radio, FM Radio Recorder, 2GB USB Flash Memory Drive
• USB 2.0 Full-Speed, 14-Language Menu & Lyric
• Personal Digital Voice Recorder ***Rechargeable Internal Lithium Battery***A-B Repeater, Newest Firmware Installed***E-Book
• Package includes: One 11-in-1 MP4/MP3/WMA Player; One USB Extension/Charging Cable ; One User Guide

The Sylvania 4GB MP3 Player with 2.8-Inch Color Touch Screen (Black) is on offer for $67.23 on pre-order over at Amazon.com.
Product Details:
• 4 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs (expandable via MicroSD card slot)
• 8 hours of audio or 4 hours of video on a single charge
• 2.8-inch color TFT LCD touchscreen
• Supports MP3 and WMA audio formats; AVI video format; JPEG and BMP image formats; TXT text files and RKP game files

PC Advisor have published their review of the Sony NWZ-S544 is an 8GB MP3 player/portable media player. 'The Sony NWZ-S544 sports a pleasing design. We tested the pink model, but a variety of colours are offered. The MP3 player is sturdy but still relatively light, so it doesn't add significant weight to your pocket. The matte finish over most of the body seems to be good at preventing scratches. Rather than a use a touchscreen like the iPod Touch does, the Sony NWZ-S544 relies on a five-way navigation pad and physical buttons. Volume control is handled by a side-mounted button which sits next to a hold toggle and a slider to switch between headphones and the internal speaker. Navigating the menu system isn't too difficult but we'd still place the NWZ-S544 behind the iPod nano in terms of usability, especially for navigating extensive music collections.

Computeractive have published their review of the Apple iPod Nano digital player. 'As well as playing video, the most interesting addition to the new Nano is that it can shoot video as well. There is a small camera on the back of the device, although it's in a very odd position near the bottom, presumably because that is the only place the camera electronics would not conflict with the screen. It does mean the user needs to move their hand oddly each time they want to switch into video mode.'

Anything But iPod have published their review of the Philips GoGear Vibe SA1VBE00K/17 MP3 player. 'The Vibe is probably the cutest player I have eve seen. There's just something about the size and shape of the thing that looks so adorable. It might be the fact that between the general shape, screen/control pad placement and the recessed bump in the middle it frankly looks like a baby-ZVM. The front has a 4-way d-pad, the right side has the volume control and options button and the left side has the hold/power switch. The 3.5mm jack, lanyard hole, mic and USB port is on the bottom.'

A review of the Barnes & Noble nook eBook reader has been posted over at TheGadgeteer.com. 'The nook is slightly smaller than the Kindle as far as width and length measurements. It's obviously thicker though. In hand it feels comfortable but noticeably heavier than the Kindle. On my digital scale, the Kindle weighs in at 10.2 ounces and the nook weighs in at 12 ounces. The extra weight isn't a bad though though. I think it gives the device a more luxurious feel. The nook uses a micro USB cable for charging. Next to USB connector is an amber charging status LED and to the left of that is a 3.5mm earphone jack (there are no earphones included with the reader). On either side are the built in speakers.'

The SanDisk(R) Sansa(R) Clip+ 8GB MP3 Player (Black) has been reduced from $103.20 to $59.00 over at Amazon.com. 'With eight gigabytes of storage, this tiny player lets you listen to up to 2000 songs in stunning audio quality. It boasts a wide array of outstanding features, including an FM radio, long-life battery, and integrated voice recorder. And with its expandable memory card slot, you can add pre-loaded microSD, slotRadio or slotMusic cards, so you can listen to your favorite music, podcasts and audio books without having to access a computer or wait for downloads.'

Trusted Reviews have published a review of the iRiver Story eBook reader. 'A glance at the bottom edge reveals a headphone jack, power/lock switch and (behind a flap) a mini-USB port and an SD card reader. We particularly like the latter addition, not least in light of the presence of 2GB of integrated storage as well. At the back of the Story, meanwhile, is a thin slit inside which sits an integrated speaker for listening to audio books and potentially recorded memos created using the integrated microphone. Recording memos is one of a number of almost useful extra features, such as a calendar and a written memo application. We're not against such additions per se, but since there's no way to synchronise these with any other service (Outlook, Google etc) or device, it's hard to see anyone using them seriously.'

The Coby 4 GB Flash MP3 Player with FM and Color Display (Black) has been reduced from $39.99 to $24.00 over at Amazon Marketplace.
Product Details:
• 1.44-Inch CSTN LCD display
• 4GB Flash Memory
• music; MP3, WMA, video; MTV, photos; JPG, and text
• Integrated FM radio
• audio play time 10h

Trusted Reviews have published their review of the Cowon iAudio 9 (16GB) portable media player. 'The iAudio 9's dimensions of 43mm x 95mm x 8.6mm and 40g weight leave it fated to comparison to Apple's iPod nano. In figures the iAudio 9 is slightly larger and heavier, but in the hand or pocket the difference is literally unnoticeable. However, with an 8GB iAudio 9 costing £99 and a 16GB model priced at £120, the Cowon player is notably cheaper than equivalent capacity iPod nanos - and these numbers do matter. The overall design is an unsurprising evolution from the iAudio 7. The matt black finish verges on bland, but I quite like its functional look and I imagine the other colours will look similarly tasteful. For certain, this player feels more 'grown up' than an iPod nano; neither form nor function have taken priority here and it just works.'

CNET have published a review of the Barnes & Noble Nook (Android-powered e-book reader). 'Let's start with the basic design. Put the Nook on top of the Kindle and you'll notice that the Nook is about 10 percent smaller in terms of surface dimensions. Then again, the Nook's a bit thicker. The Nook is 7.7 inches long by 4.9 inches wide by 0.50 inch thick, whereas the Kindle is 8 inches long by 5.3 inches wide by 0.36 inch thick. The Nook also weighs slightly more at 11.2 ounces than the Kindle does at 10.2 ounces. Unlike the Kindle, the device's plastic back plate is removable and the lithium ion battery is replaceable (the microSD slot is also accessible by removing the cover). The back cover ships with the device, but, smartly, Barnes & Noble is offering it in different colors as an optional accessory, along with various third-party protective cases (alas, no cover--not even a cheap neoprene one--ships with the device, which is disappointing).'

The SanDisk Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player (Black) has been reduced from $48.99 to $27.84 over at Amazon Marketplace.

Product Details
• Up to 15 hours continuous playback using internal rechargeable battery
• Supports MP3, WMA, secure WMA, and Audible audio file formats
• Includes digital FM tuner with 20 preset stations voice recorder w/built-in microphone
• Hi-speed USB 2.0 port for fast and easy transfer of files

A review of the Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi music player has been posted over at Reg Hardware. 'Rocking up in traditional Squeezebox black - the red case is only an option in the US - the 130 x 220 x 85mm Radio is the smallest all-in-one music streamer we have come across. It's one of the best looking too, with Logitech having the ditched the Boom's partly matte finish for a more classy all over deep gloss. Physically, the Radio bears a strong family resemblance to the Boom, albeit one with the right hand speaker hacked off and with rounded corners.'

PC Advisor have published a review of the Pure Sensia audio streaming device. 'DAB radio and wireless streaming devices are fairly commonplace these days, but the Pure Sensia has no trouble standing out from the crowd thanks to the inclusion of a large touchscreen display. Far from being a superficial addition, the Pure Sensia's large 5.7in capacitive glass touchscreen transforms the radio interface beyond all recognition. One thing's for sure, it's hard to back to a regular remote control after you've handled one of these for a while. With a with a reasonable resolution of 640x480 the screen is great to look at, and functions as both a display for menus, station information, and an assortment of other goodies.'

A review of the Fusion Garage JooJoo Web tablet has been posted over at PC World. 'First, the specs. Fusion Garage CEO Chandrasekar Rathakrishnan was loathe to talk specs, insisting that to do so would draw comparisons to netbooks and the PC market (which is spec-obsessed) rather than an appliance like an iPhone or a Kindle, where processor speed is less of a concern compared to the quality of the overall Web browsing experience. That said: it has a 12-inch capacitive touchscreen display with a 1366 by 768 pixel resolution, 1GB of memory, a 4GB SSD (which is mostly used to store the OS and cache data, the user can't directly save files), and the processor is reported to be a 1.6GHz Atom with some kind of graphics chip assisting with HD video decoding. It also has one USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth support, a headphone and mic ports, built-in speakers, and a webcam with a mic.'

CNET Asia have published a review of the Sony Walkman NWZ-S744 (8GB) portable player 'At 92 x 41 x 7.9 mm, it is slightly larger than the model it replaces. Most of the player is covered in black plastic with a matte finish, save for the control area which seems metallic. The cover of the screen is made of what seems to be the same sort of glossy plastic that endows the cheaper Walkmans. The Hold button is located on the right, along with the volume rocker buttons. Like the S540, the five-way D-pad on the S740 has a nice ribbed feel which doesn't feel cheap. The QVGA screen offers a 240 x 320-pixel resolution. While not being a bad performer, the screen is of the same size as the previous model at 2 inches.'

Pocket-lint have published their review of the Archos 5 Internet Tablet/portable media player. 'Out of the box the Archos 5 Internet Tablet is an impressive piece of hardware. It has been designed to be slim and sexy and it is certainly good to look at. Overall the Archos 5 Internet Tablet (32GB) measures 143.2 x 78.8 x 10.4mm and weighs 182g, so it is skinny and hasn't wasted too much space around the screen. It is prone to fingerprints, however, thanks to the universally glossy finish, but the kickstand will make the Archos 5 stand at a comfortable angle for watching video on any flat surface you can find.'

A review of the Samsung YP-R1 16GB portable media player has been posted over at the Register Hardware. 'To all intents and purposes the new YP-R1 is a half pint version of the YP-P3 with which it shares the, now familiar, Samsung widget and icon based TouchWiz touchscreen UI. The main difference is screen size. While the P3 has a 480 x 262 resolution 3in affair, the R1 makes do with 2.6in screen at 400 x 220. The drop in screen size has allowed Samsung to make the R1 quite a bit smaller than the P3. In fact at 85.2 x 45.5 x 8.9mm and weighing only 50g, it's just about the smallest PMP we have come across with pretensions to serious video playback.'

CNET have published their review of the Chumby One Internet media receiver. 'When the first-generation Chumby hit our desk in 2008, it looked like miniature television made for infants. The design was round, soft, and squeezable, stitched together from leather and rubber. The Chumby One keeps the toylike aesthetic of the original, but strips it down to a leaner, lighter, cheaper design. But even though the hand-stitched Italian leather of the original lost out to a generic-feeling ABS plastic, the new model benefits from a faster processor (454MHz RAM), a built-in FM radio, a dedicated volume knob, 2GB of microSD memory, and USB 2.0. They've finally made it portable, too, with an optional rechargeable lithium ion battery (Fujifilm NP-120) good for an hour of use.'

PC World have published a review of the Haier HHS1A-2G Sport Video MP3 Player. 'The HHS1A-2G looks like a soft black-and-aqua pebble. It's also slick like a pebble--and potentially slippery when the going gets sweaty, so the accompanying armband is a real plus. The player's dimensions are about 2 inches high by 1 inch wide, and it has a 1-inch, 128-by-64-pixel OLED screen. The controls, which are fairly intuitive, include a play/stop button; a fast-forward, rewind, and volume control on the main navigational wheel; a menu/power button on the top; and start/stop and reset buttons on the sides (for the stopwatch feature). The USB and headphone jacks are located at the bottom, which I found a bit annoying, but forgivable, when I exercised with it.'

PC World have published their review of the Haier HV18A-4G Video MP3 Player. 'The HV18A-4G measures 3.5 by 1.5 by 0.25 inches (about the same size as a fifth-generation iPod Nano) and has a 1.8-inch, full-color TFT LCD, as well as a nifty touch-panel keypad. With a slick black-and-chrome encasing, the player is fairly attractive (it looks a lot like the first- and second-generation iPod Nanos). Unfortunately, it attracts fingerprints like nothing else; the touch panel, integrated into the casing, is a smudge magnet, too. The power/lock switch is on the side, while the volume buttons, fast-forward/rewind controls, and OK and Menu buttons are on the touch panel. The touch panel is incredibly responsive--so much so, however, that I ended up accidentally brushing it and changing the song as I was reaching over to press the lock button.'

Pocket-lint have published a review of the Sony PRS-600 Reader Touch Edition ebook reader. 'Out of the box you have a device that closely resembles the size and weight of the original PRS-505 Sony Reader, measuring 121 x 174.3 x 9.8mm and weighing 286g. The new screen dominates the front, giving you 6-inches of visible screen space, with an 800 x 600 pixel resolution and supporting 8 levels of greyscale. A line of hard button controls runs across below the screen. The front carries the same aluminium finish to other Sony Readers such as the Pocket Edition which launched at the same time. The back is plastic, but has a tactile feel to it's nice to hold. The build quality and the finish is very good, which you'd expect it to be for a device that comes with this sort of price tag.'

CNET have published a review of the Zoom Q3 portable video recorder. 'Measuring 5.25 inches tall by 2.25 inches wide my 1.25 inch think, and weighing about 6 ounces (batteries included), the Q3 is taller and bulkier than most conventional pocket cams. To be fair, the top inch of the Q3 is literally dedicated to its crowning feature--a pair of high quality stereo condenser microphones wrapped in a protective metal grille and wind screen. Aside from the obligatory SDHC card slot, tripod mount, and built-in USB cable, the sides of the Q3 look as though they were torn off one of Zoom's popular H2 audio recorders.