Sony is all set to launch a slimmer, cheaper version of the popular Sony PlayStation Portable handheld game console to take on the Nintendo DS. The new PSP will hit stores in Japan in September 2007.

Calling it a second growth stage for the PSP, the new PSP will be priced at ¥19,800 (or about US $162) - a 5% drop on the current model. It’s still more expensive than a DS.

While there’s no information on the new unit’s launch in other markets, it will hopefully be available soon after the September launch in Japan.

(more…)

The new Australian company Hacha has recently put their website live and added their first portable media player there named Hacha R280s.

The player is small and makes the “portable” word on its title really stand out by having the following dimensions: 85.5 x 55 x 9.8 mm. The screen is probably on the TFT-LCD category and measures 2.83-inches which means a 320×240 resolution, it has the usual 15 million colors and can play videos at 30 frames per second.

As for the support of the many audio and video file formats, the Hacha R280s is capable of playing audio - MP3,WMA,WAV, JPEG - and video - AVI, MP4, SWF, XVID.

(more…)

Newman has recently announced their latest portable media player named Newman K5, as you can see by the image this isn’t a normal audio device, it has a camera so you can shoot some photos while listening to good music at the same time - the perfect 2-in-1 combination.

The K5 features a 2 megapixel camera and probably has zoom functions, but that information is not available. We also don’t know if it can record videos or not, but at least we know for sure that it can take photos.

The player-and-photo-camera is able to play video files with the following formats: AVI/MP4/SWF (not very common to see the .swf extension, but it is a good addition); and on the music files it supports MP3s and WMAs. It has a 2.4-inch TFT screen with 260k colors and the storage capacity can go from 1GB to 4GB.

(more…)

Handheld Entertainment unveiled the latest Zvue to hit the markets: the Zvue 260 is the 3rd generation MP3/video player for the budget conscious. A full-featured media player with integrated speaker, the Zvue 260 comes in a thin and sleek design and the packaging includes a 1GB SD memory card - good for 6 hours of video or 500 MP3 songs.

Supporting SD memory cards up to 8GB, the device comes with ZAPP Media Manager software, making it easy to transfer content to the device as well as online. The Zvue 260 features a 2.5″ active-matrix TFT LCD display, support for video at 320×240 pixel resolution up to 30 fps, and audio formats include MP3, WMA, OGG and MP2.

The integrated picture viewer can display JPEG and BMP files, while video formats supported include XviD, MPEG4 and WMV. Weighing in at 3.93 oz, the Zvue 260 measures 4.16″ x 2.56″ x 0.5″.

Barring the 90-day limited warranty, the price is unbeatable at under US $100. On sale at Walmart sotres across the US, as well as online.

(more…)

Sony presented a couple of new Digital Audio Players some time ago, the codename for the new players is Sony NW-E010 series.

As you can see by the image, the Sony people along with a Japanese jewelry maker - Abiste - tried to do something different with the NW-E010 series, and instead of making the design simple and boring, they decided to go for the bling-bling style and add jewels to the USB cap. I don’t know how many will pay to have jewelry on a flash drive/DAP, but I’m not one of them.

(more…)

Brando has recently added the Meizu Mini Player to their catalog, a small sized MP3 Player but with a big storage capacity of 8GB, which should be enough for plenty of MP3s, images, and other data.

The Meizu features a 2.4-inch TFT-LCD screen that contains 260k colors and provides a 320×240 resolution, still on the screen there is a “100 Brightness Levels Adjustment” function. It only measures 79mm x 48.2mm x10mm and is pretty light - 55 grams. On the section of supporting different audio formats, the Mini Player is capable of the following: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC etc. Movie playback, supports AVI format.

(more…)

Ministry of Sound have announced their latest MP3 player series called MOSMP085 that will be launched later this month. What started as a nightclub - Ministry of Sound - has been extended to a couple of different areas, including a MoS radio, TV and other electronic goods.

Anyway, the MOSMP085 MP3 player will be available in 2 different sizes in terms of storage capacity, 1GB and 2GB. The screen measures 2-inches and is on the TFT section with the 65k colors. As for the format support of different audio files, it can play the following: MP3, WAV, WMA, and DRM. The only image format it supports is JPEG.

Unfortunately, this player has an internal speaker that makes it easy for anyone to share their music out loud with everyone, which becomes pretty annoying in some situations.

(more…)

Check out the new portable Philips Bluetooth Wireless Music System BTM630. Here’s the fun part: the BTM630 supports not only the usual CD/MP3-CD/WMA, it also lets you connect a USB flash drive or memory card as well. On top of it, it also plays music beamed over Bluetooth from a cell phone or PDA.

The BTM630 supports the following Bluetooth profiles: hands-free (HFP), headset (HSP), advanced audio distribution (A2DP), audio-video remote control (AVRCP). Pairing with your portable device is as easy as entering the standard 0000 code. No just music, you can also receive calls on the music system.

Other things on the BTM630 include AM/FM tuner, iPod dock (with 8 dock adaptors for various iPods) and a USB direct function to rip music onto your PC.

(more…)

Bang & Olufson have unveiled their latest digital audio player in the market, the Beosound 6, which can be seen as the normal evolution of previous Beosound models.

The B&O people made the option to create a simple design for the player, instead of something artistic. It has its straight lines and rounded corners, but not so rounded as other players. The front has the LCD screen on the top and the navigational keys on the bottom, it is a 65k color screen.

For now there isn’t much information, but for audio players it is usual to see MP3 and WMA support, USB interface, and a suggested flash memory with 4GB of capacity.

(more…)

From China comes a new Portable Media Player developed by Zarva. MV209 is its name, and a digital video camera is the extra feature that it offers. The previous model, MV300, was presented a few months ago, and the display screen is better than the new version.

The Zarva M209 doesn’t have a 3.5-inch touchscreen like the MV300, but it does have a smaller 2.8-inch display screen with four buttons. It got smaller and the touchscreen function disappeared, what a shame. It is able to play videos in MP4 format on HDTV TFT screens, and also supports other normal files like MP3, WMA, FLAC and APE.

The default versions will have 1GB and 2GB of storage capacity, but hopefully the player will come with a SD slot for your memory card to increase the capacity. It can be upgraded so you can play games, and there is a 90-degree rotation function on the screen.

(more…)

iAudio 7, the new portable media player from Cowon, has started the review process at Gadgetaholic. As always, the first step is the dangerous operation of unboxing the gadget. There are already some images available of the unboxed Cowon iAudio 7.

The big selling point for the updated version is the 60-hour battery life, in which we’ll definitely be testing.

60 hours equals to 2 days and a half of non-stop action on the iaudio 7 player, which I consider to be a big amount of battery life. Other features on the player include a text viewer, and the usual FM radio + line-in/voice recording.

The iRiver B20 portable DMB TV device is now official. Available in the markets now, the 2GB and 4GB iRiver B20 are for those who crave entertainment on the go. Want NBA? Why not check out the Olympic Games while you’re at it (when they start of course)?

Small enough to fit in your palm, it also boasts of an FM receiver (Audio: MP3, WMA, and Ogg) as well as the ability to play Flash games on the device. The B20 features a 2.4 inch QVGA resolution TFT display(Video: MPEG-4, and WMV9). Thanks to SRS WOW HD, it delivers surround sound effect.

The iRiver B20 features a miniSD memory card slot for storing your media, Dimensions: 80.9 x 49.5 x 16.3mm and comes in Black or White. Digital broadcasting across China will become a reality at the 2008 Olympic Games, and you better have the B20 by that time. It weighs just 76 grams. B20 is a upgraded version of the iRiver B10 DMB Player :

(more…)

In order to get some advantage against the big number of MP3 players on the market, Packard Bell introduced what they call the ?first streetwear MP3 player? named Funkey. The main attention goes for the design, style, accessories, and one or 2 features of the audio device that make it perfect for the urban living.

The USB connector is a retractable one that saves space and offers a more convenient connection. To create some impact on the streetwear world, it comes with a ?snap hook and neck strap? so you can wear it however you want without having to worry if it is going to fall or not, and the extra urban living detail is the anti-shock rubber skin that softens the impact in case the player gets dropped to the floor. Other specs to make it prettier and add functionality include a slim aluminum case with orange colors, and a white anti-shock silicone sleeve.

The first streetwear MP3 player developed by Packard Bell will cost ?50 for 1GB models, and ?60 for 2GB. In terms of file support, the device is capable of playing MP3s, WMA, and DRM-protected files from the net.

Since it isn’t easy to come up with cheap products that have an average quality, RCA has decided follow that route with their simple MP3 player named RCA Pearl. It features the ?plug-in? style that we were used to see in the past, and it only costs $39 if you want a 1GB model, or $48 for the 2GB version - already available in Amazon.

The RCA Pearl might probably be one of the cheapest players on the market, but that brings some consequences. The battery for example is one of those negative points: besides being a ?bulky compartment?, it uses disposable batteries - depending on the person using the player, this might be good or bad, but in the end it is always harder to use and costs extra money. The other bad detail, according to Cnet, is the interface which has a ?funky menu structure? - meaning that is complicated to use.

On the other hand there are good points on the RCA Pearl, such as good sound quality, a microSD expansion slot, FM tuner, and of course, the price.

via crave

Advanced MP3 Players introduced the new iAudio 7 Portable Media Player in the UK. With up to 8GB on-board flash memory, the manufacturers claim a play-time of as long as 60 hours on a full charge of the built-in Li-polymer battery.

The iAudio 7 features a new Swing Touch function allowing you to use your finger to choose the desired option on the player. Supported audio formats include MP3, WMA, OGG and FLAC. It features a 1.3″ 262k color TFT display.

The wide viewing angle on the display means you can enjoy your videos comfortably. There’s also a built-in voice recorder for voice memos, and digital FM tuner for added entertainment.

EQ and sound effects include BBE, Mach3Bass and 3D surround support. The 4GB model is priced at £109.99 (US $221) and the 8GB model costs £149.99 ($300).

(more…)

The Archos 605 Portable Media Player has gained the FCC’s green signal to go ahead and release it to the market. This Wi-Fi enabled PMP is part of the Archos Gen 5 line-up, claimed to be the most advanced media players available in the industry today.

With a high-resolution display and integrated TV program guide, you can conveniently schedule and record your favorite shows. What’s more, the Content Portal allows you to purchase movies/TV shows and even music.

The large 4.3″ screen offers 800×480 pixels resolution, and 30GB of capacity for up to 40 movies or 15,000 songs. For additional memory, there’s an SD card slot that can take up to 16GB cards.

No word on the pricing yet.

(more…)

Today, Creative announced the upcoming launch of the Creative ZEN Stone Plus MP3 player, which is an upgraded version of the Creative ZEN Stone launched recently. Like the ZEN Stone, the Plus version is available in six colors: black, white, red, blue, pink and green.

The ZEN Stone Plus comes with 2GB of storage, and is available for $69.99. The ZEN Stone costs $39.99. The Plus version not only has extra storage, but also a vibrant color screen, FM radio, a built-in microphone for voice recording, stopwatch, and clock.

To get started using the ZEN Stone Plus, you don’t need to install any annoying drivers - just simply drop and drag and enjoy up to 9.5 hours of continuously listening. A number of accessories for the ZEN Stone and ZEN Stone Plus are already available. The Creative ZEN Stone Plus will go on sale in July.

iRiver Japan has announced the availability of the iRiver U:MO 1GB digital audio player. This sleek device can hold up to 240 songs, 18 hours of music recording time, or 72 hours of voice recording time.

iRiver has also teamed up with mobile entertainment broadcaster USEN to deliver entertainment such as videos and music channels to the device for a low monthly subscription fee.

Right now, the device is available in two colors - black & white - and is only available in Japan.

(more…)

Delphi has come up with a new audio docking system for a wide range of satellite receivers, including the Delphi SKYFi3. Delphi has done a pretty neat job with the new audio sound system which features a well designed speakers with State-of the-art technology.

Other features include Digital Signal Processing (DSP), MaxxBass and Dual tuned ports, all combining to deliver a crisp sound with your XM receivers. It is compatible with all Delphi Receivers (SKYFi3, Roady XT, MyFi), Audiovox Xpress, Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix (requires adaptor which is sold separately). The new Delphi Audio sound system is now available for $179 via Delphi

Sharp, today unveiled two new audio docking systems with the DK-A1 and DK-A10CD. Both the systems feature a very stylish design and also a pretty impressive casing. The DK-A1 can playback music from your digital media players and comes equipped with a FM/AM tuner as well whereas the next model, the A10CD, along with digital media players, can playback CD as well. Both the players feature a separate dock for iPOD and can playback WMA/MP3 files. Both the players are set to hit the shelves on July 5th in Japan but no word on the pricing as yet.