MP3 Player
The rise of the MP3 player – BBC plans digital radio add-on
August 13, 2006 With MP3 player sales booming and threatening to become a disruptive media technology, the BBC is planning to develop a “plug-in gadget that turns MP3 players into digital radios.” Plans are in the early stages and no functionality spec or firm details have been released, nor has a cost or availability details, but a BBC spokesman was reported as saying, “it's important for to us to make sure that people can listen to digital radio on their own terms" according to the BBC web site. The BBC spokesman said the BBC was conducting feasibility studies for the design, manufacuring and marketing of the device. The plug-in gadget would not be limited to playing the BBC digital radio stations and versions might also be available for mobile phones and cars. The BBC initiative comes just after the release of a study by global market research firm Ipsos which indicates that as many as one in five Americans over the age of 12 now own portable MP3 Players and one in 20 own more than one. Read More
July 20, 2006 When it all boils down, as much as we love the iPod, it doesn’t seem fair that Apple should do as well as it has on the strength of what’s basically a good MP3 player because there are plenty of other good MP3 players out there without the charisma of a Steve Jobs and the cleverness of Apple’s marketing team at their disposal – like the US$200 iriver clix f’rinstance. The clix has a very intuitive interface, 2GB memory capacity, a large colour display, digital FM tuner, enhanced photo viewing, video playback, and FlashLite game support. Seen as the most likely to successfully tackle the iPod, iriver has cosied up to Microsoft and offers immediate Windows Media Player 11 compatibility with the clix, has already spawned a bunch of accessories from the leading accessory manufacturers and has developed a close relationship with MTV Networks' new URGE digital music service in the hope of matching the iPod/iTunes team. There’s a really good interview with iriver America President Jonathan Sasse discussing all this ... Read More
May 3, 2006 We’ve mentioned this capability before but we’re still so tickled about it, the shipping release of H2O Audio iPod nano waterproof housing gave us the ideal excuse. Anyone who swims knows the solitude of the water and the semi meditative state that can be achieved. There are those among us though, who crave the rhythm offered by music and this ingenious waterproof housing/headset combo enables one to listen to most mp3 players underwater. The H2O housing also offers safe sanctuary to your MP3 player during adventure sport activities such as surfing, wakeboarding, water skiing, snowboarding and probably anything else you can think of other than perhaps diving and the diminutive iPod nano design ensures users it can be strapped on and simply won’t get in the way. With the nano housing, absolute waterproof protection is not at the expense of access to Apple’s interface – the casing has a unique full-function Commander scroll-wheel assembly that provides users with ready access to all of the iPod nano's proprietary click wheel functions even when fully submerged in water. will be able to take their playlist with them regardless of outdoor conditions or recreational environment. Excellent action piccies with the housing being tested to the extreme!! Read More
April 15, 2006 If you’re in any doubt about how ubiquitous the MP3 player will become, think about this. Japanese company Evergreen has released the DN-2000 onto the Japanese market. The DN-2000 has no internal memory and no display, but takes SD cards up to 1GB and like most MP3 players, doesn’t need a display because the standard interface of buttons is entirely adequate. We’re not going to put the price in the heading or first paragraph so you can decide for yourself just how cheap it might be possible to sell such an MP3 player for … with earphones, after design, manufacture and marketing. Read More
April 5, 2006 German audio and storage company TrekStor, has received an order from Russian-Canadian billionaire and owner of the Midland Formula 1 team, Alex Shnaider, to develop the world's most expensive MP3 player. This luxurious piece of jewelry, valued at approx. US$20,000, is cast in 750 gold and adorned with numerous diamonds and a valuable chain. The idea to develop the world's most expensive MP3 player came to Shnaider while negotiating a sponsorship deal with TrekStor CEO, Daniel Szmigiel. Shnaider was so fascinated by the i.Beat organix – a handy, 40g player with full-bodied sound and winner of eleven accolades – that he placed a special order for the unique, custom-made device on the spot. Read More
March 10, 2006 Desire for mobile music is growing at a considerable rate with new products such as mobile music phones, iPod and other music players driving consumer demand. One third of the 945 million phones expected to be sold worldwide in 2006 will have digital music playback functionality. By 2008, it is estimated this will rise to almost 70% of the billion phones sold globally. With this in mind, Jabra used the CeBIT opening to announce the launch six new products for music lovers, giving consumers a comprehensive range of products for use with the mobile phone, MP3 players and the PC. The products launched at CeBIT include the Jabra BT325s Bluetooth headset with stereo headphones, Jabra C820s high-performance noise cancelling stereo headphones and two music adaptors including the Jabra A125s iPod Bluetooth adaptor and the Jabra A120s Bluetooth adaptor for standard music players. In addition, the recently announced Jabra BT620s Bluetooth stereo headset and the Jabra A320s Bluetooth stereo USB adaptor are also part of the new Jabra music line up. Read More
February 7, 2006 The Swiss Army Knife has been one of the most sought-after gadgets by technophiles for 115 years, and it’s pleasing to see that Victorinox is still updating and innovating. Not long ago it added USB memory to one of the variants and has now gone one step further. The new s.beat digital audio player is an all-in-one 4GB digital audio player and USB storage device incorporated into a full-metal Swiss Army Knife. Built with the same level of precision the Swiss are renowned for, the knife and MP3 comes with a lifetime warranty. Now go try to peel an apple with your MP3 player! Read More
October 13, 2005—Apple has finally released one of the most anticipated products in consumer electronics history - the video iPod. The fifth generation iPod features a 2.5-inch colour screen which can display album artwork and photos, and play video including music videos, video Podcasts, home movies and television shows. The new iPod is available in a 30GB model for US$299 and a 60GB model for US$399, with both models available in white or black designs. Read More
September 18, 2005 Toshiba’s rapidly developing expertise in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology has been regularly reported in Gizmag over the last year or two, - when the portable power revolution begins, and batteries begin to give way to miniature fuel cells, Toshiba will be one of the significant global contenders. This week the Japanese giant announced that it has developed two prototype direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) units and begun tests to validate their operation with mobile audio players. Each unit integrates the DMFC that Toshiba announced in June 2004 (the world's smallest), bringing its practical use a major step closer. Read More
September 8, 2005 Apple today introduced the iPod nano, a miniscule yet full-featured iPod that is thinner than a standard #2 pencil and comes with a colour screen and Apple's Click Wheel. The iPod nano is available immediately in white or black in a 4GB model priced at just US$249 and a 2GB model priced at just US$199. The most fashionable and wearable iPod ever, the iPod nano features optional accessories including lanyard headphones, which integrate the headphone cables into the lanyard, so users can wear their iPod nano around their neck without dangling headphone cables. "iPod nano is the biggest revolution since the original iPod," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iPod nano is a full-featured iPod in an impossibly small size, and it's going to change the rules for the entire portable music market." Read More
