Portable Audio

Sony Ericsson’s W380 Walkman phone

By Darren Quick

20:30 November 8, 2007 PST

November 9, 2007 Sony Ericsson has unveiled the latest addition to its Walkman phone portfolio, the W380. Featuring gesture control functionality, which allows users to mute calls or silence the alarm with a wave of their hand, the clamshell design W380 features a 512MB Memory Stick, FM radio with TrackID, plus an external display with customizable light effects and one-touch control buttons on the top of the phone so users can see who’s calling or manage their music without having to flip the top. Read More

Nokia adds N810 Internet tablet to Nseries range

By Darren Quick

21:05 October 18, 2007 PDT

October 19, 2007 Nokia has introduced the latest addition to their Nseries - the new N810 Internet Tablet - at the the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. The pocket-sized, GPS enabled device allows users to connect to the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot or over their Bluetooth mobile phone to make internet calls; check email; watch videos on YouTube or update a blog using the device's slide-out keyboard and 4.13", 800x480 resolution touch screen. Read More

Toshiba's fuel cell powered portable media player

By Darren Quick

04:29 October 10, 2007 PDT

October 10, 2007 Toshiba demonstrated their latest Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) technology at CEATEC Japan 2007 with the unveiling of a prototype version of the methanol powered Gigabeat multimedia player. Building on Toshiba’s previous offerings the new player can run for up to 10 hours on 10 milliliters of methanol, longer than would be possible using a similarly sized conventional battery. The prototype integrates the fuel cell power plant into the back of the player - which runs on nearly 100% methanol - and discharges the vapor created through natural evaporation. Besides playing music and video, the player is equipped with a TV-tuner and features a capacity meter for tracking the amount of fuel you've got left. Read More

IEye concept aims to increase Personal Media Player functionality

By Darren Quick

20:14 September 20, 2007 PDT

September 21, 2007 Out with the old and in with the new. That’s the standard approach to keeping pace with rapid developments in consumer electronics. But what if there was a way to delay obsolescence and extend the functionality of devices instead of automatically relegating them to landfill. This is the idea behind the IEye concept by Thomas Miller. Presented as an entry in to the “Create the Future Contest”, the concept proposes extending the life of Personal Media Players by attaching an add on device that includes a video still camera and microphone to boost functionality and re-purpose the existing unit. Read More

Belkin update TuneBase FM transmitter for iPods

By Darren Quick

22:30 September 19, 2007 PDT

September 20, 2007 iPod accessories continue to multiply exponentially, and why not with over 110 million iPods sold to June 2007 according to Apple. The latest add-on to catch our attention is Belkin's updated model of its TuneBase FM transmitter which includes new Clearscan technology - a feature that automatically seeks out the clearest FM frequency through which to relay your music. Read More

Zeppelin aims to set the standard for premium iPod speakers

By Loz Blain

06:55 September 19, 2007 PDT

September 19, 2007 From the speaker company whose high-end reference units grace the studios at George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch and Abbey Road comes a portable iPod speaker dock to drool over. The $599 Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin packs a 5” subwoofer, plus twin 3.5” midranges and two 1” tweeters straight from the company’s famous M-1 studio monitors. Sweet! Read More

Logitech AudioHub notebook speaker system

By Gizmag Team

22:53 September 12, 2007 PDT

September 13, 2007 Long entrenched as the focal point of working life for many people, laptops are increasingly expanding their role to become a hub for personal entertainment with new solutions to accommodate this functionality emerging on a daily basis. This AudioHub Notebook Speaker System from Logitech combines a unique 2.1 one-piece speaker system and three integrated hi-speed USB ports in a compact design at just three and a half inches in height that's designed to fit neatly behind most notebooks. Read More

Plantronics convertible mono to stereo Bluetooth headset

By Gizmag Team

17:42 September 11, 2007 PDT

September 12, 2007 Plantronics have introduced a Bluetooth convertible mono to stereo headset for MP3 Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. The Voyager 855 headset offers a convertible design for listening to calls in mono as well as listening to music in stereo as headphones via a detachable stereo cable. Drop the second earbud or detach the cable and the headset serves as a high-quality mono Bluetooth device. Read More

AKG wireless headphones unveiled at IFA

By Shaun McKeegan

01:05 September 4, 2007 PDT

September 4, 2007 AKG's K930 wireless stereo headphones are among the plethora of noteworthy new products Gizmag has encountered at the IFA show in Berlin this week. With a range of approximately 100 meters, the K930 headphones do not require a line of sight from the transmitter enabling the signal to penetrate through walls and ceilings and greatly expanding the user’s mobility. Read More

Toyota introduce iPod integration kit

By Shaun McKeegan

00:47 September 4, 2007 PDT

September 4, 2007 Toyota has released an iPod integration kit which provides a direct link between your car’s audio system and an Apple iPod. The connection is housed inside the glovebox of the car, providing a simple plug and play option from iPod to stereo that also act as a charger. The iPod can then be completely controlled by using the car’s audio head unit, or (where fitted) the controls on the steering wheel. The integration kit can be installed into any current Toyota and Lexus model, and is compatible with most versions of iPod. Read More

Logitech iPod bedroom music system features motion and light sensing technology

By Gizmag Team

21:40 August 17, 2007 PDT

August 18, 2007 Logitech have unveiled two new iPod speakers - one designed specifically for the bedroom and the second aimed at iPod portability. The iPod Pure-Fi Dream speakers for the bedroom are designed as a replacement of the conventional alarm clock and incorporate innovative functions such as motion and light sensing technology that allow you to access the "Snooze" feature with a simple wave of the hand. Read More

IASUS Mobile Amp provides portable audio boost

By Kyle Sherer

23:33 August 12, 2007 PDT

August 13, 2007 Ever shrinking portable music players often sacrifice sound output for portability so the audio boost provided by tiny 1.4 by 2 inch IASUS Mobile Amp could be a welcome addition to the pocket of many audiophiles. Its diminutive stature makes it the world’s smallest and lightest hi fidelity amplifier for mobile devices – but it also makes an impressive difference in music quality, providing up an extra to ten decibels while suffering only 0.3% distortion. Read More

The i-Sing MP3 player encourages singing along wherever you are

By Loz Blain

July 18, 2007 Ancient Zimbabwean wisdom suggests "if you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing" though we're sure it is also true that if you can hold a note, carry a tune and belt out something relatively pleasant to the ear, everyone has more fun. There is currently a renaissance of music sweeping the world. More people are listening to more music thanks to the low cost high convenience MP3 player, and advances in user-friendly software and devices mean more people are beginning to explore not just listening to music but making it. One such device is the i-Sing, an MP3 player with the ability to digitally cancel out the original artist's vocals on any track, display song lyrics and record the user's own vocals over the instrumental tracks at the touch of a button. Bound to be popular with fans of the (insert country here) Idol TV phenomenon, the i-Sing harnesses some very cool technology and combines it with childproof ease of use. Read More

Pacemaker puts a DJ rig in your pocket

By Tim Hanlon

June 5, 2007 We've seen iPod DJ solutions like the Numark iDJ before, but now the next logical step has arrived. The Pacemaker is a 120 GB portable music player that doubles as a fully functional DJ setup, giving it the somewhat bizarre title of the world's first pocket-sized DJ rig. Read More

The Walkman is back - Sony announces A800 series with digital audio and video

By Loz Blain

May 18, 2007 Consumer electronics giant Sony once ruled the world of portable audio - their Walkman and Discman brands became synonymous for hand held cassette and CD players around the world. Yet somehow, despite a solid reputation in personal audio, Sony missed the boat when portable entertainment went digital, letting Apple's iPod and a host of other devices snatch a massive market share that it has never been able to eat back into. Yesterday, the company announced the launch of its latest Walkman - the NW-A800 series - a digital personal audio/video player that Sony hopes will bring the company back into the contest. Will it stack up against the wildly popular iPod? Read More