Jasmine and Donald talk about their favorite portable audio discoveries from the 2009 Macworld Expo and the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This episode is recorded live from the CNET stage at CES 2009.
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The Sony B-Series Walkman. What's that B stand for, anyway?
(Credit: CNET Networks/Corinne Schulze)
House of Representatives passes a bill that will protect Webcasters from royalty-related death for at least a bit longer. Also, Donald and Jasmine review the Iriver Spinn, Archos 5, and Sony B-Series Walkman.
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As we've been reporting for some time now, Swarovski disease has been spreading fast. But with the arrival of iRiver's Swarovski-encrusted Mickey Mouse-shaped audio player (site in Japanese), we fear the affliction can now officially be called a pandemic. Does the World Health Organization know about this?!
(Credit:
iRiver )
Swarovski disease, as defined by the Physicians' Desk Reference, is a condition in which Swarovski crystals attach themselves to every gadget known to man--even those that would seem most incompatible with shiny jewels, such as cable connectors.
In the latest outbreak, the glitter is appearing on a version of iRiver's Mplayer, a cute little kids' product that's licensed from Disney and shaped like the head of its iconic mouse. At 1GB and weighing about three quarters of an ounce, it can hold 240 songs. Users can change tracks, add shuffle, skip folders, and adjust the volume by rotating the gadget's ears.
The Swarovski editions come studded in 133 to 210 crystals in colors including pink, blue, green, black, and silver--and OMG, you can even get them with ribbons attached! They sell online for about $135.
In trying not to be too cynical here, we acknowledge that young gearheads will likely find the bejeweled version of the Mplayer quite charming. At the same time, we have to worry about exposing consumers to this highly contagious ailment at such a young age.
Click on the image above for the full lowdown in the iRiver Spinn.
(Credit: Crave UK )Crave UK got its hands on a fully working iRiver Spinn in its ready-for-sale state Thursday, and man were they excited! This is one of the most hotly anticipated MP3 players of the year, and has been since the world got its first glimpse of a dummy model back in January. Click the photo above for the full scoop from our British compatriots.
Many non-iPod MP3 players are compatible with Rhapsody's subscription music service, but a handful of them really go the extra mile.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)For serious music junkies, there are few things in life more satisfying than having unlimited access to Rhapsody's all-you-can-download subscription music service. For a flat monthly fee, Rhapsody users can gorge on music downloads such as Kobayashi at a hot dog eating contest.
If you really want to get the most from a Rhapsody music subscription, however, you'll want to sync it to an MP3 player with Rhapsody DNA. These players typically offer a Rhapsody menu option right from their main menu, display Rhapsody files tagged with album art, and have proven themselves worthy of Rhapsody's stamp of approval.
(Credit:
Dvice)
We know about the whole obsession with kawaii (translation: cute) in Japan, but how much Mickey can any culture stand? Already they've gotten silver, gold, and even Swarovski-diseased 1GB "Mplayers," and now Disney and Iriver Japan are introducing "Season 2" of the eared one in even more colors, patterns, and designs, according to Dvice. Between this and High School Musical, we may need a set of blinders as well as earplugs.
(Credit:
Crave Asia)
Waterproof MP3 players aren't novel anymore, but this iRiver iFP-380T system caught our eye not just for its rather unusual design but because it can go scuba diving with you. This device lets you take your music not just into water, but up to 200 feet deep in it.
The full kit comes with the player as well as its waterproof case and headset. A removable clip helps keep the single headphone securely fastened to the strap of the scuba mask. It's a pity that this can store only about 30 songs with its limited 128MB storage, but at $99 it's a small price to pay to have Beyonce accompany you on your next dive.
(Source: Crave Asia)
iRiver's first cell phone.
(Credit: CNET Networks)In the United States, iRiver is more well known for its MP3 players and PVPs, but in Europe, it's hoping to break into the cell phone market. With a small booth at GSMA Mobile World Congress, iRiver showed off its first GSM handset. Though a bit mysterious with no official name (it bears a striking resemblance to the iRiver W7, one of the company's PVPs) and spec list, we do know it features a 3-inch touchscreen and Linux-based operating system. iRiver also showcased its GPS capabilities and multimedia functions, which was one of the better highlights--not surprising considering the company's roots. I played with the user interface a bit, and I wasn't terribly impressed. I found it lackluster, and it wasn't intuitive. The company plans to bring it to the European market in the third quarter. When asked about U.S. availability, the iRiver representative said he didn't know.
(Credit:
Engadget)
Most any other day, this gold-plated MP3 player would likely be subjected to a good measure of disgust and ridicule. But compared with the horrendous Valentine's version that assaulted our senses recently, it actually looks decent.
This limited-edition collaboration of iRiver and Disney is oddly described as an "'assassin's mace' of a device," according to Engadget. Whatever that means, it's double the price of the regular 1GB MPlayer at about $123. ("Assassin's mace"?)
(Credit:
Crave UK)
One of our all-time favorite players, Cowon's iAudio D2, got DAB-integrated not too long ago. Now one of our other all-time favorites, the iRiver Clix 2, effectively just got DAB'd and is known as the iRiver B20. OK, this isn't another version of the Clix, but it is a new player that looks like the Clix, works like the Clix and has the same feature set as the Clix. Plus DAB.
The most notable difference is the B20's large telescopic aerial. The B20 retains the Clix 2's innovative Direct Click navigation system and its attractive animated menu design, presented on a 61mm (2.4-inch) QVGA colour LCD screen. Click here to see more.
(Source: Crave UK)
