Everybody's all smitten with smartphones, but what if you don't want to be interrupted with a call while you're listening to your music? What if you don't want to risk your precious and expensive smartphone at the gym? What if you want to carry every song you own in one player? If this describes you, take a look at our top 5 best MP3 players. They play some video, but mostly they play music. Sweet, sweet music.
And of course as always after you watch the show, come back here and leave an answer to the lame prize question in the comments and you could win!
(Credit:
Shenzhen MCD Electronics)
Enduring certain ridicule, we have suggested on occasion that the rear-view mirror could become one of the main control centers for vehicles of the near future. Already, there have been versions that have technologies ranging from GPS navigation to built-in camcorders and Webcams. And now there's one that appears to cram in more functions than all of the others combined.
As indicated by its name, the "Multifunction GPS Bluetooth Rearview Mirror System" claims a broad array of features, including a 3.5-inch touch screen, satellite navigation, audio and video players, speakers, SD card slot, five games, and even a stylus, according to Red Ferret. It also has a rechargeable battery, in case you want to pull it off the windshield and use it as a mini-boombox.
Fair warning, though: It's being offered by one of those generic distributors from China, so warranties and any kind of support may be scarce to non-existent. Besides, this version doesn't have a heart monitor--yet.
(Credit:
DAPreview)
(Update: SanDisk sent out a press release announcing the Sansa Fuze this morning, discovered by Engadget. It offers a few more details, such as three sizes--2GB ($80) and 8GB ($130), as well as the previously noted 4GB ($100)--and a listing of compatible subscription services. The Fuze is scheduled to ship in April, in the various colors pictured above.)
Someone at Amazon apparently goofed by jumping the gun on SanDisk's latest media player. The "Sansa Fuze," which had already been leaked a week earlier, made a brief appearance on an Amazon listing that now comes up as a broken link, at least as of late last night. It didn't come up on a search either.
DAP Review had earlier reported finding the Fuze while browsing the e-tailer, saying that "it looks a lot like the love child of the Sansa Clip and the Sansa View. It definitely appears to be designed as a 3G iPod Nano competitor." A 4GB version was listed for $99.99
Specs remained scarce, but the player apparently has a 1.9-inch display, microSDHC memory card slot, FM tuner, and voice recorder, while claiming battery power of 24 hours for music and 5 for video. We're just happy they didn't combine it with the "Shaker" as well.
(Credit:
Philips Electronics)
Our infatuation with all things Philips has spanned a broad range from land-line phones and iPod speakers to dirt-free mice and giraffe-necked laptops, with an occasional remote thrown in for good measure. (It should be noted that this crush is based on looks alone, as any good infatuation should be.)
So it comes as little surprise that this affinity now extends to its new "Streamium" SA9345 media player, which upholds the company's standards for European aesthetics with a sleek and thin design destined for the U.K. market. (Philips says there are no plans for U.S. distribution.) Where its technicals are concerned, the video and audio player has a 1.8-inch touch-sensitive LCD and comes with either 2GB or 4GB of storage.
But as phones and media players continuing to evolve toward one another, we'd just as soon wait for such features to be built into something like the Philips 598 music phone--the true object of our affection.
(Credit:
DealExtreme)
Is it possible to get a quality dashboard-mounted GPS system that can play video and MP3s for $175? We don't know about the quality part, but there's a new product that advertises all of the above, as well as a 3.5-inch color touch screen.
DealExtreme, an online retailer that habitually teases us with interesting products that offer frustratingly little detail, has done it again with this no-name item. The unit, which can apparently be removed from its mount and carried away from the car, also features an SD card slot, a car charger and USB cable, according to the site, and is "loaded with U.S. mapping software."
Too good to be true? It includes free shipping worldwide, so let us know how it turns out.
(Credit:
Electronista)
As so many electronics manufacturers try to cram as many technologies as possible in a single product, it's not surprising that the "convergence" bug has spread to such boring devices as electronic dictionaries. To wit: South Korea's Atree is combining a 100,000-word English-Korean dictionary with a video and MP3 player, according to Electronista.
Perhaps even more important, the combo gadget can also tune in digital TV broadcasts, which is a must for the many viewers who are hooked on Korean soap operas. For that reason alone, it wouldn't be a bad idea to expand distribution to the United States and other countries, where those shows enjoy an addicted following as well, but there are no know plans for that yet.
At the same time, we don't imagine the trend being as popular for American TV: For some reason, we can't quite see fans of All My Children in dire need of an electronic dictionary. A TV-bar combo, on the other hand, would be an entirely different matter.
(Credit:
Broadband Media)
Like any decent gadget freaks, we've fancied the idea of a video wristwatch since we were kids. But as tempting as some of the early versions might be, they just look, well, cheap. (And at prices starting just over $50, they are.)
It was only a matter of time before the marketing people got involved, however, and Epoq has come out with a model that Mobile Magazine calls an "upscale" MP4 watch. The reason? A silver metallic case and a leather strap, as opposed to the standard black plastic accoutrements (yech) of previous products. Other than that, its features seem pretty much the same, with a 1.5-inch screen and 2GB of storage, as well as MP3 and FM radio play, while still maintaining a relatively reasonable price at $170.
Oh, and before we forget: It's the first one we've seen to confirm that it actually tells time.
(Credit:
Sweex)
Could the video iPod face a serious challenge from a Dutch media player? That's what the cheeky monkeys at U.K.-based Pocket-lint appear to be saying with this headline.
The supposed contender is the "Blaze" MP4 player from Holland's Sweex, which sports a 1.8-inch color display and can has all the usual functions and, in its latest version, comes with a pair of "exclusive" Sennheiser MX 300 earphones as well as 4GB of memory. No price has been disclosed, which makes it tough to gauge the Blaze's market prospects, though earlier models went for around $100. But no matter what the cost, Sweex has a secret weapon that will make even the most formidable opponent cringe: Mr. Bean.
(Credit:
Sweex)
Regular readers of this space know that we're given to the occasional rant against silly special or limited editions, but this is one we can get behind: a "Blaze" MP4 player from Dutch company Sweex that comes preloaded with a trailer of Mr. Bean's Holiday. The player otherwise seems fairly unremarkable, available in 1GB black and 2GB pink for about $93 and $117 respectively. But there's one more thing--if you do buy one, you could win a ticket to the premiere of the movie.
This may sound heretical, but we don't think smaller is always better for gadgets. Especially if it means needing a magnifying glass to use them.
Take, for example, the Digital Cube Mini just released on the Korean market. It does what you want it to do: play videos, live TV, and music, as well as display photos and support e-books, according to Ubergizmo. And it's portable, that's for sure, measuring about 3 by 2 inches and a little more than a half-inch thick.
But is that a good thing? The cube's diminutive stature means that its screen is 2.4 inches. So if you're using it primarily to watch video, it might be tough to follow a crowd shot--not to mention keep from losing the device altogether. If we were going to go the ultra-ultra-portable route, we might just as soon get a video watch.
(Photo: Akihabara News)
