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(Credit: Buy.com)

I know, it's already a portable video player--I mean one with a bigger screen. Buy.com has the Memorex iFlip on sale for $59.99 shipped, a pretty significant savings over the $199.99 list price.

Similar in design to a portable DVD player, the clamshell-style iFlip features a 7-inch widescreen LCD, stereo speakers, dual headphone jacks, and an iPod dock/charger that promises up to five hours of video playback from its rechargeable battery. It's designed for 5G iPods; I'm not sure if it'll work with 3G nanos. (Class? Anyone?)

I suspect that videos will look a little grainy and washed-out on the iFlip's 480x234-pixel screen, but it's probably better than squinting at your iPod's tiny LCD. Plus, it saves you having to hold the iPod at a comfortable viewing angle for hours at a time. I wouldn't pay $200 for one of these, but $60? I'm giving it serious thought.

(Credit: Creative)

Here's a simple math exercise: should you spend $199 on an 8GB iPod nano or $119.99 on an 8GB Creative Zen V Plus? Answer: a big fat "that depends."

The nano has a slightly larger screen (2 inches, versus 1.5 on the Zen), a way sexier design, and vastly superior software for managing music, podcasts, and the like. But for $80 less, the Zen nets you an FM radio, a voice recorder, compatibility with subscription-music services like Napster and Rhapsody, and even line-in recording.

So it boils down to style over substance. If you're in the market for a flash player and want a sexy status symbol, pony up for the nano. If you want more features and a bargain price (Buy.com has the Zen V Plus for $119.99 shipped after a mail-in rebate), get Zen.

It's worth noting that Creative actually has the same model on sale for $129.99, no rebate required, but it's out of stock at the moment. I can understand why: that's a pretty sweet player for the money.

(Credit: Apple)

As I've noted before, iPod deals are rare indeed, so I gotta post 'em when I find 'em. B&H has the 16GB iPod Touch (droooooool) for $365 with shipping. That's $34 less than you'll pay if you order straight from Apple.

I won't bore you with Touch details; you already know it's the coolest iPod ever. So here's your chance to save a few bucks on one--money you can use to stock up on DRM-free MP3s from AmazonMP3. Just a thought.

B&H also has the 8GB model on sale for $275 and the 8GB iPod nano for $185. Free shipping on those babies, too.

(Credit: Plantronics)

In the perfect utopia that exists only inside my head, all cell phones and MP3 players incorporate A2DP, also known as stereo Bluetooth. As a result, they're all compatible with stereo Bluetooth headsets like the Plantronics Voyager 855, which CNET rated 8/10, and which Newegg currently has on sale for $57.99, shipped. That's a pretty big savings over the $149.95 list price.

During business hours, the Voyager 855 functions as a fairly standard headset, albeit one with a cool sliding boom mic. When you want to get your groove on, you just connect the second earpiece and presto: stereo earbuds. Once you've experienced the ecstasy of walking around with your phone in your pocket and music piping wirelessly into your head, you'll never go back to corded headphones.

Just make sure your phone supports A2DP. Many models do, but for some reason it's not available on all handsets (cough Palm Centro cough). And it's pretty much AWOL on MP3 players, which mystifies me because (as I may have mentioned) wireless earbuds rawk.

Anyway, I've used the Voyager 855 myself, and while I like the noise-canceling nature of the earbuds, I agree with CNET's reviewer that sliding the boom mic does kill the fit. Still, music sounds great, and $57.99 is less than you'd pay for many non-stereo headsets. And now, back to my personal utopia, where my 60GB iPod touch supports A2DP. Ahhh.

4GB Zune

(Credit: CNET Networks)

OfficeMax, BuyDig, and other sellers are offering Microsoft's MP3 player at around a 30 percent discount this week. It's the size of a cigarette lighter, it's easy to use, and it's particularly well-priced at the moment. The bottom line on this item, from CNET Reviews' analysis: "While the full-size Zune is a better value, the solid-state flash memory used in the 4GB and 8GB versions make them better suited for physically active (or clumsy) users."

What: 4GB Microsoft Zune MP3 player
How much: $149.99
Shipping: Varies
Where: BuyDig
When: Through December 8
Click here for CNET's product review.

(Credit: Creative)

Too late, you missed 'em. The supply of $99 original Zunes dried up over Long Black Weekend, probably for good. But all is not lost: You can still score a 30GB media player without spending triple digits. I'm talking about the Creative Zen Vision:M, which looks like a chunky iPod Video but has a few aces up its reconditioned sleeve.

The player sports a 2.5-inch screen, FM radio tuner, and voice recorder (even the Zune doesn't have that). It supports podcasts and can sync with Outlook. It's also compatible with music-subscription services like Napster and Rhapsody, so you can fill it to the brim with tunes for $15 monthly.

Here's where you really get to score bragging rights over your Zune-toting brethren: The Zen can play movies and TV shows purchased from Amazon Unbox and Walmart. The Zune's pretty much music-only at this point.

The Zen Vision:M will run you $99.99; shipping's free!

Philips GoGear 1GB MP3 player

(Credit: CNET Networks)

You don't want to spend an arm and a leg on an Apple product. Your pockets are getting cramped with any number of gadgets, and space is at a premium. Yet you still need music for your commute, workout, walk around the block, or airplane trip. What to do? Woot.com has your answer. They're offering this player at less than half the price of other retailers.

The Philips GoGear SA1110 holds 1GB of music files and is only as big as a cigarette lighter. It's perfect for those of you who can't get enough lime green in your lives. It's lightweight, easy to stash, minimalist, and less than half the price of its rival player, the iPod Shuffle.

Please note: Woot.com deals are one-day deals that expire the next day. So sorry to say, but if you visit the site any day but the day it's posted, you'll see an offer on some other discounted item. But maybe you'll like that one just as well, and maybe you'll enjoy their editors' stylishly wacky prose.

What: Philips GoGear 1GB MP3 player
How much: $24.99
Shipping: $5
Where: Woot.com
When: Until September 11, 2007
Click here for product overview.

(Credit: Sony)

Again with the Internet slip-ups, only this time the company itself is to blame. This morning, a new Sony MP3/video player sneaked onto SonyStyle briefly. As anyone who listened to my podcast rant about broken NDAs might infer, this tidbit was not welcome news first thing in the morning. (At least one other gadget journalist knows the sting of this pain.) I'd been sitting on the Sony NWZ-A815 info for a while, and I kept my mouth shut, even when a blurry rumor blog posted about it yesterday. But--I'm sorry--when the company itself cannot keep its own secrets, that's just too much to bear. In agreement with our contact, who wants to ensure that you get the most accurate information possible, here are all the official details:

• The NWZ-A810 series comes in a variety of flavors: The NWZ-A815 player has a total capacity of 2GB; comes in white, pink, black, and silver; and will cost about $140. Then, there's the $180 NWZ-A816, which has 4GB and comes in white, pink, black, and silver. The 8GB NWZ-A818 will be available in only black or silver and will cost about $230.
• Great news! Sony has given up the ghost on SonicStage. This player is an MTP/PlaysForSure device with all the trimmings: MP3/WMA/AAC support, including playback of subscription tracks downloaded from the likes of Rhapsody. (AAC is unprotected only.)
• This Walkman video player has a 2-inch QVGA (320x240 pixels) LCD screen capable of playing MPEG 4 and M4V profile at 30 frames per second.
• As per usual, battery life is astounding: as long as 33 hours of audio playback and up to 8 hours for video.
• This series of players comes with higher-quality Sony earbuds (model MDR-EX082), and it offers a variety of sound enhancement features: Digital Sound Enhancement Engine(DSEE), Clear Bass, and Clear Stereo.
• There's also a bidirectional LCD, meaning you can view photos or videos either vertically or in landscape mode (for wide-screen viewing).

The Sony NWZ-A810 series of MP3 players is expected to start shipping at the end of this month.

(Credit: SanDisk)

PHOTOS: Sansa Clip, unveiled

You know, the word "cheap" doesn't conjure up the best images of quality, but it's more searchable than "inexpensive," so there you go. Still, flash memory maker SanDisk doesn't necessarily like its reputation for putting out (mostly) cheap MP3 players, even if the term refers more to cost than quality. That's why its latest addition to the Sansa family, the Clip, offers a respectable 92dB signal-to-noise ratio, meaning its sound quality should be able to stand up to the likes of the Creative Zen Stone Plus, its closest competitor.

But don't worry--this focus on audio quality doesn't mean SanDisk has lost sight of the reason it became No. 2 in MP3 sales in the first place. The Sansa Clip is still plenty cheap--the cheapest we've seen for the features, in fact. The 1GB version, which comes in black only, will set you back only $40, while the 2GB version (available in candy apple red, hot pink and ice blue) is priced at $60. Not bad...not bad, at all. Anyone else remember when a mere 512MB would set you back a C-note?

(Credit: SanDisk)

To make that price even more palatable, the Clip also includes several desirable extras. There's a built-in mic for taking voice recordings and an FM tuner with a surprising 40 presets--more than we've seen elsewhere. Appropriately, the player also includes a removable clip for attaching it on your person. Although it's not quite as small as a matchbox (as the press material attests), it's plenty compact enough to conceal comfortably in your pocket if you're not the type to wear your gadgets as fashion accessories. Despite its small size, the Clip offers a four-line OLED--only in two colors, but at least it's big enough to offer comfortable browsing by artist, album, playlist and so on. Below the screen is a four-way control pad surrounding a center select/play/pause key. The left edge houses a standard mini USB port and a power/hold switch, while the right contains the headphone jack and a dedicated volume rocker.

The Clip's format support is typical of Sansa players. It plays MP3 and WMA tracks, including subscription music downloads from the likes of Rhapsody. The device is also compatible with audiobooks from Audible. According to SanDisk's estimates, you should be able to listen to this content uninterrupted for 15 hours before recharging the battery.