Go Play AV: Portable Audio, Video, Media and Game Players

Fosfor Gadgets provides an in-depth review of a stunning new portable media player from Sweden, the Jens MP-500:

The new Jens of Sweden MP-500 is a real eye-catcher. It looks good and is packed with functionality. Before I unpacked the player I had read that it was small, but I weren’t expecting it to be that small.
When you read the list of features you probably will be quite impressed: Video playback, FM radio, line-in recording capabilities, dictaphone recording with built-in microphone, USB host mode which makes it possible to plug your camera to it, watch with alarm, photo viewer, text viewer. Phew, as you can see this player is packed with goodies.

If you don’t want an iPod nano but still want stunning looks, try to track one of these down.

Read complete article: Jens of Sweden MP-500 - review - Fosfor Gadgets

Technorati Tags: personal video player, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video

The Revolution Report reports that Nintendo have updated the Nintendo DS portable game player with a new Lite version:

“Nintendo President Satoru Iwata today announced Nintendo DS Lite, a slimmer version of the best-selling Nintendo DS™. Also featuring brighter screens, Nintendo DS Lite will launch in Japan in March. Nintendo DS Lite will be less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter. Nintendo DS has enjoyed extremely strong sales in Japan and around the world, selling more than 14.4 million units worldwide. The Japanese sell-through of the existing Nintendo DS hardware exceeded 5 million within 13 months, which made Nintendo DS the fastest-selling video game system there. Nintendo will announce more information about the availability of Nintendo DS Lite in North America and other territories in the future.”

Read complete article: Revolution Report - news - New DS Design: Lites Way for Nintendo Revolution?

Technorati Tags: nintendo, nintendo DS, portable entertainment, portable game console, portable gaming, nintendo ds lite

The MP3 Players report that in China you can buy an Iwod G10 (reckon Apple and iRiver might be ringing their lawyers?) which includes a NES games emulator:

Any old school NES fans here? If you wanna play NES games like GBA, I got something for you - Iwod G10 (not iRiver G10 ).

It is a portable media player with built-in NES emulator! You may load your favourite classic NES games into it. Besides the NES emulator, another highlighted feature is its big and clear LCD display.

Read complete article: Iwod G10 - PMP with NES Emulator | The MP3 Players

Technorati Tags: portable entertainment, portable game console, portable gaming, portable media player, NES emulator

cNet have reviewed the Philips Active PSA612 MP3 player, which is aimed at people pursuing fitness activities, but only can come up with a disappointing 6/10, suggesting the iPod nano is a better choice:

The good: The Philips PSA612 packs 4GB into an attractive, fitness-friendly design that features a unique rocking-face control and an antishock option that decreases risk of damage to the hard drive. The simple weatherproof player includes an FM tuner and a talking stopwatch, and it’s compatible with music subscription services. It ships with decent wraparound headphones and a stylish armband.

The bad: The buttons on the Philips PSA612 are too stiff to operate easily, and the back cover must be removed to recharge and transfer music. The device’s antishock feature is limited, and the display can be difficult to read in daylight. The player will lock up if subscription tracks have expired.

The bottom line: The Philips PSA612 is decent as a high-capacity fitness player, but if you can spare some change, the 4GB Apple iPod Nano is a better choice overall.

Read complete article: Philips Active PSA612 (4GB, blue) Reviews. MP3 players Reviews by CNET.

Lookup on Amazon: “Philips PSA612 4 GB Sport MP3 Player” (Philips)

Technorati Tags: digital audio player, mp3 player, philips, portable audio, portable entertainment

cNet review the Cowon iAudio MP3 player, which makes claim to be a portable media player, giving it a 7.7:

We like:
Tiny and lightweight; video playback; line-in and scheduled FM recordings; excellent video-conversion software; solid sound quality and performance
We don’t like:
Pricey; does not yet support DRM-protected tracks; video playback limited to 15 frames per second; interface is difficult to navigate; cheap plastic shell; mediocre FM reception; no auto-preset option for FM stations; requires two different desktop utilities; screen is too tiny for photos and video; for £20 more, you could buy a 30GB video iPod
CNET.co.uk judgement:
The feature-packed and great-sounding Cowon iAudio U3 may ooze cool as one of the smallest video players available, but its lack of DRM support, its tricky controls and its high price tag spoil the party

Read complete article: Cowon iAudio U3 (2GB) Overview, Reviews & Prices at CNET.co.uk

Lookup on Amazon: “iAudio U3 2 GB MP3 Player” (Cowon)

Technorati Tags: cowon iaudio, digital audio player, mp3 player, portable audio, portable entertainment, portable media player

Carl Howe on The Consumer Electronics Stock Blog writes a very insightful article on what the Disney-Pixar merger means for the future of rich media content on the iTunes Music Store, and this the iPod:

With Jobs and Disney CEO Robert Iger joined at the hip, the days when Hollywood could just stonewall a new technology like iPods or dictate distribution terms for movies are over. Steve Jobs’ relationship with Disney is now a trump card in his hand. For players in both Silicon Valley and Hollywood, that means it’s now a whole different game.

This article really opens ones eyes to what this deal really means and is a well worth reading as this merger will ultimately affect all online media distribution.

Read complete article: The Consumer Electronics Stock Blog » What Disney Acquiring Pixar Means For Apple and the Industry (DIS, PIXR, AAPL)

Technorati Tags: Apple, Disney, Pixar, portable entertainment, portable media player, portable video, disney pixar merger

DAPReview report and provide links for various firmware updates for Archos portable media players

Read complete article: dapreview.net: News / Comments / New Firmware for Archos Players

Technorati Tags: archos, portable entertainment, portable media player, firmware updates

Gizmodo report from Macworld information on getting video to your iPod easily:

“Wouldn’t it be great if you could just take a CD and throw it on your iPod? You could put your music straight onto this device.” Phillip Torrone presents a Make Magazine presentation on how to convert video for the iPod.

Read complete article: Live at Macworld: Getting Videos Into Your iPod, One-Click Version - Gizmodo

Technorati Tags: ipod, ipod tips, ipod video, mp3 player, personal video player, portable entertainment, portable video, ipod tutorials

Apple finally conceded to the FM tuner push of MP3 players by releasing their own add on FM tuner, but only for the latest iPods:

MACWORLD EXPO, SAN FRANCISCO—January 10, 2006—Apple® today announced the iPod® Radio Remote which combines the convenience of a wired remote control with new FM radio capabilities for the iPod nano and fifth generation iPod. The iPod Radio Remote is a convenient way for music lovers to skip tracks and adjust the volume of their iPod even when it’s in a pocket or backpack, and listen to FM radio stations while displaying station and song information on their iPod screen.
“The iPod Radio Remote combines two great features in one elegant product,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “The iPod Radio Remote is both the best remote control and the best FM radio listening experience for iPod.”

Read complete article: Apple Announces the iPod Radio Remote

View iPod Radio Remote on iPod accessories page.

Technorati Tags: Apple, ipod, portable audio, portable entertainment, ipod radio remote

MobileWhack report that Panasonic have unveiled a new MP3 player, the SV-Mp010:

If there’s one word to describe the SV-MP010, it’s compact. Just about the size of a lipstick, it boasts 10GB of storage and features MP3 and WMA playback. On a single AA battery, Panasonic claims a playing time of up to 75 hours.

I read someone say somewhere that “iPod”, “Zen Vision”, “Walkman” etc are so much catchier than “AB456″ or whatever model numbers other vendors use. And I’ve got to agree!

Read complete article: Panasonic SV-MP010 Digital Audio Player : MobileWhack.com

Technorati Tags: digital audio player, mp3 player, Panasonic, portable audio, portable entertainment