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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Remember those new Walkmans we saw recently? Well the folks at Sony have decided to get all fancy and official with them. The electronics-maker is introducing S-, E-, and B-Series PMPs, all featuring MP3 and WMA playback, drag-and-drop file management, and a variety of storage capacities. The 4GB NWZ-S736F and 8GB NWZ-S738F sport Sony’s “Open Platform” which allows AAC, Linear PCM, and other codec support, 40 hours of battery life, in-flight noise cancellation, and SensMe — which creates song shuffles based on user listening habits. The 4GB NWZ-E436F and 8GB NWZ-E438F come in a handful of colors and deliver up to 45 hours of playback, while the low-end 1GB NWZ-B133F and 2GB NWZ-B135F add an FM tuner and voice recording functionality. The players will be available come September, ranging in price from around $45 to $180.

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

While traditionally known as a forum for HDTVs, the big IFA show in Berlin is also shaping up as a showcase battle for Korean DAPs. Hot on the arching heels of Cowon’s S9 Curve comes this, the (re)announcement of iriver’s P20. While we first saw the P20 as a plastic prototype at CES, we’re desperately hoping for a fully functional, 80/120GB media player this time around. The device is still spec’d with a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen display capable of pumping 12-, 9-, or 8-hours of music, video, or DMB TV at a clip, respectively. It’s also likely sporting a SPINN UI judging by that thumb-wheel. Also on deck is the M3 portable GPS navigator / media player with 3.5-inch touch screen LCD. More details on Friday when trade show floor opens its doors.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Taste that? It’s the sweet nectar of want for Cowon’s new S9 Curve. This 3.3-inch media player features an AMOLED capacitive touch panel display that spreads 16 million colors across 480 x 272 pixels. Inside you’ll find a 500MHz dual-core CPU, T-DMB digital television tuner, Bluetooth, FM radio, TV-out, and G-Sensor accelerometer. All that and nearly two days (40 hours) of music playback from a single charge. No price yet but we expect to hear more later this week as the big European IFA show kicks off in Berlin.

Gallery: Cowon’s S9 Curve with 3.3-inch AMOLED touch-screen kills with style

[Via CNET Asia]

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

A whole new slew of Walkmans have hit Sony’s New Zealand site, and we’ve got the goods on them. The new models, dubbed the NWZ-E435, NWZ-E436, and NWZ-E438 all sport a 2-inch QVGA LCD display, FM tuner, codec support for MP3, AAC, WMA, and Linear PCM files, and clock in at a very petite 8.5mm / 50g. The players will be available in 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB variations, with various color options for each model (except for the NWZ-E438, which only comes in black). Apparently, the PMPs play nice with both Windows Media Player and iTunes, offering drag and drop management for files. No word yet on price, regions, or release date, but we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for these sweet babies.

[Via Sony Insider]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Portable Video

Now that the Zune’s most vocal (and deranged) proponent has apparently jumped ship, Microsoft is looking for some other method of gaining market share. The most recent report on reinvigorating the portable media player has Redmond execs looking low and high at talent agencies and production companies in hopes of “licensing exclusive original video programming.” According to Richard Winn, director of entertainment development at Zune, the company is searching for “non-conventional programming that can capitalize on the device’s social networking platform.” Details are unsurprisingly scant at the moment, but Winn also noted that the outfit was looking for something that “iTunes or any competing service” couldn’t provide. We hear Vongo’s going for a song… just sayin’.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We can’t (with a clean conscience) carelessly fling Newsmy’s M521+ into the KIRF pile — though we’d sure love to. It’s hard impossible to miss the design cues ripped directly from SanDisk’s Sansa Fuze, though the unit does have just enough uniqueness to keep it from being a bona fide clone. Reportedly, the device packs an FM tuner, FM transmitter, support for MP3 / WMA / APE / FLAC / AVI formats, a photo / text viewer and an interface that we wouldn’t let our worst enemies use. Oh wait, is that the iTunes logo? Is it too late to reconsider that whole KIRF eligibility thing.

[Via PMPToday]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We’re onto your game, ZVUE. Just days after giving us a reason to laugh with the introduction of the 1GB Journey DAP, you’re delivering yet another media player with yet another icon on it. This go ’round, we’re looking at none other than The King — an Elvis Presley-emblazoned media player with 1GB of Elvis video clips, a 2.4-inch display, FM tuner, voice recorder, photo / text viewer and USB connectivity. Those looking to shake things up can toss in a microSD card for additional tunes, though you’ll be forced to hand over $49.88 to Wally World in order to claim your own. We’re tempted to say it’s now or never, but really, it’s from August 12th onward.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Portable Audio

Creative got a bit more creative with the ZEN Mosaic’s name since we spotted it in Singapore last month, but the freshly rechristened ZEN Mozaic is now available (and in stock, just to be exceptionally clear) in the US of A for your purchasing pleasure. For those seeking a brief refresher, here goes: there’s a 1.8-inch display (160 x 128 resolution), up to 36 hours of audio playback / 5 hours of video playback, support for MP3 / WAV / WMA / JPEG / BMP files, a 5-band custom equalizer, calender / contacts / task list and USB 2.0 connectivity. The oddly designed DAP can be procured in both 2GB and 4GB flavors (but only in black, at least for now), with the former going for $59.99 and the latter $79.99.

[Thanks, Oscar]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

You read that title correctly, iriver’s Spinn is apparently touchscreen (not D-Click as mentioned in the FCC leaked user manual) and features haptic feedback to boot. Now that it’s officially spec’d on iriver’s Korean site, we’re also seeing a slightly degraded audio lifespan of 24-hours (not 27) and the apparent removal of the mini SD slot — it’s no longer mentioned in the specs and we don’t see a suitable slot on any of the pictures. Otherwise, it’s the same sleek slab of 10.7-mm thick metal and plastic sporting a 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 pixel AMOLED display, T-DMB TV, Bluetooth, and new analog SPINN Wheel we’ve seen kicking around since CES. Currently on pre-order for South Korea with the 4GB model fetching 259,000KRW (about $259) or 8GB for 299,000KRW (about $299). That’s right, it maxes out with just 8GB of flash. Check the gallery while we all anxiously await iriver’s international launch plans including the rumored August UK release.

[Via DAP Review, thanks Al]

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Sure, it doesn’t look like much thanks to the FCC’s staunch aversion to photo glam, but that’s iriver’s Spinn PMP, a product which had us at a full, rigid swoon back at CES. While this would generally be good news, the model approved features a DAB radio and DMB television tuner — in other words, it’s not intended for US consumption. The user manual also confirms a FM radio, Mini SD slot, Bluetooth, D-Click System interface, 27 hours of audio and 5 hours of video, and support for SWF (Flash), TXT, MP3, WMA, OGG, JPG, AVI, MWV file formats. With FCC approval out of the way, the rumored UK August release date is presumably in the bag.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Wearables

If you’re scouting the strange, the weird and the weirder, you’ll find plenty to get absorbed in over at the research facilities of NTT DoCoMo. The Japanese giant is at it once more, but this time the invention is actually somewhat down to Earth. It’s mission? To create a method for easily controlling a music interface (on a PMP or cellphone) with just your eyes. By rolling one’s eyes and jerking them from side to side, the outfit is hoping to have the corresponding music player change tracks and get louder / softer. If you’re not exactly keen with freaking out fellow citizens on the street with completely erratic eye movements, you may also appreciate a similar technology it’s working up which can detect a user’s finger tapping to achieve to same goal. Of course, said technology would be halfway useless on the smash hit-packed ZVUE Journey (no way you’re bypassing any of those tracks, son), but we guess you could check out your toes every now and then to keep from constantly staying at 11.

[Via ShinyShiny]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Chinavasion isn’t known for offering up cutting-edge gadgetry — far from it, to be honest — but the MP4 player known only as the CVSJ-1304-4GB is actually fairly notable. According to the dodgy specifications, the $39.55 device checks in at just 4.5-millimeters thick, which is certainly thinner than the other so-called “world’s thinnest” DAP. Of course, this may only be true due to the “MP4″ moniker, seeing as most units not created and sold exclusively in China are called “MP3″ players. Semantics aside, the unit also includes a 1.8-inch display with a 160 x 128 resolution, a curious 2.5-millimeter headphone jack, a USB 2.0 port and a rechargeable battery. So, do any of you have a competitor that’s a hair thinner? Our hunch is yes.

[Via PMP Today]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Portable Audio

Brace yourselves, dear readers. The item we’re about to explain just might be is most certainly the best thing to ever happen to the digital audio player market. ZVUE’s 1GB pre-loaded Journey MP3 player not only reeks of the early ’80s in design alone, but this thing actually arrives with 22 Journey tracks loaded on (11 new joints, 11 of your childhood favorites). It’s like buying Journey’s greatest hits and getting a DAP for free — go on, be good to yourself, it’s only $39.88. Jump past the break if you need some encouragement / discouragement.

[Via AnythingButiPod, thanks Dula]

Continue reading ZVUE’s 1GB Journey DAP comes with 22 tracks you’ll never delete

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wearables

Say it ain’t so! America’s most loyal advocate for Microsoft’s Zune is apparently throwing in the towel. Of course, we should warn you that this could very well be a simple ploy for attention, but if the man keeps his word, he will soon be covering his Zune tattoos with… something else. Curiously, he didn’t say whether or not he would be playing the traitor card and picking up some sort of iPod, but considering that more people have seen this guy’s body art in the wild than actual Zunes, the general public should know soon enough. You fought a good fight, Zune Guy, but consider yourself expelled from The Social.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Generally speaking, Oppo has stuck to its bread-and-butter: decently stylish PMPs and a well-received family of upscaling DVD players, respectively. Now, however, we’re seeing a trio of concepts which allude to a future unit (or three) boasting gaming functionality. Unfortunately, details beyond that are few and far between, and we’re not even certain of their place of origin. In other words, don’t bet on seeing these hit shelves in the foreseeable future, but keep your fingers crossed that they do anyway.

[Thanks, Raz]

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Original post by Darren Murph