That darn DJ equipment can be so back debilitating sometimes.  No problem.  The Pocket Sized MP3 Player Mixing Deck has you covered for your next gig. It works like a standard mixer and even allows you to preview your next track before mixing.  Of course you’ll need two MP3 players for a smooth transition and a headphone jack will let you preview and listen to your work without being interrupted by drunk flusies.

ThinkGeek has it for $25.

[via UberReview]

Read

They’ve got it for $289.99 – $40 instant savings + $0 S&H = $249.99 delivered!

For the hard hat wearing construction worker whose gone through countless stereos and boomboxes due to falling beams and toppling port-o-potties comes the Ryobi Tek4 Allplay Music Player.  Built for the most rugged of job site scenarios the 2GB MP3 player is water, dust, and impact resistant.

Found in home improvement stores across the heartland for $70, the Tek4 has large buttons for use with gloves on, and easily attaches to a work belt or armband.  Battery life should last around 72 hours per charge.  Now all you’ll need is some heavy duty Dewalt speakers.

Read

TigerDirect, via Amazon has the iRiver 1LP4BLK Lplayer 4GB Video MP3 Player for $39.99 – $2.79 S&H = $42.78 shipped! This MP3 player has 4GB of storage, a black finish, up to 12 hours of music on a single charge, 2-inch 320×240 LCD, FM radio, voice recording and supports numerous codecs.

Today we’re talking about the new gotta-have-it watch, a watch that has all the performance of an MP3 player, but also a cool blue, almost holographic, face that screams “gadget buff”.

The Tick Tack Music Watch is like a wearable MP3, complete with a headphone jack and a set of tiny earbuds included.  It’s still in the concept stages right now, so you can call this a bit of a leak, and so there’s also not a lot of details about storage capacity or battery life or even price data just yet.

While I like the thought of an MP3 player in a wristwatch, I really have to wonder if this will go over that big when put alongside the likes of an iPod.  IPods really aren’t that much bigger than a wristwatch, and they probably hold more songs and deliver better quality audio, too.  But time will tell, as it so often does, so stay tuned.

Read

All right, Sanrio buffs, brace yourself because another bit of Hello Kitty ephemera has made its way to market.  There have been many Hello Kitty MP3 players over the years–almost as long as there have been MP3 players there have been Hello Kitty MP3 players–but this one is somewhat different.

It doesn’t have more memory or an LCD screen or anything like that but what this one does have is Hello Kitty’s head.  That’s right–it’s SHAPED like Hello Kitty’s head.  Each one costs $19.95 and has a four gig capacity. It includes a built-in microphone, plays back WMA files, and actually includes the right to select the kitty’s trademark bow’s color–light pink, light blue, red and dark blue versions are available.

It’s not bad as MP3 players go–as long as the playback sounds all right twenty bucks is hardly an outlandish price for an MP3 player, but let’s be honest.  This one’s appeal is pretty much limited to serious Sanrio enthusiasts and it stops right about there too.

Read

The SwiMp3 underwater bone-conduction MP3 player from Finis is the only player I’ve seen or used that alleviates the suction problem experienced by other players.  While it does have problems of its own, it definitely deserves your attention if you are looking for a music player to entertain you while you are swimming laps at the gym.

Announced today, Finis has quadrupled the storage capacity of the SwiMP3 to 1GB.  Still selling at $150, you’d really have to be an avid swimmer to accept its high price point.

Livermore, CA – (September 17, 2009) – FINIS, the Worldwide Leader in Technical Swimming Development and provider of select training equipment for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team,  unveils the “SwiMP3.1G” an upgraded version of their award-winning underwater MP3 player that holds up to 1GB  of your favorite motivating workout tunes. The SwiMP3.1G utilizes patented bone-conduction technology to deliver clear sound underwater, perfect for swimmers looking to maximize their workout and to eliminate the boring silence of swimming lap after lap. The SwiMP3 will be available in now available for $149.99 at sport retailers’ world wide and at WWW.FINISINC.COM.

The unique and patented bone conduction technology utilized in the FINIS SwiMP3 takes enjoying music to another level by transmitting high-fidelity sound underneath the water. As FINIS holds the international patent on bone conduction technology, standard players rely on the transmission of sound through air or water which causes the swimmer to hear only muffled noise. Humans normally hear through air conduction, but because there is no air underneath the water, bone conduction provides the clearest sound quality possible. The sound vibrations are able to be directly transferred from the cheek bone to the inner ear, giving the swimmer the ultimate sensory experience whether engaged in training workouts or recreational activities. The sleek design attaches to any swim goggle or snorkeling mask and features a 10-hour rechargeable lithium-ion battery that charges directly from a USB port. The SwiMP3 is compatible with Windows and MAC functionalities (MP3 or WMA files).

“Current waterproof MP3 players are quite awkward for training in the water as athletes are hindered by straps, cords and earphones. We created the SwiMP3.1G specifically for swimmers so they could continually swim without having this cumbersome feeling of too many cords and poor sound quality.  Our SwiMP3 features a water proof design with 1GB of storage for maximizing and motivating your swim workout with your favorite music” says John Mix, President of FINIS.

Now what an amazing product this could be.  Thanko has produced what could quite possibly be the smallest MP3 player in the world.  Weighing in at a measly 8 grams and measurements of 16mm x 25mm x 22mm, this has got to be the most easily lost gadgets as well.

Available in 2GB and 4GB models and respectively priced at $55 and $75, it will be interesting to see how quality these things actually are, and not just some gimmick due to the size.  Tiny!

[via Ubergizmo]

Read

]]> http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/09/thanko-microsports-mp3-player-is-the-smallest-player-i-have-seen-yet.html/feed 0 http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/08/finis-swimp3-bone-conduction-underwater-earphones-review.html http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/08/finis-swimp3-bone-conduction-underwater-earphones-review.html#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:12:47 +0000 Jeff B http://www.gadgetreview.com/?p=30492

Having previously reviewed a few underwater MP3 solutions it was clear to me what I expected from the Finis SwiMP3.  While other incarnations of submersible MP3 players had issues with water always getting in your ears disrupting the flow of sound, the SwiMP3 player had to eliminate that in order to be a plausible contender.

Immediately upon “unboxing”, it was apparent that the SwiMP3 player was exactly that.  Tailored to swimmers, the only way to adorn the product was to attach them to a pair of goggles.  The clips on each earpiece are designed to loosely fit around any pair of goggles and were a bit weird to try and situate them correctly without a mirror.

Once I aligned the earpieces to an optimal place on my head I did some laps.  The first thing I noticed was the “bone conduction” aspect.  While sounding more fancy than it needs to, it basically just means that there are no actual “traditional” earphones that you plug into you ears.  The sound vibrates through the plastic casing, eliminating the water suction problem in past underwater MP3 products.

Does this work?  It totally does, but at the immediate sacrifice of the most imperative aspect inherent in a pair of earphones.  The sound.  The main blemish is the quality.  It sounds very shallow and distant sounding (puns all day) and that you are hearing it from “3 doors down”.

I can say right now that the biggest problem with the Finis SwiMP3 is the volume fluctuations that must be suffered.  The thing is, swimming in water has its own sounds and you must jack up the volume in order to hear the music.  The bad part comes to when you are at rest and taking a break from swimming.  Not only does the music sound shrill, but it’s also searingly loud.  I’m not sure if this could be avoided by a volume toggle button but it’s very harsh to say the least.

As far as controls go, I say don’t futz with them.  At a storage capacity of 256Mbs, I would just make a playlist and swim and try to enjoy the novelty of listening to music underwater.  The swimmer I spoke to at the gym expressed that if the SwiMP3 was priced at under $100 it would be much more appealing, and it would definitely help break up the drudgery of doing laps in the pool.

My take on the product: I’d want it to be more versatile and offer a design that allowed you to use the headphones without a pair of goggles.  Bad sounding music is far better than no music at all and I feel that other sports could benefit from this “bone conduction” technology if you will, as it works far better than similar products in its genre.  The quality of construction could be a bit more heavy duty and it could sure have more memory, up to at least quadruple it’s current size.

Beyond that, the Finis SwiMP3 is an interesting product that should garner the attention of swimmers all over looking to cut up the monotony of doing laps.  While not a stellar underwater MP3 solution at this moment, Finis could make some important strides to improving the SwiMP3 so it is more appealing to its niche’ market.

Note:  For the life of me (from the Verve Pipe’s The Freshman), I could not get my original iMac G5 to recognize the SwiMP3.  Beware as I could also not get it to mount as a disk image on my buddy’s newer Powerbook.

Pros:

• Allows for underwater music sans suction problems of similar products
• Easy to use
• Mildly comfortable

Cons:

• Volume issues
• Memory too small
• Pricey

Buy it for $135 here!

Today Microsoft officially announced the Zune HD to thousands of screaming fans.  While possibly too little too late, the Zune HD will attempt to steal some iPod Touch thunder with the inclusion of such features as:  A built in HD radio receiver, HD video capabilities, OLED touch screen, and WiFi.  What also will be of mass importance is the addition of Xbox Live’s MarketPlace, where you can go for movies and TV programs.  No word on whether or not games or apps are on the horizon, but I’m sure someone somewhere in the Microsoft matrix is gargling on about it.  E3 will have more to say about the Zune HD and will demonstrate the Xbox Live lovechild.  Is this cool?  Does anyone care?

Here’s a bit from our buddies in Washington:

REDMOND, Wash. — May 26, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

“The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we’re proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device,” said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. “Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world.”

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

·         Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don’t like the song playing on your station’s HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.

·         The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480×272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.

·         The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*

·         Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.

·         Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

Read

Summer weather is just around the corner and with it are a myriad of appropriately geared gizmos for bicyclists.  The Lavod MP3 Bike Speaker and Flashlight straps onto your bike’s handle bars and blasts out up to 2GB of MP3 tunes or FM radio from its speaker.  A single charge to its built-in battery results in up to 10 hours of playback, that is assuming you aren’t also using the device’s flashlight situated on the opposite end.  Yours for $150.

[via RGS]

Read

As consumers are inundated with MP3 peripherals, manufacturers are constantly trying to integrate new ways for you to your experience music. Today I am pairing H2Audio’s waterproof iPod case against Freestyle Audio’s 2GB Sport MP3 Player. Both of these products offer submersible MP3 solutions, and each of these products have their pros and cons.

H2Audio’s Waterproof iV6 iPod case is an airtight, fully submersible case that attaches via an armband.  You must also purchase the ’sold separately’ H2Audio H3 waterproof headphones in order for it to work underwater. The case is very well constructed, but it’s very bulky, and has blunt force trauma weapon written all over it.

Once it’s jammed into the armband, it hangs off your arm like an extra appendage, which could be very cumbersome for certain people. The water proof rubber sealant worked great in the ocean and in the pool, and I had no doubts in trusting the device to protect my expensive iPod properly.  The scroll wheel and adapted buttons were smooth and functional, be it a little slow, and wearing thicker gloves would render the buttons totally useless. The deepest pool I could find was 5 feet, and the iV6 responded great, keeping all the water out. I must say that listening to music underwater is a totally unique experience, but was it ever supposed to happen?

The seal on the headphones just isn’t that tight and I constantly had to readjust them to keep the water out. Easily the most distracting thing about the iV6 and the H3 headphones is that they require too much babysitting. I can see how it might be tolerable in a casual setting, but if you’re like Mike Phelps it would be totally annoying. The H3 earphones out of water sound like clock radio speakers, and aren’t very comfortable. Honestly, I feel the iV6 is better suited used without the H3 earphones. The rugged case would be great tossed around casually at a BBQ or party, but as far as it’s intended purpose, it’s more gimmicky than useful. Factor in $135 for the iV6 and the H3 headphones, and I feel these products are extremely niche.

The Freestyle Audio Sport Mp3 Player is a fully submersible waterproof/shockproof 2GB lightweight FM radio and MP3 player. Other features include: flash memory, up to 18 hours of play time, OLED screen, floatable body, EQ presets, FM presets, stores files, MAC & PC friendly, and universal eight inch jack.

So this MP3 player has a ton of features that are some great selling points, but how does it stack up to the iV6? The biggest difference is price, with the Freestyle Audio Sport Player with headphones included at under $70. Also, the FreeStyle Audio is much smaller, and weighs a fraction of what the iV6 weighs. Just like the iV6, the Freestyle Audio Sport player also attaches via armband, but is far less obtrusive and has a bright blue OLED screen, which brings me to my first point. The screen has so many options and icons that it can be confusing as to what you are doing. To add to the steep learning curve of the functions, there are 5 very small interface buttons that use up to 4 different button presses! Short press, long press, hold, and double press! This might deter some users who turn on and listen.  The instructions are well laid out, but I found it best to just create a large play list and go! Screw futzing with all the controls! Design choice was obvious when it came to limiting the device’s buttons and inputs, as there is one headphone input that acts as the headphone port as well as the computer interface via USB. The same problem persisted when it came time to listening to music underwater, the seal just wasn’t there. The included waterproof headphones are better fitting than the H3’s but required just as much adjusting. Still very cool to listen to tunes underwater, but the practicality just isn’t that prevalent.

In the end, if you need to listen to your music underwater, I’d go with Freestyle Audio Sport MP3 Player. Price, weight, and size is the final nail in the iV6’s coffin. H2Audio’s iV6 is a quality product in it’s own right, though only when applied to the right scenario. Other than that, they’d both be cool for everyday casual use, and it wouldn’t hurt to use them with some 3rd party low cost ear buds just so you have better sound quality when you’re engaged in non-underwater sports.

H2Audio iV6 and H3 Headphones

Pros:

• Rough & rugged design and construction
• Absolutely rock solid underwater iPod seal
• Awesome for alternative scenarios

Cons:

• Headphones sound weak in and out of water
• Bulky, heavy, and obtrusive
• Pricey

Freestyle Audio Sport Mp3 Player

Pros:

• Lightwieght & Floatable
• Fair Price
• Cool Features

Cons:

• Headphones are a weak water seal
• Buttons, functions, and interface are totally convoluted making you not want to learn it
• Not the best choice for primary Mp3 player

Buy the H2Audio iV6 waterproof iPod Case for $99 here.

Buy the H3 waterproof Headphones for $34.48 here.

Buy the Freestyle Audio Sport Mp3 player for $67.80 here.

Features:

• Doubles as a voice recorder and USB flash drive
• 10 hours of playback on 1 AAA battery + backlit LCD screen

Buy it: Prolynkz Zynkz PZX-9984G 4GB Mp3 Player – $32

Features:

• 2GB internal flash and 4-line LCD display
• Built-in FM tuner, USB 2.0, supports MP3, WMA, and Audible files
• 15 hour battery life

Buy it: SanDisk Sansa Clip 2GB MP3 Player – $40