The Zen Stone from Creative is their latest offering to the MP3 market. The Zen Stone is a small 1GB flash player which is similar to the iPod Shuffle in size/design etc… The Zen Stone is available in several colours as well as the white version pictured above. As can be seen, there is no screen which means that any song is randomly selected allowing for a more varied listening experience. A lack of screen can be seen as a problem, but in the case of the Zen Stone I think it is just right for what Creative are trying to sell and the market they are targetting.
Search Results for: ipod
Creative Zen Stone
May 3, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Griffin iTrip 2G and iTalkPro
April 28, 2007 by Leave a Comment
iTrips are handy little devices that connect to your iPod and transmit an FM signal to a nearby radio. This cuts out the need for cables and allows you to more easily use it in your car. The first iTrip was quite fiddly to work with as you had to download a ton of MP3s from the CD which contained beeps and then play the corresponding beeps for the frequency that you wanted. The iTrip 2 has solved this problem by having an LCD screen on the device and a small switch to the side which can be used to scroll through the frequencies. An extra assistance is given in finding a clear more available frequency which comes in handy for those in a city where a lot of radio stations are broadcasting and filling up the frequencies. The iTrip is available in black and white and is also available for the Nano.
Product Page
Read on for the iTalk.
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The PowerMonkey
April 25, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Having power to your mobile gadget is essential for the traveller. I have personally run in to times where my phone or PDA ran out of juice when I needed it most. The Powermonkey it a battery storage solution which allows you to run your gadget after its battery has run out. The power output of the powermonkey is what caught my attention as it is capable of keeping an iPod running for 40 hours. A mobile phone can be kept powered for 96 hours with a PSP powered for 5 hours.
Costing $59.99 from ThinkGeek you are getting a very handy device which can hold its charge if un used for a year.
Via: UberGizmo
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Olympus SP 550UZ with 18x Optical Zoom
April 21, 2007 by Leave a Comment
The type of zoom your digital camera can make a huge difference to the type and quality of photos that you take. A lot of digital cameras tend to have 3x – 6x optical zoom and then XX times digital zoom. Having a higher optical zoom capability allows for some seriously cool close up shots of objects even further away. However, when you get in to digital zoom ranges then the image is then being built by the CPU rather then what actually hits the CCD in the back of the camera. Olympus has now created the 18x Optical zoom which it classes as the ultra-zoom range. Combined with digital zoom is allows for up to 100x the zoom rate. It is named the SP-550UZ and can take pictures at high speed at ISO5000. With this cameras lens you can take wide-angle shots with a focal distance of 28mm*1 up to telephoto at 504mm. As well as those ranges, macro photography as close as 1cm can be done. Overall the Olympus SP 550UZ looks like a camera worth looking out for.
With having such powerful zoom features this often brings a shaky effect in to cameras when held due to the slightest movement making the camera jump. This camera has dual shake proof technology which works with a CCD-shift image stabilisation system and a sensitivity of ISO1600 which dramatically reduces the problem. Although it’s best to use a tripod for the ideal shot, the dual shake proof technology can allow the pictures to be clear when a tripod is not an option.
Other features of the camera are high speed continuous shooting which allows for 15 framers per second so that the best shot can be taken. A unique (unique to me) feature is also a pre capture mode with which the camera can store images immediately before the photo is finished being taken.
Via: Photo.Blorge
World Smallest Projector
January 26, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Several tiny projectors have appeared recently. I was amazed at a trip to PC World when I saw a really small one on sale. The thing was tiny, or so I thought. Along comes the Explay Projector. It is the size of a mobile phone and can project an image from a source such as an iPod video at a low resolution of 320 x 240. This is not the max size though as Explay promise that higher resolutions are on the way. The projector uses a mixture of laser and LED to create the image and to save on battery life as well as heat. The image size isnt huge, but still a lot larger then your mobile phone or iPod screen. This is not bad for a projector that could be carried in your pocket. More information will be available later this year and we look forwards to this projector and seeing how it progresses through out 2007.
Via: Gizmodo
Sansa Express
January 22, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Sansa have created a nice looking MP3 player which is worthy of taking on the iPod. The Sansa Express features a USB connector, quad line OLED display, FM tuner, voice recording which uses the built in microphone, 1Gb of internal memory with the option of adding a microSD card to increase it as large as they currently offer. With a nice look, impressive specs and very impressive price tag of just 59.99 dollars, this MP3 player could do well in the busy market.
Via: UberGizmo
LG UP3
January 20, 2007 by Leave a Comment
The LG UP3 is a nice design and looks very similar to the iPod shuffle. A cool feature is the retractable USB connector which is demonstrated on the video below. The player comes with 512Mb to 2Gb or memory and can play MP3, WMA and OGG files.
Via: TechEBlog
Purse – With Speakers
January 7, 2007 by Leave a Comment
When walking around the city you often hear people with their mobile phones hung around their neck playing some techno trancy type song on the loud speaker and you just wish they would shut it up or listen on headphones. The Atom Amp purse from Lifepop is now set to challenge this trend girl style. The purse sports 2 small speakers which can pump out 1400 milliwats of sound via the Atom amp. It is powered by a 9 volt battery and has a 3.5mm jack to connect your iPod or other music playing device to.
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Wireless USB
January 7, 2007 by Leave a Comment
Since the launch of USB, this connectivity has enabled around 2 billion USB wired devices to be sold around the world. The time has now come to drop these wires while enjoying high speed transfers wireless style. Wireless USB is capable of transferring data at 480Mbps at a 3m range and 110Mbps at a 10m range. If you are like me and have a number of USB devices connected to your computer then the benefits are obvious. Digital cameras, iPods and a number of other USB devices soon stack up and the cables can become a mess. By using WUSB you are able to flick a switch, see the device connect and transfer the files.
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Rapid Transit USB
December 18, 2006 by Leave a Comment
With the Zune that just hit the market, there is now the ability to transfer files wirelessly from Zune to Zune. Of course an iPod is not capable of this yet as no wireless functions are built in. No doubt the next gen version will more then likely have this feature. For now you will have to settle with the Rapid Transit USB to USB option. Basically you can connect 2 devices to the Rapid Transit and this will allow for quick file transfers between the two devices. The Rapid Transfer has a built in screen in which you can control where to copy and place the files on the devices which gives full control and helps you not write over anything you shouldnt.
The Rapid Transfer has a rechargeable battery that is handy while travelling with your music or files. Currently the device follows along with Apples DRM and this locks access to files until the ipod is resynced and a password is entered. Music not purchased from iTunes we can assume is not restricted when copying it over.
Available from Herrington for 129.95, it makes for an expensive way to transfer music. Keep in mind it’s not just for the ipod though and can be used to transfer documents, images, video and more from any 2 types of devices.
Via: OhGizmo
UK Ban on FM Transmitters Lifted in the UK
November 24, 2006 by Leave a Comment
If you have used an FM transmitter on your iPod in the past with in the UK then you have been breaking the law. They were illegal to use due to the signals interfering with broadcasts by legal radio stations. You could easily get your hands on one of these transmitters in an arrangement where you can buy legally but it’s illegal to use. I have one my self which I got a few years back and obviously is still in it’s packaging awaiting to be used on the 8th December 2006 when it will be legal to use. The new ruling put in to place by Ofcom who regulate the licences are permitting those that can use “spare frequencies” to be made legal. With this they are also removing the need to have a licence when using a Citizens’ Band radio.
The original law that made it illegal was drafted in 1949 and is called the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949 and forbids you to broadcast with out a licence. Ofcom saw that consumers wanted this in place and the laws were revised.
However, the new arrangement named “Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2006” do not allow all of these FM transmitters to be legal. Many still do not meet certain technical specifications.
To check if the transmitter is legal you just need to look for the CE logo which means it is approved for use in the UK.
Via: BBC News
Apple Orders 12M iPhones
November 16, 2006 by Leave a Comment
Apple is creating the iPhone and has awarded Foxconn the contract to built 12M of them. The iPhone is a much anticipated device from Apple. The news came from a Chinese language news paper called Commercial Times. The phone is set to be launched in the first quarter of 2007 and hopefully Steve Jobs will be showing off the handset at the Macworld Expo.
Apple have stated that next year will be a big year in terms of new products being release by them. Items such as the iPod Tablet and various new laptops it should be a great year if you can afford it all 🙂
Via: RegHardware
