Have you ever been sitting at your computer, looking for stuff to do, when you thought, “Hey, it would be really cool if I had a little electronic cockroach I could control, to fight other electronic cockroaches!” Well! Today is your lucky day! Because here we have just what you’ve been waiting for! These little guys are called Skitterbots, and they’re meant to give your day a little bit of cockroach fun.
Skitterbots will come in four different colors, so you’ll be able to tell the difference between yours, and all of the other little things running, or skittering around. The four different colors aren’t just to keep the little guys aesthetically pleasing, though. They represent a different frequency. Which means you’ll be able to run the four electronic critters around at the same time, so you can battle them, and see who comes out on top.
No, you don’t have to battle the other electronic cockroaches. You can just race them, or have them stare at one another. Whatever floats your boat, really. And when you need to charge them, you just plug them into your USB and let them sit for a bit. You’ll get a five-function remote along with your Skitterbot, so you can make them go forward, back, stop (?), left, and right. There’s no way to make them climb walls, or people’s legs, but hopefully that shows up in the next version. What’s better, is that they go for only $19.99. Too cheap to pass up, right?
This morning I got to know Dell very well. I’m not sure how many people work for the company, especially in sales and customer service, but I talked to 15 of their, ahem, lovely employees. I made 10 phone calls. I started the return process at 9:30 AM, and finally finished my journey two hours later. All I wanted to do was return a crappy cell phone.
Last week, I bought the Dell Aero. I would review it but it wasn’t a very important phone to review. Because of its ancient Android 1.5 operating system and questionable heritage from the middling Dell Mini 3i line in China, the phone was not generating much interest. But, having seen the phone in person, I was curious. I liked the design. It’s very small and light. I also have an AT&T SIM card and account without a phone. I returned my iPhone 4 and I’ve been waiting to buy the white iPhone. In the meantime, I thought I would give the Aero a shot.
When I originally called and placed my order, I checked Dell’s return policy. Dell’s restocking fee policy is vague, and now I’m sure that’s on purpose. In their terms and conditions, they say “Additional fees, including up to a 15% restocking fee, may apply.” That “may apply” set off alarm bells, so when I called to place my order, I decided to ask about it.
The first time I called, the Dell rep had no idea what the Dell Aero was. He asked if I meant the Dell Streak, a 5-inch tablet Dell is selling to use with AT&T’s data network. No, I meant the Aero. He talked to his manager. The manager knew the phone had been announced months ago, but didn’t know it was on sale. I had to direct them to the Web site. I should have known this was not a good sign.
I tweeted about my experience. Within a couple hours, a Dell twitter account got in touch with a phone number for Dell mobility sales. Finally, someone who knew what they were talking about. When I talked to Preston, my Dell Sales Professional, I asked about the fee and he told me that if I returned the phone within 21 days, I wouldn’t have to pay anything. I should have recorded that conversation.
The phone is awful. There is no way I would keep it. I called Dell to initiate the return. I won’t bore you with all the details of my excruciating morning, but here’s a rough outline.
First call to my original sales rep. I entered his extension, and was taken to a mailbox system that asked for a mailbox number. I entered the extension again, and was promptly disconnected.
Second call, this time to customer service. Transferred to another rep, then waited on hold for 22 minutes until I was suddenly disconnected.
Third call, no hold time. Transferred to returns department. This is the shadiest, most dishonest department I’ve encountered. Like the Black Ops team of Dell’s customer service. They told me I needed a reference number to waive the restocking fee. What reference number? Talked to a rep and her manager. They kept quoting the same script. It’s their policy. I would have to pay the fee. They wouldn’t budge.
I ask to speak to the manager’s manager. He says his manager only handles administrative duties, whatever that means. He’s the highest person I can speak with.
“You’re Michael Dell?”
No, of course not, but they wouldn’t transfer me higher. I hung up and started again.
Fourth call, transferred. On hold, system simply said “Good Bye,” and hung up.
Fifth call, automated system. Transferred to a busy signal.
Sixth call, customer service rep told me I’d be transferred to a manager. Instead, disconnected.
Seventh call, talked to another rep, who transferred me back to an automated system. At this point, the automated systems are all sounding alike, so I’m not sure who I’m waiting for.
Finally, during that seventh call, I reach a rep who tells me I’m right, I don’t have to pay a fee. Unfortunately, he can’t process the return, because the purchase was a business purchase, and he’s a consumer rep. Transfers me to a business rep, who also confirms I should not have to pay a fee.
I’m elated. I’m so relieved. I tell this person he’s my favorite Dell employee. I spoke too soon, of course. He can’t help me with the return, but he does promise to leave a note in my case file that I shouldn’t have to pay. He says I don’t need a case number, I just need to reference my order number.
He sends me back to the return department, the shady Black Ops group from call 3. They tell me I must pay the restocking fee. I ask them to check my case file. They want a case number, so I give them my order number.
So many numbers. Nothing in my file. I start throwing numbers at them. No, that’s my order number. No, that’s my customer ID number. No, that’s the badge number for the rep with whom I spoke. Nothing helps.
I lose it. I call them liars and ignorant morons. I tell them their system is BS, and I spell it out to make my thoughts clear. I’m given two warnings, then my rep says she’ll cut me off. If I just calm down, she can help me.
“So, you can waive the fee and refund all of my money?”
“No, our policy states . . . ”
“Then you are a liar and a moron and you work for a horrible company!” I shout. The phone goes dead.
Eighth call, customer service. They tell me I have the wrong customer service, give me a new number. They transfer me; again I am disconnected.
Ninth call, I call customer service, and another rep confirms I am correct, there should be no fee. I ask for a case number. He says I don’t need a case number, instead he will stay on the line while I am transferred to returns. Again, I’m filled with hope, then despair as the line goes dead again. I’ve been disconnected once more.
Finally, I decide to catch them at their own game. I’ll record the first customer service rep telling me I’m entitled to a full refund, then the returns department telling me it’s against their policy. I look around for a phone with a recording option.
The only phone I have on hand that will easily record calls is my Dell Aero. I plug it in and charge it up for its last phone call in my possession.
As soon as the rep answers I make clear I’m recording the call. Suddenly, everything is going my way. I’m transferred to the returns department, and not disconnected. The returns rep answers, and I again start by saying I’m recording the call. I explain my predicament. I’m clearly angry, but not yelling. She quotes policy, and I start to tell her my story again.
“What if I offer you a $25 discount on the phone?” I tell her I wouldn’t keep the phone if they gave me a $300 discount. I tell her that I will never shop at Dell again, and I will encourage my friends to avoid Dell. I make it clear this is the worst customer service experience I’ve ever had.
I remind her that I’m recording the call.
She asks for a few minutes to speak with a manager. She tells me she’ll try to get me a full refund. After two minutes, I finally find success. She offers a full refund, including purchase price, shipping and handling and sales tax.
Do I need to explain where things went wrong? Probably not, but here are a few simple guidelines.
Rule #1: Don’t let a customer get disconnected on hold. Make sure every call goes through. I hate sitting on hold for 20 minutes, but what I hate much more, and what makes that experience memorable in a bad way, is when I wait on hold only to be disconnected.
Rule #2: Don’t ask me for the same information every time. I had to give Dell reps or Dell’s automated system the same order number 30 times. Literally, 30 times.
Rule #3: Cut down on the number of people I have to talk to. There should be two, at most. One to triage my problem, the other to solve my problem. If I need a manager, that’s three people.
Rule #4: Keep everybody on the same page. I talked to four reps in sales who believed I shouldn’t have to pay the restocking fee. I talked to three in the returns department who believed I should. They all quoted from the same document, which uses vague language.
I’m not writing this just to bash Dell. I’ve had great customer service at a variety of companies, even some with bad reputations. I’ve had great service from Apple, and also from Sprint and Bank of America. This was the worst customer service I’ve ever encountered, and it wouldn’t take a dramatic change in policy to fix things. It would only take a few minor changes and some corporate education to make sure customers are having exactly the experience they are promised.
But if I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that I will always record my phone calls to sales reps and to customer service.
We can probably safely assume at this point that tablets are here to stay. At least for awhile. And considering the effort that Archos has already put into the Android-based “tablet” market, there’s no surprise here that they’ve just pulled the curtain off five (5!) brand new tablet devices, all featuring Google’s mobile Operating System. Ranging in sizes and prices, as well as plenty of Archos-based “improvements” to the User Interface, meet the family of new Archos tablets.
The Archos 28 is the bottom of the bunch, featuring a 2.8-inch resistive touchscreen, with a resolution of 320×240. It has 4GB of internal storage out of the box, and we’re thinking that this is meant more to be a PMP, and not a tablet per se, as it has the size and feature set to prove a more confident combatant in this market. It does feature integrated WiFi, and it has a music application that was created by Arhchos, so it shouldn’t be as boring as the standard Android version. It doesn’t have any access to the Android Market, but Archos has you covered with the AppsLib, which will give you access to applications. There’s an accelerometer, and an 800MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor under the hood. This little guy will be available at the end of September for about $99.99.
Next up, the Archos 32. As the title suggests, of which you probably caught on already, this guy has a 3.2-inch touchscreen display. There’s 8GB of internal memory tucked away inside, and there’s even a camera planted on the back of the device, which has the ability to record video at 720p. There’s also a composite port at the bottom, which means you’ll be able to hook up a TV. This version will be available in mid-September, and it will cost you $149.99.
It’s when we get to the Archos 43 that things get interesting. Featuring a 4.3-inch (resistive) touchscreen, there’s an accelerometer inside, as well as a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, making sure that you keep ticking along at a nice pace. The device is ony .35-inches thick, so it should be slim enough to hide in your pocket without much complaint. When the Archos 43 ships, which will be in mid-October, it will feature Android 2.2, and be able to record 720p video with the camera on the back. It will cost you $199 when it does hit store shelves.
The Archos 70 features a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen display, and it will ship with Android 2.2 in mid-October. It has a smaller form factor than the previously released Archos Home Tablet 7, which should mean that it attracts plenty of eyes. There’s going to be some pre-loaded video chat applications on the device as well, as there’s a front-facing VGA camera. There isn’t, however, a camera on the back. There’s a USB port, as well as a mini-HDMI port. The Archos 70 will run you $274.99.
The Archos 101 is when we really get into the tablet market. It features a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen display, and has a frame that’s only .5-inches thick. There’s a 1GHz processor under the hood, and it also has the ability to play a 720p HD video without a problem. There’s a front-facing VGA camera, and USB and HDMI ports. It is due out in mid-October, too, and it will cost you $300 to get your hands on it.
[thanks, Gohn]
Press Release
ARCHOS Introduces Five New Android Tablets Starting Below $100
Launching Five New Android Tablets With Two Revolutionary Products, the ARCHOS 28 Internet Tablet, First Android MP3/MP4 Player Promoted Below $100 and the ARCHOS 101 Offering the Largest Screen on the Android Market, ARCHOS Now Offers New Ways to Tablet Your Way
DENVER, CO–(Marketwire – August 31, 2010) – ARCHOS, an award-winning technology innovator and leader in the portable media player market, today announces five new Android-based tablets.
From the ultra affordable and ultra portable ARCHOS 28 and 32 Internet tablets, to the multi-media marvel ARCHOS 43 Internet tablet, and the wide screen ARCHOS 70 and 101 internet tablets, ARCHOS’ new range offers a combination of super-fast web-browsing, games, eBooks, social networking and other apps alongside HD video and music in a very slim-line design.
The ARCHOS 28 Internet tablet and the ARCHOS 101 Internet tablet, the flagship products of the range, are bringing innovation to the Android world.
The ARCHOS 101 Internet tablet offers a unique design including the latest technology. This tablet has the advantage of a connected Android device that adds very fast web browsing and HD multimedia experience. The 10.1” high-resolution screen is nestled in a very slim and light form factor tablet, enabled through a patented construction process.
The ARCHOS 28 Internet tablet is the first Android player below $100. By introducing a connected device at such a low price, ARCHOS revolutionizes the portable music player segment.
ARCHOS has developed four unique Android applications for video, photo and music with the support of 3D cover animations to allow users to keep a digital experience as simple as it should be.
Three Android tablets from 4.3” to 10.1” screen size
A unique design
A patented construction process, which uses an over-moulded PVD stainless steel structure, has enabled ARCHOS to redefine the tablet form, with devices that are smaller, thinner and lighter, making the tablet even more portable. The ARCHOS 101 Internet tablet is just 0.47″ thick and weighs only 15.87 ounces, yet offers a crisp, high-definition 10.1″ capacitive multi-touch screen.
With the adjustable kickstand, users will always have the best position to tap out emails, view a movie or enjoy the photo frame application. Using the device is designed to be both easy and intuitive.
A PC-like super-fast web browsing experience
Featuring a powerful 1 GHz processor, high-speed WiFi-n technology and sleek high-resolution screen, the new Android-based tablets offer a fast and enjoyable PC-like web browsing experience. Users can access the entire internet thanks to Android’s support for Adobe Flash™ 10.1 player.
A built-in webcam on the ARCHOS 70 and 101 Internet tablet means users can make video calls to family and friends.
In addition, a new feature in the Android settings menu means that the devices can also be tethered to a 3G phone via Bluetooth or USB for Internet connectivity when on the move.
Hi-definition multimedia at your fingertips
With ARCHOS’ heritage in high-quality portable multimedia players, the Internet tablets offer consumers a full multimedia experience, with 720p HD video playback as standard, whether from a user’s movie collection or streamed from YouTube. Unique Android multimedia applications designed by ARCHOS will allow the end user to enjoy all his multimedia content.
The HDMI TV output offers the best Android, multimedia and games experience on your TV. The tablet can be used as a game pad for your TV thanks to the built-in accelerometer and 3D open GL technology so users can enjoy a unique gaming experience.
The ARCHOS 43 internet tablet also sports a 2 megapixel HD camcorder to capture video and photos than end user can share on the web or on the HD TV screen.
The first connected MP3/MP4 players below $100
The smaller ARCHOS 28 and 32 internet tablets bring the Android revolution to MP3 and MP4 players, adding a new dimension to this market. Alongside music and video playback, the low-cost, pocket-sized devices starting from $99.99 now offer email, web browsing, music and video streaming, 3D gaming, eBooks, social networking and other entertainment, productivity and information-based apps.
The Best HD multimedia experience
The ARCHOS 28 and 32 internet tablets feature music, video and photo applications, developed by ARCHOS, enriching the user experience with smooth browsing through the album covers and with widgets added to the home screen to give instant access and control to media. These unique Android applications allow users to amplify their digital experience.
The devices are also compatible across the major music and video formats, so there’s no need for conversion or the inconvenience of dedicated software support. A simple drag and drop from your computer is all that’s required.
The A32 internet tablet also includes a camcorder for video and photos to capture the greatest memories. Users can upload videos and pictures to the web or share via social networks.
Pocket Computer
With WiFi connection, users can surf the Web at the speed of a computer thanks to the speedy processor. The Internet browsing is also faster than ever; users can adjust the page size of an article with a simple double-tapping or rotating the ARCHOS and the screen will flip into place to display the entire page’s width. There’s also an email application so you can stay in touch with all of your friends.
Applications to make a player what users want it to be
The AppsLib store, with free and paid apps, will make sure you access and directly download custom sized Apps to fit your lifestyle. Games, books, music, social media, recipes, news and sports are now a click away.
ARCHOS tablets can become an eBook reader, with literature classics, the latest magazines or favorite comics available to download and read wherever you go.
A wide range of games, using 3D graphic acceleration, are also available. From the classic Sudoku to the fast-paced racing games, user will immerse themselves in fun games enjoying the comfort of sharp and large screens or using the device as a steering wheel.
Price and availability
ARCHOS 28 internet tablet
Available in September at 4GB, with a recommended retail price of $99.99.
ARCHOS 32 internet tablet
Available in September at 8GB, with a recommended retail price of $149.99.
ARCHOS 43 internet tablet
Available this fall at 8GB with a recommended retail price of $199.99.
ARCHOS 70 internet tablet
Available this fall with a recommended retail price of $274.99 (8GB) and $349.99 (250GB).
ARCHOS 101 internet tablet
Available this fall with a recommended retail price of $299.99 (8GB) and $349.99 (16GB).
About ARCHOS
ARCHOS released the first pocket-sized HD-based MP3 player with the Jukebox 6000 in 2000 and since that time has revolutionised consumer electronics devices. The company invented the portable media player in 2003 and was the first to bring television recording, wireless and touch screens to Portable Media Players. ARCHOS have also introduced the Internet Media Tablet range — the 5, 5g and 7 — offering users instant, uncompromising access to the internet, media content and TV. Established in 1988, ARCHOS has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. ARCHOS is listed on Euronext Paris, Compartment B, ISIN Code FR0000182479. www.archos.com.
The T-Mobile G2 — which will likely be known as the HTC Desire Z outside the States — is shaping up to be one of the more anticipated Android launches of 2010, and a handful of smaller-than-we’d-like official press shots that have just leaked over on Cell Phone Signal are doing nothing to make us believe otherwise. The site says it believes silver (pictured) will be the only color offered, and considering that we haven’t seen any leaks in any other shades, that seems like a reasonable assumption. Then again, a white, red, or black version of this would be pretty neat, wouldn’t it?
[Thanks, Nam]
Update: Turns out these images are chilling on T-Mobile’s servers right now — check the source links below. Whoops!
Update 2: And we’ve now got the clearest shot yet of a G2 in the wild, casually browsing Facebook as a laptop looks on with a mixture of curiosity and contempt; follow the break to check it out. Thanks, Sebastian!
Palm fans, get your party hats on. Today the company is announcing the beta release of its SDK for webOS 2.0, which means we’re getting dangerously close to a proper 2.0 release for devices. And who knows… maybe the phone-maker will decide to throw a new device our way to go along with the OS. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Starting tomorrow, a select (though rather wide, says Palm) group of developers will be able to start toying around with the latest and greatest SDK for the company’s mobile operating system, and it looks like the new software brings some tasty morsels to the table that you’re definitely going to want to chow down on. We got the scoop directly from Palm on just exactly what kind of changes you’ll be seeing in the first version of 2.0, and we’ve rounded them up in a neatly digestible form below, so read on after the break and get the full story.
When it comes to webOS, there’s many who believe that the mobile Operating System developed by Palm is far from over and done with. Despite being available on only two devices, people expect good things to come out of HP’s acquisition of the company. A good sign that things are still coming down the pipe broke cover today, as Palm has officially announced that the latest version of their SDK, for webOS 2.0, has now begun to find its way to some developers out there.
While there’s only a select amount of developers being given the new SDK, Palm suggests that it’s actually a larger amount of developers than we might normally imagine. Palm also confirms that there’s going to be plenty of new features in webOS 2.0, but there’s no word on what type of devices that it’s going to launch with, or if it’s going to be brought to market on a new device at all. But, with the upgrades to the software and the new features outlined below, we can’t help but think that a new device would be a great way to show off the new abilities of webOS and it’s integrated Synergy.
New features include: Stacks, which is a new and improved way to utilize webOS’ “true multitasking” capabilities. Instead of just opening an endless amount of cards in the stream, and then having to find where you left off with, whether it be for personal reasons or work related, the new Stacks feature will let cards that are relevant to one another, or that are opened in the same work flow, stack on top of one another. The image above shows it quite nicely. If you open a URL, or several, within an email, then the Browser’s card will not just open a new card, but it will stack that card on that current workflow, so you don’t lose anything you’re working on.
There’s also Just Type, which is the new name for webOS’ Universal Search feature. Palm is opening up the API to developers, too, which means that applications will be able to use it naturally. They will be able to use what’s called “Quick Actions,” which allows applications to be strung together utilizing only one command. Exhibition is another new feature, which takes advantage of the Touchstone charger. Instead of just allowing for conductive charging, developers will now be able to launch an application when the Pre or Pixi are placed against the Touchstone charger. So, like a clock, weather card, or something to that effect. And finally, there’s going to be plenty of improvements to Synergy itself, mainly as Palm is letting developers tap into the feature directly.
There are also going to be enahncements for HTML5, JavaScript services, as well as PDK plug-ins. There’s no word on when the webOS 2.0 SDK will be available for every webOS developer out there, but we can’t say that we’re not excited by this at all. With HP backing the whole endeavor now, there’s plenty of avenues that these new features can be implemented. And we mean in new devices, not just what we’ve already got in our hands.
HTC’s Desire is undoubtedly one of the headline Android devices of 2010 so far — and heck, when you’re using the already-great Nexus One as a starting point and re-upping it with an optical pad, physical buttons, and Sense, it’s hard to argue otherwise. US Cellular has now become the first carrier to bring the device to the States (nearly five grueling months since its first spats of international availability, we’d like to note), and because USCC’s a CDMA carrier, this is naturally a slightly different device than you’re getting elsewhere. Don’t get us wrong, most of the thoughts in our first review of the Desire still apply — but needless to say, this launch is notable enough to warrant a second look. Read on!
The Retina Display, which is one of the main features of the iPhone 4, stirred quite a bit of discussion after the official announcement. Even scientists got into the fray, putting in their own two cents whenever they were asked. (And yes, we asked.) Apple boasts that the Retina Display is as good as it gets, as the human eye can’t even register anything better. More or less. But that’s not stopping researchers from making it better, though. It’s just been made known that pixels eight times smaller than those used in the Retina Display have been created.
Utilizing nanometer-thin sheets of metal called nanoresonators and slits that actually create the pixels, researchers were able to make pixels that are eight times smaller than the ones found in the Retina Display. But, just making something isn’t good enough for most researchers. Oh no, you’ve got to show it off. And that’s exactly what they did.
The University of Michigan researchers made the school’s logo fit onto a display that’s only 9 microns tall. To put that into perspective, a human hair is about 100 microns wide. That means, surprisingly enough, that the University of Michigan’s logo, in this particular case, could actually fit into any one of the periods in this article. But, as Apple (and Steve Jobs) would point out right about now, the Retina Display’s pixels are at the very brink of what the human eye can even perceive, so while this creation is certainly a testament to researcher’s creativity and ingenuity, it may never actually see mainstream products. At least, not any time soon.
For the hearing impaired, getting along in an every day situation, amongst a crowd of people that don’t necessarily have the same impairment may be an issue. And while many can read lips, that may not be the easiest way to go about things. Especially considering not everyone moves their lips the same way to make the same words, which can be a real pain. But, fear not, because a new designer has just come up with a great way to alleviate all of those problems, and all you need to do is wear some glasses.
They may not be as straight-forward as anti-aging glasses, but not many things are now-a-days. These speech-to-text glasses are, though, a great concept that we really hope get picked up. Designed by a Danish designer by the name of Mads Hindhede, the Babel Fisk glasses are meant to let the deaf literally read what you’re saying, while you’re saying it.
Based on the design, there would be a microphones placed within the frames of the glasses, which would allow for pin-point accuracy to pick up the vocal intonations of someone standing in your line of sight. And then the embedded speech-to-text program within the glasses would literally create text within the lenses of the glasses. What’s more, there would also be the ability to record what’s been said to a flash memory card. Like we said, it’s a great idea — we just hope the glasses get a far more aesthetically pleasing re-design before manufacturing takes off. If manufacturing takes off.
SanDisks’ Fuze line-up of Personal Media Players have managed to remain present on the market for awhile now, without ever bringing too much attention to themselves. They’re what you might call the “minimal” PMP, with not much going for them in the features department. Fortunately, SanDisk have finally managed to update the PMPs, not only giving them the favorite “+” symbol now, but also making them attractive enough to give a second glance.
The Fuze+ line-up features 3 capacities to choose from: 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB. If you choose one of the lower-memory models, you’ll get to choose from several colors: white, blue, red, black, and purple. However, if you want the 16GB model, that only comes in black, so you won’t be able to show off your terrible color choice to all your friends. Don’t expect the feature set to knock you off your feet, but the Fuze+ players do support all major file formats, so that’s good.
You also get full support for slotRadio, as well as full support for microSDHC cards. The User Interface is apparently slimmed down enough to make it simple enough for anyone to use, which may make some people out there bored. However, if one of these little guys is enough to ping your radar, then you’ll be happy to know they’re available right now. You can pick up the 4GB model for $79; the 8GB version for $89; and finally the 16GB for only $119.
Press Release
SanDisk Introduces the Sansa Fuze+ MP3 Player-Offering a Best-In-Class Combination of Features, Ease of Use and Value
New Player’s Touchpad, Large LCD Screen, microSDHC Card Slot and Innovative “Film Strip” GUI Deliver a One-Of-A-Kind User Experience
MILPITAS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it has set a new standard for sub-$100 portable media players. The Sansa® Fuze™+ (plus) MP3 player is available now, delivering a best-in-class combination of features, ease of use and value.
“We developed an entirely new product to provide consumers with a stylish, affordable device that performs exactly as a sophisticated yet easy to use player should.”
The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player, successor to the popular Sansa Fuze MP3 player, offers consumers the quality and flexibility they demand at a price that’s hard to beat. The completely redesigned media player delivers a hassle-free and satisfying user experience that enables unparalleled freedom in how consumers access their favorite digital content. Music and video lovers can expand the player’s storage capacity according to their needs, quickly navigate their libraries of files and enjoy high-quality audio and video playback.
“The Sansa Fuze+ is the most versatile portable media player available for under $100,” said Tom Bailey, senior director, AV retail, SanDisk. “We developed an entirely new product to provide consumers with a stylish, affordable device that performs exactly as a sophisticated yet easy to use player should.”
Feature-rich Form Factor
The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player offers sleek and thin styling that fits comfortably in the palm of a hand, and its new capacitive touchpad provides the sensation of using a touch-screen without obscuring the device’s viewable area. The player’s bright, colorful and large 2.4″ QVGA LCD screen produces sharp, vibrant images when viewing videos or photos.
Consumer-friendly “Film Strip” GUI
The player’s unique GUI operates like a film strip, enabling intuitive screen navigation that creates a more natural, crisp and satisfying user experience. Left to right finger sweeps select functions such as Music, Video, Podcasts, FM Radio and Photos, while up and down sweeps or double taps on the touch-pad let users explore and select individual categories and files.
Easy Compatibility
The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player’s broad audio and video CODEC pack ensures easy compatibility with most major media formats.
The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems. The media player is also preconfigured for seamless synchronization with Rhapsody, eMusic and Napster.
microSDHC Card Slot
The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player is fully compatible with SanDisk slotRadio™ cards or any microSD™ card loaded with music, photos or videos**. Consumers can slide these cards into the player’s microSDHC™ memory card slot to instantly expand their music, photo or video libraries without consuming any onboard storage.
* SanDisk slotRadio cards give consumers immediate access to some of their favorite styles of music, including Rock, Country, Oldies, Classical and Hip Hop/R&B. Most slotRadio cards contain 1,000 songs**** featuring top artists from the Billboard® charts, and are available for only $39.99.
* microSDHC™ cards let consumers fill the player with additional content-up to 4,000 songs1 or 64 hours of video (H264 video @ 384 kbps)1 per 16GB card. This feature creates interoperability with compatible devices such as mobile phones with microSD card slots.
Additional Features
The Sansa Fuze+ media player’s rechargeable battery lasts up to 24 hours of audio playback or up to five hours of video playback2. For enhanced versatility, the device also includes a recordable FM radio, gapless playback and a microphone for audio capture.
Pricing and Availability
The Sansa Fuze+ is available in red, white, black, blue and purple. The player is available now at major retailers and at sandisk.com in 4, 8 and 16 gigabyte (GB)*** capacities carrying MSRPs of $79, $89 and $119 respectively, although in-store pricing will be set by retailers.
