I have seen some strange speakers for your MP3 player and iPod over the years. The new Mini Bear Speakers from Juicy Couture are among the strangest though. I think the only people who can get away with using these in public without ridicule will be young girls and the ridiculously hot women out there.
The Mini Bear Speakers come in the form of a couple pink bears with speakers inside. One of the bears has a logo charm necklace and the other has a bow tie. A pocket on the back of the bear holds your MP3 player.
The arms and legs are articulated and swivel at the hip and shoulder. A black cord for connecting your MP3 player is included. The bears measure 9.5″ tall and 8.5″ wide. You can pre-order now for $68 and they are expected to ship on August 20.
Here’s another product line-up for the over-saturated personal media player market. Not that options are a bad thing, mind you. Energy Sistem has just pulled the curtain off their 52 Touch line-up of devices, but manages to only show off a full array of digital renders, and not the actual devices. That’s better than nothing, we imagine.
Features wise, here’s what you’re looking at: Integrated FM transmitter for your car, microphone, support for DivX and XviD, FLV, RM/RMVB, MP3/WAV/WMA music formats, images, text files (.txt), a 2.8-inch TFT touchscreen display, TV-out, and a speaker. You can pick up a model with either 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB internal memory, which can be improved with the 16GB microSDHC card reader. As for pricing, you’re looking at spending €69, or about $88 for the 4GB model. You also get plenty of color options, as you can see. Anyone interested in the pink one?
Well, here we are. At the end of the week, looking ahead to the weekend. Two days of good, old-fashioned relaxation. Unless you have to work. Then, well, ignore all of that. Either way though, welcome to tonight’s edition of The Daily Slash. While we’re not going to officially give it a nickname, but you could call tonight’s Slash the Robot Night. In the Best of R3 Media, we’ve got an eReader app launching on Android, some miserable numbers for the Kin, and some good news for Motorola (maybe). And then, in the Dredge ‘Net, we’ve got the Hyperion 4-legged robot, a super-device, and mini dancing robots.
The Best of R3 Media
Kobo eReader & Store Launch on Android: We’ll admit it: we’re still waiting for the Android app from Amazon, so we can get some Kindle goodness on another one of our phones. Until then, though, we’re perfectly happy accepting the Kobo eReader application, and the digital store for that matter, into the Android Marketplace for our downloading pleasure. You get access to upwards of 2 million titles, and some of them are even free. It’s available in the Market right now if you’re interested. [via Android Community]
Only 500 Microsoft KIN Devices Sold: If you’re like us, you tend to notice phones while out and about. The iPhone here, a BlackBerry there, a Droid somewhere else. However, one handset you might not have noticed is either variation of the Microsoft KIN. A new report came out today that suggests, unfortunately, that Microsoft have indeed only sold 500 units. The report, though, doesn’t say where they’re getting this information, nor does it say whether or not it’s rounding up (or down), or if it’s counting both KIN models, or just one. While sites all over the ‘net tried to find KIN owners, we’re not sure anyone found any. [via SlashGear]
Motorola Mobility to Lose the Debt, Get a Check: Up until, well, the Motorola DROID, the company that built the RAZR wasn’t doing too hot. In fact, there had been plenty of rumors and conjecture out there suggesting that Motorola was on the way out. But then, as Fate would have it, they had a pretty good success with the Android-powered DROID, so here we are, talking about the future. As it stands, Motorola is ready to split the company into some specific sections. Motorola Mobility, for example, is going to get a chance to get clear of all of Motorola’s debt, and then rumors suggest that it will be getting a check for upwards of $4 billion to start making new, and exciting handsets. We’ll have to just hope that this works out. We wouldn’t want to see Motorola go anywhere. [via SlashPhone]
The Dredge ‘Net
Hyperion 4-Legged Robot Seats One: Ever wanted to have a robot you could ride on to get places? How about one that looks like a dysfunctional, headless animal? Well then, you’re in luck, because scientists over at the Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan have made the Hyperion. A four-legged robot that, if you sit on it, can take you places. No idea what they’re intended for, but suggestions point out that it could be used for transport. We’re not sure what they’d transport, as the man in the video in the link doesn’t look all that comfortable, but we imagine if you got some nifty seats to put on that thing, it might not be too bad. [via Ubergizmo]
DIY Player from Shao Wen Makes Us Happy: We’re all about trying to get as many cool things into a single device as possible. As much as we love our phones, MP3 players, and whatever else we can think of, we’d love to just be able to get it into one cool form factor, and make it work. Up until now, it’s been tried, but not successfully. If one designer by the name of Shao Wen has his way, we may just be on the brink of something fantastic. His DIY Player is based around a central screen that is flanked by two ports, one on bottom and one on top. From there, you can plug into the port whatever accessory, or “part,” you need, for whatever it is you want. Need a phone’s dialing pad? You got it. Need a keyboard? Sure, why not! How about controls for your MP3 player? Yep, those are included, too. Sure, there’s some problem with multitasking in there, but we’re sure you could get it figured out. Or, you could just keep your phone, MP3 player, and mobile gaming unit in separate pockets. Your call. [via DVICE]
Nao Robots Dance: We’re not sure if this is going to be a regular part of The Daily Slash yet, but we’re going to try it out here, right now. Below, you’ll find the Slash’s first video. Why? Because there’s not much text to put here. These are the Nao mini-robots, and they can dance. That’s right, mini-robots that dance. See? Not a lot to write up. So, we wanted to bring you the footage, and hopefully you enjoy it as much as we did. [via Engadget]
Even though its name capitalizes on both the popularity of the Nintendo Wii and Apple’s ‘i’ trend, the Mi-Sport MP3 player doesn’t actually do anything as revolutionary as the products from those other companies. But, if you’re an athlete or an outdoors enthusiast, you may still want one to complement your iPod.
The Mi-Sport is basically a pair of headphones with a built-in 4GB media player supporting MP3s, WMAs and AAC files and a respectable 7 hour rechargeable battery. But the feature that sets the Mi-Sport apart is the fact that it’s waterproof. Not splashproof or water-resistant, but waterproof meaning it can be used and worn underwater when swimming, and it actually comes with a set of water-blocking sponge earplugs allowing you to better hear your music while submerged. The control buttons on the right side of the headphones can also be used underwater, and since it’s lacking a display, it also features voice navigation that will read you the names of tracks or playlists so you don’t necessarily have to keep it on shuffle all the time.
Now the Mi-Sport website is a bit vague as to when the product will be available, sometime in 2010 seems to be their target, but at this point there only appears to be rendered versions of the headphones. So hopefully photos of a prototype or physical mockups of the final version will be made available soon to dispense of any ‘vaporware’ rumblings.
If you have been using an iPod for a while you probably recall that old shuffle from Apple that was white and had the USB plug hidden by a removable cap that always seemed to get lost. Apple moved away from that style for the shuffle long ago.
iRiver is bringing the style back though with a new MP3 player called the T8 Candy Bar. The player is rounded and comes in white, black, and two pink shades and a few other colors for eight shades total. It sells for about $58 and has been unveiled in Taiwan to start with.
The player has 4GB of storage and measures in at 83.4 x 26.8 x 12.7mm and weighs 26g. The device supports MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, APE, and FLAC audio formats. It has a 1-inch OLED screen with a 128 x 64 resolution for track information and menus. Battery life is promised to be 17 hours and the thing apparently has a FM tuner and recording capability as well.
iRiver has been in the MP3 and PMP industry for a long time, and some of their most recent devices have been remarkably well manufactured. Especially in the shiny aesthetics department. And in today’s market, that’s almost half the battle. No one wants an ugly gadget to show off to their friends, after all. And there’s definitely no worry about anyone being unimpressed with the shiny good looks of the new S100. It’s a simple design, no doubt about that, but that’s not a bad thing at all.
And we can’t argue with the fact that, despite its entry-level positioning, the iRiver S100 brings quite a few features along for the ride. iRiver’s calling it a “soft silhouette design,” and we can see how that’s fitting. It’s obviously designed to fit well in your hand, as well as your pocket, especially with those rounded corners. Much in the same vein as Apple’s iPod Touch/iPhone, there’s a single hardware button below the 2.8-inch screen. It features a resolution of 320×480, and it doesn’t seem to be touch-enabled.
You’ll have the ability to access a whole suite of supported file types, such as MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, and FLAC. Video wise, you’re looking at H.264 support. There will be two models: 4GB and 8GB models, but you can expand those memory limits by using a microSD card. The S100 also features 42 hours of constant music playback, seven and a half hours of video, or 6 hours of pure DMB playback. We don’t have any information on availability or release date quite yet, but it should be available soon.
Grace Digital Audio makes all sorts of audio goodies, such as devices like the Solo WiFi Radio Tuner that I talked about earlier this month. The company has now unveiled another new product that is perfect for the outdoors type looking to listen to music from an MP3 player without headphones.
The device is called the Eco Extreme All-Terrain MP3 Speaker. The speaker is priced at $49.99 and is waterproof and rugged. The outside of the speaker is covered in a rubberized material to protect against drops and falls. The entire housing is waterproof to IPX7 standards.
The driver inside the device is a 3-inch unit and the entire enclosure is attached to a 2-inch carabiner letting you hook the speaker to a backpack or other device. The Eco Extreme is actually a case that opens and you place your device inside and inside is room for other items like credit cards and keys. The jack for the speaker is a 3.5mm unit and the Eco Extreme supports iPods and the iPhone.
Audiophile-PMPs are a pretty rare breed, especially if you don’t want to empty your entire bank account to acquire one, and so the Nationite S:Flo2 has plenty riding on it. Priced from $119.50 (albeit only netting you a mere 2GB of storage), the S:Flo2’s selling point isn’t its touchscreen, video capabilities or games, but its excellent audio quality. Joker of the MP4Nation forums has reviewed the S:Flo2, and it turns out you really don’t need to spend crazy money to get crazy-good sound.
Firmware and the UI in general are a little buggy, apparently, but that’s more than made up for by audio Joker describes as “transparent”. That means very dynamic, clean and clear, with a flat spectrum and – thanks to a rotary volume control – you don’t even need to turn the capacitive touchscreen on (which can apparently introduce a little buzz) to tweak the output.
It’s worth pointing out that the rig in the photo above is the S:Flo2 strapped to Joker’s DIY mini3 amp outputting to a set of Beyerdynamic DT770/250 headphones; the actual PMP is far more iPod touch like on its own. Not for the mass market – as you might expect, shoddy quality MP3s will quickly get shown up by this particular mediaplayer – but a reasonable choice if you’re looking for audio performance on a budget.
I think that most people who listen to music on their iPod, notebook, or netbook will agree that most devices lack seriously in the bass department. Notebooks and netbooks are often worse than the iPod and other MP3 players.
DigiZoid has a new device called the zo personal subwoofer that promises to redefine personal music listening. The gadget is about the size of an iPod nano and promises to give the sort of bass you would normally get from a 12-inch subwoofer. That is a bit hard to believe.
The gadget connects to your media player or other device using the headphone jack and a supplied mini-stereo cable. The user then plugs their headphones into the output on the zo for improved sound. The zo gets power from an internal rechargeable battery. If you are intrigued, you can get your own zo for $99 right now.
Cowon’s niche has generally been PMPs that offer significantly higher audio quality than rivals, but according to the latest rumors they could be throwing in some fashionable Android action with their next model. Journal Du Geek reckons that the Cowon D3 – the replacement to the venerable D2 – will eschew the company’s proprietary OS and replace it with Google’s open-source Android platform.
Now, beyond that there’s no more information, but we’re assuming that – like Archos have done with their Internet Tablets – Cowon will be reskinning Android in some way to better suit a PMP. The D2 has a mere 2.5-inch resistive touchscreen, so if Cowon are planning to use the same sort of form-factor they’ll need to do some work making Android finger-friendly for an interface that size.
Still, if they can get that right and the audio quality to the same standard as previous Cowon PMPs, there’s no reason the D3 shouldn’t be a success. We’re hoping it looks a little more like the luscious AMOLED-screen J3, frankly, which gives the iPod touch a run for its aesthetic money.
