TechRadar: All Portable media Feeds

MySpace considering iPod rival

Patrick Goss — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:50:00 +0000

MySpace could be ready to take on the iPod, according to co-founder and chief executive Chris DeWolfe.

Speaking at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco, DeWolfe confirmed that the Rupert Murdoch-owned social network are considering releasing a media player device.

"It's possible," said DeWolfe after being asked about such a device by conference host John Battelle. "Right now we're just focusing on a service."

MySpace Music

That service is growing thanks to a major music venture with music labels called MySpace Music which launched in September, and allows revenues to be generated from one of the hotbeds of internet music.

"We wanted to come up with a program that meets the needs of music companies and artists, by definition, and users," DeWolfe added.

"If anything, we'll be accretive to iPod sales" as people use MySpace Music to download more music and videos for their iPods.

"Unless we develop a device."

A MySpace device would have no guarantee of success, especially in a market that is entirely dominated by Apple's iPod.

However, the social network is already seen as one of the most exciting place for up and coming bands and those hoping to wrest a record deal from the major labels, which will certainly help matters.

Korean mintpad PMP promises the Earth

J Mark Lytle — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:27:00 +0000

Tiny do-it-all multimedia devices have long been ten-a-penny, so we generally pay them little attention, but the pedigree of the latest Korean pocket wonder could make it worth a look.

The 198,000 won (£98) mintpad is the first product from a group of ex iRiver employees who left to form a company called mintpass and it offers a lot more than most.

No kitchen sink?

At 90g, the mintpad weighs a little more than two iPod nanos and also delivers video and music playback. Where it diverges, however, is in its support for recording audio, external memory and plenty more.

As well as the internal microphone and SD card slot, the 4GB device also has a 2.8-inch touchscreen that can be operated with a stylus, Wi-Fi and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

The Windows CE 5.0 mintpad is rated at 30 hours for music playback and five hours for video, which is all splendid, however we still have no idea when it will reach us in the West. We'll keep you posted.

Exclusive: Aiptek's new sub-£300 Pico projector

Adam Hartley — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:58:00 +0000

Aiptek introduces the latest in pocket-sized Pico projectors with the official release of its Pocket Cinema V10, a miniature and compact projector with a built-in media player that retails for a penny under £300.

You can use Aiptek's latest mini gizmo as a standalone media player or hook it up to your iPod, DV, DSC, games console or mobile phone via the AV-out.

File types supported include Mpeg4, Jpeg and MP3 music files.

Gamers, campers, flyers

Aiptek tells us that the "50-inch projected screen will enhance bedroom gamers' experience and also provides an impressive outdoor cinema for camping trips or festivals."

The release adds that "due to its small footprint and scalable screen size the Pocket Cinema is also ideal for use on aircraft, in the car or in a hotel room."

We don't, however, suggest that you start projecting your own movies on your next long haul flight, no matter how poor the in-flight entertainment is...

Beam me up, Aiptek

At just 125x55x23mm the Pocket Cinema V10 genuinely will fit in your pocket.

Aiptek's Pocket Cinema ships with 1GB of internal memory (with up to 8GB of storage available with an optional extra 8GB HDSC card) and will beam movies and photo's up to 50 inches within a distance of 21cm to 180cm.

TechRadar will be testing one out next week to check the quality of the projection on the go, so stay tuned for more info on this intriguing little gadget in the coming weeks.

Cardboard iPod boombox announced

Marc Chacksfield — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:47:00 +0000

If you think that the idea of a cardboard boombox for the iPod is a bad one, just one look at the system's picture should change your mind.

Sculpted to resemble an '80s music machine, the Cardboard iPod Speaker Dock is a fantastically cool looking piece of kit that should resemble something knocked up by a Blue Peter presenter, but is actually a viable speaker source for your iPod.

Completely compatible

Compatible with all iPods – and looking at the iPod in the picture they definitely mean both old and new – this retro-looking device comes flat-packed, so storage when not using it won't be a problem, and is available online from Nigel's Eco Store.

Unfortunately, due to massive demand for the product, the Cardboard iPod Speaker Dock won't be available till mid-November. To alleviate frustration, however, you will be able to purchase it for the cheap-as-chips price of £19.99.

Well, a touch under 20 quid is expensive for a piece of cardboard. But this is one with speakers and looks like a Back To The Future prop!

All the Warner Bros movies on your phone

Gareth Beavis — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:57:00 +0000

Forget Blu-ray ladies and gentleman, a partnership between Warner Bros and DivX means you'll be able to watch HD movies on all portable certified devices.

The agreement means you'll be able to watch all the current and back catalogue Warner Bros titles on hundreds of devices.

Multiplied

DivX-certified devices have multiplied in the last few months, likely in anticipation of such a deal, so you'll be able to buy movies digitally and watch them on LG and Samsung phones, iRiver PMPs, PlayStation 3s and many Blu-ray and DVD players.

The movies will be available from online retailers later this month in standard definition format, but if you're only into HD then you'll have to wait nearly a year as the two companies won't be releasing any HD DivX films until September 2009.

Still, if something is not worth waiting for, it's not worth having. Actually, screw that. Make them now!

10% of European iPod users risk hearing loss

Marc Chacksfield — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:27:00 +0000

The snappily titled EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) has issued some worrying news about the health risks involved with listening to iPods and other portable devices for prolonged periods of time.

The committee has warned that those who listen to personal music players for just five hours a week at a high volume – over 89 decibels – are risking permanent hearing loss after just five years.

The committee have done some calculations and believe the number of people this could affect could be between 2.5 million and 10 million (between five and 10 per cent in the EU).

Protective measures

The problem is so bad that measures are being put in place to protect younger children and teenagers from the effects of hearing loss.

EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, said, "The scientific findings indicate a clear risk and we need to react rapidly. Most importantly we need to raise consumer awareness and put this information in the public domain.

"We need also to look again at the controls in place, in the light of this scientific advice, to make sure they are fully effective and keep pace with new technology."

BBC iPlayer now on portable devices

Adam Hartley — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:43:00 +0000

The BBC has announced that iPlayer is now compatible with an impressively wide range of portable devices – pretty much any portable media player (PMP) that supports Windows Media-protected content.

"This is the first time that you can play BBC iPlayer TV programmes on a range of portable media devices," claims Anthony Rose on the BBC Internet Blog.

Aunty Beeb has tested the BBC iPlayer on Sony Walkman E and S series, Archos 605 WIFI and Internet Media Tablet, Philips GoGear 52xx series, Samsung YP-P2 and YP-Q1 and Nokia N96, with the full, increasingly impressive list of compatible devices on which iPlayer is available listed online.

Sideload and go!

Of course, you will need to download (or 'sideload') rather than stream your shows live if you have a device without Wi-Fi and if you are planning to buy a new PMP to view iPlayer, then be sure to double check whether the device supports Windows DRM.

"If the device packaging mentions 'PlaysForSure', that's a good sign," suggests Anthony Rose (though he seems to have missed the meeting where that logo is now being replaced with the Certified For Windows Vista logo...)

"For our Mac and Linux users, don't despair: we have another release coming up very soon, aimed at improving your BBC iPlayer options - stay tuned for updates..." Rose adds.

Nikon unveils surprise headset PMP

Marc Chacksfield — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:04:00 +0000

At first look Nikon's UP300 headset is just that, a pair of stylish cans. But look closer. These aren't just any headphones, these are multimedia playback headphones that also support connection to the web.

That's right, Nikon has announced to the world that it has gone down the PMP route, but with a twist. The company has managed to put all the gubbins associated with portable media players into a single, compact unit that you wear on your bonce.

The headset sports a display – via an attached small viewing screen – equivalent to that of viewing of a 50-inch large screen from a distance of three metres.

Capacious cans

Also included is Wi-Fi capability, and high-capacity memory - up to 8GB.

At the moment, this innovative piece of technology will only be available in Japan (it was announced at Ceatec), so if you fancy a pair and don't mind looking like an extra out of Universal Soldier, you will have to go down the import route.

Sega reveals new gaming handset

Gareth Beavis — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Sega has decided that enough is enough and has delved back into the hardware market. Though those expecting the next MegaDrive will be disappointed, as it's nothing more than a bog-standard PMP, the Sega Vision.

Most of you will remember the days when Sega was the great lord of gaming, with the DreamCast set to herald in a new era of gaming fun.

But the new Vision seems to be a Chinese electronics manufacturer taking the Sega name and popping it on a device that can play MP4, some form of games, and TV via the built-in tuner.

E-book

In fairness, it can also take photos and video, record your voice and let you read e-books, but not a lot of people do that on dedicated e-book readers yet, so it's unlikely they'll bother on a PMP.

The Register Hardware is reporting Sega as saying the device will be coming to the UK early next year, so start getting excited now. The same site also shows a pic of the device in a London gaming centre... so start scouring the arcades now if you can't wait until 2009.

Amazon preparing Kindle 2 after all?

J Mark Lytle — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:15:00 +0000

We're not big into hardware rumours accompanied by blurry photos here, but we will make an exception to bring you news that Amazon appears to be readying a new version of the Kindle e-book reader.

In spite of repeated denials that Kindle 2 will arrive any time soon, Amazon appears to have created a successor to the wireless e-book. Either that or we're really looking at an old pre-Kindle 1 prototype.

New keyboard

Either way, the mystery device looks very similar to the existing model with a few minor tweaks. The keyboard has been redesigned and some of the other buttons moved around, presumably to avoid accidental presses.

The screen and case look familiar, although the edges of the unit are now rounded instead of angular. In place of the scroll wheel on the current Kindle, the 'new' version has a mini joystick, and the device now charges via USB, not through an AC adapter.

Lastly, the SD card has gone for some reason, which leads us back to our original thought – is this really a new Kindle or just a dusty old pre-production dummy?