I don't know if they are going to sell a lot of these 0.2-inch thin, 0.7-ounce 2GB MP3 players—which come with a built-in speaker and headphones—but after watching the video, my faith in Humanity has dropped from negative to imaginary numbers. [Strapya via Crunchgear]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but yeah, we're talking about the iPod touch model: It's about platforms. That run apps. That people can develop awesome little programs for. In other words, a good PMP won't just have great codec support and be able to push HD video, it'll get you on Twitter or Facebook or tell you what's good to eat nearby.

Not convinced? Check out the new Archos 5, which dumps the old OS for Android. Or the Creative Zii, also allegedly launching with Android. If you're in the second tier, grabbing a popular app-friendly platform is not a bad way to compete.

Apple itself noted that old-school iPods were on a death march—so the company added a video camera to the nano, to keep it alive for a generation or two more. True, Sony's X-Series appears to be keeping on keeping on, but it feels like an anacrhonism, albeit with a nice screen—no extendability, and a horrible internet browser.

The argument really comes down to the Zune HD, launching this week. It finds itself in an awkward position, essentially because of the effective limbo Microsoft's mobile OS is in—in other words you can't easily develop apps for both Zune HD and Windows Mobile, which Zune's Brian Seitz basically admitted to the Seattle Times: "What we didn't want to do was build two parallel app store experiences that didn't work together."

So there's no open app store, but in the meantime, Microsoft's providing the apps with a handful of chosen developers, so we're stuck with games, and soon a Twitter and Facebook app. But what is clear is that Zune is a platform that people can develop for. And it seems inevitable that'll be common with the next version of Windows Mobile, or the mysterious project Pink, if that is something else—at least, if Microsoft's actually serious about the Zune having a future.

In other words, it's startlingly clear now that the traditional PMP is history, replaced by PMPs powered by mobile platforms. They're smartphones without the "phone," and even lacking that major element, they're surprisingly valuable, more pocket computer—with internet and apps—than glorified video player.

Since we don't know anything about this keychain-esque DAP, we're left to guess based on the interesting ad, with its repetition of the "circle + square" tag. Is it a lost-in-translation attempt at our "square peg in a round hole" idiom? A nod to the design of the gadget itself, which is, in fact, a circle combined with a square? A hint at the future aesthetic of Cowon's players (which have certainly been more attractive lately; compare the blocky utilitarian square of the D2 with the sleek curves of the S9)?

I personally hope it doubles as a USB drive—I really miss the design of the first iPod Shuffle and the Sansa Express, low-profile DAPs with built-in USB. That was so convenient! But we'll have to wait for a real announcement from Cowon to figure out what's going on here. [DAPReview]

The 16-gigabyte NWZ-X1050B will cost £214 (~$300) and 32-gigabyte NWZ-X1060B will cost £283 (~$400). Looking forward to the X1000 making a stateside appearance sometime soon. [Amazon UK via OLED-Display via Engadget]

Asked if Microsoft would counter with a “Zune Phone”, Mr Ballmer said: “You should not anticipate that.” He added that the company would stick to its strategy of developing software to support a range of mobile devices. That suggests that, if there is a future for Zune, it lies in planting the software and online service linked to the player in other devices.

Ballmer believes that software is what Microsoft does best, so they need to put that software in as many third-party devices as possible, rather than focusing on their own dedicated music device, a market that he believes is declining. [Financial Times via Alley Insider]

The P3's form factor is relatively unchanged from the P2: it's now made of aluminum (with an unseemly black bezel around the screen, unfortunately) and the dedicated volume buttons are moved to the top. The major exterior hardware upgrades are the addition of a small speaker and haptic feedback on the (capacitive) touchscreen, so it'll vibrate when you tap it. The GUI, however, is a real step up for Samsung.

The P3's home screen is almost a desktop environment, with movable, interactive widgets and icons and multiple screens a la the iPhone and T-Mobile G1. Icons can be dragged from a disappearing bar onto the desktop and back. I'm really liking the little lightbulb that changes the amount of backlighting when tapped. The P3 shares the P2's excellent 480x272 screen and hopefully its stellar sound quality as well. Below is a video comparing the P3 to its predecessor.

Samsung's PMPs have been pretty solid lately, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one. But the touchscreen still doesn't look as responsive as the iPod touch, and that desktop interface looks like it could get awfully cluttered. Still, it's been an unexciting year for PMPs, so here's hoping the P3 lives up to its potential. [PMP Today]

When combined, in that adorable spooning position, you can plug 'em into the computer to load your songs, but when separated, they can only play back the tunes you and your partner have chosen together. Just the one playlist. Forever. At least it's easier to throw away than a matching tattoo. It's definitely just a concept for now, with no mention of basics like how you control the thing, let alone price or release date. [Yanko Design]

Sadly, the key for this feat is a new format called MXP4, which may limit its adoption in the music industry. MXP4 has several mixes of the same song built in, recorded by the artist. When the player detects a mood variation, the music changes accordingly to fit it. According to the company, this makes the song some kind of living creature, with endless variations to match your mind.

I would have been happy with the same technology applied to current players, mixing existing songs automatically as the mood changes—although often I use music to change mood, rather than match it. What about you? Do you think this automatic DJ playing is useful? [Musinaut]

[iRiver via Akihabara]

FedEx says they are delivering it this monday. Oh. Yes. [Think Geek]

According to leaked specs, the nine-point pad will offer users the option of instant messaging on Windows Live or Yahoo Messenger in a phone-style typing schema. The device will also use wireless to share media between home networked computers and access an internet-based media pool, called a Public Home Server.

The player is named after Creative's X-Fi audio technology, which restores lost data in compressed music files to create concert-like audio effects. Users can turn to two X-Fi options—Crystalizer makes audio richer and clearer, and Expand repositions the music to sound like it's coming from in front of you, simulating listening to a live performance on stage. Check out the manual:

[epiZENter]

The 2.4-inch (320 x 240) LCD display may be on the small side for serious video viewing, but the PMPs are sliver thin at 9.3mm wide and weighing in it at only 59g, the screen size is easily excusable. Add to the mix a 36-hour battery life for tunes, or a 10-hour life span for video viewing, and it seems like the new Network Walkmans have quite a bit to shout about. No word on pricing or shipping dates as yet, but we can't wait to give them a go. [Akihabara]

Melbourne Aquarium officials say the Betta fish sold with the iPond need a 10 liter tank to swim and get a proper amount of oxygen, but the iPond's tank is only 650 milliliters. Acoustics experts also say sound from the speaker, which is built into the bottom of the iPond, could transfer into the fish tank, bringing up another potential hazard.

But even if Aussies are ambivalent to bleeding heart animal rights activists, they should still avoid the iPond because it looks like a cheap piece of garbage selling for an inflated 70 Australian Dollars (60 USD). [Sydney Morning Herald]

It'll be out in Japan soon, and I would sort of fancy it as a Christmas present for my kid nieces and nephews, were the little buggers not such tech-literate tweensumers. [Akihabara News]