It looks like Unit2 is a very slick piece of kit, packing in more functions than a Swiss army knife, and that video has just increased our lust. But we really want to know when we can get our mitts on it.
[Akihabaranews and iriver]

Rat Prankster: Remote Control RatA wireless remote control and a giant rat that responds to it will surely get you dumped, but hell, it's worth the laughs. Plus, she was way out of your league in the first place; she's bound to leave you at some point, it may as well be down to a $14.99 giant pest-joke. Verdict: At least the rat has a sense of humor. [Gagworks]

Rat Enemy: Rentokil Wireless Rat Trap SensorsWe heard about these Rentokil Pestconnect rat traps way back in 2005, but they are still the enemy! The rodent destroyers set traps all across your infested pad, once a successful catch is made an alert text message is sent to a designated mobile phone (email option also available). That can mean only one thing for our furry lil' buddy... Verdict: The rat perishes—oh noes! [Rentokil Pestconnect]

Rat Hybrid: Rat Heart Powered RobotsIt was only a few weeks ago when scientists in Korea managed to complete work on a crab-style microbot, which was smaller than the thickness of a fingernail. What was so special about this bot? It was powered by cardiac tissue from a rat. The researchers from Chonnam National University were able to articulate the robot's motion using contractions from the affixed cardiac muscle. The itsy-bitsy robot moved through a solution at a steady 100 micrometers per second, and it is hoped the project will give rise to faster, site-directed, clot-targeting microbots for the arteries of red-meat eaters. Verdict: The rat's got heart. [Discover]

Rat Royalty:iRiver MplayerThe Year of the Rat is also slightly less well known as the Year of the Mouse. As in Mickey. Since it's got a Disney partnership (at least in Asia), iRiver is commemorating this particular Chinese New Year with a gold-plated Mplayer. You'll only be able to grab one of these in China, so if a shiny Mickey MP3 player is all you have ever wanted, get importing or get a plane ticket. Verdict: The rat blings. [iRiver Mplayer]

Rat Rocks: Rat SpeakersThe USB Rat Speakers have a built-in amplifier, 6W total power output, volume control with blue LED indicator and retail for a rat-tastic $26.99. Sure, these speakers may sound mousy (ha!) but can you afford not to have their blue hue adding spirit to your cluttered desktop? Probably, but let's stay in the spirit of things, m'kay? Verdict: The rat's got soul. [Kleargear]

Traditionally, the rat is seen as a lucky character in Chinese culture, so we very much hope we have not come across as jackasses (any more than usual). We just wanted to find a Gizmodo way to say Gong Hei Fat Choy to y'all! And that's a rat, folks. (Sorry.)

Other than that we have nothing to go on, the information is from iriver's Korean website, so the news is a little mangled due to our interpretation skills being as efficient as a combustion engine, but we have faith in iriver, not only because their CES booth kicked ass, but because they generally kick ass. Stay tuned; this looks promising. [iRiver (Korean link), via Engadget]

They were really scant on details, but we did squeeze out a date of first quarter this year, so we should it within the next couple of months.

There's 1GB storage space, and you skip songs by twisting Mickey's left ear — exactly what I do to my "special friend" when I want him to change the TV channel. Price is 16,800 , or around $150. [Impress]

Windows-compatible, you get five hours' video playback and 18 hours' music from its Lithium-Ion battery. Vital statistics are 73.2 41 14.6 mm, and it weighs 46 grams. The 2GB version costs 13,800 ($120) and the 4GB 17,800 ($ 150) [Impress through Google Translate via New Launches]

The specifications are not going to get you into a frenzy, but given iRiver's first Siren branded model, it seems this branch of iRiver will be targeted to the lower end of the market only. Though this genre of tiny MP3 players tend to remind us of our manhood, we do like the simplicity of the designs, even in light of all the painful connotations attributed to their size. There is no release date or pricing info state side as yet, don't hold your breath, perhaps we could interest you in a Sansa Clip? [The MP3 Players]

The player will have a paltry 400mW speaker built in, (given the size we will let them off), and an FM transmitter to allow you tunes to travel through slightly better speakers. Voice, line-in and FM radio recording are all also possible. The players will debut in black and white colours, retailing at $85 (1GB), or $120 (2GB). Expect the usual plethora of iRiver file support from this player. The inclusion of the recording and broadcasting features may make this worth the extra cash, but if you are in the field for a do it all player at a dirt-cheap price, the Sansa Clip is for you. [anythingbutipod].

Update: Apparently, iriver Japan has been using the Siren brand in an unauthorized way. Here's the official statement from Siren.

"In May 2007 iriver Japan, a subsidiary of MCJ Co., Ltd, began selling the Siren line of consumer electronics in Japan. iriver Japan acquired rights to the Siren line from from Amax Japan without the approval of Siren, Inc., the rightful owner of the brand.

Siren, Inc had licensed Amax Japan to use the Siren brand in Japan but did not authorize the sale of the Siren brand to iriver Japan. Siren, Inc was not told of the transfer of the Siren brand and discovered the sale when a number of electronics blogs reported it. Immediately Siren contacted Amax Japan and iriver Japan. Siren, Inc. is the holder of registrations and applications for registration of the Siren brand in Japan, China and the European Union, based on the ownership of the Siren brand in the US.

As a result, iriver Japan is unlawfully using the Siren brand in Japan. Siren, Inc. is willing to sign a License Agreement with iriver Japan for exclusive rights in Japan. Siren has in good faith tried to reach a licensing agreement with iriver Japan since the summer of 2007. iriver Japan has refused to sign two licensing agreements presented to them over the course of 2007 and continues to deny any infringement.

Siren has presented iriver Japan one more opportunity to negotiate a License Agreement. If iriver Japan does not respond in the time frame presented to them, Siren will use Japanese counsel to bring claims for infringement and fraud, and will no longer offer the License Agreement. We at Siren, Inc would like to see a fair and equitable settlement in this manner so iriver Japan can continue to market Siren branded products in Japan."

So why do we care? This new edition of the clix has been tweaked—and while the hardware remains unchanged—the software has been modified with "Rhapsody DNA," allowing the user ways to discover new music on the road. And we dug it.

We've always been suspicious of memberships like Rhapsody. After all, there are a limited number of tracks with odd holes in the artist lineup, and you lose all your precious music whenever you leave. But despite these subscription stereotypes, which turned out to be completely true, we still think the service is worth considering.

The Library
The fundamental basis of Rhapsody is in the Library. When browsing either through their bundled software or logged in through their website, it only takes one click of a button (that looks a lot like play) to add a track or entire album to your Library. Building your Library is like an Amazon shopping spree, as each artist's page holds recommended artists that lead you to more recommended artists. And with one click, each album is yours.
Then, using the bundled software, it's just a matter of dragging and dropping to your clix to load the music. Your computer then downloads the tracks straight to the clix, which takes about a minute and a half per album. (You can also play the music either online or through the software, which requires only a few seconds to buffer and load.)

But while building a Library from recommendations works well, we aren't seeing the real potential of clix Rhapsody implementation yet—better known as Channels.

Channels
The Channels are where Rhapsody and clix come together...sorry for this...harmoniously. While Rhapsody has long offered Channels—which are essentially 26-track radio stations that allow you to explore music that's in a similar vein to your favorite artists—the clix allows you to easily rate and tag the new music you like. We'll explain...
Scenario: You are on the subway, listening to a Channel named "Bands Like Death Cab for Cutie." After skipping through the tracks like a playlist, you find a song by the Pixies you like. You hold the right direction on the clix to access a special menu and select "Add to Playlist." Then, when you reconnect the clix to your PC, the song is quickly added to your Library.

And if you want to access all the Pixies' albums, they're just a right click away. But even better, you can build your own Channels based upon your favorite artists, which will customize music precisely to your taste. Greatest invention ever, right? It sure feels like it, and the experience of "Rhapsody DNA" on the clix feels so close to perfect.

Issues
The problems we had weren't due to either the clix or the Rhapsody service—both of those elements are pretty remarkable on their own.
We had issues with the required RealNetworks' Rhapsody software. First, there are just way too many buttons, tabs and windows. Simple tasks become tedious as you realize that Channels aren't listed in your Library, but under their own tab within the Library. And updating Channels seems to require going through the clix's icon, not your user/PC library. Confusing? Exactly.

The software would run but barely functioned on a p4 1.8ghz machine. Files often wouldn't upload, etc. It worked better on our newer system, but it was riddled with frequent microdelays, many of which are due to track caching, many of which are due to (we're guessing) bad programming.

The clix is a powerful video player, and Rhapsody has a multitude of music videos for streaming. Why can't you load these videos onto the clix? If it is possible, we were unable to find a way.

The Rhapsody software will detect your iTunes library and import it, even offering to find subscription versions of your tracks/albums to fill out your collection. The process takes hours, literally. But luckily you only do it once.

You can record both voice and radio on the clix Rhapsody, fluidly and clearly. But within Rhapsody's software, there is no option to download these MP3s to your collection. Luckily, you can download this content directly from the device.

And no Mac support will deter a small market of users.

Conclusions
Despite these setbacks, we'd highly recommend the $189.99 clix Rhapsody player. A $12.99 monthly fee is the price of an album, and we guarantee you'll be downloading hundreds of dollars of music within the first day with recommendations that are far more than a gimmick. The clix is a great piece of hardware by itself. Its OLED display is bright and colorful, its menus are intuitive and its Rhapsody integration within UI is extremely fluid. (Why the volume buttons are mapped backwards, we'll never know.)

We're just hoping that the middle management software gets an update soon.

How many more days of this? Will we fall prey to each and every one of these tawdry teases? We feel so, so dirty. Now that we have all that genuflecting over with, salivate along with us as you rifle through the gallery below. – Charlie White

iRiver W10 Tease

In addition to that there's a 78-key QWERTY base unit controller that also controls the portable unit (which docks into the base unit, presumably). All this cockteasing is really annoying, iRiver. Let's have it already. – Jason Chen

iRiver

They do. All of the previous speculation stands for the moment: The ears act as knobs, controlling volume and track selection, the player will be available in a variety of colors, and it might not come to the States.

Disney commissioned iRiver to make the player for their Hong Kong amusement park and for retail in South Korea, though if sales go well enough iRiver hinted that Mickey might sneak into other regions. But given the size and relatively unimpressive specs compared to other players on the market, there's a good chance this thing will remain a Hong Kong Disney keepsake. – Kevin Hall

Product page [iRiver Korea via Digital World Tokyo]

Hopefully, it will be available everywhere soon. – Jesus Diaz

Product page [iRiver via Akihabara News]

The best thing is that they come free included with the monthly $17 satellite subscription service, making Sirus and XM's radio-only stuff look exactly like what I think they are: crap. – Jesus Diaz

iRiver U:MO [Impress AV Watch]

The iRiver D5, on the other hand, is a Nintendo DS-Lite-like flip device that works as an electronic dictionary as well as a music player. Somehow we don't see electronic dictionaries taking off as music players over here in the US like they did in Korea, so we'll have to chalk both these up to Korean envy. – Jason Chen

iRiverfans [via Dapreview]

The ears, mind you, are not just for show. Flick one to or fro to adjust volume; do the same on the other to change tracks.

Given the size of the jack at the top of Mickey's head—and the picture above—it looks like the player may be pretty small. What we don't know is whether or not the product will turn up in the US. If it does, it's not necessarily a home run: that chunky body could be uncomfortable in your pocket, and what happens if the ears are constantly wiggling? Could be annoying as hell. – Kevin Hall

iRiver+Disney=Mplayer [iriverfans via technabob]

If you haven't already, check out my unboxing and video walk-through of the second generation iRiver Clix. –Travis Hudson

iRiver presents the Clix Cradle [Akihabara]

iRiver Clix Unboxed, Groped [Gizmodo]
2nd Generation iRiver Clix Now Available [Gizmodo]

Good
• Size: It is very small and very nice to hold. If you checked the pictures you may have noticed it was thicker than the iPod nano, but that is no biggie. It still slipped into my pocket fine.
• Fun: The way the "clix" work is a unique and somewhat fun way to operate the device.
• Features: It can do pictures, video, text and even flash games. That is pretty damn good considering that it carries a pricetag identical to its Apple counterpart.
• Price: see Features.

Bad
• Aesthetics: I may have said the size was nice earlier, but the way the "clix" buttons work make it a bit hard to use one-handed. The ways the buttons are used would possibly bring up some concerns of wear-and-tear.
• Support: The box says Windows-only, which is a bummer. Initially I was able to drag-and-drop files onto the device, though. So perhaps a Mac will work, at least a little bit.
• Finish: the black glossy finish is just asking for fingerprints and the way the device operates would make using a case tough (maybe). –Travis Hudson

Product Page [iRiver]

Product Page [iRiver]

This is the latest DAP from Iriver. The T50 is 2.8 inches long, weighs 1.1 ounces, and can store up to 1GB of MP3, OGG, or WMA files. I don't know why it is triangular, but it is. Maybe DAPs taste better if they're triangular, or perhaps they blend better. This is such a hideous product that I am wondering whether it is an early April Fug—sorry, I mean April Fool. I know it's not the first triangular DAP, but Iriver, what were you thinking?

It reminds me of an mid-80s clock radio made by Alba or Saisho. Two AA batteries will give you 52 hours of playtime and it will cost you $80 from Japan. To be honest, it looks like the sort of toy that Gareth from the British version of The Office would have on his desk. There are a couple more pics after the bump.

– Ad Dugdale

The New Iriver DAP In Japan [Akihabara News]

Improving on the Clix U10, the U20 goes up to 8GB of storage, has the D*Click navigation system, a 2.2-inch display, and 30fps video. It's only available in Korea now, but will make its way to the US in March (the 4GB version) and April (8GB). – Jason Chen

clix2 Review [Clixhere via i4u]

Consumer Reports' Top Flash MP3 Players [Yahoo!]

What's supposedly special about this is its wireless connectivity (like the Zune), online radio station integration (presumably streamed over Wi-Fi), socialization (again, Zune, or perhaps Pandora-like services), and music recommendation.

What's also interesting is that they say "traditional" USB connections will "play a minor role in getting content to your device." We wonder which one of those three gets stuck being heart. – Jason Chen

Music Vets Prep Next-Gen Player [Wired]

Three companies so far—Samsung, Cowon, and iRiver—have noted that a few of their players are incompatible with Vista. Each company will release new firmware to customers to update the players. If you have any of these players, it's best to run a dual boot Vista system first while your MP3 kinks are getting worked out. – Jason Chen

MP3 players not working well with Microsoft's new operating system [YonhapNews via Mobile Mag]

24. In an old episode, we see an iRiver H10 being used to detonate a bomb. Even 007 settled for a Sony Ericsson in place of an iPod in last year's Casino Royale. As much as I like my iPod, I find it refreshing that Hollywood is welcoming other players into the foray—players that deserve the attention (ok, so the H10 is old, but still, it was a good player back in the day). Now how long before we see a Zune in a music video and which video will that be? – Louis Ramirez

MP3 Players on the Big Screen [Gizmologia]
Are Stars Forgetting the iPod? [Generation MP3]
iRiver's H10 is Da Bomb [DAP Review]
007 Die Another Day [Gizmodo]