HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AND HIGH END
SPINN MP4 PLAYER RELEASED BY IRIVER

Leading Brand of Stylish Digital Devices Debuts
Metallic Touch-Screen MP4 Player with Groundbreaking Spindle Interface

Irvine, CA. – iriver, the international digital device leader known around the world for its innovative designs, launches the SPINN MP4 Player, the distinctive metallic MP4 player with a brilliant 3.3” AMOLED touch screen and unique spindle interface. Having generated buzz since its preview at CES 2008 with its striking design and impressive roster of capabilities, including video, music, FM radio, picture viewer, voice recording, wireless headset support over Bluetooth 2.0 and more, the SPINN MP4 Player is now available in the U.S. at $249.99 (4GB) and $289.99 (8GB) MSRP.

Sean Oh, Head of U.S. Operations for iriver, said, “We wanted to create a one-of-a-kind, high-end digital device that is truly unique. The SPINN maintains iriver’s signature simplistic design with a metallic silver, expensive look, but incorporates the new SPINN System Technology. The user has multiple options in navigating the device and can control the player using either the unique spindle interface, or the large 3.3” touch screen.”

The SPINN System Technology gives the user the ability to control the device through a spindle on the side of the player. With a simple movement of the thumb, the user can navigate through icons by rotating the spindle and pushing down on it to select options. The player can also be controlled with the touch of a fingertip using the large 3.3” AMOLED touch screen that exudes brilliant color and provides a clear, crisp picture.

The extensive features of the SPINN MP4 Player include:

· 3.3” QVGA AMOLED Touch Screen with Haptic Interface (reactive vibration)
· Spindle Wheel for Unique Operating Interface (use either spindle wheel or touch screen)
· Silver Magnesium Front Case for a lighter and stronger body as well as a gorgeous aesthetic
· Bluetooth 2.0 Wireless Headset Support
· Music (MP3, WMA, ASF, OGG, FLAC (lossless), APE)
· Video (MPEG4, WMV9, XVID)
· FM Radio and FM Recording
· Voice Recording
· Photo Viewer, Text Viewer, Flash Games

The iriver SPINN is available at iriverinc.com, Amazon.com, J&R and B&H Photo.

Tech Journalists and Reviewers Use Macs: Sure, Microsoft may not think it's profitable to develop software for a platform where users are unlikely to purchase their products, but what about drawing interest from the media? If you look around any tech media event, you're going to see more people using Macs than PCs. And sure, most, if not all, of us have both platforms running. But for those of us who use OS X as our primary OS, how many are using Zune past the initial review stage? It's more of a hassle to go back and forth between machines just to use devices, especially when it comes to the storage of media files. I think the media would be more interested in the nuances of Zune if it fit in with their daily lives.

Zune 2.0 Is a Quality Product: Pound for Pound, I'd say the Zune80 is a better product than the iPod Classic. It has a better UI, more features (hardware and software), a better platform and control mechanism for gaming, and a decent enough design. While many companies in the past have put out good MP3 players, none have hands-down outclassed the iPod. The Zune80 might be the first to challenge the supremacy of the iPod. Why not have faith that Mac users will see that?

Devices And Platforms Should Never Be Exclusive: The iPod never really took off until it began supporting Windows with it's 2G iteration. Of course, Apple had more to gain from opening up to a much, much larger Windows user base, but it never hurts to make a product more widely available to the public.

How Costly Can Mac Support Be?: Even if the number of potential Mac users who would buy Zune products is minuscule, how expensive can it be to code an app? There have been far smaller companies who have supported both platforms, and Microsoft has other Mac apps, so what gives?

All The Cool Kids Are Doing It: The iPod didn't become the de facto standard for MP3 players because of its technical prowess alone. The great white earbud craze of 2004 probably started because a handful of popular kids liked the design of the iPod a year or two earlier, which in turn made them technological tastemakers. All the kids who want to be popular generally follow along. I think it goes without saying that it's currently considered "cool" to own a Mac. Microsoft is never going to get Zunes in the hands of this group if they can't get their music on it.

It's entirely possible adding Mac support won't have a huge impact, but with open source technology and DRM-free media growing more popular by the day, giving people the freedom of platform is always good for the image.

Aside from 4g internet, the N810 WiMAX Edition now allows firmware updates over the air without complete memory reformatting (3rd party apps can also utilize this wireless update protocol). The updated tablet also includes a few cosmetic changes to the OS interface and a new, Web 2.0-compatible Mozilla browser. Nokia claims the N810 seamlessly switches from WiMAX to Wi-Fi when available and features a new, Web 2.0-compatible Mozilla browser.

The n810 still has the same 4-inch touchscreen, same cameras, same GPS, and same 2 GB of storage (expandable to 10 with an 8 GB MicroSD card). It also still uses Nokia's MAEMO Linux interface, which is fully open source and supported by an online community specifically focused around the device. Because of the N810's open source emphasis, VoIP apps will function over WiMAX (something the iPhone SDK won't allow with its mobile internet). No price point has been set yet, but expect the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition in stores before the end of June.

Mobility and broadband speeds unite as Nokia evolves the Internet experience Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition unleashes an open Internet experience, demonstrating the mobile future of web services LAS VEGAS - Ushering in the next generation of wireless broadband devices, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) today unveiled its newest Nseries device, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet - WiMAX Edition, Nokia's first device engineered to take advantage of new wide-area high-speed mobile WiMAX networks. This pocket-sized device lets consumers enjoy an open Internet experience, allowing for access to the full Internet without barriers, while on the go. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is the latest iteration of Nokia's popular line of Internet Tablet products. For the first time, the power and convenience of the Internet Tablet platform is combined with next generation wide-area wireless broadband capability, allowing users to easily and quickly access all of their favorite Internet services beyond the limitations of local area hot spots. The Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is expected to be available in the United States during the summer of 2008 in areas where WiMAX connectivity is available.

WiMAX is a standards-based wireless broadband technology that delivers an open Internet experience similar to that of fixed broadband technologies with typical data download speeds of up to 2-4 Mbps per user with peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps. Unlike current single point local area technologies like Wi-Fi which have a range of a few hundred feet, WiMAX networks consist of a number of interconnected base stations, each with a radius of up to 2-3 miles, that allow for handoffs from one base station to another as users move about a region or metro area. Additionally, WiMAX networks integrate technology designed to maximize the quality of service for each subscriber.

"By delivering the kind of open Internet experience that consumers previously only expected on a desktop PC, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is a compelling example of how next generation broadband wireless technology will not only change the way people think about the Internet, it will change the very nature of the Internet itself," said Ari Virtanen, Vice President of Convergence Products for Nokia. "Much in the way that the evolution of the fixed Internet from dial-up to broadband enabled a host of new Internet services and changed people's expectations of what an Internet experience should be, the transition to a broadband Internet experience set free from the constraints of a fixed network will spark the next wave of new mobile Internet services, and will forever change the perception of what the Internet can be."

Along with a full featured web browser, powered by Mozilla, that takes full advantage of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition's large 4.13 inch touch screen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a variety of popular web-based services are also supported. Many of these applications can be found on Nokia's dedicated OS 2008 User Site. To keep connected while on-the-go, a number of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Instant Messaging (IM) clients are available, including Skype, Gizmo, and GoogleTalk, which can also take advantage of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition's built-in web cam for video calls. A client for the popular Rhapsody online music service is also available, transforming the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition into a portable jukebox with millions of songs available to enjoy at a few taps of the screen. Beyond these well-known services, an active developer community has also emerged around the Linux-based Internet Tablet platform, creating additional applications - from games to productivity tools.

A number of additional features further enhance the utility of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition. With built-in GPS, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition can easily transform itself into a fully featured personal navigation device, complete with real-time on-screen maps. An integrated media player and 2 GB of internal memory, expandable to a full 10 GB of memory with the addition of an optional microSD memory card, allows the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition to store and play back a large library of music and video content. When not in range of a WiMAX network, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition can also access the Internet over Wi-Fi or via conventional cellular data networks by pairing to a compatible mobile phone via Bluetooth technology.

Also being introduced with the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition is the newest Internet Tablet operating system. This new upgraded OS2008 introduces useful new features to the platform, including an enhanced e-mail client, support for Chinese character rendering in the browser and RSS feeds and Seamless Software Update functionality to eliminate manual software updates, making periodic updates of the operating system quick and easy. While standard on the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition, current owners of Nokia N810 and N800 Internet Tablets with earlier operating systems will be able to upgrade their device to the revised operating system for free during the second quarter of 2008.

That's a long list of laundry, but it isn't a phone and can't even tether to handsets via Bluetooth, so you're restricted by wi-fi accessibility. The $299 device carries a similar shape to the PSP, with a sliding keyboard underneath and the camera on the backside. This is a pretty good piece of hardware that more or less works as it should, but I thought a few of its key features weren't up to par.

I'm a pretty big fan of the Mylo 2 build quality. It sits nicely in the hand – not too big or heavy. The keys on the key board are well defined and logically placed, though I could do with a dedicated row of number keys. There are a series of permanent hotspots on the touchscreen that bring up various shortcuts/context menus without eating up too much of the screen. It has a 4-way directional nub with a center click feature to speed up the navigation process when the touchscreen won't do. There were a few buttons, such as the camera button and the wi-fi on/off switch, that made the design a little busy and could have been taken care of by the touchscreen or nub.

My biggest hardware complaint about the Mylo 2 is that its touchscreen is pretty unsophisticated. It's not enough anymore to slap a touchscreen on a gadget and expect people to be impressed. In the web browser and instant messaging, zooming and scrolling took a ridiculously long time. I finally got used to finding the onscreen navigation buttons but it doesn't mean I liked it.

The lack of bluetooth also puzzled me a little. Adding bluetooth to Mylo 2 seemed pretty logical with the rise of bluetooth headphones, cellphone tethering and VoIP headsets. Sony said they wanted to keep costs down and the user experience simple. Adding bluetooth doesn't strike me as being that expensive, or complicated, but whatever.

Software is a mixed bag with the Mylo. The general UI is easy to navigate and generally intuitive. Sony even threw in a widget-like section with quick links to Facebook, Google, Youtube and Wikipedia. Instant messaging works pretty well by giving a 1/3 of the screen to contacts and the other 2/3 to the conversation window. But I couldn't find a way to add new buddies or sending a message to anyone not on my buddy list.

The music and video apps are no frills additions that work pretty well. They aren't mindblowing by any stretch of the imagination, and there are better options for those specific functions, but as an add on for an internet-focused device, it works well.

The camera app is similar in interface to a cameraphone. Zoom functions are carried out on the touch screen and there is a mode that lets you make basic edits after you snap the photo. Again, no frills, but it works.

Web browsing is the one software feature that really disappoints. Navigating web pages tends to be choppy and the on screen nav buttons at the bottom can be unresponsive at times.

Sony also worked with Adobe to get flash video up and running on the Mylo 2, but the machine is a bit underpowered to handle the load. Many of the YouTube videos were littered with encoding errors that shouldn't have been there. The bigger the video size, the more choppy it got.

The Mylo 2 is a lot better than the Mylo 1, but its still a device without an identity. Is it a computer? No. Is it an MP3 player? Kind of, but not really. Is it appealing on the basis of its internet function alone? With a laggy browser and without a solution for mobile internet, I'm hesitant to say yes. Sony has the right ideas in place, but the Mylo needs some polish before it's ready for primetime.

Judging from the photo, the X7 will make a radical departure from the X5 design. Instead of a vertical orientation with a 4:3 screen, it appears the X7 will have a 7-inch widescreen and likely feature touchscreen controls, similar to the Q5 media player.

Update: Our tipster tells us that his source has no connection to Cowon, which leads us to believe the photos are false.
[Thanks Tipster]

Creative Zen Vision: M (30GB) [CNET Asia]

Creative ZEN Vision:M [Generation Mp3]