Gizmodo: MP3 Player

Wave Goodbye To Pocket Billiards with Magnetic Knob MP3 Player

Kit Eaton — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:43:00 EDT

We all know the hassle of digging into a pocket to twiddle the controls on our MP3 players, but until smart clothing becomes mainstream we're stuck with it. Unless someone takes this magnetic control concept and manufactures it for real, that is. The Pocket Pal is simple: the control stays outside, but is magnetically fixed to the body, which sits inside your pants pocket. Twiddling the control is easy, and would let you adjust volume or skip songs. I'm not sure what'll happen if you lose the knob—would any magnet/iron object do?—but I like the lateral thinking here. [Inventables via Gizmowatch]

Radio to MP3 Recorder Looks Old-Style, Has Docking MP3 Player

Kit Eaton — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:23:06 EDT

While yesterday's radio-to-MP3 recorder reminded us of a modern Chumby, this one's style cues are more last decade. It's basically a digital-tuner radio, with FM, AM and short wave reception, but with a built-in, un-dockable portable MP3 player that can record to its own 256MB memory.

That 256MB gives you about 10 hours of radio recording, or you can transfer music to it from a PC and it even functions as a voice-recorder. The radio itself has a digital alarm clock, 400 presets and can receive NOAA weather band info, and two-way marine, aviation and ham radio broadcasts. So, despite looks that may appeal more to your Dad than yourself, it's pretty feature-packed. Which might be why it's available for a seemingly-large $179.95. [Hammacher via Book of Joe]

Home-Made Daisy MP3 Player Takes Us (London) Underground

Addy Dugdale — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:40:00 EDT

Using a $115 Daisy open-source player, and a tin with a London tube map on it, Mchaceortiz made himself an MP3 player with a difference. The six way-retro switches on the tin control the volume, track selection and play and pause, and you can see another shot of it opened up after the jump.

[MAKE via Shiny Shiny]

Sony Rolly Soon Rolling Out in Black Shell, Colored Arms

Kit Eaton — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:33:22 EDT

Seems like Sony's Rolly really is due out soon, and it'll be available in a black body version with a matching black cradle, as hinted at by the FCC filing. If black's too boring for you, then you'll also be able to trick your Rolly out with blue, red or silver replacement "arms". Maybe they're "wings"? Whichever: the little rolling, MP3-playing guy will be out in black from April 19th in Japan for around $400, while a colored arm set will cost around $15. Presumably Rolly will be rolling up on US shores sometimes soon after. [AV Watch]

Thanko's New MP3 Player Is Cranky for Power

Kit Eaton — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:22:44 EDT

Thanko has gifted its new MP3 player with an additional power source: you. Much like Trevor Bayliss' crank-powered player, but nicer-looking, this new device will give you ten minutes of tunes for one minute of cranking— it's also got an LED flashlight which'll run for 50 minutes for the same effort. And if you're wrists aren't up to the job, it'll also charge via USB or AC power brick. The Cranking MP3 Player is screen-less, plays MP3 and WMA, has 1GB of storage, and will cost you just $60. [Akihabaranews]

Sony Rolly Rolls Into FCC, Next Stop Your Heart

matt buchanan — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:30:29 EDT

Looks like Sony's living up to their promise to bring its odd little egg of an MP3 player stateside this year. It's in the middle of its required FCC tour of duty, which means it should be hitting retail here before too long. If the wait's unbearable, the FCC has plenty to tide you over: pictures (including some naughty ones under the shell), manual, a request for confidentiality and ooo, test reports. [FCC, Thanks Mitch!]

Samsung YP-S3 Caught On Video

Eric Sheline — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:30:41 EDT

Our female alter egos at Tech Digest just scored a video hands-on with Samsung's new YP-S3 MP3 player. The iPod nano rival should be out this June and is quite similar to its Cupertino competition, with a screen only 0.2-inches smaller and comparable music, photo and video playback abilities. The Samsung adds a built-in FM radio and a 2GB option to accompany the usual 4GB and 8GB models. [Tech Digest]

Samsung's YP-S2 Pebble MP3 Players Probably Hurt When Thrown

Jason Chen — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:50:23 EDT

These Samsung YP-S2 Pebble MP3 players look quite similar to the Creative Zen Stone (because they both look like small rocks), and hold about 1GB of MP3s and WMAs. They've got about 10 hours of playback, but don't do a whole lot else (other than looking and feeling like rocks). They'll be available in the UK around May, but no release date or pricing yet for the US. [Shiny Shiny]

LEGO MP3 Players Are Not Official, Look Great Anyway

Kit Eaton — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:16:33 EST

Why settle for a boring old MP3 player, when you can have one based on everyone's favourite plastic toy? We mean LEGO, before you get smutty, though these brightly colored players should probably be called LEGOish since they don't look too official—not a Lego logo in sight. With controls concealed as the raised bumps, and a six-hour Li-ion battery they don't seem too bad, even if you do have to supply your own microSD card for storage. Available now for $46. [Technabob]

Sony NW-A829, NW-A828 Walkmans Come With Bluetooth Connectivity

Haroon Malik — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:30:24 EST

Sony has just released its first Bluetooth (A2DP) enabled PMPs; the NW-A829 (16GB) and NW-A828 (8GB). With support for MP3, WMA, ATRAC, Sony PCM and AAC/High Efficiency AAC, as well as MPEG-4/H.264, these players come with enough playback potential to make them contenders for a space in your pocket, as well as your heart. More info beneath the gallery.

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]

Sony's New E-Series Walkman MP3 Players Can Swap Jackets

Kit Eaton — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:57:58 EST

Sony's latest additions to its E series range of MP3 players come with interchangeable jackets, and have a USB plug for direct connection to your computer. The player itself comes in black or white, and there are twenty different designs of the outer "Style-Up" panels available. In 1GB, 2GB and 4GB versions, the NW-E023F, -025F and -026F play ATRAC, MP3, WMA and AAC and have a 3-line LCD display and FM radio function. Measuring 3.2 x 0.9 x 0.6 inches, they're out in March in Japan for between $100 and $150. Style-Up jackets will be around $12 each. [AV Watch]

Waterproof MP3 Player is iRiver, Dives to 200 Feet Under the Sea

Addy Dugdale — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:55:35 EST

I wouldn't—well, I would just once, like to see what it's like to dive with The Hives singing along while I fin down to a reef —because I like to live out my Darth Vader fantasies, but this MP3 player could just persuade me otherwise. What is remarkable about this iRiver iFP-380T, with its waterproof case and headset, is that you can go down to 200 feet with it clipped onto your mask. The device runs on one 9-volt battery and one AA and it costs $199. [Frontgate via UberReview]

Heart MP3 Players Lock Together With a Kiss, Lock Us Over Sickbag

Kit Eaton — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:22:45 EST

These MP3 players grab on to every single lovey-dovey Valentine's cliché: a separable pair of players for you and your other half, that look like kissing lovers when they're stuck together in a cutesy heart shape. We don't know where you can buy them, but we do know they've got touch controls, have 1GB memory each, cost the equivalent of $55 in China and are absolutely sick-makingly hideous. [Zol, New Launches]

Psychedelic iTube Speaker With Built-In Viagra Mode Gives You a Bigger Dock

Kit Eaton — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:08:28 EST

Hokay: the iTube looks like it is the 21st-century version of the Lava Lamp. A 30-inch-tall iPod speaker with 360º speakers and special effects that react to your tunes, the iTube connects up to either an MP3 player or your stereo, and you can control the psychedelic levels of its LED lights and bubble blower via remote control. Video and more info below.

Er, did the voice behind the disembodied hand waving around the RC just refer to two of the light effects as "Tylenol" and "Viagra?" There's also an aromatherapy function for the full-on Julie Patchouli effect. Cost is $249 from Aquallusion. [GeekAlerts via TFTS]

Standalone Cassette SD MP3 Player Is Retro-Useful

Jason Chen — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:00:38 EST

The Standalone Cassette MP3 player would have been incredibly useful back in the early '00s, before we hooked up iPods and iPhones directly to our car (via cassette adapter), but it's still pretty neat now. The body looks and behaves like a standard cassette tape, but has a slot on the bottom for an SD slot filled with MP3s. The only downsides are that it only holds SD cards up to 2GB, needs to be recharged, but at least it can be controlled via your car's head unit. [Chinavision via inewidea via Random Good Stuff]

Make Your Own Steampunk MP3 Player, Prove You're a Cool Nerd

Haroon Malik — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:25:00 EST

Last month we featured the awesome steampunk themed MP3 player, called the Ambience Enhancer, which gathered quite some interest. If you missed it, check the image above to see what all the fuss was about. Thankfully, the chaps at Instructables have procured a complete how to, but if you have the patience of an ADHD prone lab rat, perhaps it's better you give this one a miss. Sufficed to say, it is certainly going to take you longer than setting up that new speaker set Santa dropped off for Christmas. I ruined the surprise—damn, I'm always doing that. Follow the link for the extensive tutorial, and if you undertake the project, send us pictures of the final product. [Instructables]

Boomwave's Earmungous iPod Cases Now Available for Nano

Addy Dugdale — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:51:20 EST

If I had a third-gen nano, this is what I would be dressing it in—face it, those ears are just perfect for getting those hard-to-reach boogers out of your nose. Made from silicon, it's available in four colors: Dogstarr, aka Black, Spitzer, err, White, Bichpoo (is that missing a t?) also known as Pink and Bludhound, or Red to you and me. Each one costs $15.99, comes with a screen protector and neck strap, and they're shipping now, so make someone a happy bunny for Xmas. [The Boomwave]

Barbie B2 Music Player Just Scoops iPhone for Gadget of the Year

Addy Dugdale — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:31:12 EST

Sometimes, it's hard to be a woman. Especially when you see things like the Barbie B2 touchscreen MP3 player, aimed at the female market in Korea. I don't think the player includes the pube-clad doll, but perhaps it would be better for mankind if it did. [Aving USA]

U27 Conical MP3 Player and Speakers Look Like a Warhead

Addy Dugdale — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:52:29 EST

The U27, with its neat military name, looks like something scary that Jack Bauer would defuse heroically while US citizens sweated in front of their tellies*. Luckily for us, it is not, or mass destruction of the world's population would be just an "Add To Basket" click away. The U27 is actually an MP3 player with built-in speakers that costs just $89.99. Considering that they throw in a Toshiba 1GB SD card at no extra cost, it's a bit of a bargain, really. [Deal Extreme via Shiny Shiny]

*Actually, I think I remember Roger Moore, dressed up in a clown's outfit at a circus in East Germany, fiddling around with one of these in ~~The World's Worst Bond Movie Ever~~ Octopissy.

Minigigi MP3 Player a Cross Between Old-Skool iPod and Bubblegum

Addy Dugdale — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:20:40 EST

Kitsch lovers — and I can't be the only person on the site who's put in an order for the light-up Virgin Mary flash drive — may be interested in Minigigi's oneQ MP3 player, available in Korea. Tiny wee, inside its rounded hot-pinkness lurks 1GB of internal memory, a battery that gives you six hours' playing time, a built-in speaker, STN LCD display, voice recording and e-book functionality. As well as hot pink, you can get it in black, white and blue, and it costs a cheeky little $37. [Aving USA]

Tie Clip Plays Tunes, Exposes Your Dorkiness

Charlie White — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:53:37 EST

Back in the olden times when people used to dress up in multi-piece outfits to impress their colleagues, there was a thing called a tie clip. Now that historical object has been designed into a multipurpose display device that not only plays MP3s but notifies everyone exactly how much of a geek you really are, scrolling by in plain English. This design concept has a single-line LCD display, showing either the name of the song you're listening to or the message of your choice. Take a look at a couple of pictures of this remarkable invention in action:

Now if designer Jin Woo Han could just convince some geeks to wear ties, or even shirts with buttons on the front, there would be a place to attach this elegantly designed concept. Maybe you could clip it to your ear. [Yanko Design]

Motion Activated iPod Speaker: Control the Tunes With a Wave of Your Hand (Maybe)

Sean Fallon — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:47:13 EDT

Now, here is a great idea —a speaker that connects to your computer, iPod or any other MP3 player that can be controlled with a wave of the hand. Plus, it gives off a "soft ambient glow." According to the product site, the motion detection system allows you to adjust the volume or tune into a different FM radio station, but there is no mention of the ability to cycle through the tunes on your MP3 player. Surely a company wouldn't go through the trouble of developing a motion-activated MP3 speaker without incorporating this functionality, right? Available for £45.95 ($94). [Product Site via GeekAlerts]

USB Cassete Archiver Converts Your Embarrassing Analog Music Into Embarrassing Digital Music

Sean Fallon — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:35:21 EDT

Have a collection of old cassette tapes lying around? Thanks to this USB Cassette Archiver you can kick out the old school jams once again in full digital glory on your MP3 player. Format conversion is a simple matter of installing the software on your PC or Mac and connecting the archiver via USB. I'm not sure how good the sound quality is, but I'll be dammed if I'm paying for MC Hammer twice. Available for $169. [FredFlare via Cool Hunting]

iLuv Portable Video MP3 and DVD Player, for Music and Movies Everywhere

Charlie White — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT

Watch movies on the go and listen to music, too, with this iLuv Portable Video MP3 and DVD Player. Its 8.4-inch widescreen LCD will show you those DVDs in slim style, and when you've had enough of that, your 30GB, 60GB or 80GB iPod stands at the ready, nestled within its chic confines, complete with a little window through which you can see the iPod screen. If this player's 8.4-inch widescreen isn't big enough for you, hook it up to your TV set via S-video. It's $275 through the ritzy Neiman Marcus; you might want to wait for it to be available elsewhere for a more reasonable price. [Neiman Marcus]

USB Flash Card MP3 Player Won't Get Lost in the Shuffle

Charlie White — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:10:47 EDT

Cheap MP3 players are getting so small you could lose them in your pocket, but here's one that's a little easier to handle, the $42 USB Flash Card MP3 Player from Brando that doubles as a mass storage device. It weighs less than an ounce, holds two gigs of your favorite music, and hey, it looks like it has water droplets all over it. Don't like those? Brando can help you put your own logo or whatever you want on those cards (for a probably-high price), and then you can give them out to everyone you know as generous schwag. Send us one, and we'll toss it around a bit because we're, ya know, assholes. [Brando]

Altec Lansing Sends Ultra Portable Speakers Into Orbit

Christopher Mascari — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 19:00:14 EDT

Altec Lansing's release today of five new speaker systems brought about another line of ultra portable speakers, branded Orbit. Simply designed and weighing only 8oz, the iMT207 Orbit-M and iM207 Orbit-MP3 offers Altec Lansing's Fusion360 technology; which produces a full 360-degree sound field. The iMT207 Orbit-M is mobile phone specific with a 3.5mm stereo connection that is iPhone compatible and also includes a 3.5mm to 2.5mm converter cable for use with compatible music phones. Both models are shock resistant and feature 24 hours of continuous play off 3 AAA batteries. With a release soon, these $39 speakers could serve as an adequate sounding ultra portable speaker. [Altec Lansing via infoSync World]

Hands On With the Transformers MP3 Player (Verdict: "We Want")

Matt Buchanan — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:00:54 EDT

Optimus Prime's Diary gets its Transformer-wannabe mitts all over Takara Tomy's sold-out, holy-shit-it-really transforms Soundwave MP3 player, though they don't exactly offer an in-depth review. But who cares about the specs? It's a Transformers MP3 player that transforms. Sold. Two more unbox shots after the jump.

[Optimus Prime's Diary]

NES MP3 Player and Speakers Made From a Cart and Controller

Jason Chen — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:20:44 EDT

People are making the NES controller into optical mice and voice recorders, so why not make it into an MP3 player? Better yet, why not take an actual NES cartridge and make that into speakers and get a horrible, yet awesome NES speaker system going? The only thing better than this would be if the set played all Minibosses, all the time. [Hacked Gadgets via Geekologie]

Multimedia Player-Projector Built Like a Flashlight

Charlie White — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:40:00 EDT

Designer Can-Hong Huang takes a page out of Sony's dildo-shaped music player playbook, coming up with this multimedia player that also takes on a phallic shape. This design concept is not only a cylindrical MP3 player with rotating control knobs on its barrel, but instead of a screen it has a flashlightesque projector on the end that can turn any white wall into a mini movie theater.

The rest of the design involves a gorgeous dock into which you plant this pole, and along for the ride are a couple of kooky-looking wireless earbuds that bear a strong resemblance to one of our favorite bowls from back in the college days. Was old Can-Hong really trying to make those buds look like little blue-bowled hash pipes? Try explaining those away to your mom. [Yanko Design]

IceBar Waterproof iPod Nano Speaker Case Keeps Your Tunes Afloat

kevinhall2 — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:30:00 EDT

The iceBar moves the party stereo from the poolside into the pool, securely holding your iPod in a waterproof polycarbonate case. It floats, too, though it has a wrist strap if you're worried about it drifting off. The nano's clickwheel, power and mute functions are all accessible with the case on. The iceBar does have one drawback, though.

Sounds like it's a little bit of a battery hog since it burns through three AA batteries after 18 hours of continuous play. Still, if you have either the first- or second- generation nano and often find yourself poolside (and with people who share your taste in music), the iceBar might help get through the summer—that is, if developer Atlantic didn't have plans for their speaker case to be released this holiday season. The iceBar should cost around $70. [iLounge]

Tree Camera is More Sound Than Vision

Addy Dugdale — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 06:16:27 EDT

The Tree Camera is an MP3 player that's made out of wood and cute to boot. It has a 256MB memory, plays MP3s, WMAs and OGGs and plugs into the USB port of your PC.

Available in pink, blue and natural, it costs just $43 and is would be the perfect gadget for kids as it's cheap and its wooden casing surely makes it a lot more resilient than your average MP3 player.

[WorldLingo via Techie Diva]

Beosound 6 MP3 Player, Great Looks at Even Greater Cost

Addy Dugdale — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:07:09 EDT

Bang & Olufsen's Beosound 6 MP3 player is definitely a "come and get me" nod toward the Nano market—albeit the few people in the Nano market who would be happy to spunk a schmazillion bucks on an MP3 player with poxy 4GB memory (are there any out there?) So what has ramped the price up to over four times the price of an equivalent Nano—surely it's not the leather case and A8 earphones that accompany it...

Based on the design of the Samsung YP-Z5 MP3, the Beosound 6 shares the Korean player's interface. Measuring 3.5 x 1.7 x 0.5 inches, it sports a 1.8-inch color LCD screen. Battery life is 24 hours, and it supports both MP3 and WMA formats.

So, all that for $812, eh? *Faints*. [Beoworld]

iLive's Extra-Wide iPod Surround Speakerbar

kevinhall2 — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:01:20 EDT

The iLive Flat Panel Docking System is a virtual surround sound bar that uses magnetically shielded 2 full mid/high range drivers and twin internal woofers. You can pretty much hook up whatever you want—DVD players, TVs, computers via USB, other audio players—but considering it has a specially built motorized tray that fits an iPod, we're guessing that's what iLive had in mind. The unit also has a headphone jack. Weird.

Now why would you plug in your iPod just to use the dock's headphone port? Once your iPod is docked, you can control it by the player's buttons, or by remote. It's got pretty much everything else you'd expect in the way of frills, from the usual AM/FM tuner to a backlit LCD clock that has an alarm, too. Expect to pay around $350.

Flat Panel Docking System
* 2.1 CH System w/True 3D Sound & SRS TruBass
* Built-In Magnetically Shielded Full-Range Stereo Speakers & Dual SubWoofers
* Digital Tune AM/FM Stereo Radio w/Station Memory Presets
* Backlit LCD Segment Display w/Clock, Timer & Sleep Timer
* Electronic Volume Control & Preset EQ, Lighted Keys
* Headphone Jack
* Aux-In Jack for other Audio Players, TV, DVD
* 4 x AV Inputs - 2 x RCA, 2 x S-Video + RCA Audio Input,
* S-Video Cable & Audio Line-In Cable, included
* Docking Platform with Recharge Circuit for iPod/mini/nano/shuffle/video/photo Players
* Certified Apple iPod Connectors installed
* Motorized iPod Docking Drawer & Automatic Detect
* Control iPod using the function buttons & remote control
* Video Out Photo & Video versions, Composite & S-Video Jack
* Full-Feature Remote Control operates iPod
* Mini-USB Jack for PC Communication, USB Cord, included
* Wall-Mountable, Mounting Hardware, included
* AC-Powered, built-in AC Cord, ETL/CETL Approved

[iLive iHTD8817DT via Scifi Tech]

Thanko FMP3 Watch Transmits From Wrist to Radio

jeansnow — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 03:13:31 EDT

Thanko, that provider of all things gimmicky but good, has just launched another surprisingly useful tool, this time the FMP3 Watch. As the name suggests, we're talking combo MP3 (and WMA too) player and FM transmitter.

That's surely enough to make even Mr. Bond a bit envious (although I'm sure those innards would be packed in something from Omega, or whoever the sponsor for the next film ends up being). The watch not only plays files and do the iTrip-thing, great for car travel, but also includes a voice recorder—perfect for on-the-street podcast recordings—as well as line-in recording. Capacity runs three sizes (512MB, 1GB, 2GB), and transfers are done through the included USB cables (USB 2.0 port on the watch). It's even water resistant! Thank you, Thanko. [Thanko RareMono Shop]

Mustek PF-A1020BC Frame Comes With Changeable Faceplates

kevinhall2 — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EDT

If all digital photo frames are starting to look alike, try this Mustek PF-A1020BC with its big 10-inch LCD and swappable frames, coming with silver, "frosted white," or Mahogany faceplates. Pictures should look pretty nice as the 9.5-inch viewable area displays at a 720 x 480 resolution, and you can store around 45 JPEGs thanks to the frame's internal memory. But are the pretty colors going to be able to justify the frame's $200 price tag?

It's not as radical as some of Mustek's previous offerings, though it doesn't do less than the competition: MP3s, slideshows, and direct transfer from a USB drive or memory card are all supported. If you're still in the market for a digital photo frame, the PF-A1020BC is certainly one to look at. Keep an eye out for them this summer.

Product page [Mustek]

Sony's First Drag-and-Drop Walkman to Ditch SonicStage

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:40:58 EDT

They may be late to the game, but Sony is finally ditching SonicStage, its annoying (and required) software for transferring music. According to ATRAC Life, the new B100 will be Sony's first drag-and-drop MP3 player supporting MP3s, non-DRM'd WMAs, and even AAC (the latter hasn't been confirmed yet). And if that didn't shock you enough, Sony's also thinking of dropping its ATRAC format for this player. Nice to see these changes, but personally I think this is one of those "too little, too late" deals. – Louis Ramirez

Sony to Release B100 Series Drag and Drop Walkman [ATRAC Life via Electronista]

Juketower: the Toothpaste Tube that Wanted to be an iPod

www.gizmodo.com — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:40:11 EDT

Is it just me, or does the picture above make me think of an abstract version of The Usual Suspects? Must be this week's peyote 'n' cornflakes breakfast combo that makes the days pass so, um, orang-utang.

Although this waterproof MP3 player can't float in the bath like last week's inverted nipple from JVC, who cares? It's shower-spray and splash resistant, and you can adopt it as your special friend, (see right).

But enough orang-utang, you ask, where's the beef? Well, 2GB of RAM, MP3 files only, there's a sound reflector so that your 0.5W x 1 ch, 50mm-wide mono speaker (mono=monkey in Spanish, heh, good peyote this morning, snuffle) is heard all over the room. The display shows time, folder and track number, but no ID3 tags, and it takes 3 AAA batts to give you 12 hours' playback. There's an orang-utang-free gallery but I've got to go now, as one has just walked through the wall dressed as B.A. Baracus, toting a bazooka and whistling Charlene's I've Never Been To Me. – Ad Dugdale

Juketower waterproof mp3 player [New Launches]

Samsung YP-K3 Reviewed, Almost Here [verdict: still not an iPod nano killer]

www.gizmodo.com — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 05:35:53 EDT

The launch of Yet-Another-Nano-Killer is imminent. Again. Maybe. Or it will be someday, anyway, because according to CNET, the Samsung YP-K3 is not it, even if it's a "solid sexy player."

While they think it's nice-o, with a very good design and simple interface, CNET says the touch- sensitive controls can be "challenging to use." Whether "challenging" means "not even Laura Ocaña would manage" or "requires you to rub your fingers until the skin peels off" or "requires you to jump on one leg while wearing latex pajamas with your hands glazed in maple syrup" for the controls to work is yet to be seen.

More highlights after the jump.

They argue it doesn't have video or audio recording, but then again, the nano doesn't have that either, so I don't see their point.

Looking at the latest news, my main problems with it is that it doesn't support AAC. Also, like the Samsung YP-K5, it won't work with Macs or as a storage unit.

Cheaper than the nano, the 0.27-inch thin, 1.8-inch OLED screen Samsung YP-K3 will set you back $119 for 2GB and $169 for 4GB. – Jesus Diaz

Samsung YP-K3 (4GB, red) [CNET Reviews]

Design Concept: MP3 Player Wristband of the Future

Charlie White — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:50:57 EDT

This way-cool design concept for a wearable MP3 player by Nathan Davis has a silicone band that lets you wear it on your arm or wrist, and it has an OLED display housed underneath a layer of polycarbonate. The screen slides up to reveal transport controls, and sound is transmitted to Bluetooth headphones. Check out the gallery below for conceptual drawings of those phones, too.

The only thing the artist left out is GPS capability, a highly desirable feature for runners and walkers. Adding navigation, distance traveled and thermometer functionality on board similar to this klunky-looking Paroos GPS trainer we showed you yesterday would be all that's necessary to turn this into a complete design. So far, though, we like this concept a lot. – Charlie White

Wrist MP3 Player [Yanko Design]

Sagem My Dual Radio 700 Crams Internet, Terrestrial Radio in Small Box

Travis Hudson — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 17:45:29 EDT

The Sagem My Dual Radio 700 may look small and puny on the outside, but inside it packs quite a punch. It can do Internet radio via Wi-Fi or Ethernet, FM radio and MP3 playback via an integrated USB port. It includes a nice, minimalist design, big LCD screen, remote and funky speaker for a good radio package. It supposedly won't exceed the €150.00 price tag, which equals out to $200. –Travis Hudson

Sagen My Dual Radio 700 [Red Ferret]