VIA Introduces New VIA Nano 3000 Series Processors

VIA's fastest and most power efficient processors yet deliver richest mobile and all-in-one desktop computing experience

Taipei, Taiwan, 3 November 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today introduced its new VIA Nano 3000 Series processors, bringing enhanced digital media performance and lower power consumption to Windows 7 thin and light notebook and all-in-one desktop PC markets.

Based on the 64-bit superscalar ‘Isaiah' architecture, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver the most compelling thin and light notebook computing experience with their rich HD entertainment capabilities, including support for flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video, as well as low power consumption resulting in longer battery life.

With a host of advanced features including 64-bit support, advanced CPU virtualization technology, SSE4 for enhanced multimedia processing, and the industry-leading encryption and security capabilities integrated in the VIA PadLock™ Security Engine, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors also provide a secure, high-performance solution for emerging cloud-based computing environments.

"With the VIA Nano 3000 Series, we are launching our fastest and most power-efficient processors yet," commented Richard Brown, VP International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Coupled with our market-leading digital media chipsets, they enable the richest experience across a broad range of mobile and all-in-one system designs."

VIA Nano 3000 Series

VIA Nano 3000 Series processors are built on the successful 64-bit, superscalar architecture that powers the VIA Nano 1000 Series and 2000 Series processors, which have been adopted by leading OEMs worldwide for a growing number of market-leading mini-note, small form factor desktop, and energy-efficient server designs.

Available at speeds from 1.0GHz to 2.0GHz, VIA Nano 3000 Series processors deliver up to 20% higher performance using up to 20% less power than current VIA Nano processors and boast a number of new features including support for the SSE4 multimedia instruction set and VIA VT virtualization technology.

Fully compatible with all Microsoft operating systems, including the new Windows 7, as well as all popular Linux distributions, the VIA Nano 3000 Series processors use the NanoBGA2 package, making them pin-to-pin compatible with VIA Nano 1000 Series, VIA Nano 2000 Series, VIA C7, VIA C7-M and VIA Eden processors for easy upgrades of existing designs.

VIA Nano 3000 Series Availability

VIA Nano 3000 Series processor samples are currently available for OEMs and motherboard vendors, and will enter mass production in Q1 2010.

The GP 400N is nice since it slides back in while not in use, but you do have to charge it separately with a mini USB connection. You get twelve hours of playback on one charge. No real pricing info available yet. [GP-EL via Craziest Gadgets via Geeky Gadgets]

Update: Reader Dan found that they're shipping for $30 (+ shipping) and will come in blue, black, red and silver. Thanks Dan!

The victim was an 18-year-old schoolgirl. Glad the dude at least stuck to the age limit, but it doesn't quite make it any better. And also, as you saw in our review, the Nano isn't that good of an upskirt camera. It may have an "infrared" filter, but that's not a real filter, and it doesn't actually help a camera that doesn't do low-light very well perform low-light any better. What you need is something with a flash, preferably infrared, so you can...wait...I shouldn't reveal all these tips. [Kobe via Fucked Gaijin via Feer via The Awl via T3]

The Life Time Fitness just restricted the Nano from not just locker rooms, but from workout areas too. You can listen to music on your Nano, of course, it's just that you can't use it as a recording device. Hold and stare at your player too long and the woman on the elliptical might give you a hard time about what you're staring at.

All perfectly natural, but it's something we'll see more of once we get gadgets that play music as well as take video. [Twin Cities via Apple Insider]

Our Nano reviewer had pretty steady hands when filming footage, but for those that get the shakes the Kickster should help. I also presume it will make shooting with one hand easier. And honestly, if I watch a video on my iPod Touch I always like to prop it up with something; this case takes care of that with its swivel mechanism that lets you kick the stand up vertically or horizontally.

The Kickster was designed by the open-sourcers at Quirky so the profits of the $14.95 case will be split amongst designers. Kinda sucks that they don't know if it will fit the fourth generation Nano, but I'm assuming it does. [Quirky Kickster]

This new Nano—the 5th generation—comes in the same 8GB/16GB sizes as the last one (and the one before that, actually), though it costs slightly less than the original price of the 4th generation Nano (which was $150/$200). The $20 price drop is nice, but we'd have preferred a capacity bump with the same price. Correction: This section originally compared the 5G Nano's price to the very recently discounted 4G Nano's price( $130/$150)—but as that price was only in effect for a couple days, it's more accurate to compare the 5G price to the 4G's launch price. Sorry for the confusion.

Body

The new Nano has the same body as the 4th generation, but there are definite changes afoot. The screen takes a bump from 2 inches to 2.2 inches—a jump that may sound tiny but is surprisingly substantial. If you're used to the old 2-inch screen you'll definitely notice and appreciate the extra space for navigation. The resolution goes from 240x320 to the oddball 240x376. Though wider when viewed lengthwise, the new screen still isn't 16x9; even widescreen videos will be slightly letterboxed due to the unconventional size. Aside from the added real estate, it's also noticeably brighter and sharper than the previous model. It may still be too small to watch a two-hour movie on, but it's a pleasure to use for everything else, including shorter video clips.

Unfortunately, that larger screen comes with a caveat: The click wheel is even smaller than earlier Nanos. If you found the previous Nano's click wheel slightly thinner and harder to hit than you prefer, this will be even worse. If you had no problems before, then the slight decrease in size shouldn't affect you much. I personally found it too small, and my thumb sometimes hit the area around the controls instead of the control itself. This is especially true when the Nano is docked.

The anodized aluminum finish is also a little different—there's an added step in the process that makes it shinier and brighter than the previous generation's comparatively subdued matte finish. Oddly enough, it actually feels slightly lighter than the last model, though no less solid—this is an extremely durable player. It doesn't bend under pressure from any angle and a nerve-wracking fall onto a hardwood floor had no adverse effects. However, I found that sharp metal objects like keys will leave scratches, while the previous matte Nano showed no scratches under similar abuse. One bit of bad news: People who hated the sharp corners of the last Nano will have to put up with them for at least another year.

Features

Did I mention Apple crammed a bunch of new features into the iPod Nano 5G? And that the most notable—and most thoroughly leaked—is a video camera? Here's the rundown:

Video Camera
The big selling point of this Nano is that the video camera theoretically puts it in a position to compete with the Flip, Creative's Vado, and Kodak's Zi6 and Zi8. Steve Jobs said so himself. But is it true? Well, yes—and no.

Like the Flip-class cameras, there's no optical zoom, and it can't take still shots (very few of these new camcorders can). Also, there's no on-device editing, just the option to delete what you shot. It too has video output, but only if you buy the right cable.

But the Nano is limited to VGA resolution—640x480—far less than that of current HD pocket cams which hover in the same sub-$180 price range. Casual videos meant for YouTube may not need more than VGA, and Apple sort of makes up for it by adding creative video filters, similar to those found in iChat and Photo Booth. These aren't just for fun, they tend to cover up the limitations of the video itself. On the other hand, if you're shooting your baby's first steps, or anything meaningful, no matter how short, you might end up regretting that you didn't shoot in HD.

That being said, it's a remarkably high-quality camera, as good as standard-def pocket cams like the Flip Mino (which I used in the comparisons below).

When you hold the Nano, you discover that the lens is placed in an awkward location—the lower right corner of the device's back. You can rotate it and the accelerometer will adjust, so it can actually be held in any way you choose, but the natural motion is to turn it 90 degrees counterclockwise (so the screen is on the left and the click wheel on the right), which leaves your fingers right in the lens's way. You get used to it, though. It's annoying but not a dealbreaker.

In video-camera mode, you can bring up those creative filters—cyborg, security camera, film grain, tunnel vision and more—by holding down the center button. They fit right in with the idea of the Nano as a quick-and-dirty camcorder: You wouldn't want your serious short film to have a red, pulsing cyborg filter, but it's really fun for 30-second clips. Speaking of which, the only limit on video length seems to be the remaining memory in the Nano itself.

Here are a couple comparison clips. This first is low-light, notoriously difficult for any budget camcorder to capture.

The Flip is far better here: You can actually make out the features of my kitchen with some certainty, and while it's blurry it's still watchable.

The Nano's low-light video is pretty much pitch black until I hit a patch of light, and it's extremely jerky. I should add that the kitchen wasn't really that dark, but it looks like that tiny sensor is just no good for situations with less light.

This pair of clips is to demonstrate macro. The Nano is actually a little better than the Flip here, with a sharper closeup picture, although color reproduction is a little more accurate on the Flip. Still, closeup shots are difficult and I'm really impressed with the Nano's clarity here. Here's the Flip:

And here's the Nano.

This last series is what most people will likely use the Nano's camera for: Shooting with a decent amount of light, natural or artificial. It's not quite as good here as the Flip—notice the tearing in the video as I pan, and again, color reproduction is a little darker and muddier than the actual object. But given that the Nano's camera is a tiny little lens crammed into an already-tiny music and video player that you may be intent on buying anyway, I'm really pleased and a little surprised at how well it performs.

This is the Flip:

And this is the Nano:

The microphone does a pretty good job at picking up sound. Speech is totally audible and it's sensitive enough to pick up a fairly quiet conversation 10 feet away. Wind shear can get really noisy, unfortunately, but unless it's incredibly windy it shouldn't be much of a problem.

So is the Nano better than a standard-def Flip? No, it's not: Besides poor low-light performance, the straight video quality is slightly inferior and there are no features like digital zoom (which some people like). This is a PMP with a camera, not a camera that plays music. But should Flip be worried? Absolutely. If you have a Flip already, you may not be swayed to purchase the Nano because of its video, but if you buy the Nano, you don't really need a Flip—and Apple's going to sell boatloads of these Nanos for reasons other than video camera anyway. Speaking of which...

FM Radio
Defiantly coming dead last to the FM radio party, Apple finally bestowed an iPod with a real FM radio, not some costly optional accessory. Why did Apple cave? Every single other mp3 player since about 2001 has had this. Your guess is as good as mine. The addition was announced without fanfare or explanation at the Nano's unveiling, and the tuner itself doesn't bring any new features like HD Radio, but it does come in with a suite of features proving, at least, that this wasn't an afterthought.

The radio gets excellent reception, though you have to use your headphones—not just Apple's white earbuds; I used my Shures—as the antenna. There's support for RDS data (station name and song title). That song title data can be used to tag favorite songs so that you can, well, buy them later on iTunes. The coolest radio feature is "Live Pause." You can pause a program for up to 15 minutes, and it caches it to memory. It's really nice addition, and you can even fast forward through the cached content, though you can't truly record and save radio.

Built-In Speaker
That's right, there's a teeny little speaker on the bottom of the new Nano. It's not particularly loud or high quality, but it's damn impressive that Apple could cram it into such a thin player. It's definitely audible in quiet rooms, although you'd probably want to use it for spoken word or video rather than music, as songs tend to get washed out and distorted. Still, I have a feeling I'll take advantage of the speaker even more than the video camera—there was one on the Samsung P3 and it proved extremely useful for those times when you want to share a quick video, or don't feel like plugging in earbuds.

Pedometer
It works, mostly, though it's not a substitute for Nike+. Even Apple says you can't use it for running. I tested five sets of exactly ten steps, and it registered the correct amount twice, but it also registered nine steps twice and thirteen steps once. It'll probably even out for longer walks, but you will never get perfect accuracy. It's still kind of fun, though: Turns out my nearest coffee shop is only 278 steps away from my bedroom, and I burned 14 calories getting there.

Voice Recorder
Using the built-in mic, you can record little voice memos. Sound quality is okay, but very limited by distance. I tested from different distances and found that while about one foot away from the mic, talking at a normal conversational volume (as in an interview or quick voice memo situation), sound quality was very audible and clear. From five feet back at the same volume, it was still clear but soft enough that the volume had to be upped quite a bit. From ten feet back it was still clear but only after I plugged it into my stereo and cranked the volume. When recording very loud music from a bit of a distance (sorry, neighbors!), the volume was fine but the recording came out way too distorted to be worth listening to. It looks like the recorder would be a good tool for memos or lectures, but forget about recording concerts with the Nano.

The Verdict

The iPod Nano is the best-selling MP3 player of all time, and this new model should keep that record alive. It's still an incredibly small and thin player with intuitive navigation and popular software, priced competitively. The new features are really nice—the video camera is good in a pinch, enough to supplant standard-def pocket cams—and the bigger, brighter screen makes navigating through the added options.

The video camera is a major feature addition, but this Nano is still an incremental upgrade. Apple hasn't changed the capacity or price in years—does it really not make sense to release a 32GB version? The 8GB version, only $30 cheaper than the 16GB, seems undesirable and outdated. But at this point what else could Apple add to the Nano? I'm just surprised everything they have added actually fits.

The iPod Touch and other full-featured touchscreen players like the Zune HD and Sony X-Series are the big attention-grabbers these days, and the Nano will surely be left behind as dedicated media players yield to convergence. The steady price and capacity of the Nano and the dropping price and skyrocketing capacity and functionality of the Touch signals the sea change better than anything: Soon the Touch will be top seller, and the Nano will slip into being a niche product for people who really prefer small form factors. There is much speculation that the Nano got the video camera—and the Touch did not—in order to slow this inevitable decline.

So the big question: Should you buy the Nano? Yes, if you want an easy-to-use, slick, full-featured and small PMP. No, if you just want an 8GB vessel for your MP3s.

If you're in the market for both a PMP and a cheap pocket camcorder, it's definitely a "yes." But think it over. If you've got last year's Nano and you have an interest in decent video quality, better to spend the money on a Kodak Zi8 (or the newly discounted Zi6). Or just wait for the iPod Touch to get a camera—now that's an upgrade. The camera alone isn't worth $150 or $180 if you've already got every other feature—maybe that's the reason Jobs himself said it was "free."

Retains stylish and durable form factor, with bigger and better screen

Camera is surprisingly good and really fun

Price is very tempting considering camera addition

Design, battery life and UI are unchanged, but still good

Capped at 16GB capacity

[Complete Coverage of Apple's Only Rock and Roll Product Launch]

Head to iFixIt for the rest of the autopsy. [iFixIt]

We found out that the camera's unfortunate placement (on the lower left of the back, if you're holding it normally) is due to there not being enough space to cram it in under the screen. The accelerometer adjusts if you want to hold it some other way, but the natural position for taking video is made harder by the location of the lens.

Why can't the Nano take still photography? Let's hear it from Steve Jobs himself, via the New York Times:

The sensors for doing video are fairly thin. The sensors for doing a still camera, at much higher pixel resolution - and we'd really like to have autofocus - they are just way too thick to ever fit inside the Nano.

This is the "cyborg" filter. Very geeky and cool, and matches perfectly with the tunes we were blasting (it's LP by Discovery, for the record). Notice that you can actually hear the click of the button right as the video stops.

The scratchy film-strip filter is great for arty shots of the back of Brian Lam's head.

This one's a security-cam type filter that makes these innocent passersby seem suspicious.

This is the normal setting (no filter) on a bright and sunny San Francisco day. You can see that the colors are a little washed out, there's a bit of visual tearing as I pan and due to the awkward placement of the lens itself, my finger blocks part of the shot.

These next two are for comparison. This one is taken by the Nano, a simple rotating panoramic with differing light and a lot of color. The next is the exact same video, but taken with a Flip Mino.

This is the Flip. The color reproduction is definitely better on the Flip (most notably in those flowers outside the window), and the video is noticeably sharper as well. But all in all, it's not a huge difference, which is very much to the Nano's credit.

Low light, predictably, is not the Nano's strong suit. It's serviceable, and obviously pocket camcorders like the Flip and Vado aren't all that much better, but you're going to want to have some decent lighting when using the Nano's camera.

Closeups are also a weak point for the Nano—its 640x480 resolution, with no macro mode, is just not detailed enough to pick up the nuances of this gold sparkly thing on Brian's bookshelf. But like the low light shows, if you're looking for the Nano to have amazing video capabilities, you probably haven't noticed that it's actually a super thin mp3 player and not an HD camcorder.

X-ray mode is actually cool and glosses over some of the Nano's lack of detail, not that it's particularly practical.

This is thermal mode, so you can tell that Brian and Lisa are red-hot. Literally.

Tunnel vision is another filter brought over from Photo Booth. It's one of my favorites, so I'm glad to see it on the Nano.

The image above comes from Aeronvironment, and shows what it wants the prototype in the video below to ultimately look like. DARPA's goal is to have a 10 gram aircraft with a 7.5-centimetre wingspan. They want it to get into tight hiding spaces and send back GPS and image data.

Aeronvironment's progress is also notable because such robots previously couldn't carry their own batteries, and had to use guide wires.

"It is capable of climbing and descending vertically, flying sideways left and right, as well as forward and backward, under remote control," says the company.

[New Scientist]

It's proof that microdisplays are getting sharper, as Kopin Corporation, the company behind this prototype, had to shrink the individual color dots to just 2.9 x 8.7 µm apiece to reach this standard. (Keep in mind that a human hair is 100 µm wide, meaning these dots are much smaller—more on par with red blood cells, actually.)

While we're fairly certain that the image you see here is but a simulation, Kopin promises that the development is a necessary step in creating a "2048 x 2048-resolution display in a size smaller than a typical postage stamp." Yes, even postage stamps will soon dwarf the 1080p (1920x1080) resolution of your fancy television. [BW via Engadget]

Intel Atom
The current reigning king of low-cost, low-power processors, Intel's Atom flat-out dominates the netbook market. Its single- and dual-core processors are also some of the most powerful on our list, despite having abilities roughly equal to, in Intel's own terms, a 2003-2004 vintage Celeron. Based on the x86 architecture, the Atom is capable of running full versions of Windows XP, Vista (though not all that well), and 7, as well as modern Linux distros and even Hackintosh. While it requires far less power than a full-power chip, it's still more power-hungry than the ARM-based processors on our list, requiring about 2 watts on average. That's why netbook battery life isn't all that much longer than that of a normal laptop.

You can find the Atom in just about every netbook, including those from HP, Dell, Asus, Acer, Sony, Toshiba, MSI, and, well, everyone else. The 1.6GHz chip is the most popular at the moment, but Intel is definitely going to keep improving and upgrading the Atom line. However, you're unlikely to catch an Atom in a handset; it's low-power, yes, but low-power for a notebook. Battery life on an Atom handset would be pretty atrocious, which is why Intel's sticking to netbooks for now.

Qualcomm Snapdragon
Based on ARM, which is a 32-bit processor architecture that powers just about every mobile phone (and various other peripherals, though never desktop computers) out there, Snapdragon isn't competing directly with the Intel Atom—it's not capable of running full versions of Windows (only Windows Mobile and Windows CE), it's incredibly energy-efficient (requiring less than half a watt), and is designed for always-on use. In other words, this is the evolution of the mobile computing processor. It's got great potential: Qualcomm is trumpeting battery life stretching past 10 hours, smooth 1080p video, support for GPS, 3G, and Bluetooth, and such efficiency that a Linux-based netbook can use Snapdragon without a fan or even a heat sink. Available in single core (1GHz) or dual-core (1.5GHz), it can be used in conjunction with Android, Linux, and various mobile OSes.

Unfortunately, Qualcomm is still holding onto the notion that people want MIDs, and is championing "smartbooks," which are essentially smartphones with netbook bodies, like Asus's announced-then-retracted Eee with Android. Snapdragon's got promise, but we think that promise lies in super-powered handheld devices, not even more underpowered versions of already-underpowered netbooks.

We're frankly not sure when we'll see Snapdragon-based devices sold in the US. We're sure Snapdragon will end up in smartphones at some point, as at least one Toshiba handset has been tentatively announced, but the only concrete demonstrations we've seen have been in MIDs, and Snapdragon themselves spend all their energy touting these "smartbooks." Snapdragon's Windows Mobile compatibility suggests we may see it roll out with Windows Mobile 7, if Tegra hasn't snapped up all the good handsets.

Nvidia Tegra
Nvidia's Tegra processor is very similar to Snapdragon—both are based on ARM architecture, so both are designed for even less intense applications than the Atom. Like Snapdragon, Tegra isn't capable of running desktop versions of Windows, so it's primarily targeted at Android and handheld OSes, especially forthcoming versions of Windows Mobile. What sets Tegra apart from Snapdragon is the Nvidia graphics pedigree: The company claims smooth 1080p video, like Snapdragon, but also hardware-accelerated Flash video and even respectable gaming (though no, you won't be able to run Crysis). They also go even further than Qualcomm in their battery life claim, suggesting an absolutely insane 30 hours of HD video.

While Snapdragon tends to be loosely associated with Android, Tegra is an integral part of Microsoft's plan for next-generation Windows Mobile devices. Instead of focusing on "smartbooks" and MIDs, which we think are part of a dead-end category, Tegra's commitment to pocketable handhelds could spell success. We've seen proof-of-concept demonstrations of Tegra already, but its real commercial debut will come with Windows Mobile 7—and if WM7 doesn't suck, Tegra could take off.

Others
We haven't included certain other processors, especially VIA's Nano, due to intent: The Nano requires lower power than full-scale processors, but at 25 watts, it's not even really in the same league as Atom, let alone Snapdragon or Tegra. The VIA Nano is really targeted at non-portable green technology, and looks like it'll do a good job—it outperformed Atom in Ars Technica's excellent test, and stands up to moderate use with ease. AMD's Puma (Turion X2) is in a similar boat: It's certainly markedly more energy-efficient than AMD's other offerings, but as it's targeted at laptops (not netbooks) with a screen size greater than 12-inches, it's not quite right for our list here.

These low-power processors aren't just, as we so often think, crappier versions of "real" processors. They've got uses far beyond netbooks, especially in the near future as the gap between netbooks and smartphones narrows.

Still something you still wanna know? Send any questions about why your iPhone can't play Crysis, how to tie a bow tie, or anything else to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line.

Loaded with EDGE (no 3G), 16GB of flash memory, a 5MP camera (whoa T3, slow down there cowboys!), A2DP and a brushed aluminum case, I'll admit, while I feel there's a bit too much case for the amount of screen, I know more than one person who would buy this iPhone right now, no questions asked. But what do you think?

Head over to T3 for all the shots and a glimpse at some other tantalizing yet half-grounded product renderings. [T3 Thanks Harry!]

According to their mockup, it's almost exactly like the current nano, but the screen aspect ratio is wider (1.5:1) and the click wheel+button has been squeezed down. They've got no other details, like megapixels or storage capacity or if it'll shoot video (which would be amazing as a casual camera if you think about it), but we can assume if it's real, we'll see it in September, like always.

It would also solidify Apple's push into imaging, since it would conceivably mean that every iPod is getting a camera (well, maybe not the classic, if it survives the year). Kind of exciting from the angle of putting a camera in every single pocket, even if thinking about the lens in that thing makes our eyeballs ache. But maybe nanolomography wouldn't be so bad. [iLounge]

The tiny device, which measures just 300x300 microns, contains a solar cell, communications circuit and sensor. By sensing pH levels and sharing them via electromagnetic pulse to a connected computer, researchers were able to control magnetically-influenced bacteria to precisely relocate their machine to seek out an environment of higher pH.

We know, that's some intensely scientific info. Think of it as a Wooly Willy on a very, very tiny scale. Technology Review has a video of the phenomenon, and if you're interested in nanotech, it's worth the 30 or so seconds. [Technology Review via KurzweilAI]

Sure it's not perfect and it lacks the finesse of Apple's designs—and I shiver thinking about the software this thing packs—but look at it. There are MacBooks in there. And iPod nanos and even part of the old iPod shuffle in that internal ring—not the one Heather tried to swallow.

HiPhone Nano N3+
2.8" TouchScreen Tri-band Flip Phone w/ Dual Standby, Shake Control, Camera - HiPhone Nano N3+

• Clamshell iPod Nano design
• 2.8-inch (3.0-inch) touchscreen QVGA + stylus
• Triband GSM, GPRS
• Dual SIM with dual stand-by
• TouchWiz control
• Shake control
• Magical Voice
• Bluetooth
• Video and music support
• FM tuner
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• TF card slot (1GB TF comes with the phone)
• 2800mAh battery

This clone of hardware from an alternative Earth can be yours for $190. [China Grabber via PMP Today]

The P3 is a followup to Samsung's successful P2, and while it makes quite a few changes, this is an evolution, rather than a revolution. The P3 boasts a few new tricks from Samsung's galaxy of phones, like haptic feedback, a teeny-but-clear speaker, "desktop" widgets and an improved GUI, but this is assuredly not a competitor to the iPod touch. The P3 is not a platform: There's no way to expand the player's catalog of programs or widgets, and, most importantly, it doesn't have Wi-Fi. Despite its big ol' touchscreen and appearance of a fully customizable experience, the P3 is a closed environment, like the nano.

It is, however, one of the best standard flash players on the market—possibly the best. Available in 8/16/32GB sizes (priced at $150/$200/$300, respectively), the P3 comes with a bevy of great extras, a sleek body, and a (mostly) intuitive and pretty GUI. Most importantly, its touchscreen and broad video codec support makes it the best compact video player for the money, and something anyone not suckling at the iTunes teat should get a good look at.

The Physical
The P3 retains the same form factor as its predecessor, which means a gorgeous 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen covering most of its front, a few physical buttons—volume and power/hold, moved to the top for easy in-pocket use—and a very thin metal body. No, it's not quite as thin as an iPod nano, but there's only a tenth of an inch difference. Underneath the screen is a marginally useful touch strip, a bit like the upcoming Palm Pre's. On the bottom is the headphone jack, a mic and Samsung's proprietary USB port.

The P3 feels really great in the hand; it's slightly heavier than the P2 and feels very solid. It's also quite the looker, with a brushed aluminum back, matte front, and chrome accents. To give you an idea of the size, it fits perfectly in that little change pocket of a pair of jeans.

The GUI
The P3's user interface is, for the most part, similar to the P2's—a very intuitive, simple, touch-based design. The main screen has three pages, like an iPhone or T-Mobile G1, that can be turned by a swipe in either direction. The center page has the icons you'll be using most often (Music, Videos, Pictures, FM Radio, etc), and the ones on the left and right house the widgets. Some of the widgets are pretty handy, like a calculator, a calendar and a lightbulb that adjusts screen brightness when tapped.

There's also a goofy but sort of handy "quick tray" with speaker toggle, Bluetooth and other actions that pulls down from the top when you tap, almost like the system tray on the Android G1.

Some of the widgets are poorly executed, like the 24 subway maps from around the world—the NYC one is awful, devoid of an actual geographic map, making you zoom to view specific stops. Do not rely on this to get you around Hong Kong, or you'll be sorry. Some of the widgets are overtly purposeless, like a gingerbread man that crumbles when tapped. That's all he does. Crumbles.

The touch interaction features haptic feedback, that's supposed to rumble when an item is pressed, thus confirming the selection. Unfortunately, it's more a gimmick than anything else: It's fairly weak (more of a buzz than a rumble), inconsistent, and in the end it doesn't seem to aid the overall accuracy of the touchscreen.

Menus are very easy to navigate and are very intuitive, but scrolling through lists of artist names, albums or what have you isn't quite as simple as it should be. Lists can be dragged up or down with a finger, but the system isn't as smart as it is on an iPhone—you can't turn the "drag" into a flick at the last minute. So when you do drag, you only view about 15 items before you have to pick up your finger and drag again.

The P3 does support the flick motion, but you have to do it deliberately. Besides, it's more of a delayed reaction and doesn't feel very organic—one flick will move the list exactly one full page, every time, regardless of how enthusiastically you've flicked. There's also a scroll bar on the side that's nice for jumping from the As to the Ms, but it's not particularly accurate. All in all, it's a little slower to navigate long artist or track lists than I'd like.

There are other gestures as well—tap, double-tap, circle. Some of them will grow into usefulness as people carry and use the P3 for a while, though out of the gate, they're a little specific to feel intuitive.

Playback Quality
Samsung's PMPs are some of the best-sounding players out there, and the P3 continues the trend: Bass is full but not overpowering, treble is clear, and mids are focused. Basically, the P3 sounds great, and is powerful enough to drive big Sony MDR headphones while sounding halfway decent in my 16-year-old car's crappy stereo, too. It supports MP3, WMA, OGG, AAC and even FLAC for you lossless-loving audiophiles.

Video quality is absolutely beautiful—this is the best flash-memory video player I've ever seen. With a firmware update (already available), the P3 will play DivX and Xvid files up to 800x600 resolution, which means yes, pirates, this will play your torrented episodes of 30 Rock perfectly without any conversion necessary. In addition to DivX/Xvid AVI files, the P3 supports MPEG-4, WMV and H.264 (though not clear on how high a resolution is supported), which makes it one of the most well-rounded video players on the market. As I mentioned above, the screen is stunning, with nearly flawless viewing angle range.

Nuts and Bolts
The P3 also has an FM radio, though at least out in the suburbs, reception was barely listenable.

Bluetooth works perfectly—it paired with my BlackBerry quickly and easily, and since it has a mic and speaker, it can be used as a speakerphone.

Battery life is rated at 30 hours for audio and 5 for video.

Its default setting is for MTP, which means that, out of the box, it may only work on Windows machines. Fret not, because you can also switch it to UMS to run on Macs and Linux machines. In Windows it will show up as a drive for easy drag-and-drop, and is happily compatible with media software like WinAmp and MediaMonkey. On the Mac, it's going to be as drag-and-droppable as any USB disk.

Overall
We've come to a crossroads in the world of PMPs. High-end devices with Wi-Fi, like the iPod touch, Archos 5/7 and Sony's upcoming X1000, are the future. The Samsung P3 is not one of these players.

The iPod nano is the elephant in the room here; The P3 is priced to go head-to-head with the nano at the 8/16GB range, although the P3 offers a $300 32GB version as well. I think the P3 holds its own against the nano, besting it in quite a few categories. The hardware looks and feels great, the GUI is prettier and more customizable, the touch interface can be useful, and most importantly frees up real estate for what matters most: a bigger, better screen.

As my catalog of nitpicks above will tell you, the P3 may not have the simplicity of an iProduct. Nevertheless, if you use Windows, or use a Mac but not iTunes, if you download a lot of video, and if you don't have a hard drive full of DRM'd music—if that describes you, then you would be a fool to buy an iPod nano instead of Samsung's P3. [Samsung MP3 Players]

A company called DiamondPure takes any photograph you want and then, using a "revolutionary" nano-photograph process, etches the visage into any size diamond you want. Though they're normally invisible, you can view them using GemmaView, a proprietary portable viewing device.

Cute, right? Yeah, not so cute when the recession forces you to take that gem to the pawn shop and the guy gives your rock a one over only to chortle and maybe make some joke about you being better looking in real life before throwing it back in your face. [Born Rich]