Posts filed under 'Portable Music'
Steve Jobs confirmed the worst kept secret in the technology world when he confirmed the existence of the iPhone, a revolutionary mobile device that combines telephone technology, PDA functionality and all the well-known features of the iPod.
The iPhone is essentially just a single screen. There are no keys or buttons, and indeed Apple is making much of its patented touchscreen technology. In fact, patents are a bit of a feature of the device with Apple protecting its baby with over 200 of the things.
Users are able to navigate the iPhone by using a virtual keyboard that’s smart enough to know when accidental tapping occurs. The screen also takes in gestures such as scrolling, pinching and stretching motions. Most impressive of all, well to TechSmec.com at any rate, is the smart screen which knows when the user is holding the iPhone in landscape or portrait and adjust the interface accordingly.
The iPhone, which starts at $499, will “reinvent” the telecommunications sector and “leapfrog” past the current generation of hard-to-use smart phones, Jobs said.
“Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything,” he said during his keynote address at the annual Macworld Conference and Expo. “It’s very fortunate if you can work on just one of these in your career. … Apple’s been very fortunate in that it’s introduced a few of these.”
Apple, now renamed Apple Inc. from Apple Computer Inc., shares jumped more than 6 percent on the announcement.
Even TechSmec.com, weary of many over-hyped Apple revelations over the years, has to admit that the iPhone is a device worth salivating over.
January 9th, 2007
Five years ago, on October 23, 2001, Apple released the iPod and the world of portable music was never the same again.
Actually, for those of us who can think back as far as 2001, the world of portable music didn’t exactly undergo a seismic shift on that day. In fact, even working in the tech industry at the time, I was not particularly interested in what a failing PC manufacturer was doing.
It’s easy to forget how low Apple’s stock has sunk (metaphorically) in 2001. The Mac was the butt of jokes, a niche computer for the publishing and graphic design industry, as well as those who had fallen for it’s ‘easy to use’ marketing.
As a result, the launch of the iPod arrived largely under the radar.
Things changed with the launch of the iTunes website two years later and sales started to skyrocket as the brand crossed over from the IT world, to that of high fashion.
60 million iPods have been sold and of those, 40 million were sold in the last year. Competitors such as Creative and Samsung are just clinging onto ths shirt tails of Apple and their sales don’t even make a small dent in Apple’s profit.
But is the bubble going to burst? Just like mobile phones before them, there must be a sales ceiling. At some point everyone who wants an mp3 player will own an mp3 player and then sales will drop off. Apple will have a strategy up their sleeve to cope with this. The much vaunted iPod phone may be one option.
And what of the iPod brand name? It is almost, but not quite, in the league of Hoover and Portakabin as a brand name which is used more than the generic term. However, unless it makes that leap, there will come a point at which the iPod brand will start to seem boring. The public are always after new ideas, not old ones repackaged.
Happy birthday iPod! There may not be a similar article written on your tenth birthday, so make the most of it.
October 22nd, 2006
Streaming Networks today announced the availability of its new iRecord Personal Media Recorder. iRecord allows users to record video and audio directly onto Apple iPod, Sony PSP or any other USB storage devices with the touch of a button.”Until iRecord there was no simple and easy way for portable media player owners to put their personal video and audio contents onto their players. Now, in one touch, consumers can move their favorite movies, TV shows, home videos and audio tracks to their iPod or PSP portable players using iRecord . It’s just that simple!” said Ayub Khan, CEO and President of Streaming Networks.
Prior to iRecord, consumers would have to go through several tedious steps in order to transfer their favorite movie or TV show to their iPod, including determining which video format to use, hooking up computer equipment to their home entertainment system, and waiting as content was slowly moved. iRecord eliminates this multi-step process and makes recording as simple as pushing a button. A consumer simply plugs the iRecord into his TV or DVD player and hits iRecord’s record button. The iRecord then records what is being played on the TV directly onto the iPod in real-time. After the program is over, simply unplug your iPod and the movie or TV show can immediately be enjoyed on your portable device. Consumers use the same process to record movies or TV shows to Sony PSP player Memory Stick, or any other USB storage device such as Flash Drives or Hard Drives.
iRecord records analog video and audio from any source with S-video or RCA video and audio outputs, including DVD player, TV, TiVo, VCR or any cable/satellite set-top box.
iRecord encodes hi-quality H.264 video in real-time at the standard iPod and PSP resolution of 320×240. iRecord’s additional features include the ability to record MP3 audio directly to most models of iPod. iRecord supports both Windows and Macintosh iPods. In addition, iRecord offers a USB port so that it can be easily updated when new product features are made available. iRecord ships with a power adapter, audio/video cables and user manual for price of US $199.99 and is currently available for purchase at www.irecord.com.
October 21st, 2006
Thomson has announced retail availability in the U.S. of the LYRA X3030 by RCA, a pocket-sized 30GB Personal Multimedia Recorder that enables direct recording of audio and video content from multiple sources and is capable of storing dozens of movies, hundreds of hours of music and thousands of photos, all in the palm of your hand.Because the new LYRA unit utilizes secure Windows Media (WM10), video-hungry consumers can easily access purchased content from ZVUE.com, the video download store from HandHeld Entertainment, to download more than 120 hours of DVD-quality music videos, TV shows and movies onto the LYRA X3030. The unit also works with other Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription and download stores such as Amazon’s newly launched Unbox service.
ZVUE.com offers more than 3,000 digital music videos, cartoons, independent films, documentaries, news, entertainment, and sports programs for download and HandHeld Entertainment has more than 10,000 video selections under contract. To assist LYRA X3030 owners in starting their download library, three free downloads are available at www.zvue.com/lyra. Amazon offers video content from more than 30 Hollywood studios and network partners.
Perfect for watching TV shows and movies right in the palm of your hand, the LYRA X3030 has a vibrant 3.6-inch color LCD screen with 320 x 240 resolution for brilliant color reproduction. Consumers will enjoy versatility and flexibility with the array of recording options. Using an included home theater docking base, consumers can easily record audio/video directly from an external source, such as analog TV, CD player, or camcorder. Video and audio recording can even be time shifted when using the docking base in conjunction with the included infrared Blaster. When transferring video, the included DivX transcoder software enables conversion of video files to DivX format for playback of any video. Using a removable lithium ion battery, the LYRA X3030 provides up to four hours of constant video playback, enabling consumers to watch multiple video files on a single charge.
“This player brings together numerous popular entertainment products into one portable, high quality device,” said Dan Collishaw, chief operating officer of Thomson’s Americas Audio/Video and Accessory business. “The LYRA X3030 also adds great value to the booming portable video player market through its ability to record directly from any video source and its compatibility with a wide range of audio and video download services, including Amazon Unbox and ZVUE.com.”
“We have taken a completely open approach with the ZVUE.com video download store so that all video content is compatible with any Windows Media Video portable video player on the market, including the RCA LYRA X3030 from Thomson,” said Jeff Oscodar, chief executive office and president of HandHeld Entertainment. “That is why we are happy to have Thomson join us as the first company for delivering great video content to LYRA users throughout the country.”
Not Just Video
The LYRA X3030, suggested retail price $399, is compatible with both pay-per-song and subscription music services, as well as audio book files from Audible.com. Ready to entertain right out of the box, the LYRA X3030 comes with a free 7-day trial to Yahoo! Music Unlimited and 100 free music downloads from emusic.com. ID3 tag song data with artist, album, song title and genre is displayed on the viewing screen. Music buffs can listen to their collection of mp3 files using one of nine playback modes, including normal play, shuffle and repeat. The included free Yahoo! Music Engine enables creation of playlists and facilitates management of personal digital music catalogs.
In addition to its video and audio capabilities, this versatile jukebox also offers the ability to create image slide shows with zoom and photo rotation, as well as music accompaniment. Up to 15,000 JPEG photos are easily transferred from an SD memory card or compatible camera without a computer. Image files, along with audio and video files, can also be moved from a PC to the device using the high speed USB connection. Further, a built-in microphone located on the top of the unit lets consumers record voice notes describing individual photo slides, and also lets the LYRA X3030 function as a voice recorder.
The LYRA X3030 is packaged with a full accessory kit, including:
- Sliding cover case to protect the X3030’s display from scratching and denting
- Two RCA input/output cables for recording in near DVD quality and playing back video with 480 lines of resolution.
- Home theater docking station for easy re-charging and transfer of content from a video source
- AC adapter and DC adapter for charging in the car
- Earbud style headphones
- 3- Device Universal Remote Control for recording from or playing content on the TV set
This lightweight portable entertainment device weighs less than eight ounces and is only 3/4 of an inch thick.
October 11th, 2006
DVD Jon, the erstwhile thorn in the side of any company who hopes to use DRM to protect their products, has reportedly hacked Apple’s Fairplay technology. If you’re not familiar with Fairplay, that’s the system that ensures that music purchased from Napster or Coke Music, or indeed any other online music store, won’t play on an iPod. Boo, hiss, we say to Apple about this, and so does Jon.
TechSmec.com is a little confused. Over a year ago we reported that DVD Jon, or Jon Johansen to give him his full and legal monicker, was now on the payroll at Apple, having annoyed Steve Jobs so much that he adopted the ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ approach. However, at some point in the last 18 months that must have gone sour as Jon is back and has reportedly added a layer on top of Fairplay that allows music sold from sources other than iTunes to play on an iPod. It’s the fact that he is adding to Fairplay, not hacking it, that makes Jon confident that this time, he is on the right side of the law.
Jon was so confident that Apple wouldn’t be able to find fault with his new software that he approached Steve Jobs himself about it. The big man was apparently calm and didn’t immediately reach for the phone to call his lawyers, but the blogsphere doesn’t expect that situation to last for long.
October 3rd, 2006
Microsoft has revealed that its Zune portable media player will cost $250, give or take a cent, when it arrives in US stores on 14 November.The price point appears to have been set to match that of the 30 GB Apple iPod, so how do the two devices stack up against each other?
Firstly the capacity is identical – 30GB. That’s mid range these days, and you can get an 80GB iPod, but at this stage, Zune and its more established rival are neck and neck.
Zune nudges into the lead with its 3 inch colour display. The iPod lags behind with its paltry 2.5 inches. 30-15 to Bill Gates.
Weight is a little tricky to judge as Microsoft have been very cagey about it. This would naturally lead one to believe that Zune is a little on the dense side, but then that brown model does resemble a brick, so perhaps it’s just reverting to type. Bloggers who have actually held the thing say that it is not appreciably different to the iPod, so let’s award the benefit of the doubt and call it a draw. 40-30 to Zune and game point against the 30GB iPod.
Looks can kill as the saying goes, but Zune won’t have a lot of bodies trailing in its wake. The white and black models aren’t too bad, but that brown one is a bit of a market research mystery at the moment. It’s going all the way…..deuce.
Features is where Zune nails the iPod and finishes it off. Wireless capability enters the fray and it’s advantage Zune. Remember that it has an FM tuner and the 30GB iPod is down and out.
So, for $250 Zune just shaves the iPod. However, the one thing it doesn’t have is brand awareness. The iPod has become iconic and any amount of undercutting of the iPod doesn’t change that.
September 30th, 2006
Many iPod killers have come and gone - many of them were pretty good - but finally a device will reach the market that has the brand and the marketing clout to prise Steve Jobs’ fingers from their stranglehold on the mp3 player market - Microsoft’s Zune.Whether the Zune player is any good or not remains to be seen, but the truth is that it doesn’t need to be exceptional. Creative’s Zen players are fabulous, but the brand is puny compared to Apple’s so it languishes behind in every statistic. Microsoft is not hampered with the same lack of marketing resources and so the likelihood is that Zune will make a dent - possibly only a small one - in the iPod’s market share.
The first player unveiled by Microsoft is a 30GB device capable of playing audio and video. It has a larger screen than a similar iPod, but crucially contains a WiFi adapter allowing the sharing of files between devices, which sounds like a bit of a DRM nightmare.
There is no pricing information at the moment, but presumably Microsoft will undercut a similarly specced iPod.
Apple has also revamped its iPod line in recent days, releasing an 80GB iPod, an 8GB Flash ROM based iPod Nano and a tiny 1GB iPod Shuffle.
September 19th, 2006
Last September we reported on the new Dell mp3 player that was aiming to take a chunk out of the iPod market, specifically the iPod Shuffle. Almost a year later Dell has pulled the plug on the stupidly-named DJ Ditty.
Dell removed the DJ Ditty from its website on August 17, said Dell spokesman Venancio Figueroa.
“We want to tighten our consumer product focus and we believe we can do that with PCs , TVs, and printers,” he said.
In other words, no one bought them.
Source: PC World
August 24th, 2006
The tech industry has spent all of the last 5 years waiting for an iPod killer to emerge. Creative, Samsung and Sony have all held the title as ‘most likely to succeed’ in the past, but a new contender has emerged that might just have a chance.According to a wave of blogging Microsoft is planning a new portable music player in time for Christmas. There are no specs, there are no pictures, but there is one key fact (or rumour) that gives the Microsoft device a stick with which to beat its Apple rival.
WiFi.
Yes, the Microsoft music player may have built in WiFi allowing the exchange of music files with a PC without having to connect it via a wire.
What little detail there is has come from leaks following private briefings given by Microsoft. Those in the know claim that the screen on the new device is stunning, better than the iPod and close to the standard set by the Sony PSP.
Why would Microsoft dare to stray into Apple’s unchallenged territory?The iPod commands 77 percent of the US$4 billion US market for digital music players and iTunes controls 72% of the music download market. Bill Gates has never made any secret of his jealousy of Apple’s success in this area, credited with dragging Apple back from the brink at the turn of the century. Microsoft software already runs on portable music players from other manufacturers, but they don’t have the power of the Apple brand and Gates obviously feels that only a Microsoft branded device has any chance of gaining significant market share.
Let’s return to WiFi. Apple will shortly hold another one of its product launch press events. It is well known that Apple’s development labs have 101 iPod enhancements up their sleeves and it is inconceivable that WiFi isn’t among them. Even if Apple was not planning on introducing WiFi in the near future, the latest rumours may convince them to bring it forward. If Microsoft had its USP shot down before their player even made it to market then it’s game over.
Source: MediaCenterPCWorld.com
July 9th, 2006
iLuv is rolling out a product that makes recording video onto your fifth generation iPod blindingly easy.Dock your iPod in the iLuv i180 and it will not only charge, but can also record from any (within reason) video source such as a TV or PVR.
Operation is easy via a simple interface. The iLuv can record for a set period of time, or even be set to start recording in advance.
Expect the iLuv in August for around $200.
July 6th, 2006
Previous Posts