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Samsung unveils Galaxy Player 5.8, pockets everywhere brace for impact
We hope you wear baggy pants, because you're going to want big pockets to carry Samsung's giant new jukebox. The Galaxy Player 5.8 is dominated by its namesake 5.8-inch, 960 x 540 LCD -- a screen that makes the 4.8-inch AMOLED on the closely related Galaxy S III look downright modest by comparison. Android 4.0 and the latest generation of TouchWiz make their first appearances in a Samsung media player here, with the spin naturally on books and movies instead of the tasks you'd associate with a smartphone. You're otherwise looking at the kind of media player you'd expect in 2012: there's either 16GB or 32GB of built-in storage, a microSD slot, a front VGA camera for those face-to-face sessions and a huge 2,500mAh battery to compensate for the display. We're still waiting on a few details, such as the exact processor and the Galaxy Player 5.8's launch schedule, although the announcement's timing suggests we may get a peek at this behemoth when IFA 2012 kicks off later this week. In the meantime, we'd advise against buying a pair of skinny jeans.
Ask Engadget: best Android PMP?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Livebriand who wants the Android equivalent of an iPod Touch. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com. "What would be the best Android PMP (basically, an Android iPod Touch) to get? I don't want a data plan and I'm normally within WiFi, so I just want to run apps and surf the internet from it. The best thing I've found so far is the Galaxy Player, but that's only got Gingerbread. What suggestions do you guys have?"If we're honest, we're not sure if he'd just be better off with a small tablet, but his wish is our command. A PMP-class device that runs Honeycomb or better, that's a more attractive prospect than the Gingerbread-running Galaxy Player? Does such a device exist, or would it be better just to get the ROMs out and pimp one of Samsung's devices that way? You know the answers dear friends, don't let us down.
Sony Z Series Walkman Player review
Since it was announced last August, we've anxiously been waiting for Sony's flagship Walkman Z (the first to feature Android) to hit US shores. (It made it here well after the holidays passed. Better late than never, right?) While Sony is billing the Z as a Walkman first and foremost, its spacious 4.3-inch display and 1GHz Tegra 2 SoC ensure it's powerful and well-sized for playing games and generally making the most of Gingerbread. The device will be available in a variety of flavors, with up to 32GB of storage ($330), though for the purposes of this review we've been rocking the entry-level 8GB model ($250). Although we haven't exactly been charmed by similar devices vying for a piece of the iPod Touch's market share, the Walkman Z has plenty of promise. The question is, does it deliver? And does it deserve your $250 when it goes on sale in March? Let's find out.
Cowon D3 firmware hits 3.5, gives your Gingerbread PMP a spit shine
The Cowon D3, equal parts stunning and frustrating, got at least incrementally better in July when it finally scored a heavily skinned version of Gingerbread. Now, with version 3.55 of the media player's firmware, the D3 is getting even more streamlined. There's no huge new features to speak of -- and don't even get your hopes up for market support -- but overall the PMP should be more stable and run a bit smoother. Hit up the source link to check out the full list of bug fixes and to download the update now. [Thanks, Greg]
iriver P8 player pops up on Russian site, packs prodigious battery life
It's been a while since iriver last updated its P series of large-screen portable media players, -- so long in fact, that we thought the series had simply been retired. Imagine our surprise, when this five-incher popped up on the company's Russian site, sporting a long list of supported file formats, and an even longer battery life (up to nine hours of video and 40 hours of audio). The P8 comes in 8GB and 16GB flavors, but also packs a microSD slot for tacking on additional storage. You're not limited to watching clips on the 800 x 480 touchscreen either, the player boasts an HDMI port for pushing HD content straight to a TV. Of course, whether or not this half-inch thick, half-pound device ever makes it to American shores or how much it will cost when it does remains to be seen. Check out the gallery of press shots below. %Gallery-127675%
Kingmax flaunts world's first 64GB microSD card
In case you'd forgotten (and who could blame you), Kingmax used to have a thing for setting small records -- even if it meant one-upping itself. Four years later, the king is back and he brought a 64GB microSDXC card with him; the world's first, wouldn't you know? If history repeats itself, we can expect similarly sized storage from SanDisk and other manufacturers soon. We love passing storage milestones, but don't get too excited: only a handful of devices currently have the architecture to support microSD cards bigger than 32GB, so make sure you have a compatible device before you empty your wallet. Don't have one? Don't sweat it; there's no word yet when the new cards will be available, so you have plenty of time to upgrade. Head past the break to check out the press release.
Minicaster: the pocket-sized hardware-based H.264 live streaming encoder
It's not that you need a hardware-based H.264 live streaming encoder hanging around in your fifth pocket, but if you're looking to capture more of life's moments, why not? Scheduled for a proper introduction at NAB Show 2011, the Minicaster is capable of encoding and delivering a number of streams while also recording at the same time, and those settings can be tweaked directly on the unit itself. The company recommends using it with Wowza Media Server, and if you're looking to become the world's next Ustream star, investing in one of these may not be such a bad idea. Emphasis on may, given that the asking price is eluding us at the moment.
iriver U100 PMP gets official reveal, P100 and D2000 leave something to the imagination
The teases over at iriver are ready to show you what they've got: the neon-colored U100. We reported on the PMP, along with the P100 and the D2000 last month, but it looks like iriver is going to leave us guessing on the last two. The U100 sports a 3.1-inch (320 x 480) touchscreen, up to 16GB of internal memory, WiFi, microSDHC, and an FM tuner for those who still listens to the radio. It plays 720p video and touts 50 hours of battery life for audio playback and 11 hours for video. iriver isn't ready to give us all the details quite yet -- an official release date and pricing are still under wraps -- but they have provided another video to keep us interested. Hit up the source link to see for yourself.
Iriver teases out U100, P100, and D2000 portable media players
Looks like there are more colorful PMPs on the way from Iriver. All we have right now from the company is a teaser video (in Korean, no less) and a few model names: U100, P100, and D2000, to be exact. Hopefully this will tide you over until next year when the things are ready to hit the street. Hit the source link to feel the love (as well as some very moving piano music).
NFL FanVision review -- and behind the scenes
We've been wanting to try out Kangaroo TV's FanVision in-stadium video handheld ever since we first heard it was coming to 10 NFL teams (and the Michigan Wolverines) this year, and we finally got our chance last night during the Packers / Bears game here in Chicago. The system is actually super interesting, as it's the only large-scale DVB-T operation we've seen in the States; FanVision sets up a private network for each team and sports event they work with. At Soldier Field, that means there are two transmitters at either end of the field for people in the stadium, and another located in the scoreboard so the devices work while people are tailgating in the parking lot. The system has about 8Mbps of bandwidth, so each of the 10 channels on the device streams at about 800Kbps, a quality level the produces some blockiness but is perfectly watchable on the FanVision handheld's 4.3-inch QVGA screen. %Gallery-103549%
Twinbird's Link Zabady gets SD card reader, the love of TV addicts everywhere
Twinbird sure loves its little waterproof displays -- and you might too, if you spend a lot of time watching TV perilously close to water (that is, in the tub or doing dishes). Like its successors, the latest Link Zabady refresh comes with a 7-inch display, base station (with multiple A/V and S-video inputs), and remote. The device also boasts a new and improved waterproof body and an SD card reader for up to 16GB storage on the unit itself. MSRP is open, although Akihabara thinks you'll spend about ¥60,000 ($700) on one of these bad boys. Now, say "Twinbird Link Zabady" out loud five times fast.
Energy Sistem launches 52 Touch line of MP5 renders featuring TV output
Energy Sistem knows that there's no better way to kick-start your Friday morning than a handful of awfully similar looking renders for handheld media players! And while we're at it, we might as well mention that they are, in fact, renders of the new 52 Touch TV-out line. Featuring a 2.8-inch TFT touch-screen, speaker, TV-out, FM transmitter for the car, microphone, and support for DivX and XviD, FLV, RM / RMVB, MP3 / WMA / WAV music files, images and TXT files, this is pretty much everything you hoped for in a media player, and nothing else. Availabe in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacities (not including the 16GB microSDHC card reader) prices start at €69 (roughly $88) and increase accordingly. Hit the source link for the inside scoop.
Is Canada's iPod tax back? And if so, will BJ Snowden get her cut?
We know, BJ Snowden is an American artist -- but since her song "In Canada" is probably on every iPod and computer up north, we have to wonder whether a proposed amendment to the Canadian Copyright act will help her finally get what's coming to her. The brainchild of the New Democratic Party's Charlie Angus, the bill would extend 1997's Private Copying Levy "to the next generation of devices that consumers are using for copying sound recordings for personal use." Proponents of the plan says that it ensures that artists get paid for their work -- essentially, the government wants you to pay upfront for the music you're likely to steal anyways by taxing your next digital audio player purchase. Of course, much about the plan doesn't make sense (it doesn't address digital video, for instance, or the computers that people use to download and store their music in the first place) but we guess we'll let the Canadian government hash that one out. This is obviously not a new idea, and it is one the courts have rejected already, but who knows? Maybe this time it will "take." Lets hope not, eh? Update: No surprise, but the levy is already being shouted down by Industry Minister Tony Clement calling it "totally nonsensical" and "180 degrees in the wrong direction" with regard to the government's strategy to embrace the internet, not stifle it.
Energy Sistem unloads TV2090 PMP, still can't spell 'sisstem'
Here's a slick little item you might be interested in, if your county of residence happens to subscribe to the DVB-T TV standard. Energy Sistem's just unleashed its TV2090 PMP for the world to enjoy. This attractive yet seemingly quite cumbersome looker boasts a 9-inch LCD, a stereo speaker and AV output, and it supports DivX, Xvid, AVI, MPG and MP3 / WAV playback. Now like we said, the whole unit is rather large -- measuring 265 x 32 x 155 mm -- and while we don't have an exact weight for it, we'd guess it to be... large enough to be pretty annoying. Regardless, if you're in the market for a giant PMP, this one will be released in Europe in March for around €133 (or $187, if you're keeping track).
SmartQ V5 MID available now to a world that's just stopped caring
When we first laid eyes on the SmartQ V5, we were pretty underwhelmed... yet another resistive touchscreen MID? We're beginning to long for those halcyon days of late 2009 when an Android handheld was a thing of awe and wonder. Just a refresher: this guy features a 4.3-inch display, 600MHz ARM11 processor (which the brave among us can overclock to 800MHz), 256MB RAM, HDMI out, and more. Of some interest to the jaded gadget-head, this guy ships with Android, Ubuntu, and Windows CE 6.0 pre-installed -- not a bad feature, if that's your thing. If you poke around the Internets you should be able to find this bad boy for near $180.
Disney and CBS interested in Apple's subscription-based iTunes TV idea?
Disney and Apple -- now, where have we heard about these two mingling in content related activities before? Sure enough, whispers of a potential tie-up regarding a $30 per month TV service for iTunes are turning into more of a gentle roar, with The Wall Street Journal reporting today that both CBS and Walt Disney Company are "considering participating in Apple's plan to offer television subscriptions over the internet." Naturally, this comes from those ever present (and perpetually undisclosed) "sources," but considering that the outfit just shelled out for Lala, we wouldn't put anything past it. As the story goes, CBS is considering offering up content from CBS and CW, while Disney could include programming from ABC, Disney Channel and ABC Family networks; details on the purported program are obviously still under wraps, but we know that both of these guys would be looking for some sort of monthly compensation in exchange for access to their lineups. Whatever the case, it's being bruited that Apple could complete licensing deals and introduce the service sometime in 2010, so we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.
Yinlips YDP800 projector PMP teases your wallet with video
We're not sure what's taken so long, but the Yinlips YDP800 pico projector PMP is finally available to the US, courtesy of online store Ownta. The good folks have released a demo video of the projector in action -- not quite at the maximum 80-inch picture that Yinlips boasts, but hey, we've just about done it before on another pico projector. For around $270 including delivery this feature-packed PMP seems to give a good run for your money, especially when compared to the $299 WowWee Cinemin Swivel. No sign of any sample pictures or videos from the 1.3 megapixel camera yet, so for now just enjoy the video after the break.
MSI eagerly supports HD video on its MT-V887 PMP
It's been a couple months since noticing that MSI had a renewed interest in PMPs, and now the outfit is back with yet another media player. The MT-V887 takes the sleek, understated styling of the MT-V656 and ramps the display to a none-too-shabby 4.3-inches (480 x 272). Based on the Rockchip RK2728B, this guy adds the H.264 codec and 720p support to an already insane helping of media formats. In addition to all of that, you can catch the KBBL Morning Zoo Crew on its FM receiver. No words on price or availability, but you'll know as soon as we do. Get a closer look after the break.
ViewSonic VPD500 and VPD400 media players handled on video
Although we saw glimpses of ViewSonic's VPD400 and VPD500 media players back in July, the no-longer-just-a-monitor company is officially pushing 'em out the door now. NetbookNews was kind enough to do a quick unboxing and hands-on for us, and although they both seem nice enough, we can't help but wonder who's in the market for a chunky dedicated PMP like these anymore -- and hey, seeing as ViewSonic's totally ripped Sony's XMB interface, you might as well save a few more bucks and get the real thing plus games by picking up a PSP here, you know? Video after the break.
Samsung R0 not-so-boldly goes where most PMPs have gone before it
Samsung's certainly got the portable media player design down to a cold, cold science. There isn't much in the way of artistic license here, so let's get on with the specs, shall we? 2.6-inch TFT LCD, microSD slot, FM radio, second-language acquisition programs, text / photo viewer, and video codec support including DivX, XviD, and H.264. Your color choices, with the appropriately inappropriate adjectives, are Indie Black, Techno Silver, and Rap Pink. Korean-only, this little guy will line shelves at KRW139,000 (US $120) with 4GB internal memory, and KRW179,000 (US $155) for 8GB.
