Gadgetgo » MP3 players

Ex-Microsoftie Robbie Bach: I wouldn’t have made Zune MP3 players, we were just ‘chasing Apple’

Jon Fingas — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:36:00 +0000

It took some time after Robbie Bach left Microsoft for the Zune device line to wind to a close, but that hasn't stopped the former music (and gaming) executive from suggesting that it should have been ramped down much, much sooner. While discussing the best way to get a startup company humming at a Northwest Entrepreneur Network event, Bach mentioned his view that Microsoft should never have started down the MP3 player path to start with and should have instead gone service-only. The Zune was a too-little-too-late reaction to the iPod, according to him, and the option to squirt your songs apparently wasn't enough of a lure:

"We just weren't brave enough, honestly, and we ended up chasing Apple with a product that actually wasn't a bad product, but it was still a chasing product, and there wasn't a reason for somebody to say, oh, I have to go out and get that thing."

We've had some affection for the Zune in the past, but there's no denying that it faced an uphill battle from the start. Sales leveled off almost immediately, and the damage was primarily to smaller competitors like Creative and SanDisk that couldn't throw their weight around the way Microsoft did.

Ex-Microsoftie Robbie Bach: I wouldn't have made Zune MP3 players, we were just 'chasing Apple' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 21:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IRL: Nikon D3S, iPod 4G and Klipsch’s Image One headphones

Engadget staff — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

We almost don't want to talk about our tablets and phones this week, just because one or two show-stoppers here and there have made pretty much everything we own seem wholly inadequate. So we'll tell you about the stuff we won't be trading in anytime soon. For James, that means a good pair of over-ear headphones, for Darren it's a $6,000 camera and for Daniel it's a 40GB iPod with "Dan Cooper is awesome" engraved on the back (19 year-olds, right?). No complaints this time: just a trio of Engadget editors sounding off on what's been worth it.

Continue reading IRL: Nikon D3S, iPod 4G and Klipsch's Image One headphones

IRL: Nikon D3S, iPod 4G and Klipsch's Image One headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola Motoactv hands-on (update: video with Dean Karnazes!)

Dana Wollman — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:18:00 +0000

So when Motorola teased its "faster, thinner, smarter, stronger" event we were pretty sure that was a not-so-subtle reference to the 7mm-thick Droid RAZR. As it turns out, the company was also being quite literal. Instead of a Xoom 2, the outfit rounded out its New York City presser with Motoactv, an iPod Nano-like touchscreen device that plays music and keeps track of your various fitness vitals. While we couldn't take it more than a few feet away from the pedestal where it was on display, we did get to poke around its UI for a few minutes and put that 600MHz processor to the test. You know the drill: hands-on photos below, along with impressions and a short vid after the break.

Gallery: Motoactv hands-on

Joseph Volpe and Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Motorola Motoactv hands-on (update: video with Dean Karnazes!)

Motorola Motoactv hands-on (update: video with Dean Karnazes!) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IRL: Nexus One, Sansa Clip Zip, DeLorme PN-60 and the HP TouchPad

Engadget staff — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:58:00 +0000

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

Welcome back to IRL, a new column where we dissect, defend and gripe about the gadgets we're using in real life. This week, Dante gets a firesale TouchPad, Dana ditches her Shuffle for a Sansa Clip Zip, Tim's on a boat with the DeLorme PN-60 and Darren explains why, exactly, he's still clinging to his Nexus One.

Continue reading IRL: Nexus One, Sansa Clip Zip, DeLorme PN-60 and the HP TouchPad

IRL: Nexus One, Sansa Clip Zip, DeLorme PN-60 and the HP TouchPad originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s new A, E, and S series Walkmans to get Music Unlimited freebie

Joseph Volpe — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:31:00 +0000

For those that haven't yet gone down the iFaithful portable media player route, there's always the Walkman. Sony officially unveiled updates to its A, S and E series line of players just last month, and now plans to dole out a free trial of Music Unlimited to owners of the NWZ-A860, S760BT and E460 when they go on sale this September. The streaming service, formerly known as Qriocity, brings with it a catalog of over 10 million songs and will be available gratis for 180 days, after which it'll run you $3.99/mo for basic service and $9.99/mo for the premium offering. It might be too late in the game for the company to wrestle back the portable audio crown but, hey, you can't fault it for trying to sweeten the MP3-playing pot. Official PR awaits you after the break.

Continue reading Sony's new A, E, and S series Walkmans to get Music Unlimited freebie

Sony's new A, E, and S series Walkmans to get Music Unlimited freebie originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung launches YP-R2, YP-Z3, MP3 HD compatible PMPs

Lydia Leavitt — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:54:00 +0000

Samsung has had its sights set on a PMP with MP3 HD support for some time now -- first announcing (and later killing) the IceTouch in 2010, and now launching the YP-R2 and YP-Z3 in markets including Russia and Korea. Claiming that the lossy/lossless HD MP3 sound is five times better than the standard variety, the company will put it to the test with access to Melon, Korea's largest 2.2 million song music store. So far, Samsung has only confirmed the R2 has a 3-inch WQVGA full touch display, is .3-inches thick and weighs around 52 grams, while the Z3, on the other hand has a 1.8-inch display and measures in at 36 grams. The music players also support photo and text viewing, FM radio and 5.1-channel surround sound. The R2 comes in black and silver and costs 149,000 KRW ($140) for 4GB, and 169,000 KRW ($160) for 8GB. The Z3 comes in white, pink and blue and costs 89,000 KRW ($83) for 4GB, and 119,000 KRW for 8GB ($110). There's no word yet if these devices will ever see US release, but check out the source for more pictures.

Samsung launches YP-R2, YP-Z3, MP3 HD compatible PMPs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony officially outs new A, E, and S series Walkmans

Dana Wollman — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:42:00 +0000

When a company sends a boatload of media players through the FCC, specs and all, it kinds of takes the punch out any official announcement, ya know? Still, it's nice to finally see Sony's spate of new Walkman players that we've been reading so much about. The company just announced updates to its A, S, and E series of players, all of which have a karaoke mode, language learning function, voice recording, and Sony's station-creating SensMe feature. At the high-end, you've got the stereo Bluetooth-enabled A860, whose 2.8-inch touchscreen has already been splashed across the internets. The more diminutive S760BT has a 2-inch display and also gets Bluetooth, though it claims longer battery life -- up to 50 hours of audio playback and up to ten for videos. Rounding out the low end, there's the E460, which has the same 2-inch screen, but lacks Bluetooth and instead comes in five colors. All three models will go on sale in September, with the A series fetching $179 or $219 for the 8GB and 16GB models, the 8GB S series costing $149, and the E series ranging in price from $79 to $109 for 8GB to 16GB. Full PR after the break.

Gallery: Sony Walkman A, S, and E series

Continue reading Sony officially outs new A, E, and S series Walkmans

Sony officially outs new A, E, and S series Walkmans originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iRiver’s T9 is the affectionate, all-purpose MP3 player your inner schoolgirl always wanted (video)

Dana Wollman — Fri, 20 May 2011 18:23:00 +0000

Been searching for an MP3 player that can do it all, including whisper sweet nothings in your ear? Behold the iRiver T9, a slim, Barbie pink number with screen savers that say, "I love you" and "enjoy your life." For such a gimmicky device, it actually offers a healthy feature set, including an FM radio, voice recorder, step and calorie counters, a built-in USB connector, and the ability to shake to skip. Too bad the storage taps out at a puny 4GB. No word on pricing, but for now you can peep a less patronizing color palette in the gallery below and head past the break to play a game sweeping the Engadget staff: "spot the MP3 player in the video of dancing schoolgirls."

Gallery: iRiver T9

Continue reading iRiver's T9 is the affectionate, all-purpose MP3 player your inner schoolgirl always wanted (video)

iRiver's T9 is the affectionate, all-purpose MP3 player your inner schoolgirl always wanted (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 14:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPod touch prototype with capacitive home button leaked?

Richard Lai — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:47:00 +0000

Ah, would you look at that. Earlier this year there were rumors about Apple ditching the physical home button on upcoming iOS devices, and now we have what appears to be a new iPod touch prototype matching such description, courtesy of CrunchGear via Mr. Blurrycam. According to its About screen, this "DVT-1" (a late milestone) device packs 128GB of memory -- twice as much as the largest available capacity option right now (remember that 64GB iPhone 4 prototype in Hong Kong?) -- as well as a model number "MC550LL" which isn't far off from those of the fourth-gen iPod touches ("MC54xLL"), though this similarity doesn't help prove its authenticity nor indicate whether it'll make it to the market. Still, if Apple does go ahead with this grubby device or at least its capacitive home button, we might see new touch or gesture controls for the bezel area below the screen à la webOS, as suggested by an earlier patent. But hey, let's not take this too seriously for now -- all this could turn out to be just a much belated April Fools' prank, right?

iPod touch prototype with capacitive home button leaked? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPod nano review — as a watch

Nilay Patel — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:30:00 +0000

iPod nano watchbands -- they're everywhere! Seriously, ever since Steve Jobs said that an unnamed Apple board member jokingly planned to wear the new nano as a watch, we've seen all shapes and sizes of wristbands designed to put the diminutive media player on your wrist, ranging from the super-basic to the super-silly to the super-amazing. But hold up -- yes, we thought the new nano was a great little media player when we first reviewed it, but why hasn't anyone talked about what it's like to wear one as your watch? Is replacing your current timepiece with the nano's 1.5-inch 240 x 240 multitouch display actually a good idea? We took the nerd-bullet for you and wore one for a week to find out -- read on!

Gallery: iPod nano review -- as a watch

Continue reading iPod nano review -- as a watch

iPod nano review -- as a watch originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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