|
|
DreaMP3 player
Surrounded by neat new technology, CNETers every once in a while sit back and daydream about the perfect gadget. Here's the MP3 player that we dreamed up.
By James Kim (August 10, 2005)
Click the sketch above to get a detailed look at the DreaMP3's inner and outer workings.
CNET digital audio editors breathe, sleep, and live MP3. So when we were assigned the compelling task of creating our own dream MP3 player, we could hardly contain our excitement. After intense brainstorming sessions and sweat-inducing e-mail volleys, Team CNET came up with the elements and basic sketches of what was then known only by its code name: the Mothership. Once loaded, we shot our specs over to an industrial designer, who created the device that you see before you.
DreaMP3 plays all formats
There is no other MP3 player like the DreaMP3, a.k.a. the Mothership. In addition to MP3 files, it plays WMA, DRM WMA, AAC, DRM AAC (Fairplay), ATRAC3, ATRAC3plus, OGG, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Audible, Audio Feast, WAV, and AIFF formats. For all you WMA-subscription hounds out there, it's also Janus compatible; in other words, it plays virtually all popular audio formats, so you'll never have to transcode a file again. In addition, you can purchase your songs from any store you want and subscribe to any major service. Also, if you have any MPEG-4 or DivX video files, stick them on the player's 100GB hard drive, and video will play without the need for transcoding. The Mothership isn't a PVP--it's a video-enabled MP3 player. It's also a JPEG, TIFF, and BMP viewer with excellent slide-show options, and with a plug-in, it takes raw files.
Visually, the DreaMP3 breaks new ground
Our muse could have been any of the following: the Apple iPod, the iRiver U10, and the Sony NW-HD5. While the DreaMP3 isn't all screen, its 2.5-inch full-color OLED dominates the front side. You can press the display on any side to activate a clearly labeled function within the graphical interface. We're also proud of our ThumbGel, which acts in concert with the "rocker" screen. There is nothing quite like the ThumbGel, which is pressure sensitive and defiantly kicks Apple's Click Wheel to the curb. The removable rechargeable battery is a must, as are the wireless in-ear 'buds. But the DreaMP3's secret weapon? The lithe 2GB flash-based player that hides inside the main unit's body. The Torpedo gives you the option to carry a superlightweight music-only device that you can pin to your shirt.
The device doesn't live in the realm of impossibility. In fact, when the project was in its infancy, we set the primary rule: the technology has to exist today. We also decided to create an MP3 player as it's known today, rather than including functionality for a cell phone, a PDA, or other mobile device.
CNET editors Lindsey Turrentine and Jasmine France, as well as CNET's MP3.com staff, contributed to this feature.
|
