October 12, 2006, 11:32 AM PDT
iPod beauty school
Posted by:
James Kim
iPod accessories magnate DLO has just premiered its
Care Kit for iPod, a "three-step scratch and cleaning solution" for the world's most popular player. Packaged like a product you'd find in Sephora, the $30 Care Kit includes a daily cleaner, a fine scratch remover, and a heavy scratch remover. Additionally, you get a few cleaning cloths, including one with microfibers). The kit claims to get most scratches out of worn and torn iPods (but not their metallic backside) and preserve the pure complexions of new iPods-- after all, these are chemicals we're talking about here. This stuff has "iPod infomercial" all over it.
We just got some; we'll test it out and let you know how well it works.
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October 05, 2006, 11:00 AM PDT
Best Buy, SanDisk, and Real team up to launch Best Buy Digital Music Store
Posted by:
James Kim
Now that's a threesome. In addition to
the launch of Real Rhapsody 4 and the SanDisk Sansa e200R Rhapsody player, Best Buy will get involved with the Rhapsody/Sansa ecosystem when it begins offering both the player and a Best Buy-branded music store October 15. Powered by Rhapsody 4, the Best Buy Digital Music Store will offer more than 2.5 million tracks for purchase and subscription, and it will work seamlessly with the new Sansa e200R Rhapsody series of MP3 players. Basically, it's a reskinned version of Rhapsody 4 (look out for Jasmine France's full review).
Partnering with Best Buy in this regard is smart for both Real and SanDisk--after all, the new ecosystem competes with iPod/iTunes and will soon compete with Zune. I think the two different makes of the e200 series may confuse consumers, but if the Rhapsody DNA-laced e200R works as well as or better than advertised, consumers should take note, because both player and software are looking like a dazzling duo. Stay tuned for our reviews of Rhaposdy 4 and the e200R Rhapsody player.
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4 comments
September 28, 2006, 7:38 AM PDT
Microsoft Zune official pricing ($249.99) and availability (November 14)
Posted by:
James Kim
The Zune really is coming soon. After some wild speculation that had the Zune priced anywhere from $99 to $300, the Microsoft Wi-Fi MP3 player's price has officially been set at $249.99. No doubt affected by the iPod's $249 price tag, the Zune will hit stores in the United States on November 14 (a huge week for holiday tech toy announcements).
Other details include an odd Microsoft "point" system where users pay $1 for 80 points--79 points will buy you a song at the Zune music store (points can also be used in the Xbox Live Marketplace). And $14.99 per month will get you a Zune Pass, an all-you-can-eat subscription. Out of the gate, the Zune will have several accessories, including the $100 Zune Home A/V Pack (includes a dock, a remote, cables, a sync cable, and an extra battery), the $80 Car Pack (a car charger and an FM transmitter), and the $100 Zune Travel Pack. Since the Zune will not ship with a wall power adapter (only USB), we recommend getting one of the kits or the adapter ($30) itself. All accessory components will be available individually as well.
Get more details here.
Source: Reuters
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46 comments
September 27, 2006, 3:10 PM PDT
Apple releases iTunes 7.0.1 update
Posted by:
James Kim
Apple has quietly made available an
update to iTunes 7. Version 7.0.1 "addresses stability and performance issues with Cover Flow, CD importing, iPod syncing, and more." Hopefully, the "and more" part deals with the many issues that a horde of iTunes 7 users have been complaining about since its initial launch on September 12. Though I haven't personally experienced major issues (see my
review here), I have
witnessed iTunes 7's bugginess on Jasmine France's PC and have read many testy comments on Apple's crowded forums. We'll update our review if we notice any improvements in performance or stability.
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30 comments
September 26, 2006, 9:41 AM PDT
Sirius officially announces the Stiletto 100
Posted by:
James Kim
File the Stiletto 100 under "Top gadget rumors of 2006." We now have official details about the much-ballyhooed Sirius gadget. First, it's a compact portable Sirius satellite-radio receiver that can record programming (you can also pause and rewind TiVo-style). Competitor XM already has a couple of like devices in the
Samsung Helix and the Pioneer Inno. But the Stiletto includes integrated Wi-Fi, so it can hop onto the Sirius online network to stream songs.
Available "this month" (website states October 4 shipping), the Stiletto (measuring 4.7 by 2 by 1 inches), offers 100 hours of recordable storage (2GB), and the Wi-Fi aspect gives subscribers access "to all of Sirius's 64 commercial-free music channels, plus Howard Stern's two channels, Martha Stewart Living Radio, OutQ, and other original talk programming." That can be extremely useful indoors, and just the thought of dual streams--one from space, the other via the Internet--makes this gadget a wonder.
The included Yahoo Music Jukebox is simply an application that will allow you to manage and purchase the tracks that you added as favorites--nothing too extraordinary about that. The device is an MP3/WMA player with a 2.2-inch screen. You also get 30 channel presets, and the ability to pause and rewind live radio back 60 minutes. From the release: Stiletto 100, with a MSRP of $349.99, will include the radio, standard battery, slim battery, AC power adapter, headset antenna, earbuds, PC cable, My Sirius Studio software, and Yahoo Music Jukebox software."
We'll have a review of the unit and service as soon as we get our paws on them. See CNET News' video of the Stilleto in action here.
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15 comments
September 22, 2006, 11:14 AM PDT
Microsoft Zune for $99?
Posted by:
James Kim
I don't think so. But respected blogger Mike Evangelist
theorizes that the Zune could be massively subsidized by Microsoft to gain overnight market share. Since a big part of the Zune revenue picture is subscription-based content, why not "give" away devices (hoping for a lifetime of subscription dues) in a market that's still dominated by Apple?
Current speculation has the Zune at $249, the same price as the 30GB iPod. Prior to Apple's price-crunching iPod announcement, the 30GB Zune was unofficially set at $299. A sub-$100 price would rock the market for sure.
Source: Mac Daily News
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1 comment
September 20, 2006, 11:51 AM PDT
CNET Asia reviews Samsung's stylish YP-T9
Posted by:
James Kim
Our sister site in Asia has reviewed the Samsung YP-T9, a 4GB (maximum) player that was announced in the States recently to little fanfare. The sleek flash-based player replaces the T8 and includes video playback. We're trying hard to get one in for review, but in the meantime, read CNET Asia's mostly flattering
take.
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September 20, 2006, 10:35 AM PDT
Delphi announces the SkyFi3
Posted by:
James Kim
Delphi is back with another portable XM receiver. The SkyFi3 is a lightweight unit (65 percent smaller than the
SkyFi2) with a built-in receiver that can be used in concert with the Live Wearable "antenna" headphones (a $49 accessory) for true portability. However, the SkyFi3, with its big-buttoned interface, big and bright 9-line 2.8-inch display, and vertical and horizontal flexibility, is ideal for car use. It ships with a car dock kit and will be available December 1 for $229.
The device can record up to 10 hours of satellite radio and store songs in the unit's built-in flash, and it includes a Micro SD slot that allows you to play back MP3 and WMA files. Like the SkyFi2, this version can pause live recording and rewind 30 minutes of content. Additionally, the SkyFi3 features a strong FM transmitter.
We played with an early unit and noticed its lightweight build and good button layout. The screen is nice and big, but you'll have to do without the luxury of color and station graphics. As mentioned, you'll have to get the special headphones in order to listen to live XM between your house and car. The battery life of 90 minutes of live XM is pretty weak, but then, this is not supposed to replace the MyFi (or Samsung's Helix or Pioneer's Inno). It may not be the smallest or fanciest satellite radio receiver/recorder/MP3 player out there, but it does a lot for the price. Look for our full review of the SkyFi3 in the coming weeks.
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September 14, 2006, 4:10 PM PDT
Some juicy prereview tidbits about Apple iTunes 7
Posted by:
James Kim
Although the
Microsoft Zune announcement threw a wrench into a timely
iTunes 7 review, the delay allows for more time with the intriguing jukebox/movie store application (as well as allow more of the
reported bugs to seep out). So far, we've heard of some nasty problems with Windows versions (such as crashing, some audio sounding choppy, and refusal to recognize the new iPod Nano), but I've had mostly excellent results on both platforms (a tired old PowerBook G4 and a Dell XPS P4 desktop). I spoke with Apple to clarify some things, mainly about purchased movies, and here's what I came away with:
As of September 12, all movies and TV shows have a general resolution of 640x480. This includes TV shows that were available at the then-standard 320x240 even just a few days ago. You will have to purchase a new version of the same file if you want to standardize your library. Predictable, but too bad. Apple likened the situation to upgrading to DVDs from VHS tapes, though in this case, the buying cycle is much shorter. So what happens if and when Apple decides to offer movies in DVD resolution (720x480) someday? Probably the same thing.
Many movies are available in wide-screen format. Sweet. But we were wondering if there any letter-boxing was going on since the movie files are 640x480. It turns out that wide-screen movies will have a resolution of 640xX, or in the case of The Incredibles, 640x272. That's fine on a computer, but on a 2.5-inch iPod, that's pushing it.
Good news for owners of "older" 5G iPods: Software update 1.2 allows for compatibility with the new games, compatibility with 640x480 video content, and the cool quick-scroll letter indicator feature. Gapless playback and search are not supported.
iTunes transfers the original 640x480 file to your iPod--no transcoding. The iPod simply plays back VGA content at 320x240. So you'll need a little more space on your iPod today for the same video you may have purchased preannouncement. Also, when you pipe video out to a TV, it will of course be shown in full 640x480.
iTunes' neat Get Album Artwork just isn't working too great for most users. The feature in theory helps both Apple (makes iTunes more attractive) and users (makes iTunes more useful and attractive), but if the "service" doesn't work well, why bother. Apparently, Apple is continuing to tweak some algorithms and back-end stuff to make this work properly, and I believe them. It's possible that you could use Get Album Artwork twice in within 10 minutes and get different results. Searches are done by scanning for Gracenote serial numbers and by scanning existing metatag data. By the way, the available album art is based on what's in the iTunes Store's existing library, though art for Nirvana's Nevermind and Elton John's Madman Across the Water was M.I.A.
When you first install and run iTunes 7, the app automatically analyzes your tracks for gapless playback. It's not actually seamlessly bridging gaps as I'd thought; rather, it is figuring it out based on format and bit rate, the best method for ungapping songs. If you turn Cross Fade off, all tracks will be played gaplessly. If not, you'll have to multiselect all tracks in a gapless album, Get Info, then indicate that you want the selection to be part of a gapless album. So far, gapless playback works very well on both iTunes and the iPod Nano. Now that Apple's in the gapless game, it's a must feature for the competition (though the Rio Karma introduced it, and Archos 04 players already have gapless).
Look for our full review of iTunes 7 tomorrow. In the meantime, let us know what you think about iTunes 7.
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3 comments
September 14, 2006, 1:00 PM PDT
More Microsoft Zune info
Posted by:
James Kim
Zune jukebox software and Marketplace (Credit: Engadget)
[+]
Enlarge photo
Here's an update on the Microsoft Zune ecosystem, which was
officially launched this morning:
The 30GB Zune (designed by Microsoft, manufactured by Toshiba) will use ad-hoc Wi-Fi for local communication with other Zune users. So you can share, but not online (as you could with the MusicGremlin). Also, this means you cannot connect to the Zune Marketplace from the device itself. However, Microsoft has left the door open for development of the Zune's wireless capabilities. J. Allard of Microsoft says in this Engadget interview, "We've got thousands of ideas and we're going to sort those ideas based on what our customers are telling us and what kind of experience they have with it...That's the beauty of having 802.11 in every device: we can do that."
The Zune will play back, at the least, MP3, unprotected AAC, and WMA audio files. No confirmation on other formats such as lossless, WAV, and Audible. Tracks purchased from the store will be 192Kbps and will not play on any other device, including PlaysForSure devices. Like the iPod's, Zune's is a closed ecosystem. It will also support WMV, H.264, and MPEG-4. So the Zune won't be as closed up as many people had feared. Microsoft wants to play nice with your existing non-DRM media.
No specs on dimensions or weight, though some invite-only music bloggers who got to play with the Zune have commented on it being heavy and thick. Also, the round primary navigation pad is a five-way pad, not a Clickwheel-style controller. No word on bundled accessories, though it looks like you'll have to spring for an AC adapter (charges via USB).
Additional Zune features include on-the-go playlists; photo slide shows with music; song information on some FM stations; as you scroll through content, the first letter will appear just like on the Toshiba Gigabeat S and the new iPods.
The Zune's 3-inch screen will be QVGA (320x240), nothing to write home about. However, it will shift to horizontal mode for videos and photos, and the controls will shift with it--just like on the Toshiba Gigabeat S. The software interface also borrows from the Portable Media Center interface--such features as twist navigation (which I love).
No mention of Zune's potential integration with Live Anywhere. The Zune, like a few other current Windows Media devices, can be connected to an Xbox via USB, and its contents can be played back and controlled via the Xbox.
So far, no pricing and availability, and no details such as battery life, though according to Billboard.com, Microsoft officials have stated it's 12 hours--with Wi-Fi off. That's pretty weak and could be a stumbling block for the Zune out of the gate.
The Zune jukebox software will host the Zune Marketplace, where users will be able to purchase tracks (presumably WMA) and/or become a subscriber to Zune Pass. No details on pricing yet. It will support photos and video as well (looks like it's built on top of Windows Media Player).
The Zune will include a Journal window, which keeps track of flagged music (for later purchase) as well as songs swapped with other Zunesters. This Journal option will show up in the Zune software as well.
You can get more information at News.com and ZuneInsider.com. Here's the new video.
Check out the Zune photo slide show
Check out a video of Zune-to-Zune sharing (via Mobility Today).
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