mp3

It takes some doing to create a significant buzz among jaded bloggers, but BMW has managed to do just that (and just as it had planned, we assume). The minicontroversy centers on a special Flash page that teases what looks to be some kind of uberdevice that "touts the ability to play MP3s, DVDs and CDs, has USB and Bluetooth connectivity options, can recognize voice commands, and has a 65,000-color LCD to boot," according to Engadget.

The question, of course, is universal: What is it? And BMW has done little to answer it, naturally, thereby heightening the … Read more

With storage devices getting smaller all the time, MP3 players have followed suit--and some have gotten so small that they look almost identical to flash cards themselves.

The credit-card size of a new wallet MP3 player by (who else?) Walletex, which integrates music into the company's similarly sized flash cards, is apparently limited only by the thickness of a USB plug. And Krunker.com notes that it has a "large double-sided branding area for high-quality printing"--a hint at their possible future use as promotional giveaways.

Maybe someday Walletex will do a deal to use Samsung's … Read more

Our overprotective parental genes have led us to express concerns about underwater electronics on more than a few occasions. It's that old radio-bathtub-electrocution warning from our childhood, not unlike the standard you'll-put-your-eye-out routine.

So even though it may not be scientifically necessary, we approve of the sealed-case design of this waterproof MP3 player from Japan's Sunconnection. The airtight casing has even skipped the usual display (gasp), though it seems to have most of the standard specs, Fareastgizmos says. And even if it does end up failing, you'll only be out $25--just hope that it doesn't … Read more

There's really not much reason to get a MobiBLU "Cubisto" unless you just want to carry around an oddly shaped music player as a conversation starter. But hey, that could describe a good number of gadgets we write about anyway.

Dapreview says the Cubisto is basically a stripped-down MP3 player with average storage and features, for $90. But we like the cut of its jib anyway, because it at least tries to be different without going over the top. We're also strangely fond of its name, which sounds like a cross between a magician and a … Read more

We knew it would happen eventually. A group of record labels filed suit against Russian music site AllofMP3.com, the Associated Press reported. The plaintiffs include Arista Records, Warner Bros., Capitol Records and UMG Recordings, the AP reported.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York on Wednesday, alleges that the company is making a profit by selling copyrighted songs without permission. The Moscow-based site charges around $1 for most albums, and has been under fire in the United States for some time, although it claims it is compliant with Russian copyright law.

Russia agreed to shut down the site … Read more

Just spotted on Buy.com: a 4GB Creative Zen V for $116--and with free shipping. Sure, it's after a rebate (doesn't say whether it's instant or mail in...I'd guess the latter), but still: a 4GB flash MP3 player for under $120 is quite a deal in my book.

Until the world switches entirely to video downloads, it looks as if portable DVD players will be around for awhile. But most of them are still fairly bulky animals with outdated designs.

Hammacher Schlemmer, however, claims to have "the most portable handheld DVD player," with 4.5-inch screen that pretty much takes up most of the surface area on one side. It still manages to cram in an MP3 player and a 2.5-hour battery, as well as some external kid-proof features (as if such a thing exists).

The diameter of the $130 1.25-pound player, which is … Read more

Being of a decidedly superficial ilk, we're always on the lookout for stuff that catches our visual fancy despite how it might perform. That's why we were both pleased and disappointed in Saitek's new iPod speakers.

The "gently smoothed pebble" appearance, as Slashgear describes it, is indeed fetching. But then we saw a photo of the Nano stand affixed to the speakers, which looks like something of an afterthought applied with a nervous screwdriver. It's not nearly as bad as some of the deformities we've documented in this space, but it's not … Read more

With so many gadgets morphing into one another, we've often wondered why the natural combination of reading and music hasn't come up more often. Oh, right: No one reads books anymore.

Maybe some people will at least use the dictionary that comes with this combo e-book reader and MP3 player from Sharp. The RD-CX100 handheld has a relatively large 4.3-inch screen and a dictionary that can store up to "63 volumes," according to Akihabara News, though it doesn't explain exactly how much data a volume comprises. No other details are provided, though photos show … Read more