zen

Oh, that sneaky Creative! Shipping newly colorful versions of the Zen to Walmart.com and other online retailers before even releasing a whisper of such events to media. No matter--I'm pleased as punch to see the Zen in colors other than black, even if those colors happen to be Pepto pink and race car red. Actually, the red model is kind of hot, but the two together are so Valentine's Day...and it's May. Personally, I'd like to see some metallic hues, even just plain ole silver. Or how about a nice, deep shiny purple? That'… Read more

Spotted on Shopper: the Creative Zen Vision:M in the 30GB black variety. No, I am not playing a cruel joke on Zen lovers. You really can still buy the player. Of course, you'll be shelling out more than $500 for one, but that's worth it for a piece of tech history, right? Or...no? You tell me. I can't be the only one that mourned the retirement of this chunky-yet-fabulous portable media device, but I won't be shelling half a grand for one anytime soon. Of course, I still have a functioning one (in green, … Read more

Creative is clearing out a mess of refurbished gear, including 1GB Zen Stone MP3 players for $13.99, 2GB Zen Stone Plus players for $21.99, and my personal favorite: the 4GB Zen for $64.99. All prices include shipping!

In case you're unfamiliar with it, the Zen is Creative's answer to the 3rd-gen iPod nano. It offers a 2.5-inch screen, an FM tuner, an SDHC slot (for adding up to 16GB of extra storage via cheapo memory cards), a voice recorder, and support for music-subscription services. You can also stock it with TV shows and movies … Read more

When we saw pictures of the "Buddha phone," we didn't actually think we'd see it for real. So when one of my colleagues said he saw one at Sim Lim Square (the gadget bazaar of Singapore), I knew I had to see it with my own eyes.

Unlike the laughable Lillian Too Lucky Dragon handset, the Buddha phone drew a much more subdued reaction. Maybe because the shopowner got a little suspicious of my close scrutiny and fusillade of questions. I swear he had me in the corner of his eye even while attending to other … Read more

If there's one thing that's in dire need among mobile phone addicts, it's a calming influence. And though it may be too much to ask for them to part with their handsets, perhaps the answer is in the handset itself, honorable grasshopper.

Enter the "Buddha phone."

This "pear of the orient," as Newlaunches describes it, has even been blessed by a Buddhist monk. Lesser beings like us might be interested in knowing such superficial elements as its touch screen, microSD card slot, and 24k-gold plating. Those features are hardly unique these days, but … Read more

It's a leap-day special: Creative is clearing out refurbished Zen V players for $19.99 shipped. Don't expect any color or capacity choices: This is the 1GB model in white with orange accents (pretty sharp-looking, I think).

There's nothing terribly fancy about this player--no FM tuner or expansion slot, for instance--but it does support music-subscription services. It also allows for line-in recordings, which I suppose is pretty fancy. Perfect little player for the gym, especially if you add the armband (on sale for $9.99). Don't wait: The deal expires today.

That headline is my offhand way of mentioning that Creative just dropped Zen prices: You can now get the 8GB model for just $150, the same price as Apple's 4GB Nano. If that's your budget for a portable media player, which one should you choose?

It's practically a no-brainer: the Zen has a larger screen (2.5 inches), an FM tuner, twice the storage, and an SD card slot for adding even more storage. On the other hand, the Nano is way slimmer and sexier, and iTunes offers a much broader selection of TV, movies, audiobooks, etc., … Read more

As we creep slowly into 2008, I can't seem to shake the sinking feeling that this year isn't going to have much to offer in the realm of MP3 players. Truly, it's going to be hard to follow 2007. The year ushered in a growing selection of devices with wireless capabilities, touch screens, and high capacity flash memory at increasingly lower prices--not to mention the slow death of hard drive-based portable media players. In fact, many of my top selections from the past year comprise at least one of these features, along with many other desirable traits. … Read more

Creative, one of the first MP3 player manufacturers to cross the 32GB threshold for flash-based MP3 players, has lowered the price of their 32GB Zen from $349 to $299. Could this price drop have anything to do with Apple's recently released 32GB iPod Touch? I wouldn't bet against it. After all, it sounds much more impressive to say that the Zen is a full $200 less than the competition. People like big round numbers, right? The Zen also has the advantage of SDHC memory expansion, offering a potential 48GB of solid state storage.

If you're looking for … Read more