Galaxy Player 4.0 review

Galaxy Player 4.0

Apple users have the iPod touch, but what about Android fans? Where do they turn when looking for an app-running, connected media player — basically a smartphone without the phone? Well, believe it or not, there are a few options out there (like the Philips GoGear and Cowon’s D3) And one of the premier lines is certainly Samsung’s Galaxy Player offerings which, as the name implies, borrow a few things from their beloved cellphone siblings. There’s both a 4.0 ($230) and a 5.0 ($270) model which have four- and five-inch screens, respectively, but, besides the size, the two are practically identical in the specs department. We toyed with the smaller Galaxy Player 4.0 for a couple of weeks and our thoughts on Sammy’s (somewhat pricier) answer to the iPod touch are right after the break.

Continue reading Galaxy Player 4.0 review

Galaxy Player 4.0 review originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon shipping iAudio 10 PMP tomorrow: $160 and up

Remember that stunner of a PMP that Cowon teased us with back in September? Better brush up, ’cause she’s shipping out in the US of A starting tomorrow. The iAudio 10 is — for all intents and purposes — a refreshed and re-imagined S9, boasting a curved 400 x 240 (3-inch) display, microphone input, TV output, FM radio and a document viewer. Unlike the D3 before it, the company looks to be eschewing Android on this one for its own homegrown operating system, and in typical Cowon fashion, it’ll support practically every file format under the sun. The I10-16WH (16GB) will ship in white for $159.99, while the ebony I10-32BL (32GB) edition will go for $199.99. We’re told that the Buy It Now link will be live tomorrow, and we’ll update this post just as soon as it arrives in our hands.

Cowon shipping iAudio 10 PMP tomorrow: $160 and up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPod: 10 Breathtaking Years of Industrial Design

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The iPod, which celebrated its 10th birthday on Sunday, may not have been the first portable music player, or even the first to play digital music files. But it’s the one that everyone remembers, and will go down in history as one of the most significant technology launches of the 21st century.

Sure, there was the Sony Walkman. It played cassette tapes, and everyone had one, but no one fondly remembers the Walkman’s industrial design. Nor was the Walkman even the first mobile music device. That distinction goes to various portable vinyl players — yes, vinyl! — that floated around during the pre-Walkman era.

The iPod, though, was the most revolutionary portable music player of all, and vividly demonstrated Apple’s authority as a consumer electronics manufacturer. When it launched, the iPod was able to benefit from the rogue music distribution of peer-to-peer file-sharing services like Napster, and that helped provide a foothold.

But the iPod’s real success enabler was iTunes, a fully curated platform with buy-in from the music industry. And then there was the device’s industrial design. The first iPod was an object of techno-lust, and the product line’s design has only become more enchanting.

Available in some two dozen iterations over the years, the iPod made music accessible to everyone. In short order, there was an option for every budget, and for every application: an iPod Classic with up to 160GB of storage (that’s 40,000 songs) for true music aficionados and DJs; smaller, sporty shuffles and nanos, perfect for exercising and extreme mobility; and eventually the iPod touch for playing games and watching videos.

It’s a breathtaking product catalog. So let’s take a look at how the iPod has evolved over the years, and where it’s headed next.

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The iPod turns 10, celebrates a decade of destroying physical media

Evolution of the iPod

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been exactly ten years since the iPod was first unveiled, ultimately changing the music industry forever. The iPod wasn’t the first, it wasn’t the smallest, it didn’t have the largest hard drive, but it did have an iconic style and simple to use interface that led march away from CDs. When the history of Apple is written the iPod (perhaps more than the iMac, OS X or the iPhone) will be credited with helping spearhead the company’s second coming. Over the years the music player has seen countless iterations and redesigns, and an expansion of the product line to include smaller devices and touch screens — but for most it’s the scroll wheel and white earbuds that define the iPod. Sure, what is now called the iPod classic hasn’t seen a serious update since about 2007, but it still holds a special place in our hearts, especially for those of us who don’t measure their music collection in a few dozen iTunes downloads.

The iPod turns 10, celebrates a decade of destroying physical media originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola announces Motoactv, ‘the ultimate fitness device’

It’s official, Motorola’s just officially unveiled Motoactv (not to be confused with these guys), its very own music and fitness device. The little running mate sports a 600MHz processor, runs Android and weighs a healthy 35 grams. It’ll apparently track your heart rate, and log running, walking and cycling statistics, and packs GPS to track your exercise routes. The Nike+ competitor is unsurprisingly sweat and waterproof and can hold up to 4,000 songs. It also offers FM radio and audio “coaching,” which updates on pace and distance, for those who need a little inspiration in their routine. Moto’s also outing a pair of accompanying Bluetooth headsets, the SF700 ($149) and SF500 ($99), which will be sold separately. The Motoactv will set beat-bumping runners back $249 or $299 for 8GB and 16GB, respectively. Full PR is after the break, and official photos are on the way.

Be sure to check out our Motorola liveblog right here!

Continue reading Motorola announces Motoactv, ‘the ultimate fitness device’

Motorola announces Motoactv, ‘the ultimate fitness device’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 land on shelves, deliver Gingerbread without the phone

Galaxy Player 4.0

Right on schedule the Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 have made their way into retail channels and are ready to deliver their particular brand of phone-less Gingerbread right to your greasy little fingers. Both devices sport a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via a microSD slot as well as the usual bundle of Sammy customizations, like TouchWiz and Media Hub. The only difference between the two PMPs is size and price, with the 5-inch model coming in at $270 and the 4-inch a more modest $230. You can pick both up at your local electronics retailer, such as the one that claims to be the best, right now.

Galaxy Player 4.0 and 5.0 land on shelves, deliver Gingerbread without the phone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Philips’ Android-based GoGear Connect PMP now available for pre-order

Time is slipping away for it to meet its promised September debut, but Philip’s Android-based GoGear Connect handheld / PMP is now available for pre-order from at least one online retailer (J&R). It’ll run you $170 for the 8GB model and an even $200 for 16GB (both a slight discount off the list price), each of which come equipped with a 3.2-inch display, WiFi connectivity, built-in speakers, a microSD card slot for additional storage, and Android 2.3 with access to Android Market. Unfortunately, there’s still no indication of an exact ship date, but we’re guessing you won’t have to wait too much longer if you decide to take the plunge.

[Thanks, Peter]

Philips’ Android-based GoGear Connect PMP now available for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony MDR-NC200D noise-cancelling headphones review

Anyone who commutes to a big city knows how loud and distracting things can get — whether it’s the whine of a bus engine, a subway car’s ca-clank or just that screaming baby seated behind you. Some folks may find cranking jams through their headphones helpful for blocking out the world, while others would prefer a bit more relative silence. Thankfully, in this modern age there exist headphones with noise-cancelling goodness to help you zone out.

Sony hasn’t been a stranger to such cans, and recently introduced its $200 MDR-NC200D noise-cancelling headphones; a mid-range option for folks wanting similar benefits of its over-ear NC500D in an on-ear package. The claim is that these pups will reduce “98.2 percent of ambient noise” for up to 22 hours on a single AAA, so we sported the MDRs for the past few weeks as our primary set of headphones to hear for ourselves. You’ll find all of the rock blockin’ deets just after the break.

Continue reading Sony MDR-NC200D noise-cancelling headphones review

Sony MDR-NC200D noise-cancelling headphones review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony announces Walkman Z PMP: 4.3 inches, Tegra 2, Gingerbread and ‘Throw’

We already got some brief hands-on time with this Gingerbread-sporting PMP at IFA, where it went by the name of “Walkman Mobile Entertainment Player.” Now it’s just been announced as the Sony Walkman Z, which rolls off the tongue a whole lot easier. Beneath that 4.3-inch WVGA display lurks a 1GHz Tegra 2, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and a battery rated for 20 hours of music and 5 hours of video. There’s HDMI out as well as Sony’s Throw feature for pushing media wirelessly to a Bravia TV. Pricing remains “open” apparently, but Sony does commit to availability in Japan from December 10th. You’ll get a choice of 16, 32 or 64GB models in either red/black or black/blue, or you can wait for a limited edition white version in early 2012. If you’re planning on sending it our way, Sony, then you should know we’ll be utterly broke by then.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sony announces Walkman Z PMP: 4.3 inches, Tegra 2, Gingerbread and ‘Throw’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon D3 firmware hits 3.5, gives your Gingerbread PMP a spit shine

Cowon D3

The Cowon D3, equal parts stunning and frustrating, got at least incrementally better in July when it finally scored a heavily skinned version of Gingerbread. Now, with version 3.55 of the media player’s firmware, the D3 is getting even more streamlined. There’s no huge new features to speak of — and don’t even get your hopes up for market support — but overall the PMP should be more stable and run a bit smoother. Hit up the source link to check out the full list of bug fixes and to download the update now.

[Thanks, Greg]

Cowon D3 firmware hits 3.5, gives your Gingerbread PMP a spit shine originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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