Samsung’s phone division now also in charge of PMPs, Galaxy Player coming in Q2 2011

Yes, CES 2011 will be graced by the presence of Samsung’s new 4-inch Galaxy Player, but our pockets, it would seem, might have to wait for it quite a bit longer. The Wall Street Journal today reports that, while Samsung intends to roll out the new Android PMP in its home market of Korea shortly after CES next week, the rest of the world is unlikely to be able to buy it until “the April to June period.” Aside from its lack of phone functionality and a Super AMOLED panel, the new Galaxy Player is an almost identical replica of the company’s wildly successful Galaxy S smartphone, which apparently has been no accident. The WSJ also lets us in on the knowledge that Samsung’s phone division has taken over responsibility for building and selling its portable media player range, hence why we’re now seeing such major overlaps between the two categories — something that might very well continue into the future.

Samsung’s phone division now also in charge of PMPs, Galaxy Player coming in Q2 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon D3 Plenue PMP runs Android, looks like a phone, totally isn’t

Ever find yourself wanting a phone that, you know, couldn’t make calls? Welcome to the Cowon D3 Plenue, an Android-having PMP that looks so good we want to press it to our cheeks and say “Hello.” Sadly there’d be nobody there, nobody but up to 32GB of Britney, Katy, Mandy, and whoever else you’d like stored on microSD and played back over a 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 AMOLED. That display isn’t capable of doing your 1080p files justice, but the PMP itself is, and with HDMI output it can send that footage to an external panel. There’s also WiFi, a T-DMB tuner, Bluetooth, and even an accelerometer. In case you’re wondering it’s Android 2.1 hiding behind that skin and, while Cowon promises “Apps,” we’re a little doubtful they’ll be of the Market variety.

Cowon D3 Plenue PMP runs Android, looks like a phone, totally isn’t originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung said to be bringing a 4-inch Galaxy Player to CES 2011

Samsung Hub is reporting this morning that Samsung intends to introduce a new Galaxy Player to the tech gathering known as CES early next month. We’ve not been able to track down Samsung’s official word on the matter, but the Hub‘s information details a 4-inch Super Clear LCD display with 800 x 480 resolution, Android 2.2 as the operating system (replete with Sammy’s own TouchWiz layer, by the look of that screenshot above), a 1GHz CPU, 3.2 megapixel imager on the back plus a front-facing camera, and a 1200mAh battery. Android Market access is also in the cards, apparently, but when (or if?) this most worthy successor to the Galaxy Player 50 will make its US retail debut remains a mystery for now. We’ll be sure to ask when we get our hands on the new hardware next week.

Continue reading Samsung said to be bringing a 4-inch Galaxy Player to CES 2011

Samsung said to be bringing a 4-inch Galaxy Player to CES 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget: best high-capacity (250GB or more) portable media player?

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Dhruv, who needs to live about 20 years in the future, where all PMPs start at 160GB. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“So I’m a music lover of sorts and my (already compressed) iTunes library is nearing 150GB. I used to have an iPod Classic 160GB, but that doesn’t allow for much growing room. Seeing as Apple has pretty much given up on the Classic’s future, I was hoping there was another player out there that would have higher capacity drives in it. I know Toshiba makes a 240GB and 320GB 1.8” drive, but I see nothing using it.

Also, I would love for it to have physical buttons. And like the Classic, it should be portable. I saw the Archos 5 online and it’s a mammoth. Basically, my ideal player is an iPod Classic with at least a 250GB HDD inside. Thanks!”

It’s a shame that Cowon’s gorgeous X7 tops out at 160GB, else that’d be a solid solution. Outside of the Archos 5, does anyone have any solid, high-capacity solutions? Looks like your best bet may be to snag a lower-end PMP that’ll hold a 1.8-inch drive, and then hack a larger one in yourself.

Ask Engadget: best high-capacity (250GB or more) portable media player? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aluratek’s new wireless speakers go Bump in the night

Speakers? Oh yeah. Wires? Heck no. Aluratek has launched three new wireless audio products collectively called Bump — though somehow a wired model got lumped in there too. A bit of a step from the company’s previous digi frame and e-reader offerings, the four tune-pumping solutions start with the $49.99 AMS01F, a wee boombox that plays music from SD, line-in, or FM and does six hours on a charge. The $79.99 AUWS01F ditches the media player functionality, relying on a signal sent from a 2.4GHz USB dongle that you stick in your nearest PC or Mac (within 60 feet) that has some tunes on it. Next is the $99.99 AWS01F, basically the AMS01F boombox with the addition of a separate wireless speaker. Finally, if you’re not ready to cut the cord, there’s the $19.99 APS01F, a single little tweeter with a 3.5mm cable sprouting from below. They’re all available now, so you know what to do.

Update: Seems these are a rebadge. Welp, at least you’ve got another option.

Continue reading Aluratek’s new wireless speakers go Bump in the night

Aluratek’s new wireless speakers go Bump in the night originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 10:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Iriver teases out U100, P100, and D2000 portable media players

Looks like there are more colorful PMPs on the way from Iriver. All we have right now from the company is a teaser video (in Korean, no less) and a few model names: U100, P100, and D2000, to be exact. Hopefully this will tide you over until next year when the things are ready to hit the street. Hit the source link to feel the love (as well as some very moving piano music).

Iriver teases out U100, P100, and D2000 portable media players originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos Internet Tablets get firmware updates, everybody gets a Froyo

Archos Internet Tablets and PMPs get firmware updates, everybody gets a Froyo

Okay, maybe not everybody, but the vast majority of the Android offerings from Archos are receiving some guilt-free sweet treats. Models 23, 32, 43, 70, and 101 (you know, these guys) are all on the lucky receiving end of firmware updates that bring Android 2.2.1 to the table. That comes with improved performance, better battery life estimation, and support for external GPS adapters. All yours for the low, low price of free — well, assuming you’ve already bought the tablet, of course.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Archos Internet Tablets get firmware updates, everybody gets a Froyo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon X7 PMP review

We figured Cowon’s X7 wouldn’t bother passing through the FCC’s loose fingertips if it weren’t planning on making a stateside debut at some point, and sure enough, the aforesaid media player is gearing up to ship here just two months after its South Korean reveal. Over the years, Cowon has managed to maintain a fairly decent cover in the US of A, but audio purists recognize the brand for its commitment to sound quality over all else. The X7 is a capacious (160GB) player with a fairly large display (4.3-inches) and a world-beating battery good for ten hours of video and up to 103 hours of audio. Yeah, a full long weekend’s worth. As with anything in life, Cowon’s made some sacrifices here as well; you won’t find a WiFi module, but you will spot support for Bluetooth headsets. How’s it all shake out? Join us after the break for our full review.

Continue reading Cowon X7 PMP review

Cowon X7 PMP review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon 3D is the 1080p-playing, 4.8-inch PMP that just jumps out at you

As far as 3D goes, we can still take it or leave it, but what’s really got us intrigued about Cowon‘s latest effort is the promise of full 1080p video playback. Ally that to a HDMI output and up to 64GB of flash storage and you’ve got yourself a pretty potent portable media station. The Cowon 3D PMP offers an 800 x 480 resolution on its own 4.8-inch display — which is touted as the world’s first 3D visualizer on a PMP that doesn’t require glasses — plus a battery rated to last for 10 hours of video, 45 hours of audio and up to 300 hours on standby. And, in an upgrade from the recent X7, this new device also has WiFi connectivity! Launch is scheduled for December 10th in Cowon’s backyard of South Korea, with prices coming in at KRW499,000 ($431) for the 32GB-equipped 3D PMP and KRW589,000 ($509) for the 64GB version.

[Thanks, Kunal]

Cowon 3D is the 1080p-playing, 4.8-inch PMP that just jumps out at you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Archos 70 Internet Tablet now shipping for $279 with 8GB storage, Android 2.2

Archos wasn’t going to settle for shipping a single Android device out today, no sirree — the French PMP specialists are pumping out these 7-inch Archos 70 Internet Tablets effective immediately. $279 buys you a 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 8GB of flash storage, and Android 2.2 running on an 800 x 480 capacitive multitouch screen, with an OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics accelerator, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth and a front-facing VGA camera in an 11oz, 0.43-inch thin package that screams to be held. Sadly, you still won’t find Android Market on here, though we’ll give Archos credit for ditching most of the proprietary connectors and ports, which should make sideloading your own apps somewhat less of a chore. (There’s also a microSDHC card slot.) Expect a 250GB hard-drive model to debut any day now for $350… along with our full review.

[Thanks, androidboi]

Archos 70 Internet Tablet now shipping for $279 with 8GB storage, Android 2.2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 22:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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