Before we go on and decide how much we love or despise this little monster, you should know a few facts about it, starting with X-Fi. What Creative describes X-Fi as is two things: X-Fi Crystalizer technology “intelligently restores lost detail during file compression” while X-Fi Expand technology “expands a conventional left/right earphone stereo source away from your ears, giving you a more acoustically natural sound staging in headphone audio.” We cannot say a whole heck of a lot about the audio quality as of yet because we were in a very loud and crowded room when we got our first look at this device, but the next feature is quite enticing: wide audio support. Including such awesome lossless formats as FLAC, non-protected ACC (.M4A) files from iTunes Plus, and the regular set of formats in MP3, WMA (DRM9), Audible Format 4 and Audible AAX formats.

You can expand your built-in memory of 8 or 16 GB by an additional 32 GB with a microSD card slot (which does not include a card out of the box). You’ve got FM radio, video output to play movies (A/V cable sold separately), Bluetooth connectivity so you don’t have to connect with any cords at all if you don’t want to, and apt-X codec for superior Bluetooth-connected sound.

Inside the package you get the player, a quick-start guide, some Creative EP-630 earbuds, and a usb cable. The display you’re working with is a 2-inch TFT LCD, and the device does have built-in speakers if you just want to listen without connecting to anything, but they’re mono in scope. The device itself is sized at 46.5 x 63 x 14mm and weighs in at 43g.

As far as what we think of the device: it’s thick. It’s certainly not truly keeping up with trends as far as stylish looks at portable music players, and if it’s aiming to put up a fight against the big players in this particular industry, it will fail. The display is not a touchscreen, so we’ve got to rely on control buttons along the side which, at the moment at least, are rather unresponsive. Should the folks at Creative release this device as-is for €99 and €140 for their 8 and 16GB versions later this month in Germany, we can’t imagine it’ll do extremely well.

On the other hand, if they’re able to upgrade the software or the hardware to make the buttons actually work well, and aim to perhaps jazz up the casing somehow or another with skins perhaps (assuming they cannot make the casing any smaller than it is at the moment, that is,) they may have an oddball wild-card on their hands. The folks at Creative have a choice on their hands here, that’s for sure.

The Recon3D upgrades audio to THX TruStudio Pro and adds other enhancements. The Recon3D has an optical input with Dolby Digital 5.1 enabled. When connected the player gets accurate and positional sound over a gaming headset and the ability to get a virtual surround sound environment on two speakers.

The device is also made to improve the clarity of your voice in games where chat is enabled. The audio processing for the system is done with a Sound Core3D processor. That processor is Creative’s latest Quartet DSP with four independent processor cores. The Recon3D has controls for instant access to volume, Mic Boost, and THX TruStudio Pro audio enhancements. It also has a special Scout Mode that allows the user to pinpoint enemies in FPS games allowing the player to hear where the enemy is located. The Recon3D is slated for launch in October for $129.99.

The X-Fi Crystallizer promises to restore the fidelity that is lost when music is ripped to CDs automatically. The player also has X-Fi Expand that helps to make the sound appear to be coming from full speakers farther away from you when you use headphones. A wide range of audio files is supported including FLAC and other formats like MP3, WMA, and Audible 4. Itunes Plus AAC files are also supported.

The microSD card slot will store up to 32GB more tunes and video than the onboard storage. The player also has video out when used with an optional AV cable. The 2-inch screen has 262k colors and the player comes with 8GB or 16GB of storage. It supports common video formats with WMV9, MPEG4-SP, and AVI (DivX4/5, XviD). Other features include a mic for voice recording, FM tuner, integrated speakers, and Bluetooth 2.1. The player is good for 20 hours of audio per charge and five hours of video. The 8GB version is $99.99 and the 16GB version is $139.99.

The Creative D80 costs $49 and it can play audio from any Bluetooth device. It will work with the iPhone, Android devices, tablets, and anything else supporting Bluetooth. Inside the colorful case, it has dual 3-inch full range drivers for rich sound quality. The D80 can be had with a white case and green, blue, or pink speaker covers. It also comes in a more subdued solid black version as well.

If you have a device that lacks Bluetooth, the D80 also has an Aux input for connecting via a 3.5mm patch cable. “The adoption rate for Bluetooth enabled smart devices with built-in music playback has grown phenomenally over the last few years. Most people today store their music in portable Bluetooth enabled devices like the iPhone, Android phone, Blackberry or tablet computers like the iPad or Creative ZiiO, and the Creative D80 is designed to be the perfect compact Bluetooth speaker to go with these wireless devices. What’s more, when you use the Creative D80 with Creative’s highly affordable ZEN Style M300, you’ll get one of the lowest costing wireless music systems money can buy,” said Ting Lai Chu, Vice President for the Advanced Multimedia Group at Creative Technology Ltd. “The Creative D80 speaker is so compact that it can easily be carried anywhere throughout the home or almost everywhere in a backpack, and it’s priced for everyone.”

The M300 plays music, photos, and video on its 1.45-inch TFT screen. The controls on the device are touch buttons and the player has a microSD card slot. One of the best features of the player is that the M300 is very affordable. The price of the player starts at $49.99. The Bluetooth version supported is 2.1. The microSD card slot supports up to 32GB of music storage in addition to the integrated storage. The player also has an FM tuner that can store 32 station pre-sets as well.

The M300 supports Audible audio books and includes a copy of Alyson Noël’s Evermore book. The M300 comes in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacities and will last up to 20 hours playing audio. A microphone is integrated for voice recording and the player has a clock. Supported audio formats include MP3, WMA, and WAV. The only supported video format is Transcoded SMV. The player will hit stores in June.

[via PRWeb]

The new tablets are the Ziio 7-inch and 10-inch units and they share many of the same features. The common features between both include support for tons of audio formats, Android 2.1 OS, Android Pure Audio tech derived from X-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, WiFi, HD outputs, internal speaker, an accelerometer, and a microSD card slot. The tablets also have a 3.5mm headphone port and a miniUSB port.

The 7-inch version has a 400 x 840 resolution capacitive touchscreen and is white. It sells for 199 pounds in 8GB or 219 pounds for the 16GB version. The black 10-inch Ziio tablet sells for 249 pounds in 8GB and 269 pounds in 16GB form. Both should be available to purchase in December.

Via Android Community

The USB transmitter works with both Mac and Windows computers and streams high quality wireless music up to 100 feet from the computer. The D220W works with iTunes and any other digital music service on your computer. It can also stream audio from video sites like Hulu and YouTube.

The D220W is a sound bar style speaker with a glossy black case and Euro style. The transmitter included with the D220W is compatible with any of the other Creative wireless speakers or headphones. The D220W and its wireless transmitter will ship in Q4 in the US for $169.99. The transmitter alone is $69.99.

Inside the headphones is a pair of 40mm drivers with Neodymium magnets and copper-clad aluminum wires. The headphones will be offered started at the end of the month for S$69.99. Creative is also showing off the 1450 headphones that are offered in several colors.

All of the colors have the same checkerboard design on the ear cups in black, blue, green, and red colors. The headphones are aimed at mobile users with media players like the Zen line. The adjustable headband is made from a black alloy metal and can be worn over a hat or sunglasses. The units have 30mm slim drivers with Neodymium magnets and copper-clad aluminum wires. A 3.5mm plug means the headphones will work with almost all mobile devices. The headphones will ship at the end of September for S$49.

The T12 speakers will work with any Bluetooth stereo device including your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Creative claims that the T12 Wireless speakers stream high-quality audio and use BassFlex technology to improve bass with no subwoofer.

Creative equips the speakers with apt-X audio codec for better audio quality when streaming with Bluetooth devices. The controls are mounted on the front speaker with volume, power, and a headphone port for private listening. The speakers will ship at the end of September for $129. An adapter for streaming from non-Bluetooth iPods will be offered separately.

The speaker uses 2.4GHz technology for wireless connectivity and has a range of up to 100 feet from the wireless source. The speaker inside the rock is a coaxial unit with a 6.5-inch woofer and a stationary tweeter. The outside of the speaker case is designed to look like a granite rock.

Power for the speaker comes from a detachable lithium ion battery pack that is good for up to six hours of playback per charge. The speaker measures 12″ x 11.1″ x 13.8″ and weighs 6.3kg. The Sound Blaster Wireless Rock sells for $199.99 and is available now. You will need a Sound Blaster Wireless transmitter, which is oddly not included.

The new software studio will first appear on Asus mainboards including the ROG Rampage III and Gene Series boards. Creative says that the software creates new levels of realism in audio making gunshots more dynamic and stronger and improving overall sound effects in games.

The software suite also has VoiceFX tech that allows the gamer to change their voice when playing games that use VoIP. Another key feature of the sound system is THX TruStudio Pro audio tech.

And, while the D100 and D200 are taking the shining spot for now, they’re being launched with a pair of other speakers: the ZiiSound D5 which costs $290, and the Inspire S2 2.1 speaker system for $145. The D200 is the smaller, cheaper sibling to the ZiiSound D5, with the same components and same sound as the more expensive version, but it only costs $110. And then the D100 ranges in there for $65, and it’s being labeled as a wireless boombox, because it can also be powered by four AA batteries, for all your travelling, shoulder-carrying needs.

All of them are high performance Bluetooth supported wireless speakers that support the apt-X codec, with the exception of the D100. However, perhaps in a trade-off, the model will feature a range of colors to include black, green, pink, and blue. The ZiiSound D5 and Inspire S2 are available right now in Singapore, but all four of the wireless speakers should be made available in stores some time in July. But, which stores and where exactly you’ll be able to get them is up in the air.

[via Pocket-Lint]

The ZEN X-Fi Style comes in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB variants, each with FLAC support, an FM radio, voice recorder functionality, integrated speaker and an RSS reader.  There’s also an alarm, calendar and a battery good for up to 25hrs audio playback or 5hrs video.  Creative expect them to go on sale at the end of this month, priced at S$159.00 (US$114) for the 8GB, S$199 (US$143) for the 16GB and S$249 (US$179) for the 32GB.

As for the ZEN Style, that will come in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities, with alarm, calendar and voice recorder as the ZEN Style 100, together with – on the ZEN Style 300 – an FM radio and speaker.  They’ll be available from the end of April 2010 too, priced at S$109.00 (US$78) (4GB), S$139.00 (US$100) (8GB) and S$179.00 (US$128) (16GB) for the Creative ZEN Style 300 and S$89.00 (US$64) (4GB), S$119.00 (US$85) (8GB) and S$159.00 (US$114) (16GB) for the Creative ZEN Style 100.

[Thanks BigJoe!]

Press Release:

CREATIVE DELIVERS PURE MUSIC ON-THE-GO WITH ZEN® X-FI® STYLE PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER: TAKING THE AUDIO GOODNESS OF ZEN® X-FI®2 TO A NEW LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY

ZEN X-Fi Style Together with the New ZEN® Style Series Players, Perfectly Embody Pure Audio Performance and Stunning Designer Looks

SINGAPORE – 8 April 2010 – Creative Technology Ltd., today announced the release of the Creative ZEN X-Fi Style and the Creative ZEN Style series of portable media players. Both players continue Creative’s tradition of delivering the purest sounding portable media players on the market – at an affordable price. The Creative ZEN X-Fi Style and Creative ZEN Style series of portable media players are also enhanced with new designer looks that exude style that is both trendy and functional.
“In line with the upcoming Pure Audio Campaign where Creative is set to deliver pure sounding high performance speakers and premium noise isolation earphones, we are pleased to unveil the ZEN X-Fi Style and the ZEN Style series – the embodiment of the purest-sounding music on-the-go experience on the market,” said Joseph Liow, Vice President for Personal Digital Entertainment Products at Creative.
Creative ZEN X-Fi Style Media Player
The Creative ZEN X-Fi Style portable media player brings all the audio goodness of the Creative ZEN X-Fi2 to an all new level of affordability – in an updated player with a stylish form factor. Experience pure music perfection on-the-go with the built-in X-Fi technology as music tracks are intelligently restored to replace audio quality lost in compression. The Creative ZEN X-Fi Style features a wide range of video and audio format support, making it a true full-fledged portable media player.
Pure Music On-the-Go with X-Fi
Experience music on-the-go today in pristine crystal clear quality through the revolutionary power of X-Fi technology built into the Creative ZEN X-Fi Style media player.
With X-Fi Crystalizer, users will experience digital music the way it was meant to be, with lost details restored. With X-Fi Expand, users will enjoy the most natural sound staging available in headphone audio today – users will feel as if they are listening to their music with a pair of high-end speakers!
Now with the Creative ZEN X-Fi Style media player, users can experience an unmatched music performance across even more modes of entertainment than ever before. Not only will their music tracks be intelligently restored to replace any quality lost in compression, FM radio and movies will also benefit from X-Fi Technology!

Creative ZEN X-Fi Style Media Players
Creative ZEN X-Fi Style Features Include:
Bright 2.4-inch TFT display
X-Fi technology for crystal clear music
Video Out in X-Fi audio quality for watching movies on the TV
Lossless audio support (FLAC)
Up to 25 hours of audio playback, up to 5 hours video
FM radio, alarm clock, calendar and voice recorder
8GB, 16GB & 32GB capacities
Built-in speaker for music sharing
Playback for downloaded RSS feeds
Available in black and white for the 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models. Also available in red for the 8GB and 16GB models exclusively at www.creative.com/shop
Creative ZEN Style Series of Portable Media Players
The Creative ZEN Style series of portable media players delivers all the features users will want in a basic portable media player, but with unmatched digital music playback. Users can flaunt their style with Creative ZEN Style as they groove to their favourite tunes with the purest digital music playback possible, or enjoy photos and videos on-the-go. The Creative ZEN Style series of portable media players comprises the Creative ZEN Style 100 and Creative ZEN Style 300. The Creative ZEN Style 300 has all the features of the Creative ZEN Style 100 and is further enhanced with a built-in speaker and FM radio.

Creative ZEN Style Series of Portable Media Players
Creative ZEN Style Series Features Include:
Bright, full colour 1.8-inch TFT display
Up to 32 hours of music playback from a single charge (@128kbps MP3)
4GB, 8GB & 16GB capacities
Built-in speaker for music sharing and FM radio (Only with Creative ZEN Style 300)
Alarm clock, calendar and voice recorder
Available in black (Creative ZEN Style 300). Available in black for the 4GB model and in black, white and blue for the 8GB and 16GB models (Creative ZEN Style 100)
Pricing and Availability
The Creative ZEN X-Fi Style and Creative ZEN Style series of portable media players will be available from end April 2010 onwards at the online store at sg.store.creative.com in Singapore.
The Creative ZEN X-Fi Style is available at the suggested retail prices of S$159.00 (8GB), S$199.00 (16GB) and S$249.00 (32GB).
The Creative ZEN X-Fi Style Silicone Skin Pack, consisting of 2 silicone skins in black and white, is available at the suggested retail price of S$22.90. The Creative ZEN X-Fi Style 3-piece Screen Protector Pack is available at the suggested retail price of S$14.90.
The Creative ZEN Style series is available at the suggested retail prices of S$109.00 (4GB), S$139.00 (8GB) and S$179.00 (16GB) for the Creative ZEN Style 300 and S$89.00 (4GB), S$119.00 (8GB) and S$159.00 (16GB) for the Creative ZEN Style 100.
The Creative ZEN Style series Silicone Skin Pack, consisting of 2 silicone skins in black and white, is available at the suggested retail price of S$19.90.
Selected models will also be available from end April 2010 onwards at The CREATIVE Stores at International Business Park and Marina Square and authorised dealers in Singapore.
For more information about the Creative ZEN X-Fi Style and Creative ZEN Style series of portable media players, please visit www.creative.com/mp3.
About Creative
Creative is a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Famous for its Sound Blaster® sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment on the PC platform with products like its highly acclaimed ZEN® MP3 and portable media players. Creative’s innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services leverage the Internet, enabling consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment – anytime, anywhere.

Creative has announced that the headsets are now shipping. The Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset is available at online stores like Newegg and TigerDirect for $159.99. The headset has THX TruSource PC audio tech built-in for a full sound experience.

The headphones are Mac and PC compatible and have cushioned ear pads for comfort on those raids that last for hours. The battery in the headset is rechargeable and can be charged while the headset is in use. The wired version of the headset is also now shipping for $119.99.

Fresh – and stealthily added – to Creative’s site is a Zii Dock, a Zii AV Cable and a new Zii Development Kit.  The latter of these is perhaps the most interesting; unlike the original developer’s device, the Zii EGG, this new kit will take one of a range of included detachable modules.  These range from 3G (triband WCDMA and quadband GSM/EDGE), a dual-camera module (VGA and 3-megapixel, both fixed focus), a 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive touchscreen module and more.

Meanwhile, Intrinsyc – who are also responsible for the Barnes & Noble nook – announced Android RapidRIL Support for the ZiiLABS cellular platforms earlier this month, news which went pretty much unnoticed at the time.  Of course, none of this is solid confirmation that we’ll see a Zii ZMS-05 based smartphone on sale in the first half of 2010, but it’s at least movement in the right direction.

The headset is called the Creative Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless headset and it can be adorned with artwork from the Horde or Alliance factions. The artwork is actually more like logos for each faction, but it does look cool. The artwork is shown on the side of each ear cup on interchangeable lenses.

Features of the headset include WoW theme voice presets to change the sound of your voice. The wireless tech is uncompressed for better sound and the headphones support THX TruStudio PC audio technology. The headset is Mac and PC compatible and has a rechargeable battery that can charge while the headset is being used. Creative is selling a wired version of the headset for $189 and the wireless version for $249 directly. Both will launch on February 12. You can pre-order on Amazon for considerably less though with the wireless headset for $159.99 and the wired one for $119.99.

The Lua-based development kit permits users to not only concoct and draft up applications for the X-Fi 2 platform, but also to completely customize it. Unlike the iPhone App Store Developer Program which requires a hefty fee to create apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch, the ADK from Creative emerges as an absolutely free of charge kit.

Creative’s unreleased Zii Egg digital media player of late should be out by now, and if Creative wants developers to take full advantage of their ADK, perhaps the sleek Zii Egg should be the one receiving some kind of SDK instead.

Video demo after the cut

It looks like the demo model in this video is still using the docking connector, with some sort of dual-headed HDMI and power cable.  Still, the important thing is that Wall-E looks pretty darned impressive on an HDTV, and of course the ZMD-05 supports accelerated OpenGL ES 3D graphics so mobile gaming should be an interesting experience on the TRINITY too.

Unfortunately Creative are still refusing to do the sensible thing and greenlight a production version of the TRINITY that we can actually, you know, buy.  Instead they’re flaunting the handset to OEMs in the hope that someone will decide to build and sell it themselves.

[via MobileHub]

Video hands-on after the cut

The screen is smaller than that of the ZiiEGG but higher resolution, and ZiiLABS say the proprietary port on the base of the reference design could easily be switched over to a mini-HDMI port and microUSB port.  It’s not the slimmest handset we’ve seen, but given the capabilities of the ZMS-05 chip we’re tending toward forgiving it.

Creative claim that a manufacturer keen to use the TRINITY platform could bring a product to market in just three months, so while we’re unlikely to see the ZMS-05 on shelves in its current form, early 2010 will probably bring a few devices with similar abilities.  No word on what sort of pricing we might expect.

Despite going on display at the ZiiLABS summit, the ZiiSOUND D5 has nothing to do with Creative or their PMP range apart from the branding.  Apparently a version for the ZiiEGG -the ZiiSOUND D3 – is also planned, but again that will only be a basic speaker dock rather than include any sort of nifty 1080p-capable processing.

As well as directly docking into the ZiiSOUND D5 (and recharging) you can connect your iPod wirelessly with a Bluetooth adapter dongle; alternatively there’s a standard 3.5mm audio input for other sources.  No release dates for the D5 have been announced, but it’s expected to go for around $299 in early 2010.

The Zii TRINITY also squeezes in WiFi b/g, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera (plus a front-facing VGA camera for video calls), along with a microSD card slot.  Wired connectivity includes micro USB 2.0, mini HDMI and composite video output.  The battery is a 1,130mAh pack, and the TRINITY will run both Creative’s own Plaszma OS or Google’s Android platform.

Frustratingly, the Zii TRINITY won’t be available to the general public – at least, not through a mobile phone store – but as a Zii Development Kit ’3G Phone Edition’, including schematics, Gerbers, mechanical drawings, Board Support Package, middleware and OS.  No word on pricing as yet.

Press Release:

ZiiLABS Announces TRINITY – A Next Generation Smart/Media Phone Platform for Android™ and Plaszma™ Operating Systems
Zii TRINITY Smart Phone Platforms Capable of Supporting 3.5G/4G Devices in Super High Definition Video and 3D Graphics

Singapore – 1st December 2009 : ZiiLABS, a cutting-edge media processor and platforms company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd., today announced Zii TRINITY, a complete 3.5G/4G Smart Phone and development platform supporting the Optimized Android and native Linux®-based Plaszma operating systems. The Zii TRINITY delivers superior High Definition 1080p video output and accelerated 3D graphics to enable OEMs and ODMs to quickly and cost effectively bring differentiated Android and Plaszma based solutions to market.

Superior multi-format media processing is enabled by ZiiLABS’ StemCell Computing array which lies at the heart of ZiiLABS’
ZMS-05 and ZMS-08 media-rich applications processors, offloading the ARM® CPU to deliver the low-power, high performance media-rich processing required of next-generation mobile devices. Accelerated OpenGL ES 3D graphics enable developers to create rich 3D experiences in the form of enhanced user interfaces, games and pedestrian navigation.

“The growth in Smart Phone use to incorporate multimedia features is driving the demand for manufacturers and operators to deliver differentiated products and services faster than ever before,” said Hock Leow, President of ZiiLABS. “The Zii TRINITY is a proven media-rich platform that offers our partners a complete market-ready solution with the built-in flexibility for customization. We are showcasing an exciting 3.5G concept phone at the Zii Summit 2009.”

Features of the Zii TRINITY 3.5G Concept Phone
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Tri-band WCDMA, HSDPA Cat 8 at 7.2mbps
Full featured platform featuring ZMS-05 StemCell Processor
Linux-based Zii Optimized Android and Plaszma Support
Accelerated OpenGL ES 3D Graphics, Video and Imaging
3.1″ 480×800 16M colour Active Matrix OLED with capacitive multi-touch
Mini HDMI port for 1080p video output
Xtreme Fidelity#8482 X-Fi audio technology
5M pixel rear facing, auto-focus camera
VGA forward facing camera for video conferencing
USB 2.0 Micro port for connectivity and charging
MicroSD storage expansion and SIM card slots
256MB low-power DDR memory
Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR and Hardware GPS
Composite Video output
1130mAH lithium polymer battery
The Zii TRINITY Platform can be supplied to potential cellphone manufacturers as a complete design package including schematics, Gerbers, mechanical drawings, Board Support Package, middleware and OS.

A Zii Development Kit ’3G Phone Edition’ provides a modular development platform that enables developers the flexibility to innovate around the Zii TRINITY platform to create product solutions based on their own preference of hardware components. The Zii Development Kit supports both the ZMS-05 and the recently announced ZMS-08 processors.

Future versions of the Zii Development Kit Phone Edition will be made available for 4G networks such as WiMAX or LTE.

About Zii Optimized Android and Plaszma
Zii Optimized Android delivers the familiar Android OS but enhanced to provide a richer Android experience that leverages the capabilities of the
ZMS-05′s StemCell Computing architecture; including seamless 3D OpenGL ES acceleration and High Definition video. The Plaszma OS enables native Linux based development via a rich set of highly optimized industry standard APIs that leverage a wide range of multimedia CODECs, Web 2.0 browser, 2D and 3D graphics, audio processing and a powerful gesture based user interface.

About the ZMS-05
The flexible ZMS-05 media-rich application processor utilizes the StemCell Computing array of 24 fully programmable floating point processing elements to off-load the media processing from the integrated ARM CPU to deliver superior media capabilities of delivering highperformance HD video, 2D and 3D graphics and multimedia capabilities within a low-power environment. A broad range of peripheral functions and I/Os are integrated on-chip to ease system design and reduce product costs.

About ZiiLABS
ZiiLABS is a worldwide leader in low-power, media-rich application processors, hardware platforms and advanced middleware that enable OEMs, ODMs, System Integrators and Software Developers to deliver best-in-class products across a broad range of consumer electronics and embedded markets. Originally founded in 1994 as 3DLABS, the company re-branded and joined with the Personal Digital Entertainment group of Creative Technology to form ZiiLABS in January 2009. ZiiLABS now has over 800 R&D engineers working on ZiiLABS related projects and has invested US$1 billion and 10,000 man years in media processing solutions. The company has offices in the UK, China, USA and Singapore.

There’s also more choice in terms of connectivity, with a freshly added stereo microphone port and headphones connector.  The Vado HD will also now take still photos, and can be used in a motion-activated mode.  HDMI connectivity, a pull-out USB cord and a wide-angle lens are still present, though the 8GB model appears to have been canned in favor of the 4GB version, which can store up to 120 minutes of HD footage or 7,000 still photos.

Most obviously, the somewhat bland casing of the previous versions has been replaced with a choice of glossy black or white, with red, blue and purple to follow.  It’ll be available to preorder imminently, priced at $179.99.

Press Release:

CREATIVE UNVEILS ELEGANT NEW DESIGN WITH THIRD GENERATION VADO HD

Creative, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today announced the chic third generation Vado HD Pocket Video Cam, combining a sleek design with stunning HD video quality.

“We’ve won prestigious awards and accolades for the great performance, ease of use and compact form of our Vado HD cameras. The third generation Vado HD brings a cool new design and adds additional features to the already award-winning feature set. The design looks so cool people will stop you on the street and ask you where you got it,” said Steve Erickson, VP and GM for audio and video at Creative.

Building on the great features the Vado HD line is already known for, such as HDMI out and a wide-angle lens, the third generation Vado HD adds important additional features:

• Improved quality of video in low light or brightly lit conditions with manual exposure adjustments
• External stereo microphone support for better audio recording
• Headphone output for private listening
• Motion Detection Mode enables users to program the camera to begin recording as soon as motion is detected
• Out-of-the box Mac and PC compatibility
• Still Photo Capture Mode

The third generation Vado HD also features new Vado Central 3.0 software with more instant web uploading capabilities and integrated editing options. Users can simply select one-click uploading to a number of popular social media sites, including Facebook and YouTube, and their videos will be ready to view or share in a matter of minutes. For users who don’t want their videos to be shared publicly, videos can be uploaded to KinKast via one-click uploading and then those services offer a variety of other features, including an email invite option for a more private viewing experience. Simple video editing capabilities enable users to edit videos directly in Vado Central 3.0. For more advanced editing options, users can edit videos in other editing programs, including iMovie and Movie Maker.

The third generation Vado HD with better compression can still hold up to 120 minutes of HD quality video or up to 7,000 still photos in 4GB of onboard storage. The removable rechargeable battery provides more than two hours of recording or viewing. Users can easily recharge the battery via the flexible, pull-out USB cable, with no additional cables required. Extra batteries and a wall plug-in battery charger are also available.

Pricing and Availability

The 4GB third generation Vado HD is available in black or white and is available for pre-order from www.amazon.com and www.us.creative.com for US$179.99. For more information about the complete line of Creative Vado Pocket Video Cams and Vado Pocket Video Cam accessories visit www.us.creative.com.

The ZMS-08 provides Blu-ray quality H.264 decode for low-power devices. The processor also has multi-media processing capabilities of the ZiiLABS StemCell computing array with a 1GHz ARM Cortex processor. ZiiLABS is sampling the processor to certain customers now.

The device will be used in products including web tablets, netbooks, connected TVs, and home media hubs. The ZMS-08 supports full HD 1080p H.264 decode and simultaneous H.264 encode and decode at 720p along with 1080p 24fps encode. The chip can also support OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics and more. Xtreme Fidelity X-Fi audio effects are also supported. Volume shipments are expected in Q1 2010.

The MediaBook will have features that the other eBook readers don’t offer according to creative like Internet capability. Other features will include a touchscreen, text-to-speech, and a SD memory card slot. The image included here is an illustration, not the actual device.

Creative reports that its reader will allow the user to watch videos, view pictures, read text, and support other services with the one device., It sounds a bit like a netbook in an eReader form factor. I could see the appeal of an eReader style device that can check email and watch video. Creative is also in talks with ten international and local publishing companies to bring content to the reader. There is no word on a launch date or pricing at this time.

The Zii EGG is based on Creative’s ZMS-05 chipset, and offers not only WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a 3.5-inch 320 x 480 10-point multitouch display, but 1080p video output, HD playback and OpenGL ES support.  It was launched touting Android compatibility, but initially has been sold running a custom OS rather than the open-source Google platform.

It’s still unclear, though, when the commercial versions of the Zii EGG might reach shelves.  The project is intended to encourage developers – particularly those who might usually develop fake versions of known devices – to support the Creative ZMS-05 chipset, but right now there are no major hardware partners that have announced support for it.

[via Engadget]

The most obvious of alterations is the color schemes Creative has put on the new Vado HDs. We’ve got a white and lime green model, and a black and red model. On the inside, two things have improved. One, a set standard of 4GB of memory at a lower cost. And the other, an application that will now allow support for Apple computers. The app is called Vado Central, and will give the current, as well as previous model, Vado HD the ability to move movies to and from iMovie.

Otherwise, nothing much else has changed. The Vado HD still shoots at 720p, has a fixed optical zoom at 2x, and has a proprietary USB connector to plug into the computer. Movies are recorded at the H.264 codec and give the 4GB model about an hour of shooting time. Pre-orders are lined up to start any time today, at either Amazon.com and Creative’s site. Price wise, the white model will be going for $180, while the black model will be $20 more, at $200. Vado Central should be ready to download within the next few days as well.

[via Electronista]

If you haven’t been keeping up with this thing, then we’ll get you caught up to speed. The Zii Egg is Creative’s first touchscreen device, and it comes packed with 10-point multi-touch. The screen is of the 3.5-inch variety, with a 480×320 resolution. It supports Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, and has two VGA cameras. Even better, the Zii Egg offers HDMI out at a resolution of 1080p high definition. And it’s running on the Android platform.

From the initial tests, the display is apparently “shockingly bright”, and the colors are described as being, “vibrant and alive.” The speakers are said to be akin to the Zen X-Fi’s, the audio output via headphones is apparently the best Creative has ever produced. The worst part is that Creative has said no plans regarding a public release of the Zii Egg, which is truthfully very disconcerting. We want this thing.

[via Electronista]

The text on the back of the unit itself also suggests that, reading Zii rather than Zii EGG; the developer editions seen so far have had EGG branding.  In the user manual, the proprietary dock connector is shown, complete with cables to connect the Zii to an HDTV via A/V connectors.

Inside there’s what looks to be a non-user-replaceable 1,200mAh battery.  The Zii EGG developer model is available to order now, priced at around $400 with a copy of the SDK; Creative are yet to publicly confirm when the first commercial version might reach the market.

[via epiZENter]

First up is the T6160, which sports 5.1 channels, 30W and a 20W subwoofer. It also has a phase cap, making it easier to parse out the mid-range audio. The other model is the T3130, which offers a 2.1 channel set up with 10W and a 15W subwoofer.

Each of these speaker models come with a wired remote and will be available in the UK and Singapore first. Pricing is the equivalent of about $60 and $100, respectively. A U.S. release is likely, though a date is unknown.

The pre-release versions on hand lacked multitouch support and had only patchy Android support; in fact, Android won’t be loaded onto the initial Zii EGG units, which are expected to begin shipping by the end of August 2009, with the devices instead running the company’s own Plaszma OS.  Android will be released shortly after, as soon as Creative have ironed out the bugs. 

Interestingly, the company is hoping to muster some of the “Shanzhai” developers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to work with their new platform.  “Shanzhai” is the name given to the proliferation of derivative or copied devices that follow big-name product launches; however Creative believe that enthusiasm and expertise – as well as their speed of development – could be used to drive Plaszma.  For the Shanzhai developers themselves, they’d get the support of a single OEM providing the relevant hardware parts.

Whether or not that pans out remains to be seen, but we’re still curious to see the commercial derivatives of the Zii EGG prototype.  Check out CNET’s video here.

Video demo after the cut

The ZMS 05 bundles all of Creative’s StemCell Computing hardware, and uses a standard SODIMM connector to hook up to third-party I/O board.  The company envisage it slotting into future nettops, IPTV systems and internet-connected digital picture frames.  The ZMS 05 processor has a USB 2.0 controller, three bidirectional video controllers, analog HDTV encoder, and various other connectors, while the board also has a power management unit, ethernet controller and an audio DAC.

With all that, the ZMS 05 can handle 720p video playback, OpenGL ES 3D graphics such as for GPS navigation, real-time encode/decode of H.264 video and more.  Full details in the video below.

Creative Zii EGG gaming demo:

Creative ZMS 05 Zii Plaszma system module:

[gaming video via epiZENter]

Video demo after the cut

There’s also Creative’s X-Fi audio processing system, GPS, a 3-axis accelerometer and 32GB of integrated memory, together with an SD card slot.  Unfortunately this isn’t the Android smartphone to best all rivals, as it lacks cellular connectivity of any sort.

The Zii EGG has 256MB of RAM and a 32MB Linux kernel boot ROM, and measures 115 x 62 x 12 mm while weighing just 108g.  Dual cameras – both HD and VGA for video calls and still/video photography – and a 1,200mAh Li-Ion battery round out the hardware specs.  Creative are bundling the Zii EGG with the Plaszma Starter Kit for $399; however the Zii EGG alone will eventually be available priced from $199 if bought in bulk.

[via epiZENter.net]

These new earphones feature nickel-titanium ear hooks, which make them light on the ears and maintain whatever shape you’d like them to hold for a perfect fit. They also have neodymium drivers and have special slots for driving bass only.

Other features include a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response and 32ohms of impedance. The Aurvana Air headphones are available today with a leather pouch and an acrylic hard case
for $199.99.

The ZEN MX player is available in 8GB and 16GB versions that sport a 2.5-inch LCD 320 x 240 resolution display, an SDHC card slot, an FM radio tuner, voice recording and more. It also supports several file types including WMA, MP3, Audible 4 and video-CMV.

The player has 30 hours of playback for audio and 5 for video. You’ll be able to get the Creative ZEN MX media player starting on May 5th for about $102 and $144 for the 8GB and 16GB models in Japan. And just so you know, the Creative ZEN X-Fi player will be getting a price cut today, dropping the 32GB, 16GB and 8GB players to about $290, $196 and $144, respectively.

[via Slippery Brick]

Unfortunately, despite some of the screenshots of the MovieWorks HD resembling those seen on a Creative Zii prototype, word from the company is that the dock does not use the new “stemcell computing” chip.  Instead, you get 1080i output to your HDTV, 5.1 DTS surround sound (with a compatible receiver) and optional multiroom wireless.

The Cambridge Soundworks MovieWorks HD is available now, priced at $249.99.  The optional wireless unit is priced at $69.99, has 100ft range and up to four can be used simultaneously.

[via epiZENter]

It’s these PEs that make up the Zii ZMS chips, twenty-four in total, and capable of 10 gigaflops – that is, concurrent calculations – per second.  A blade server can take 256 ZMS chips – 6,144 PEs in all – and is capable of a staggering two teraflops per second.  In contrast, to make a comparable blade server from standard chips, you’d require 1,000 blades. 

Of course, Zii’s strength for consumers is not in supercomputing but in packing high-definition multimedia capability into a compact package.  PMPs, MIDs, UMPCs and netbooks would all be ideal candidates, with the Zii chip acting as a co-processor for multimedia alongside a traditional CPU for everyday computing.  Plus, since a ZMS chip can selectively shut off power to unused PEs, overall energy demands are lower than a traditional chip; that means battery life can be longer despite the greater capabilities.

Creative are pushing not only their first ZMS-05 chip, which includes a media processing array, dual ARM cores and integrated peripheral controllers, but the full Zii platform of specially compatible OS, SDKs, hardware reference designs and middleware.  While the company wouldn’t commit to release dates and availability of products using the Zii platform, they did demonstrate working in-house prototypes.  These included a CCTV security camera capable of processing 30fps high-definition video and a early-stage prototype set-top box for HD encoding and decoding.

Other tips have suggested that the Zii could have a role as a secondary or co-processor, though what particular expertise it would bring to the party is unknown.  Also unclear is whether the chip will be limited to Creative’s own range or, more likely perhaps, licenced to other providers. 

Remember, SlashGear will be at CES 2009 next week bringing you all the latest details on the hottest new technology for 2009.  We’ll make sure to check out Creative and see just exactly what change is on offer.

[via epiZENter; Thanks Paul!]

The Vado HD is to be Creative’s strike back against the Flip miniHD, launched earlier this month.  A high-definition update to the original Vado, the camcorder has the same 2-inch display, pop-out USB port for transferring footage or photos to a computer, and comes with the cables necessary to wire the Vado HD up to a TV for instant playback.

Measuring 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3-inches, the Vado HD has 8GB of internal storage; that’s enough for up to 2hrs of 720p MPEG-4 recording, or 8hrs VGA quality.  Our only concern is the protruding lens, which looks to stick out far more than the minoHD’s assembly does.  No exact release date is given, but previous rumors have suggested December 7th. 

[Thanks Michael!]

You have two options when it comes to the Zen Moo MP3 Players. There’s the Moo and the Moo Plus. That’s not even a joke. Both styles come in four different colors: pink, red, white and yellow. The Moo Plus, however, sports a few extra features like an integrated speaker, FM radio, voice recorder and OLED screen. It also has a game built-in that you can control by means of the cow’s horns.

The Moo model, on the other hand, just plays back music. Both, however, are equipped with 2GB and support both WMA and MP3 formats. Unfortunately, the Creative Zen Moo MP3 Players will not be available in the US or any of the western world, for that matter, though you will be able to get it in China.

The X-Fi Go! has ” EAX Advanced HD 4.0 and OpenAL support for gaming, in addition to X-Fi’s 24-bit Crystallizer enhancement and CMSS-3D processing”. The USB 2.0 device also has 1GB of flash storage which comes pre-loaded with applications like WaveStudio and Alchemy.

The Creative X-Fi mobile sound card is available in Singapore, no word yet on US pricing or availability. The device sells for around $56 US in Singapore, so we can more than likely expect similar pricing in the states.

[via Electronista]