It’s hard to imagine the sort of arguments Altec Lansing’s MIX Boombox iPod speaker system might inspire, hooked up to so many different PMPs as their eye-catching press shots suggest. The chunky boombox not only has a universal dock for your iPod, iPhone or iPod touch, but dual aux-in ports, a digital FM radio and a side-mounted 5.25-inch subwoofer.
Logitech still haven’t made the Squeezebox Touch official yet, but unless someone has crafted one out of modelling clay and stuffed a Chumby inside, the touchscreen media streaming device is certainly out there in the wild. The 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen device promises WiFi b/g, ethernet, USB connectivity and an SD card slot, together with streaming content through Logitech’s Squeezebox system, but right now the Touch refuses to do anything other than wait for a software update.
We’ll admit to having been quietly dubious whether Apple would approve Spotify’s iPhone and iPod touch app, but according to paidContent UK it’s all settled in everything but the rubber stamp. Apple have told the site that “The current status as of right now is it’s been approved and we hope to add the app to the more than 65,000 apps on the app store very soon. We’ve been in constant communication working with the developer and have already notified Spotify that the app will be in the app store very soon.”
While the software is free, access to Spotify’s streaming music service will require a Premium subscription; this is currently priced at £9.99 ($16) per month in the UK. Spotify is also not yet available in the US, though the company has previously stated that it hopes to have the service up and running by the end of 2009.
Video demo after the cut
If you’ve been waiting for more detail on PopcornHour’s incoming C-200 “Networked Media Tank” then prepare to set aside an afternoon; the company has released masses of video and full specifications for the Blu ray ready, UPnP set-top box, and they’re now taking preorders for the first shipment.
Video demos after the cut
Sony have officially whipped the wraps off of their latest two Walkman PMP models, the stereo-speaker-packing S-Series that you can see here, and the entry-level E-Series shown after the cut. The S-Series – first spotted earlier this month – has a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD display supporting 30fps video playback, together with offering up to 17hrs of audio playback via the speakers.
Nokia have announced their latest touchscreen handset, the Nokia 5230, a “competitively priced” media device. The 5230 lacks the WiFi and true GPS of its bigger touchscreen siblings, but has the same S60 5th Edition OS, A-GPS and Ovi apps integration; it also has the social networking widgets that have proved so popular.
Video demo after the cut
Live images of Archos’ latest Vision PMP range have appeared, courtesy of Archos Lounge, and they go some way to proving the old adage that clever angles can make an ugly device attractive. Our main issue is with the Archos 2 Vision, shown here on the right, which in the press shots looked slick and clean but in the plastic, well, have overly-protruding buttons and seem a tad bland.
Nokia’s latest touchscreen XpressMusic handset has shown up for preorder on the company’s US site. The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic slots neatly in beneath the 5800, and lack of 3G aside has met with positive reviews from early users, not least because of its nifty new homescreen (a demo video of which you can see after the cut); preorder customers also get a free Nokia MD-8 Bluetooth speakerset.
Western Digital have announced their newest compact media player, the WD TV Mini Media Player, which replaces last year’s unit with the same name. A palm-sized box with 1080i HD resolution support and the ability to play content both from an attached USB hard-drive including RealNetworks’ RealVideo support, the WD TV Mini offers image, audio and video playback complete with a remote control.
If you’re going to ask someone to design a bike, you may as well make it an Olympic medal winner. Chris Boardman has put pen to paper and come up with this concept for his Boardman Bikes brand, an “intelligent” cycle that not only keeps track of your calorie count but has fingerprint recognition for a biometric lock, integrated mediaplayer and a solar-powered motor for giving you a push when faced with hills.
SlashGear Japan
