HD Radio Service
Founded in 1998, iBiquity Digital Corporation set out to create an In-Band On-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast system and today their product is called HD Radio. The technology offers a variety of benefits over the traditional analog radio. The receiver converts an analog radio wave signal into a digital one and even provides Program Service Data (PSD) such as a song’s title, artist, and album. If you are tuned into a weather or traffic station, it can even display condition alerts or simply a text advertisement during a commercial break.

The most noticeable benefit is the FM sound quality which gets a jump to CD-like quality while AM stations sound like FM stations. Audio quality is rather quite dynamic and clear, the quality generally associated with physical media. That’s because digital signals have fixed precision, factors such as temperature, interference, or weather won’t degrade the quality as easily. Plus as a bonus, the HD Radio can easily fall back onto the analog FM broadcast version of the same station if it happens to fail to establish a connection. The HD Radio technology let’s stations broadcast a digital version of channels of their choosing over the same frequency without effecting the respective equivalent analog transmissions.

View the 2010 HD Radio Station Guide (PDF)

HD Radio states they have over 2,000 stations across the country and over 1,000 HD2/HD3 channels. If you haven’t heard of HD2/HD3, it’s a method to let broadcasters transmit multiple streams on the same frequency. Supporting receivers can tune into channels that aren’t normally accessible to analog devices. HD Radio’s website stated that there would be about 36 channels including HD2 and HD3 in the Sacramento, CA area. I managed to find around 10 from Davis, CA including those multi-cast channels.

iBiquity has also opened the doors for more HD Radio features. For example, if the receiver manufacturers wish to do so, starting this year they’ll be able to integrate Album Artwork and have it automatically display while a song is playing. Devices such as the Microsoft Zune HD already support pausing live content. With support for Electronic Program Guides down the road, customers will have a TV Guide type interface to browse for content.

For the most part, I think HD Radio is on the right track. Their technology better integrates into existing infrastructures for stations versus Satellite Radio. While channels selection is still limited, it’s expanding quickly. Newer vehicles are likely enabled with equipment to support HD Radio stations. Unfortunately, your existing systems such as home theater receivers, audio systems, and portable devices will need to be replaced to receive HD Radio content. While I’m not going to go out of my way to go buy a dedicated HD Radio players, as the time to upgrade old equipment comes, I’ll like lean towards this over XM Sirius since there’s no monthly fees asides from the one-time equipment price.

Insignia HD Radio Portable Player
The device we used to test the HD Radio service was none other than Insignia’s portable player. I expected a fairly decent device, but was rather presented a cheap looking device from the 1990s with large plastic buttons and a low quality LCD display. To be fair, it only costs about $40 versus the $250 price tag of a Zune HD that can also access the same channels.

The Insignia player has a very simple and somewhat ugly-looking interface. It’s actually quite reminiscent of an early color cell phone. The controls are rather awkward and there are more buttons than probably needed. The display shows signal strength at the top left and will also show an icon when tuned into a HD station. I could quickly navigate trough stations using the up and down keys or use the auto scan feature to find the next channel with signal. Switching through HD stations had a noticeably larger delay than standard FM stations. Fortunately, the preset feature let me save 10 stations to speed things up.

There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top and Insignia included a pair of headphones, which is needed since it’s the antenna. While the buds sounded about on par with the famous iPod headphones, I would still recommend grabbing a better pair. This unfortunately also means that reception will likely be poor if plugged into an AUX jack of a car since there’s no antenna. Despite the complains, I should mention that the audio quality was drastically superior to standard FM music stations. I didn’t feel like I was listening to radio which usually has a noticeable ring to it, but rather my own tunes.

Insigina includes an arm strap for joggers which was quite handy. I was disappointed to learn that they didn’t include an AC adapter, but rather only a mini USB cable for recharging with a computer. Unfortunately, I was further enraged to find that the device entirely lacked AM channels. Considering that cheap radio tuners cost just a few bucks and are often stuffed into free giveaway pens and trade shows, I don’t think it would have hurt to include AM.

This leads me to a tough call about the Insignia HD Radio player. While it’s one of the few affordable portable devices that can receive HD broadcasts, it’s still simply not worth it. I wouldn’t recommend spending $40 for a device such as this one, but rather save up to purchase a Zune HD. A more widely supported device will last longer and offers numerous features I could spend a few articles discussing. But that said, the HD Radio service is a great addition and is truly the next step to the current aging infrastructure of AM and FM channels.

Links: HDRadio.com | iBiquity.com | Insignia.com

Editor’s Note: This article was co-written by Alex Chan-Kai and Sahas Katta.

Haier HV18A Specs:

• Capacities: 4GB and 8GB
• Screen: 1.8″ LCD Color Display
• Music Format: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV
• Video Format: .SMV (huh?)
• Other: FM Radio & Microphone
• Connector: Mini USB 2.0
• Price Range: $45-$60

The Body: 4/5 stars
The design of the Haier media player is very simple. The face is slightly elevated, and the edges curve off into the side. Below the 1.8″ screen, the player includes touch sensitive buttons for the menu, volume, left/right, and “ok”. All these keys light up blue and are embedded into the body. That unfortunately means buttons are difficult to find when you aren’t looking at the device. The built in microphone and the power button slider, which also locks the device, are on the left side. There’s a small reset pinhole on the right side, which I hope doesn’t need to be used. Despite the player’s sleek and simple look, the glossy finish and mirrored back makes it a great finger print magnet. I found myself cleaning off the front constantly just to be able to see the display. The sliding key also had a few issues since it’s too small. If you have large hands, it’s hard to be able to slide and hold up for a few seconds to get it to turn off or on. But once again, for the price, I was pleased with the design.

Music: 3.5/5 stars
The music playback features on the Haier were quite satisfying. It includes all the standard actions such as play, pause, and track navigation. There’s even a repeat function and equalizer setting built in. The sound quality was decent for the average person, audiophiles probably won’t be picking this up anyways. The player doesn’t allow viewing images while music is playing. It’s not a big deal, but most other players offer this feature. The biggest lacking was the inability to display album artwork while playing music. This media player also didn’t support shuffle or playlists. Even for an inexpensive player, some of these issues are essential and almost necessary for any music player.

Video: 2/5 stars
When this came in, I assumed that I would be able to play movies on it. I was wrong. I transferred some common .mp4  and few other video formats onto it. Nothing worked. After looking through the manual I was disappointed to find that it only supported a .smv video format. I don’t know much about that format since I’ve never heard of it until I got this. They offered a tool to convert videos into the format, so I downloaded and installed it. I found that even on a fairly fast dual core laptop, it took way too long to convert. I threw in a 890MB for conversion and it took a few minutes for each percent. Music playback was decent, but Video support just isn’t practical. It’s there, but too much of a headache to deal with.

FM Radio: 4/5 stars
If there was one thing that was great on this, it’s the radio. Browsing through radio stations was easy and I was even able to create a list of 20 favorite channels. That’s a convenient so I don’t have to scroll through each station every time I turn the device on. Plus I only listen to a couple of stations in my area anyways. There wasn’t a scan function, but holding the left or right button jump to the channels with the best signal. It’s a fairly small device so the signal quality was disappointing at times, but that’s expected for anything with such a small receiver. For the most part, the radio worked just fine.

Microphone: 4/5 stars
The microphone on the Haier is located on the left side of the player. Surprisingly the audio quality that came out of a few recordings were quite impressive. I recorded a lecture and even a conversation I had with a friend in a quite room. They all sounded pretty clear without any static or interference. Recording duration is only limited by the space on the device. The player unfortunately doesn’t let me delete recordings without having to connect it to a computer first. This might be an issue at times if you run out of space and can’t get to a computer.

Conclusion:
Considering the Haier Video MP3 Player costs around $49 for a 4GB model, you can’t go wrong. The biggest drawback is the limitations of video playback. It’s just not worth spending the time to convert standard and commonly used file formats into something random. Plus with a small 1.8″, I probably wouldn’t want to load much more than a few music videos and YouTube clips onto it. The rest of the device worked fairly well. The inclusion of shuffle and playlist feature would have been appreciated. The best part is the simplicity of syncing. It even worked perfectly with Ubuntu 9.04 in addition to Windows 7. It’s just a simple mass storage device. Anything placed on it will be detected after it’s disconnected. If you are looking for first MP3 player for children, the Haier Video MP3 media player is a great place to start for an affordable price.

Buy: 4GB Model for $44 [via Amazon]
Links: Haier Video MP3

“We’re very excited to achieve this breakthrough of adding our X-Fi audio technology to a ZEN player, setting the highest standard in audio quality for portable music players,” said Craig McHugh, president and COO of Creative

In addition to the new WiFi hardware component, the Zen X-Fi now has built-in speakers, a SD card reader, built-in FM radio, and a microphone for voice recordings. With a 2.5-inch TFT display with the ability to playback WMV, AVI, MJPEG, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4 and 5 and XviD, the player should satisfy the needs of most customers. As for audio, the unit supports playback of unprotected MP3, WMA and AAC audio formats. Creative also bundles in a set of high quality EP-830 in-ear earphones, which are much better than the standard sets of headphones that usually come with most digital media players.

The ZEN X-FI with Wireless LAN 32GB and 16GB models are now available for $279.99 and $199.99, respectively. They are now available for purchase through online retailers including Amazon.com, Buy.com, Creative.com, Fry’s.com and Newegg.com. The standard ZEN X-FI 8GB (without WiFi) will become available later this month for $149.99.

Links: Creative.com ZEN X-FI
Buy Now: Zen X-Fi 32GB $280 | Zen X-Fi 16GB $200
Related: Creative ZEN Review

First off, we would like to thank the folks over at Creative for providing us the new ZEN for review. We have been messing around with it for a week and we’ve got to say there’s a lot to get excited about, especially the price. The Creative ZEN has quite a few extra features including a microphone, an FM tuner, and a SD card expansion slot, which none of the mainstream Digital Audio Players (DAP) offer. Although there are plenty similar players hitting shelves this season, including the Microsoft Zune, Sony Walkman, and Sanza View, the Creative ZEN stands up to its competitors quite well.

Creative Zen Specs:

• Type: Portable Flash Video Player
• Capacities: 4GB, 8GB, & 16GB
• Screen: 2.5-inch 320 x 240 LCD
• Music Format: MP3, WMA, AAC, & WAV
• Video Format: MJPEG & WMV9
• Special: FM Tuner, SD Expansion, & Microphone
• Connection Type: USB 2.0 (mini)
• Price Range: $129-$250

Initial Impressions: – 4.5/5
As Creative claimed in their advertisements, the Zen is about the size of a credit card, which actually appears to be a decent size for a personal media player. The unit is 3.26-inches tall, 2.16-inches wide, and .44-inches thick, making it larger than the iPod Nano. Despite this, the unit is just the right size for everyday use and will fit into just about any pocket. The front of the unit is home to the 2.5” TFT display on the left and the standard navigation buttons on the right. Although the glossy finish makes the ZEN look quite fancy, it is quite a hassle when it comes to fingerprints. You’ll constantly find yourself having to wipe it down. In addition, since the screen is glossy it will reflect a lot of unwanted light in well lit environments. The back-side of the unit, on the other hand, is made out of a black matte plastic, which is actually surprisingly nice. All the important parts including the power/hold switch, headphone jack, and USB connector can be found on the right-side of the unit. Other than that, the Secure Digital (SD) card slot can be found on the top, while a pinhole reset button is located on the bottom.

Controls – 3/5
The Zen was clearly designed with right-handed users in mind, since all of the operational controls and buttons have been placed on the right side of the unit. Navigation controls and their ease of use represent an important factor in any portable media player. As such, the centerpiece of the Zen’s control scheme is a square directional pad that features an “OK” button at its center. It might not be as innovative or intuitive to use as the click-wheels on iPods or the touch screen of the iPhone, but it has definitely been tested and proven to be a worthy system. The main problem we faced with the controls on our Zen, was that not all of the buttons were equally responsive. This caused some frustration especially while trying to glide through menus quickly. In our particular case, the down button had to be pressed down harder than any of the other directional buttons, which meant that menu navigation was often slowed down by having to repress that particular button. Now in all fairness, this might very well be an isolated incident, but other units may face similar problems. The iPod Nano we reviewed had a click-wheel that froze after every few minutes of use, so the ZEN isn’t alone when it comes to defects.

Not everything can be easily accomplished with only a simple set of navigation buttons, so Creative included four more buttons: “Menu/Back,” “Options,” “Play/Pause/Record,” and a final button labeled in the Quick Start Guide as “My Shortcut.” Overall, there is nothing all too special or noteworthy about any of these buttons, except for maybe the last one: the customizable shortcut button. If you’ve ever found yourself wishing that there was a button on your media player that did X or Y, then Creative might just have the answer. With a trip to the settings menu, you can choose to assign any one of seven different functions to the shortcut button. The most useful of which, I believe, is the function labeled “Jump to:”. With this feature you can literally jump to just about any menu in the player with a single click. One of the things that annoys me the most on almost all portable media players is that there is almost never a button that will take you back to whatever is currently playing. Since the Creative Zen has a dedicated “play” button, you can jump back to whatever is “Now Playing” with a single click. I do wish that the Creative Zen had some dedicated volume controls, but then again the iPod Nano doesn’t either.

Screen & Video Quality: – 3.5/5
One of the Creative Zen’s selling points is it’s ability to playback video. The screen on the Zen is fairly decent and can recreate an impressive 16.7 millions colors as advertised. Unfortunately, though, the screen is only 2.5-inches in diameter with an disappointing 320 by 240 pixels. The screen did a good job of keeping up with the video feed without visibly smearing or ghosting the image. Color accuracy, as with most portable media players (even the iPod Touch), was an issue. The colors were generally a tad too vivid and a slight greenish yellow hue was visible at all times. Another issue that kept me from enjoying the fourth season premiere episode of House was that I kept noticing the refreshing and vertical re-syncing of the horizontal lines, especially when the camera panned. Because of the small screen, I found myself holding the unit fairly close to my face and doing so caused the spacing between the individual lines to become even more apparent. (Same problem on Sony’s S610 Walkman). Although it’s great tool for watching TV shows and Music Videos occasionally, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to watch a full length movie on the Zen. And in case you’re wondering, the same goes for the Flash Zune, iPod Nano, or any portable media player with a small screen for that matter.

The Menu System – 4/5
Menu navigation is something that seems like it should be trivial, but, alas, there are actually very few players that can be navigated without deliberate thought. Unfortunately, the Zen is not among this elite. One issue that becomes immediately apparent is the lack of responsiveness between the hardware and the software. When a button is pressed, it takes the device a slight fraction of a second to react to the user input and perform the desired action. The system is by no means unusable, but it may invoke some frustration if your previous player happened to run faster. See the video for a full interface walk through:

http://skattertech.com/media/2007/11/creative-zen-interface.flv

Audio Quality – 5/5
Despite a lackluster interface, the audio quality of the Zen is actually surprisingly good; it’s on par with the iPod Nano, if not better. The midrange was articulate and clear, even though there was a notable lack of strength at either ends of the spectrum. Even though the bass was slightly lacking, the treble, on the other hand, had no problem making itself known. Overall, though, the sound was very favorable, and most of my complaints are very nuanced. Fortunately, all of these mild shortcomings can be easily corrected with the built-in equalizer presets. If you still can’t quite hear what you want with those, there’s always the options of manually equalizing the sound yourself.

Syncing Content: – 4/5
Getting your music onto the Creative was quite simple. If you’ve got a Windows XP or Vista with the most recent version of Windows Media Player (WMP), you’re all set. Just plug in the Creative ZEN and your computer will automatically detect it as a mass storage device. WMP is quite easy to use and will allow quick transfers between your library and the ZEN. If you do not wish to use WMP, you do have the option of copying your media onto the mass storage device through the file explorer. When you unplug the device, the ZEN automatically takes a few seconds and indexes any new files. Once complete, your content should automatically appear in the ZEN’s library. Creative did include software to manage the ZEN, but we were a bit frustrated that it took over 20 minutes just to install it. If you do install it, the application will allow you to manage your music, photos, and videos. The software works and it’s got some neat features, however I prefered manually copying the content I needed directly onto the device. We didn’t have a chance to test it with Mac OS X, however if it’s recognized as a mass storage device then there should be no problem manually copying media onto the ZEN.

Media Formats: – 4/5
The ZEN supports a wide range of media formats. For audio, the ZEN can playback MP3, WAV, AAC, and WMA. The only DRM audio format it supports is protected WMA. With that being said, the ZEN is compatible with plenty of online music stores including Yahoo! Music, Audible (audio books), Napster, Amazon MP3, and iTunes Plus Tracks. As for photos, the ZEN can only display JPEG, but Windows Media Player will allow you to transcode GIF, TIFF, PNG and BMP for added compatibility. Finally for video, the ZEN can decode WMV, MJPEG, MPEG4, DiVX, and XViD. Unfortunately the highest supported resolution is only 320 by 240, therefore videos must be converted before they will play. The ZEN is also compatible with Amazon’s Unbox TV and Movie purchases and rentals.

SD Card Expansion: – 4/5
One major advantage that the Creative Zen has over other DAPs is that has an SD expansion slot. If you were to run out of space, which you’re bound to do, you can always pop in an SD Card of any size into the top of the unit. Once complete, you’ll be able to access your media right off the card. The only draw back may be the fact that the ZEN doesn’t integrate the content on your card into the library stored in the on board memory. This means you’ll have to head over to the Memory Card menu to access these files. The Creative ZEN can also turn into a SD Card Reader/Writer when connected to your PC, therefore no extra accessories are required to add or remove content on the card.

Microphone: – 4/5
The Zen also features a pinhole microphone, allowing it to be used as a personal voice recorder. It works just as expected, you’ll be able to record a file and play it back from the Music menu. If you’ve got a extra storage space this will save having to carry another gadget around with you. The recorded files can be copied back to your machine. As for recording quality, the microphone performed quite well. Voices from across the room were crisp and could be heard easily.

Conclusion:
If you’re in the market for an affordable portable media player that will allow you to enjoy your music, listen to radio, and watch the occasional video, then we would recommend the Creative Zen. The one thing the Creative Zen does best (without garnering any complaints, whatsoever) is, perhaps, playing music. In addition the ZEN is much more affordable than Apple’s iPod Nano and includes bonus features such as the FM Tuner, SD Expansion, and Microphone. The iPod Nano is only available at a 8GB max, while Creative offers the ZEN a 16GB flash model. SD cards are also quite cheap, making storage a not an issue for most customers. The battery life met what Creative stated: 25 hours of audio and 5 hours of video. Other than that, the only other suggestion we would make if you do purchase this unit is to upgrade your headphones to something along the lines of Shure’s SE110 Earphones and possibly purchasing a case. The Creative ZEN costs $120 for 4GB, $180 for 8GB, and $250 for 16GB and is available online and in stores now. Overall the Creative ZEN will be worth just about every penny spent.

Links: Creative ZEN

Microsoft announced two new Zune players today in addition to new software, social features, and marketplace store. Both new Zunes will sport features such as a new touch-pad technology labeled “Zune Pad” and wireless music sync with network computers. The first model is available only in black, holds 80GB of media on a standard hard-drive, has a 3.2-inch screen, is 1/3 thinner than the original, and comes with “premium” headphones. The second announced Zune is flash-based, available in 4GB & 8GB capacities, has a 1.8-inch display and is offered in pink, green, black, and red. In addition to supporting playback of music, photos, and videos both Zunes have a built-in FM Tuner.

The most notable feature by far is the Wireless Sync, which allows owners with wireless networks to setup automated sync with their computer. With this feature, the Zune can keep up to date with the latest downloaded podcasts or any new media added to the computer. Songs can also be shared between Zunes wirelessly and can be kept without time restrictions. Since the new devices are also compatible with Windows Media Center, any recorded show can be transfered seamlessly to a Zune. The unit now supports MP4 and H.264 formats in addition to WMV.

The upcoming upgrade to the Marketplace will include a directory to thousands of podcasts, millions of DRM-Free songs, a new layout, social networking features, and plenty more. The new Zune Pass, costing $15/month, will offer access to unlimited amounts of music downloads. The best part of the new announcement may just be the fact that Microsoft will continue to completely support the original Zune by releasing a firmware upgrade which will include all the the features the new Zune has. As for the new models they will be in November costing $250 for the 80GB model, $200 for 8GB, and $150 for 4GB.

Links: Zune.net (Offical Site)
Pre-Order: View All Zunes

UPDATE: Microsoft has just confirmed that the Zune will be available on November 13th!

Skatter Tech recently got a hold of Sony’s NWZ-S610 Video Walkman to review and we have been messing around with it for a few days. We’ve got to say that Sony should be proud since they have finally taken a big step by launching Video Walkmans which are also “open format.” (Means support for most DRM-Free music formats.) If they keep up the pace, this could help them regain their market share in the portable media sector. Getting back to the review, since this was Sony’s first Walkman in the U.S. that can playback video and the first to be “open format,” we weren’t expecting too much. As we got more into the player’s features and capabilities, we were surprisingly impressed with what Sony has turned out. Just to heat things up, we’ll even go as far to say that we’d recommend this over Apple’s new iPod Nano!

Sony NWZ-S Walkman Specs:

• Type: Portable Flash Video Player
• Capacities: 2GB, 4GB, & 8GB
• Screen: 1.8-inch 320 x 240 LCD
• Music Format: AAC, MP3 & WMA
• Video Format: MP4 Only
• Special: FM Tuner w/ Presets
• Colors: Silver, Black, Pink & Red
• Connection Type: USB 2.0
• Price Range: $99-$179

The Body: – 3.5/5
The S610’s body is simple and elegant, but not eye-catching. The unit is quite durable and wouldn’t be easy to break. The Walkman is just 3.25 inches tall, 1.7 inches wide, and .45 inches thick, making way sleeker, but thicker and taller than the new iPod Nano. On the front you’ll find the display followed by the navigation controls right below. At first we assumed the four-way commands were touch sensitive, but it ended up that all the controls on the unit are actually hard keys. The ‘back’ and ‘option’ buttons, which are awkwardly placed at the top left and top right, are used to return to the previous menu and bring up an options menu. We felt both these buttons should have been placed elsewhere, but it wasn’t a problem after some getting used to. The ‘play’ button in the center acts as the enter key. I actually prefer hard keys since it is easier to navigate the player without having to be looking at it. The hold key can be found on the left side and the volume controls are on the right. Other than that the stereo headphone jack can be found on the top of the unit while the data port for syncing and a reset pinhole are on the bottom.

The Screen: – 5/5
The 1.8-inch display, just .2 inches smaller than the Nano, is surprisingly bright and sharp enough to watch videos on. The resolution is a standard 320 x 240 and plays at 30FPS. We didn’t notice any lag or audio/video sync issues and the screen didn’t go dark when viewed at from angles as it does on many portable players. Instead of making the S610 “fat” like the new Nano, to retain the form factor the screen has instead been placed on the unit vertically. This of course means to utilize the entire display, the unit must be held sideways when watching videos. To make the unit friendly to left and right handed owners, the video and photo orientation can be set in the options to rotate to the preferred side.

Battery Life: – 5/5
Sony’s always been on top of things when it comes to battery life. My 3-year-old thumbdrive sized Walkman often lasts up to 50 hours. In the case of the S610, it supposedly lasts up to 33 hours for music playback and an amazing 9.5 hours for video playback. This of course depends on many factors including volume level, screen brightness, file sizes, and plenty more. Either way that’s quite good considering that the new iPod Nano is limited to approximately 24 hours of audio and 5 hours of video.

Media Formats: – 5/5
As we mentioned in the intro, Sony has finally gone “open format” with this Walkman and two others. They have dumped Sonic Stage, the Connect music store, and even the ATRAC format. For music, the S610 now supports MP3, AAC, WMA, and WAV all of which have to be free of DRM. The player is also compatible with Napster’s Subscription Based service and iTunes Plus tracks. As for video, the S610 will playback MP4 formats encoded in H.264/AVC and AAC. This part was a bit disappointing since they don’t exactly offer much leniency onto other formats. It even got worse when we realized that they hadn’t included any conversion tools, specify where to download samples, or to know exactly what is supported. This wasn’t an issue for us since we’ve got tools to re-encode videos, however some one-click conversion tool like the one in iTunes should be included for general consumers. We also found that all the Movie Trailers we downloaded which were encoded for iPods on iTunes worked just perfectly. Finally for the part people almost never use, photos, the unit has been limited only to JPEG.

Interface: – 4/5
We were quite pleased with the interface as not only looked fancy, but was also clean and quick. The learning curve is short, only requiring a few minutes to master. The Walkman has even got some neat features such as holding the ‘back’ key will take you back to the main menu and the ‘option’ key will power down the Walkman. Music can be surfed through by Album, Artist, Genre, Year, or in a long list of All Songs. Photos will appear in a simple folder layout just as they are copied onto the unit. Videos on the other hand will appear in a straightforward single list with thumbnails. The Now Playing screen displays standard song data plus Album Art. In addition to the standard Shuffle, Sony has added an interesting “Time Machine” Shuffle now randomly selects a year and plays songs within it. A search feature, which only works for music, can be found in the main menu, however was quite disappointing since it only lets users search for the starting alphabet of an Album, Artist or Song. The settings menu were pretty clear-cut, offering equalizer, volume limiting, and playback mode settings for music, slideshow interval settings for photos, and orientation plus brightness options for videos.

FM Radio: – 4.5/5
The quality of the built in radio was strikingly good. It has been hard wired and coded into the unit and isn’t just an extra add-on. Browsing through channels was both smooth and quick. The Walkman utilizes the plugged in headphones as an antenna to gain better signal. Users can save their favorite stations into any of the 30 available presets by simply holding down the “play” key.

Syncing Media: – 5/5
Transferring data to the NWZ-S610 was a cinch. We didn’t have to deal with any drivers or compatibility issues, both my Vista and XP machines detected and self-configured the device automatically after connecting the USB cable. Since the unit is “Play For Sure” it works with Windows Media Player 11. We had no issue copying songs over and received no errors. Since the songs are DRM-Free the unit isn’t limited to just a few “licensed machines” as iPods are. Songs can be taken from one machine and a friend can easily copy, add or remove your files. We didn’t have a chance to test the unit on a Mac OS X computer and Sony doesn’t mention anything about it. We’re going to assume that if a Mac is able to recognize the unit as a mass storage device there shouldn’t be any problems since the Walkman automatically creates Music, Picture, and Video folders, which can be seen when the drive folder is opened. When compatible media is copied into the corresponding folders, the Walkman will automatically index them after being disconnected, and the items will appear in the interface.

In The Box: – 3.5/5
Other than the S610 Walkman, Sony bundles a pair of stereo headphones, a USB cable, a dock adapter, and a Quick Start guide. For such a great Walkman we were very disappointed to see how poor of quality the included headphones were. If you purchase this Walkman or even an iPod for that matter, we suggest upgrading to the Shure SE110 or SE210. Anyways, back to the box, a CD with Windows Media Player 11, Napster (trial), and a MP3 Conversion Tool (based off SonicStage) was also included.

Overall we give Sony’s Video Walkman a BIG THUMBS UP! Even though some work still needs to be done around the video part, I was satisfied to see that they have finally dumped DRM which was holding them back. I will bet that if they continue to keep their players open to a variety of content, they will be able to boost their sales. As we mentioned the video codecs are a bit limited, but most iPod formatted content should work. This should also be resolved possibly with a firmware update or when they launch a second generation Video Walkman. As for this one, it is available online and in stores as of this month and is very reasonably priced at $99, $129, and $179 for 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB. Exactly $20 cheaper than each of the new iPod Nanos of the corresponding size capacities. We recommend this Sony Walkman to anyone who is finally willing to give iPods a break, wants to be free from DRM, likes occasionally listen to the radio, and is looking for a cheaper unique product which everyone else doesn’t have.

Important Note: The unit which was provided by Sony and was used for review was the NZW-S616F which held 4GB and was silver.

Buy: Sony NWZ-S616 (4GB) | Link: SonyStyle.com

Yesterday, smart USA, announced the pricing and availability of the smart fortwo models in the United States. The smart fortwo is a mini car produced by Mercedes, which offers driving with over 40mpg efficiency. The smart car is only 8.8-feet long and 5.1-feet tall and includes all the standard features found in cars today such as ESP, anti-lock brakes, and air bags. Although it only seats two and limited storage space, it has become quite a popular car in Europe since it’s easy to maneuver through small streets and even friendly to park in crowded areas. The car can also hit a top speed of 90mph, therefore can be driven on highways and is fast enough for most areas.

Anyways the entry-level coupe starts at $11,590 and included 5-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode. Unfortunately this model doesn’t even have powered windows, air conditioning, or even a built in CD player with AM/FM. Therefore paying another $2,000 will the three items mentioned above plus a panorama roof, alloy wheels, gear paddle shifters, heated mirrors, and sports steering wheel. Finally for $16,590 the smart car becomes convertible with an automatic soft top, a sound system with MP3 playback and a 6-CD changer. Although it may seem that this car lacks many features, which are now taken granted, it offers a wider range of price customizations, is one of the smallest car on the market, and offers almost double the fuel efficiency of any other car at that price range. The smart fortwo series will hit dealerships during the first quarter of 2008.

Links: SmartUSA.com | Wiki Info

Last week Creative introduced a new “credit-card-sized” multimedia player with a 2.5-inch simply called the Creative ZEN. One neat aspect is that it now supports playback of the new unprotected iTunes Plus tracks in addition to DRM-Free WMA and MP3. As for paid media, the unit is compatible with Napster to Go. And for video formats the ZEN can read WMV9, MJPEG, MP4, DivX, and XviD. In addition it reads JPEG, BMP, GIF, PNG, and TIFF since it’s also a photo viewer.

Other features built into the ZEN, which aren’t found on iPods, include a FM radio with 32 custom presets, a voice recorder, and an organizer with contacts, to do lists, and calendar which syncs with Microsoft Outlook. The unit is available in capacities of 4GB, 8GB, and a whopping 16GB (all flash-based). In addition the unit accepts standard SD cards, which are available at prices as low as $20 for 2GB. As for battery life, Creative claims approx. 25 hours for music and 5 hours for video playback.

The new Creative ZEN hit the market this month (September 2007) in Asia and unfortunately isn’t available yet in the United States. Creative is expected to launch this product worldwide very soon. As for pricing, after a currency conversion, the units will approximately cost $150 for 4GB, $200 for 8GB, and $300 for 16GB ($USD). As the holiday season is only a few months away it will be interesting to see what types of media players other companies including Creative will introduce to compete with Apple’s infamous iPod. We are trying to get a hold of a unit for review, so check back soon!

UPDATE 09/20/07: We’re getting one next week for sure and we promise an in-depth review!

Links: Creative Zen Product Info
Pre-Order: 4GB | 8GB | 16GB via Amazon

Sony NWZ-A810 & NWZ-S610:
Both of the two new video Walkmans sport the new user interface to browse through music, photos, and videos. Both units feature a QVGA 320 x 240 pixel LCD display running at up to 30fps. And both units can playback music for up to 33 hours, however the S610 can play video for up to 9.5 hours while the A810 runs short at 8 hours. Also since the new Sony Walkmans are “open platform” they now support non-secure AAC and MP3, secure WMA, plus JPEG for pics, and MP4/H.264/AVC video codecs.

The A810 comes with a high-quality set of Sony ear-buds (MDR-EX082), while the S610 includes a built-in FM tuner with custom presets. Both models are available in three capacities: 8GB, 4GB, & 2GB.

Sony NWZ-B100:
For those who just want a music player, the B100 packs a 3-line color LCD display and a FM tuner. In addition the entire unit can be plugged right into a USB port to charge, transfer music, and even copy other documents. In addition, the B100 can even record FM radio in addition to capturing voice notes with its built-in microphone. Since this walkman is also “open platform” it can also play any non-DRM music file. This Walkman is available in 1GB and 2GB capacities and offers up to 12 hours of playback.

All three players is available online at SonyStyle.com/walkman for pre-order and will become available in retail stores starting in September. Pricing is as follows. A810 Series: 2GB $140, 4GB $180, and 8GB $230. S610 Series: 2GB $120, 4GB $160, and 8GB $210. B100 Series: 1GB $60 and 2GB $80.

Links: SonyStyle.com

Last week Sprint announced the availability of LG Muziq (LX-570), the successor to last year’s Fusic. To begin with, the main feature that sets this phone apart from others is the built-in FM transmitter, which allows broadcasting music muziq to your car stereo wirelessly! We’ve been messing with the phone for about a week and we have been pleased with its overall performance.

LG LX-570 Specifications:

• Provider: Sprint (1.9GHz/800MHz CDMA)
• Form Factor: Flip Phone w/ external controls
• Dimensions: 3.80H x 1.94W x 0.61D (inches)
• Weight / Battery: 3.14 oz / 4hrs talk-time
• Screens: Internal 176×220 | External 128×160
• Camera: 1.3 mega pixel camera w/ flash
• Storage: microSD up to 4GB (64MB included)
• Others: Bluetooth v1.1 | Multitasking Capable
• Special: FM Transmitter (88.1-107.9 MHz)
• Price: $80 via Sprint w/ New Plan

LG Muziq Body: 3.5/5 stars
The Muziq is a major improvement, when compared to its bulky predecessor the Fusic. The LX-570 is slim, compact, easy to hold, shiny, and lightweight. The Muziq shares a similar appearance with the LG VX8600 Chocolate flip-phone. Now for the drawback, the phone’s glossy finish attracts TONs of fingerprints and dust. The keypad’s buttons are nice and large for easy typing, however since they are flat typing without looking at the device becomes difficult. We also hated the fact that the volume toggle and camera buttons (side keys) were awkwardly placed on the upper portion of the phone, besides the screen, making them hard to reach. Finally the power port (also the data port) can be found on the left, while the microSD slot and the 2.5mm headphone jack are on the right.

Music Playback: 4/5 stars
You’d expect a phone called the “Muziq” to have a set of stereo speakers, but for some reason it doesn’t. After formatting the microSD card and loading about a 100 songs, the phone was able to get right into playing songs within a few seconds. The external display didn’t display album art, but showed the song name and artist. The main problem we found was that the UI for browsing through your songs was not exactly well developed. All songs are lined up in one long alphabetical list. (no search function) Since I had a 100 songs, it would take a 100 clicks to get to the last one. Although the phone allows sorting by albums, it’s still a mess. Sprint seriously needs to develop a new UI which is something like the ones available on most Verizon phones today. This means a decent search function as well as the ability to browse by albums, artists, genres, and songs neatly. The online music store has a large selection of music and songs can be purchased over the air for just $.99!

Displays: 4/5 stars
Both the inner and outer displays are decent. The inner screen’s resolution (176×220 pixels) could have been higher, but doesn’t look bad. The outer screen is excellent mainly because it is much larger than the external displays found on most flip-phones. One thing we didn’t like was that we couldn’t find a way to reduce or increase the screen’s brightness.

Speakers: 3/5 stars
Once again for a phone that’s called the Muziq, you’d expect it to have a set of built-in stereo speakers (it doesn’t) . The quality is decent, however it begins to crack at loud levels. The speaker preformed pretty well during voice calls. The speakers aren’t the greatest for music, but if you use a set of bluetooth stereo headsets or even a wired one using the included stereo headset adapter, quality isn’t a problem.

Digital Camera: 4/5 stars
Although most phones will have a 2.0 megapixel camera by the end of this year, the Muziq still has a 1.3MP one. The photo quality was mediocre since the image was a bit blurry and colors were washed out. The camcorder allows recording clips of unlimited length (limited by the storage space), however only clips under 20 second can be mailed. The phone also has a neat little LED light which can be enabled while recording video clips. (same light flashes for photos) The camera and camcorder have a set common set of light filters, color tones. Self portraits can be taken via the external screen.

Interface: 5/5 stars
Ignoring the music playback portion of the UI, the rest works smoothly. Although the original “Sprint” theme enabled when the phone is first turned on looks horrendously ugly, the included “LG” theme is a lifesaver. The colors, fonts, text size, and icons all look great. The menus load up smoothly and quickly without any delay. The interfaces for the browser, call history, messaging, contacts, and settings are neatly laid out as well.

MicroSD and Sync: 5/5 stars
The microSD storage works like a charm and access to the card is easy. In addition as a BONUS the LX-570 supports the use of 4GB microSD cards, while most phones on the market still are limited to 2GB. When the included USB data cable is plugged in a menu pops up on the Muziq prompting to either Sync Music, become a Mass Storage device (a thumbdrive!), or function as a Modem. Sprint also bundles a CD with some software and drivers for Windows in case the phone isn’t recognized by your computer when connected. Syncing music with Windows Media Player 11 worked perfectly. Mac OS X users will need to directly transfer music to the microSD card using a SD card reader. Deals: 2GB microSD just $20

Bluetooth: 3/5 stars
While most phones being released today are now using Bluetooth v2.0, the Muziq is still using v1.1. (not even v1.2) Despite this it successfully paired with the Samsung WEP200, a Lexus IS250’s built-in handsfree system, and a HP dv6500t laptop. In addition it also supports the use of wireless stereo headsets. The only problem we had was that getting the devices to pair was a bit confusing. Unlike normal bluetooth phones and devices the Muziq first requires adding a found device to a “trusted list.” Then only after this can the two devices be paired by entering a pin.

FM Transmitter: 4/5 stars
To clarify for those who didn’t read the “FM” portion, the LG Muziq has a FM transmitter not a FM tuner. This means that you can broadcast the music on your phone to radios, however you will NOT have the ability to tune into your favorite stations. The most common use of this feature is to play your phone’s music through your car’s stereo. If you plan to do this a lot, you should probably purchase a car charger since battery life will drop drastically. The transmission feature works as advertised. Only annoyance we found was trying to find a clear frequency to broadcast on because it required us to go through multiple menus to try each station. (Once it’s set there won’t be any more hassle.) Transmission quality was clear and it worked best when within 5ft range of the radio.

External Controls: 5/5 stars
The touch sensitive buttons work as well. To activate the controls the keypad lock must be deactivated by holding down the camera button. Once activated, when a touch-sensitive button is pressed the phone vibrates providing feedback to the user. When playing music The red backlight is bright and the buttons are clearly visible. Only problem is that it takes a bit of getting used to since you keep hitting the wrong button when trying to navigate.

Email Client: 5/5 stars
We added this new category because this was one of the first phones we’ve seen of this price range to include a built-in push email client. Setup is extremely easy for average users since the phone already knows all the mail servers for AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo!, and Gmail, therefore only requiring a username and password. POP and IMAP users may enter their server information and login. The simple email client loads only a small amount of text/links. You will still need to get to a computer to view any images or other media. Accounts can be setup to push new messages to your phone as they reach your inbox or to be manually checked. The client also supports replying and sending new messages consisting of only plain text.

Other Info:
Sprint bundles a good amount of accessories along with the phone and the charger. They include a USB data cable for syncing music and other files, A adapter with a microphone for use with standard headsets, and a 64MB microSD card and SD adapter. The phone’s signal strength was also impressive and was one of the better ones we’ve had in a while (It maintained at least 2 bars in places where we usually get disconnected). The phone has a contact backup feature which is now becoming quite common for new phones. We were instantly able to retrieve all the contacts from a previous Sprint phone we had instantly from their network (Only downside is the $2/month). Another bonus with this phone is the ability to use J2ME apps. This allows access to a ton of free applications such as Google Earth, Gmail, GPS Navigators, Pandora, and thousands more!

Overall in a sentence this phone is pretty good for the price you pay, but isn’t exactly the best music player. Even cheaper phones from other service providers like Verizon have better playback interfaces. Also unless you really need a phone that’s got a built in FM transmitter, there are plenty of better phones available. I’d personally purchase a better phone and then buy a cheap FM transmitter to go along with it. This phone is now available from Sprint.com for $79 with a new 2 year contract and after a $50 Mail in Rebate. It’s a good deal considering the included a microSD card, USB cable, and headset adapter.

DEAL ALERT: LG Muziq for FREE! (w/ new Sprint Contract)
Links: Sprint.com | LG LX-570 Fact Card
Offical Product Shot: Front Side | Flipped Open
Help & Support: fourms.skattertech.com

The developers of BitPim have rolled out a new version (v0.9.12) of their popular program which allows managing data on mobile phones. Included in this update is more support for the LG VX9900 (aka enV). The previous update only allowed minimal compatibility with the phone. However now, when setup properly, anyone can sync Phonebook, Calendar, Wallpaper, Ringtone, Memo, SMS and Call History data back and forth. We recommend this to add ringtones onto your phone since the only other method is to purchase them from Verizon’s V Cast store.

Also the increased enV support was not the only addition to the most recent update of BitPim. They also increased stability, bug fixes, added support pages, and re-organized the interface. (plus more improvements with the LG VX8600, LG VX8500, and LG VX5300) The program is entirely free (open source) and you can download a copy from the link below.

Download: bitpim-0.9.12-1-setup.exe
Links: BitPim.org | Supported Phones

P.S. Linux and Mac OS X version also available: download now

This week XM and Sirius, the two satellite radio providers, closed a deal to merge both companies to equal a net value of $13billion. Both companies plan to share their specialty content, which was originally limited to each service, to all their listeners soon. This means both XM and Sirius subscribers will eventually have access to more HD commercial-free music, news, talk, entertainment, sports, traffic, and weather.

“This combination is the next logical step in the evolution of audio entertainment,” said Mel Karmazin (CEO SIRIUS Satellite Radio) “Together, our best-in-class management team and programming content will create unprecedented choice for consumers.”

Sirius currently offers 130 high definition channels while XM offers 170. Both services offer their subscribers free access to the content through the internet. At the moment the companies claim they plan to reduce the cost of the service and increase the content, however since there will only be one remaining satellite radio provider (no competition) they can increase costs all they want. Luckily, for the time being both XM and Sirius claim that monthly costs will not change and customers will not have to purchase new units to receive additional content from the other service. Neither companies have stated when the merge would be completed or when the mixed content would be available to all customers.

Links: XM Satellite Radio | Sirius Satellite Radio
Press Releases: XM Press | Sirius Press

The all-new Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 are expected to reach dealerships by October 15, 2005. These two care are both complete remakes of the current IS 300, which has now been discontinued. The new IS line is expected to be a breakthrough for Lexus, as it is expected to yield better performance than the BMW 3 Series. The IS 250 is expected to start at $30k, while the IS 350 is set at about $40k. I have managed to snap plenty of shots of an IS 250 that was temporarily located at a dealership (Stevens Creek) for tune-up before an auto show. From the looks of it, the IS has a more sporty car feel than the previous model. This car has the new style that the GS line currently has on the interior and exterior.

This car is loaded with ton of gadgets and features, some are:

• Mark Levinson 14-speaker sound system
• 6-disc DVD/CD changer (supports WMA & Mp3)
• AUX input for iPods & Walkmans (12V power supply)
• Navigation LCD touch screen + voice controled
• Safety backup camera & DVDs play while in park mode
• Bluetooth phone support & steering wheel phone controls
• Smart keyless entry system & push 2 start button
• Pre-collison system and front/side/knee airbags
• Ventilated heat/cool front seats
• Paddle-shifters and console shifter (Manual)

The IS 250/350 both have the same body, but both are about 3 inches longer and wider than the current IS 300 (“05). The 6-speed IS 250 is powered by a 2.5L 206hp engine and is available in manual, automatic, and tiptronic transmissions. The 6-speed IS 350 has a 3.5L 306hp engine and is also available in manual and auto. (V6 engines) The IS 350 is only offered rear-wheel drive, while the IS 250 is offered in rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. The IS 250 can get up to 32mpg and the IS 350 can get a max of 28mpg. (varies on AWD/RD & M/T vs. Auto) There is also word on a IS 430 that might be released next year that has a V8 engine and is possibly a hardtop convertible, another possible addition might be a hybrid IS as well. Both are concept cars so no “offical” Lexus announcements yet.

Update (10/11/05): The Lexus IS 250 and IS 350 (2006) pricing has been released by Lexus. IS 250 starts at ~$29,000 and the IS 350 starts at ~$35,000. – [via Yahoo Biz]

Link: TheNewIS | Lexus.com | GoogleSearch
More: ‘05 Lexus IS 300 | ‘06 IS Message Board
Related: Lexus Concept Cars

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