08:02 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

Taiwanese hardware maker BenQ is planning to launch a new hard-disk-based media player by December this year, the company said at the Ceatec (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) Japan 2004 exhibition on Friday.

The player is part of BenQ' Joybee range, contains a 4GB hard disk drive and accepts SD memory cards. Beside standard support for MP3, it also supports Windows Media Audio, WAV, and JPEG images. ERP: USD $300.

05:50 AM by Colin Dunstan in Miscellaneous | Lounge

Did you ever wonder if you were geek enough? Let's make the comparison to this London guy.

This is what he is carrying around on a daily basis:
- HP iPAQ 4150
- Socket bluetooth GPS
- iPaq mini keyboard
- Zip-Linq iPaq sync/charge cable
- Canon PowerShot S400
- iPod 3G 40Gb
- Etymotic ER6 Isolator headphones
- iTrip FM Audio Transmitter
- TuneCast FM Transmitter (hacked)
- WiFi Seeker
- LED Flashlight
- Sony Ericsson T610
- Jabra BT200
- Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP (and games)
- Pocket battery pack
- Leatherman micra
- RSA SecurID
- Shades
- Lighters
- Chapstick/Nicotine inhaler
- Handy wipes!
- Wallet
- Trusty pen
- GBA headphone adaptor, batteries
- ...

With all that stuff in his pockets, it's a wonder that he doesn't fall over.

04:31 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

The iPod Mini clone euphoria has began!

While Engadget rumors that Dell is putting the finishing touches on the Dell Pocket DJ 5, Creative Labs goes after the Apple iPod mini with its own clone, the Creative Zen Micro 5GB MP3 Player.

Gizmodo has a scan of a brochure showing the Zen Micro in different colors and listing the core specifications. The player is rumored to be available at the end of november for the price of 279 Euros and comes in seven different colors.

04:23 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Portable Audio/Video

Engadget has a quick write up that Dell would soon release the Pocket DJ 5, a 5GB player competitor for the iPod mini that will retail for $199 and have a battery life of 9 hours. First iPod Mini, then Rio Carbon, then Creative Zen Micro, and now Pocket DJ 5. I wonder who is next?

02:26 PM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Week in Review

In case you've missed any MobileRead news from this week, here is our usual roundup:

Emerging Technologies
Audible.com's CEO Speaks (Writes)
BenQ P50 - better than the future Treo 650?
Cybook E-Book Tablet finally ready for the market
Newton - Long Live the King!
Photo-Capable 4G iPod soon?
The quiet success of Symbian

General Chat
1src New Look
26 reasons why we love e-books!
HowTo: Read your Gmail inbox via ATOM feed
UNESCO: The e-Book revolution is yet to happen

General PPC Discussion
Acky’s XP Breakout: gorgeous VGA PPC game
Adobe Reader 2.0 for PocketPC
HP iPaq hx2000 series released
Javoedge HP iPAQ rz1700 Series Leather Case
PDair Aluminium Case for the iPAQ 63xx

General Palm Discussion
Engadget reports hands-on with Treo 650
Female and Male uses of the Tungsten T5
Is palmOne just monkeying around with us?
Master Kick for PalmOS
PalmAddict interview with palmOne president
Serious Bugs in T5 Software
The Sony-Is-Missing Effect
TomTom Navigator 4.40 Free Update for PalmOS
Tungsten T5 disappointment: OS 5.4 and no WiFi
palmOne manager explains why T5 is cool

Plucker
Sunrise 0.3.5 released

iSilo/iSiloX
iSilo/X V4.15 Final is released

05:03 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Congrats to PalmAddict for an exclusive interview with palmOne's president Ed Colligan.
The exec firsts talks about the expansion of the Treo line. But my favorite part of the interview is when Colligan explains why the Tungsten T5 doesn't have WiFi:

Yes; WiFi is important, but our focus is on the WAN in the Enterprise, and the T5 reflects what that market is demanding from us, in terms of a solution. You know that we do have a WiFi device: the Tungsten C?

WOOW! Let's stop here for a moment. Did you hear what Colligan just said?

- we don't give a *!% about home consumers
- WAN and WiFi cannot coexist
- if you want WiFi, buy our ancient Tungsten C

What an eye-opener ;( At least palmOne was nice enough to tell us the truth (and thanks to PalmAddicts for making it possible), and perhaps there is our last chance to make some benefit out of it: to shorten palmOne stocks!

04:29 AM by Alexander Turcic in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Jun reports us that Global Source PDA has a new stylish aluminum metal case which was specially designed for the iPAQ 63xx series It costs $32.99 (with free shipping).

12:10 PM by Colin Dunstan in E-Book General | News

Publishers Cafe shares with us 26 benefits of e-books that make e-books an invaluable supplement to the paper-based books we know and love!