Zen Thing: Creative Zen Vision 30 GB MP3 Player

The Creative Zen Vision is not just an MP3 player; it’s a versatile multimedia device for storing music, photos and videos as well as recording audio.

The Vision’s 30 GB is enough to store thousands of photos, around 15 thousand songs or about 120 hours of video. To enjoy the video, the Vision comes with an excellent 3.8 inch screen with 262,000 colours and VGA resolution (640X480). You can also connect the device to a TV or projector and display the stored photos and video files. If your digital camera uses Compact Flash memory, the Vision has an inbuilt CF memory slot which means that you can directly transfer your memory card and its contents.

If you get tired of your music collection the Vision comes with an FM tuner with 32 station presets. There is also an audio recorder which can store hundreds of hours; highly useful for recording meetings or voice memos. It can also record FM allowing you to store your favourite FM shows and listen to them when you want. Finally there is also a personal organizer compatible with Microsoft Outlook which can store your contacts and appointments information.

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Creative Zen Vision | MP3 Player

The world of Podcasts

Podcasting refers to the broadcast of audio files via the Internet along with convenient ways of subscribing to regular feeds which can be updated automatically. Despite the name you don’t need an iPod to listen to podcasts; any MP3 player will do and you can listen to them on your computer as well. Once you have downloaded the podcasts you can create in effect your personal radio station and listen to the programming that you want at a time and place of your choosing.

A good way of entering the world of podcasts is with Apple’s iTunes programme which is available for free on the Apple website. iTunes allows you to browse and search a large number of podcasts most of which can be subscribed for free.

The selection of podcasts is vast and like the Internet itself ranges from slick programmes by media giants like the BBC and CNN to amateur productions by individuals from all over the world. There are podcasts on politics, business, music, science and almost every conceivable topic under the sun. While the vast majority of podcasts are international, there are some Indian ones as well: on Bollywood, cricket, Indian music and so on.

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Podcast | MP3 Player | iPod | Podcasting

iPod Speakers

Earphones are great for convenience and privacy but they aren’t a substitute for belting out music on your speakers. Fortunately for iPod owners there are a wide range of speakers specially designed for their player.

The Altec Lansing Inmotion iM7 delivers decent sound with the help of built-in subwoofers and also comes with some excellent options for power and connectivity. The iM7 can be powered through the AC outlet but also through batteries making it ideal for trips. While it plays your songs it will automatically recharge your iPod. It also comes with a set of international plug adapters: a handy feature if you want to take it abroad. It can play any of the docking iPods but also has an extra input jack which can be connected to a laptop or another audio device. The iM7 comes with a remote control which allows you to control volume, bass and treble as well as advance and rewind tracks.

The Bose Sound Dock doesn’t quite have all these features but it scores where it matters most: sound quality. The bass and treble is excellent and the Bose delivers perhaps the best sound on any of the iPod speakers.

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iPod Speakers | MP3 Player | iPod

Bigger, better?: Apple's Video iPod

Apple’s iPod is undoubtedly the best known brand among MP3 players and the 60 GB video iPod is the top model in the latest generation of iPods.

How much can 60 GB hold? It depends on the size of your files but on average it means around 15,000 songs or 25,000 photos or 150 hours of video. The bottom line is enough capacity to hold most of the average music and photo/video collection with space left over for backing up some of your PC hard drive. The video Ipod also comes with a 2.5 inch colour screen to enjoy your photos and video.

What’s especially impressive is that even with all this extra storage and functionality, the basics like battery life have been improved: this model provides 20 hours which is five hours more than before. The 60 GB model even manages to be 10% thinner than the 20 GB model of the previous generation.

As with all iPods, the interface is a model of simplicity and convenience. All the controls are placed in the Click Wheel which allows you to change volume, press play and stop and navigate your collection quickly using just one hand.

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Video iPod | MP3 Player | iPod | iRiver