Digitally, musically yours!

The Zune Zone

2006-09-21T11:36:00.000+05:30

Microsoft’s Zune media player is without question one of the most anticipated gadgets of this year. After many months of speculation, Microsoft finally released details about the Zune on September 15. For the most part, the features were predictable: a 30 GB hard-drive based player with a 3 inch screen, an FM tuner and video-playback capabilities. The Zune comes in three colours: white, black and brown.

However there were a couple of neat touches. The Zune will have wireless sharing features where you can wirelessly transfer songs from one Zune to another though the recipient has only three days to try out the song. You can customize the screen by using your personal photos as background like on your PC.

In addition to the player, Microsoft announced plans for its own online music store called Zune Marketplace. There will also be three accessory packs: the Car Pack, the Home A/V pack and the Travel pack. The Zune has its work cut out, in its battle against the iPod; Apple dropped prices and improved features just days before the Zune announcement. However there is no question that when the corporate titans battle it out, it’s the consumer who will benefit the most.

Tuning in to the Nano

2006-08-25T14:52:00.000+05:30

The iPod Nano, which replaced Apple’s hugely popular iPod Mini, is perhaps the most advanced and elegant flash audio player out there in the market. For one thing, along with the 1 and 2 GB models, the top model in the series comes with 4 GB of memory which is exceptional for flash players (each GB holds around 250 songs). For another the Nano comes with a colour screen which is capable of displaying your photos as well as album art.

The Nano has all the advantages of flash players. It’s very light and small and literally as thin as a pencil. Because flash players use no moving parts they are immune to skipping and more durable than hard-drive based players. Flash memory also consumes less energy than hard-drives and the Nano lets you play around 14 hours of music on a full charge.

Despite its smaller form the Nano has the elegant and user-friendly design associated with regular iPods including the famous touch-sensitive scroll wheel. It is compatible with a number of iPod accessories as well as iTunes. The Nano also comes with a calendar function, a stop watch and a clock with multiple time-zones.

Samsung YP-F1 Flash Payers

2006-08-21T17:21:00.000+05:30

Because flash-based MP3 players are so tiny and light they are practically worn rather than carried and are fashion accessories as much as electronic devices. This is clearly seen in Samsung’s YP-F1 series of flash players which come in 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB models.

The first thing you notice about the series is the elegant, rounded design which stands in sharp contrast to the box-like shapes which are the norm. There are six colours to choose from and it’s possible to switch from one colour to another just by changing the face-plate. There is also a metal clip which lets you conveniently attach the player to your clothing.

The players aren’t just about looks though; they also have a full set of features. There is an FM player and FM recording as well as a voice recorder. The screen display has adjustable contrast levels and is packed with information including song title, battery life and playing time. The players come with a graphic equalizer with a number of presets as well as additional options like Trubass and WOW for improving sound quality. They also support a variety of audio formats including MP3 and WMA.

iPod alternative? The Toshiba Gigabeat 40 gb

2006-08-12T12:34:00.000+05:30

While Apple’s iPod maintains a tight grip on the hard-drive based MP3 player market, there is an increasing number of quality alternatives like the Toshiba Gigabeat audio player jumping in the fray.

The Gigabeat’s 40 GB can store around 10,000 songs; more than enough for the average collection. It provides 16 hours of battery life and can be recharged through your PC with a USB cable. It also comes with 28 equalizer settings which can be adjusted according to the type of music you are playing: jazz, rock, piano and so on.
The Gigabeat comes with a 2.2 inch screen with 65k colours and 240X320 resolution. You can download and view any still images from your PC and create a slideshow set to music. You can also download album covers and browse through your collection by cover.

Transferring your music collection from your CDs to your audio player is often a chore but the Gigabeat comes with a neat feature called CD RipRec. Place the CD in your PC and the Gigabeat in its dock-cradle and press the CD RipRec button. Without any further effort the contents of the CD will be transferred to the player.

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Toshiba Gigabeat | MP3 Player | iPod

Bullet proof your iPod!

2006-08-08T16:28:00.000+05:30

Remember the film Deewar. In that, Amitabh Bachchan is saved a countless number of times by his lucky badge from speeding bullets. This story reminds me of that film.

A US company is making new military grade iPod cases. Apparently, these new iPod cases that can stop a bullet for you.

Who needs a lucky badge now!

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iPod case | MP3 Player | iPod

Zen Thing: Creative Zen Vision 30 GB MP3 Player

2006-07-28T13:32:00.000+05:30

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

2006-07-27T20:32:00.000+05:30

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

2006-07-18T15:19:00.000+05:30

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

2006-07-05T10:37:00.000+05:30

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

iRiver alliance to take on iPod

2006-06-21T19:05:00.000+05:30

Reigncom Ltd, the makers of iRiver, are teaming up with software giant Microsoft and MTV to give Apple's cult music player iPod a run for its money.

In an interview, Frank Lim, Reigncom's director in charge of marketing and planning for its iRiver players, said: "No hardware company can survive alone. We have shifted our strategy focus from music players to entertainment devices."

According to the Reuters report, Reigncom's newest player, Clix, which is winning rave reviews, integrates Windows Media Player 11 and URGE, MTV's subscription-based music service.

Will Clix click with MP3 afficionados? Will it turn out to be a winning combination for iRiver? We'll have to wait and watch. For those of us in India that wait may be very long indeed.

Officially, it appears that iRiver sells only a handful of its products in India, including the H10, N Series and some flash players (notably N Series).

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MP3 Player | iPod | iRiver

What to look for in an MP3 player-5: Display

2006-06-21T15:27:00.000+05:30

Though MP3 players are primarily used for playing music, the quality of the display is an important part of the experience.

At the most basic level, the display helps you to navigate your music collection easily. First, make sure that your player has a display in the first place since some of the smaller models come without them.

Check out how easy it is to read the display particularly in bright sunlight. In addition to the song being played, a typical display will give you information about the battery life left or the audio-format and bit-rate in which the song is encoded.

Some players can also display the time. Today’s MP3 players are multimedia devices for playing video and showing photos and obviously these features depend on the quality of the screen.

Ideally you would want a relatively big screen with many colours. A good example is the Creative Zen 30 GB player with a 2.5-inch screen and over 260,000 colours at a resolution of 320 x 240.

If you intend to use photo or video capabilities a lot, do not forget that they consume a lot of power so make sure your player comes with adequate battery life.

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MP3 Player | iPod | Creative Zen

What to look for in an MP3 player-4: Features

2006-06-21T15:26:00.000+05:30

The main purpose of your MP3 player may be to play your music collection but radio reception is a great feature to have as well: allowing you to check the cricket scores or tune into your favourite music show while on the move.

Many models have FM reception built in though only a very few, like a player called Radio Your Way, have AM reception. If radio is important to you, make sure the player has a large number of pre-sets to conveniently navigate your favourite stations.

If possible try out the radio before buying since the quality of the reception varies from model to model.

Several MP3 players come with a variety of audio recording options as well. The most basic and common is voice recording which is great for recording lectures and meetings or creating voice memos.

Another useful feature is in-line recording which allows you to connect your player to another audio device like a CD player and record its output. Finally some players allow you to record audio from the FM tuner.

A good player with all three options is the Creative Muvo TX FM 512 MB.

Next Post: MP3 Player Display

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MP3 Player | iPod | Creative

What to look for in an MP3 player-3: Controls

2006-06-21T15:25:00.000+05:30

Your MP3 player might be able to store thousands of songs and photos and to enjoy it all conveniently it’s important to be able to navigate this content efficiently.

The first level of interface is the physical controls on the player; for instance the iPod’s scroll wheel which is famous for its responsiveness and versatility.

If the player uses buttons make sure they are conveniently placed and easy to press. A hold button, which stops you accidentally pressing buttons when you are on the move, is also useful.

The second level is the internal software of the player which allows you to use the various features. Make sure that options like the graphic equalizer and radio pre-sets are easy to access and control.

Last but not least most of your MP3 collection will be transferred from your PC to your player so the PC software which connects the two is important. Usually there will be some software that comes with your player and there is plenty of free software like iTunes or Windows Media Player as well.

If you like to use a particular program like iTunes make sure your player is compatible.

Next Post: Radio and Recording

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MP3 Player | iPod |

What to look for in an MP3 player-2: Design

2006-06-21T15:23:00.000+05:30

As with any portable gadget, the physical design of an MP3 player is important since you will be carrying it with you everywhere. In recent years players have also become fashion accessories as much as electronic devices.

Size and weight are perhaps the basic design features of any portable device and MP3 players span a wide range. At the smaller end, Mobiblu flash players like the DAH 1500i, perhaps the smallest in the world, are extremely light at less than 20 grams and less than an inch wide.

At the heavier end, hard-drive based players like the 30 GB iPod might weigh around 130 grams but will still be small enough to fit in your shirt pocket. MP3 players come in a variety of shapes and colours as well.

The Mobiblu flash players are distinctive for their cube-shaped design and bright, blue OLED display. The iPod is famous for the elegance and simplicity of its design and its players come in several colours.

If you are especially interested in owning a beautiful MP3 player check out the hundreds of iPod skins; separately sold covers which provide innumerable design options as well as protecting your player.

Next Post: Interface and Controls

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MP3 Player | iPod | Mobiblu | iPod Skin

What to look for in an MP3 Player-1: Memory

2006-06-21T15:20:00.000+05:30

Welcome lovers of music and gadgets. MP3 players have revolutionized the way to we listen to and store music. But which is the MP3 player for you. That's the million dollar question. I am over the next few days going to give you the lowdown on what to look for when you are buying an MP3 player. Then we can get into specifics of which player is right for you. So read on…

The size of the memory is perhaps the single most important feature of an MP3 player because it determines how much music you can store and how much it weighs and costs.

MP3 players come in two basic varieties: those with flash memory and those with hard drives. Flash players like the Mobiblu DAH 1500i might have around 1 GB of memory while hard-drive players like some of the iPod models might have 30 or 60 GB. Each GB can store about 15 hours of music which means that a flash player can store a reasonable selection of your collection whereas your hard-drive player might easily store all of it.

Today’s MP3 players have become multi-media devices and there are more uses for a large memory; like storing your photo and video collection or backing up your PC. Of course all the extra memory comes for a price. A flash player may come for around Rs 5000 whereas a 30 GB player might cost three times as much.

Hard drives are heavier as well whereas flash players are sometimes so light that you can hardly feel them in your shirt pocket; they are ideal during exercise or sports.

Next Post: Design

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MP3 Player | iPod | Mobiblu