Gear Diary » Portable Media Players

JawBone JamBox: Out Since 2010 but Still Awesome- A Gear Diary Video Look

Dan Cohen — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:00:01 +0000

The JawBone JamBox was released in November of 2010. Yes, that's almost a year and half ago... ancient by today's tech standards. So you might be wondering why we're covering it NOW. The reason is simple: although it was released almost a year and a half ago the JamBox is still the best portable Bluetooth speaker on the market and, thanks to updates and additional apps for it the speaker just keeps getting better and better. Thomas was quick to buy one when it was first released but I held back and only got one a few months ago. I wish I hadn't waited because it really is an incredible little device. I like it so much in fact that I purchased one for Elana to use when she is training clients. Oh, and there is another reason we shot the video now... it was the first time since I got JamBox-ified that Thomas and I were together. So here's a quick video of Thomas and me talking about the device and why it's become one of our favorite gadgets. Yes November of 2010 was quite a while ago but this is one piece of gear that isn't even close to becoming long in the tooth. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Sansa Clip Zip MP3 Player Review

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

I love Sandisk's Sansa line because they are cheap, use standard connectors and work on just about any OS. So when they offered to send me the new Clip Zip to review for Gear Diary I jumped at the chance. Will it be as nice as their past devices? Let's find out. The Clip Zip is the next version of the Clip. My friends in the Linux community have much love for the Clip. It's cheap, supports Ogg Vorbis codecs, and it connects to your computer as conveniently as any flash drive. That means you can us any OS that supports USB mass storage. Windows, Mac, Linux and even my Asus EeePad Transformer Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Saved by ‘Old’ Technology!

Michael Anderson — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:15:49 +0000

I have said it before and I'll say it again - the iPod Touch is the worst iPod I have ever owned. Why do I say that? Because one of my main listening modes is in the car to and from work and between different offices, and changing anything requires you to look at the iPod Touch - and therefore away from whatever else you are doing! And as Carly mentioned here, that can be a very dangerous prospect. For a long time I used a second generation 4GB iPod Nano, but the screen slowly stopped functioning and then the device totally died last year, and I have been using Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

SanDisk Brings Out the Sansa Clip Zip

Joel McLaughlin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:42:28 +0000

While I do like iPods, I still love other MP3 players as well. One of my favorites is the Sansa Fuze+ after the latest firmware update. Sandisk also has made many other Sansas, and one of the Linux community's favorite ones has been the Sansa Clip. Just when I didn't think the Clip could get any better, Sandisk brings out the Clip Zip, which adds some nice things to the Clip's form factor.

Stylish, Feature-Rich Player Delivers Affordable On-The-Go Music Experience

· Packed with features, including a larger color screen, compatibility with all major music formats, a stopwatch, an FM radio, voice recording capability and a microSDHC™ card slot for extra storage
·

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Griffin Beacon Universal Remote for iOS

Dan Cohen — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:00:02 +0000

It looks funny. It does exactly what it promises. And, at least for me, it is in the running for "iOS Accessory of the Year". Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit but I'm pretty serious about how cool I think this iOS hardware/app combination is. The Griffin Beacon is the universal remote on steroids. With this odd piece of plastic powered by four AA batteries and a free download from the App Store I have taken my Samsung HDTV remote, my TiVo remote AND my Apple TV remote and put them away. Now all I need is one of my iOS devices and I have total control over the media in my den Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iPad Accessory Review: Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage

Dan Cohen — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:00:30 +0000

Storing information in the cloud is all good and well but with tiered data plans becoming the norm the idea of constantly streaming music and video becomes a bit problematic. After all, depending upon your plan, streaming just a couple of movies could all but do in your monthly allotment. That leaves just three possibilities. You can either constantly juggle the content stored on your mobile device (a royal pain), you can buy the largest capacity device possible And be selective about what goes on it (expensive and the iPad tops out at 64GB) or you can find some way to access a large hard drive on the go. That's what Seagate wants you to do Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Aluratek Cinepal HD Personal Media Player

Travis Ehrlich — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:00:35 +0000

Something has changed with my use of all of my devices. Due to memory issues, I have gone back to using dedicated devices. I listen to music on an iPod rather than my iPhone and have been looking for a better way to show off my photos and videos than the iPad. It is funny how I have gone full circle with the devices back to a day where I kept many things separate. The Cinepal HD Personal Media Player is a product that could solve some of my issue of photos and video. Let's take a look.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The Consequences of Distracted Driving

Carly Z — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 18:00:34 +0000

I got into a fender bender last night. Luckily no one was hurt, and as for the damage to my car (see above), well, that's what insurance is for. In the aftermath, though, I've been doing quite a bit of thinking on how easily I let myself get distracted while driving, not just yesterday but in general...and fortuitously, this afternoon I came across my old iPod shuffle. If you're wondering how I went from distracted driving to iPod shuffle, it's not that crazy a leap. I usually use my Droid for music in my car, either using the built-in music player or Pandora. But if I want to change the music, or figure out why Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

GD Quickie: Sansa Fuze+ Firmware Update Makes the Fuze+ Usable!

Joel McLaughlin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:00:45 +0000

A while back I reviewed the Sansa Fuze+ from Sandisk. Back then, the way the player was locked would wreak havoc with it. You would lock it and then the heat of your body would unlock it even when it wasn't moving all that much in my pocket. Well, Sandisk has released an update to their firmware that changes the lock function and moves it from holding the play button in to lock to pressing in the power button on the top. To unlock, you just tap the power button which takes a lot more effort to do and now it is not prone to unlocking while it's floating around a pocket. This simple change makes Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

A Moving, Learning, Interactive Media Robot Thingie by Karotz

Douglas Moran — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:00:06 +0000

You know what you need? You need a robot. A cute little bunny robot. A cute little bunny robot that looks kinda like the sort of thing you'd find in Akihabara (aka "nerdvana") in Japan. And if that cute little bunny robot also had voice recognition, was a media player, had an integrated web came, and an RFID chip so that you could find it when it was lost, you would be rushing right out to get one for your little tyke, right? Hey, I don't know either, but it sounds cool (in a silly, nerdly, "I want to go to Akihabara yesterday!" kind of way), I must say.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This gizmo Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Aluratek puts the Bump in a new Wireless Speaker Line

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:35:56 +0000

Aluratek is announcing the new Bump line of wireless speakers including a neat little boombox style MP3 player, wireless speakers and more.

First up is the AWS01F MP3/FM Radio Boombox. This includes a wireless speaker and you can connect up to 6 of these speakers to the same unit. The back of it has a SD card slot, USB port for a USB drive and a 3.5mm input for attaching any device that uses a 3.5mm output. It is available for $99.99.

Next is just the boom box without the speaker, the AMS01F. It has all of Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Monsoon Vulkano Deluxe Pro

Travis Ehrlich — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 23:00:41 +0000

I spent a large portion of the summer building a nice deck just outside my back door. Once it was finished we would sit out there under the bright Texas stars and I would tell my wife I needed a way to watch sports out there. My WiFi is full strength on the deck, but I could rarely watch live sporting events. If only I could watch on my iPad or iPhone or even laptop. Enter the Monsoon Vulkano to grant my wish! The Vulkano sports technology for TV placeshifting, digital video recording, internet video playback, universal plug and play and mobile video recording. All of this technology comes in a small attractive box

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Gear Deal- Zune HD 32GB (or 64GB) + Zune HD Car Charger

Dan Cohen — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 12:35:40 +0000

Want an awesome media player with a gorgeous touchscreen that isn't an iPod touch? Have we got a Gear Deal for you today!! This bundle offers a Zune HD PLUS a Zune HD Car Charger at a huge savings. Together they make using your Zune on the go a breeze. The Zune HD offers

the digital experience that gives you access to premium entertainment and the latest technologies, allowing you to enjoy, connect, and discover content in a whole new way—the way you like it. Browse, stream, buy, and play all you want, including music, HD video, Podcasts, games and much more.

It has 32GB of storage capacity, an HD radio, is HD-compatible so Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Sandisk Sansa Fuze+ Media Player

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 22:00:06 +0000

Sandisk has long produced the Fuze line of mp3 players and while they aren't nearly as popular as Apple's products, they do indeed have a following within certain communities. Since Sandisk has long had compatibility with open codecs such as Ogg Vorbis , the Linux and Open Source community loves them. Many of my friends have them and I purchased the last generation Fuze for my wife. I was impressed with what Sandisk had done with the device as well as with its price. Sandisk was nice enough to send me the new Fuze+ to review. Did it improve upon the older device or did it take a step backward? We'll find out.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Rock-It Turns any Flat Surface into a Speaker.

Joel McLaughlin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0000

I am convinced that one of these days they are going to have a way to implant the music directly into our brains so that we have no wires to have to contend with. For now, the next best thing could be the Rock-It portable vibration speaker. It looks slightly like a speaker you might put under your pillow, except it has a pod that you stick on any flat surface. It could be a box, a window or the side of your file cabinet just so long as it's flat and it will stick. Plug in your iPod, iPhone or anything that has a 3.5mm headphone jack and then that surface becomes your speaker. It is available now Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Altec Lansing MIX iMT800 Dock for iPhone and iPod

Joel McLaughlin — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:00:28 +0000

I grew up in the 80's. The 80's was the decade of big hair, hair bands, break dancing and boom boxes. Never have I seen a dock for iPhone and iPod that brings back memories from the 80's like the Altec Lansing MIX iMT800. The MIX has big boom box looks like no other dock I have seen. In the 80's, the middle portion of the boom box would have been dominated by a cassette deck. Instead of a cassette deck, this one has port with a dock connector and an arm that slides up to take the iPhone or iPod out of the dock. There are also 2 big handles on either side of the Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Aperion Releases Home Audio Link

Joel McLaughlin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:00:05 +0000

Aperion has released a new product called the Home Audio Link. With the Aperion Home Audio Link, you can stream audio from your computer, mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, MP3 Player or any audio source throughout your home. The Home Audio Link can stream to up to 3 rooms. Specifications:

Uncompressed digital audio transmission: 14-bit depth and 48 KHz sampling rate when using up to three Aperion HAL Receivers SNR: 91 dB / 85 dB when using three HAL Receivers simultaneously Range: Up to 100 feet Frequency band: 2.4 GHz Auto-search/synch and dynamic channel selection Forward error correction coding, error detection, and audio-specific error concealment Diversity antennas for strong signals through walls and floors Low latency at

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Viewsonic Announces New Products At CES

Carly Z — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:00:01 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Viewsonic is well known for their monitors, but they also have PC, television, digital frame, portable media player and eBook lines! They released a whole slew of new products this week at CES, from monitors to PCs to PMPs. Whatever you are looking to buy with your hard earned cash (or Vegas gambling winnings!), chances are Viewsonic is offering something that might catch your eye! Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

iTab, iSlate- I Don’t Care What You Call It… I Want One

Dan Cohen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:30:20 +0000

I have been more than a bit quiet about the whole hubbub surrounding the potential for Apple announcing a tablet sometime in 2010. Part of it has to do with the fact that I've gotten so caught up in the rumors in the past... only to be disappointed each time. I don't like being disappointed and am trying to avoid it happening yet again. More than that, however, I have tried to avoid getting caught up in the rumor mill, because for the entire time that I've been involved in the blogging world one of the things that has been consistent has been the fact that, no matter how many rumors emerge about Apple's upcoming devices, they are inevitably wrong. The rumors may get some aspect about the device correct, but by and large they tend to miss the overall picture of the device and the impact it may or may not have. In other words, while there are real leaks that you can build a rumor around in other markets, Apple continues to have enough control over their communication to ensure that anything we're being told right now is nothing more than a guess. It isn't even an educated guess. It's more like an educated, "I wish, really hope for, please let it be true, shot in the dark" guess. All this noted... I can't keep quiet any longer. No, I'm just too excited over the possibility of an Apple tablet and I want to tell you why. Whether you call the Apple Tab, an iTablet, iSlate or "iWe'veDreamedOfThisDeviceForSoFrigginLong" doesn't matter. If Apple does indeed release a 7 to 10 inch tablet computer, it is going to change everything. Here are a few reasons why. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Announcement: iLuv i1166 Portable Multimedia Player

Christopher Gavula — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:45:08 +0000

iLuv has announced that their new i1166 PMP will be available for shipping in mid-October. The unit features a 9" TFT screen and can play DVD and CD media (including CD-R/RW, and DVD±R/RW and VCD/SVCD) as well as access media on MMC/SD cards and even USB flash drives. It will play a wide variety of media formats including DivX, MP3, and WMA. It doesn't specify AAC, but one would hope that with iPod compatibility would also come AAC support. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet Now Available from Proporta

Joel McLaughlin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:30:27 +0000

Our friends across the pond at Proporta are well known for accessories for various cellphones, netbooks and laptops. Now they have decided to try their hand at selling devices; their first is the new Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet. The Android Based Archos 5 can record TV shows, has 120 GB of storage, plays movies in HD (720p) or DVD quality, and it comes with a Proporta Alu-Leather Case when you order from Proporta. It is available for a promotional price of £299.99 or $489.45 from the Proporta web site Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Creative Labs Android based Media Player

Joel McLaughlin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:04:50 +0000

The Zii technology demoed at CES has been in hibernation for a while, but the official deets have finally come out today about what they planned to do with their Zii stem cell computing platform. That devices is called the Zii Egg.

The Egg is the device for Creative's new developer platform called Plaszma. Plaszma is based on the Android OS.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Expanding The Sandisk Sansa Clip

Doug Goldring — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:25:25 +0000

Some time ago, I had the opportunity to review the Sandisk Sansa Clip. It is a great, little music player, which is ideal for runners and other individuals who do not need constant access to the screen. My only complaint about this player was that it has limited internal memory and no opportunity for expansion. Even though it can only play music, I still found the maximum size of 4 GB to be a bit limiting.

All of that is about to change, however, with the release this week of an 8 GB version of Sansa Clip. The 8GB Clip, which makes its debut this week, is able to hold up to 4000 songs, without any modifications to its miniscule size. You can find more information at Sansa’s

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Listen To This! The Great JAMM Portable Media Player Showdown Begins

Judie Stanford — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:38:26 +0000

I have spent a considerable amount of time here at JAMM, and also at Gear Diary, reviewing portable media players. One thing I have noticed is that a stand-alone review is really not the best format to help users answer the real question on everyone’s mind: which one should I buy? While a review is nice, it looks at a particular media player in a vacuum. The missing piece in the review is how this one compares to the others. And that is what I want to try to accomplish through this series. So, in addition to the Sandisk Sansa View, which I already own, I went on eBay and gobbled up a Microsoft Zune, Samsung YP-P2, and Creative Zen X-Fi. Heck, I even got the Sony Walkman A828

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Myvu Crystal 701 Personal Media Viewer

Dan Cohen — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:43:31 +0000

Even though the screen is small, I enjoy watching video on my iPhone and iPod Touch. No, it will never match the experience of watching a movie on a 50 inch hi-definition LCD, but it is more than merely functional- it is a pleasant experience. I’ve had my eye on Myvu's various offerings for some time, watching carefully as each new one was released. I have wondered if they really worked. And, assuming they did work, wondered whether the experience of watching video through Myvu would be that much better than viewing on my iPhone. So, when the opportunity to try out the Myvu Crystal arose (thanks Judie) I jumped at it. Do they live up the hype? Read on to find out. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Nextar T30 portable media player is slim and slick

David Goodspeed — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:00:53 +0000

Right out of the box I could not believe how compact and lightweight the new T30 portable media player from Nextar is. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Toast 9 Titanium-The Greatest Thing Since Sliced (lightly browned) Bread?

Chris Chamberlain — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:49:56 +0000

As we see a convergence of media formats, everyone is looking for solutions to carry their content on the road with them. One of the drawbacks I see of micro PC's and MacBook airs is their unsuitability to play dvds to entertain me while I'm traveling. Yeah, I'm selfish that way.

Toast 9 Titanium – Burn. Watch. Listen. Share.

Roxio, the makers of Toast have evolved their product to respond to the needs of Mac and iPhone users who desire access to many different formats of video across various platforms. Read what they have to say below: Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: The Sony Walkman…Now With Bluetooth

Doug Goldring — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:18:39 +0000

There it was. At last! Writ large upon the outer wrapping of the new Sony NWZ-A828K Digital Media Player (which most of you will know as a Walkman). There were the words I have longed to hear from a media player for so many years. The box read:

WIRELESS.

Enjoy music wirelessly with the supplied Bluetooth stereo headset.

Yes, that is right folks. This will be my first media player review without the patented Bluetooth rant. And really, having found a media player with Bluetooth, I might as well end the review right here. Nice job, Sony! But no, as long as I have the media player, I suppose we should take a closer look and see what else this thing can do...besides transmitting music, "wirelessly with the supplied Bluetooth stereo headset," that is. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Universal GPS/Phone Bicycle Device Holder from USB Fever-Takin’ Your Tech into the Wild

Chris Chamberlain — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:11:55 +0000

With the approach of the 3-day Memorial Day weekend that unofficially kicks off summer, I figured it would be a good time to take a peek at a tool to encourage some of us pasty-white technophiles out into the actual outdoors. Although my legs have often been described as "cadaverous," I realize that I probably need to break down and put on some shorts and get some fresh air for a change. But when I'm in the great outdoors, I don't want to be totally disconnected from the grid and I want to know where I'm going. Enter the Universal Bike Mount Holder for iPhone / iPod / PDA / GPS from USB Fever. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

8 Gadget Recommendations For When You Go On Holiday

Jenneth Orantia — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:56:20 +0000

Part of the lure of a being on holiday is the ability to get away from all of your tech distractions. But if you're reading this site, then you're probably like me and derive an inordinate amount of enjoyment from having all of your toys and gadgets with you wherever you go. There's a lot to be said for putting your smartphone, MP3 player, digital camera or laptop away in order to be able to fully soak in your surroundings, but when used in moderation, I think gadgets can actually enhance your travel experience. There are all sorts of considerations to take into account when travelling with your tech toys. Will it have enough storage for all my photos and music? Is it durable enough to handle the rigours of the road? Will the battery last me until the next time I get to a power outlet? And what happens if my bag gets stolen? Gadget insurance is something I'll cover in another post, but the rest of the concerns are easily take care of with the right tech and accessories. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...