Now this is interesting, and something I really had not been expecting - in no small part due to my general disinterest in Archos related products, this however has caught my attention. Archos say the 9 pctablet is a netbook without the keyboard, cool - nothing new there really - what is kind of interesting is that this tablet will be running the very latest Windows OS, Windows 7.



I expect, however, we will be seeing an awful lot of these sorts of portable computers, netbooks sans keyboard, type of things so the 9 may well disappear into obscurity if it isn't quite as innovative and intuitive as Archos say it is. Below are some choice specs provided by Archos and Crave.

• Processor: Intel Atom Z515 1.2 GHz
• Video Chipset: Integrated US15W
• Display: 8.9'' touch screen - 1024 x 600 pixels
• HDD: 60GB or 120GB
• Web cam: Built-in 1.3MP camera
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 1 USB Port
• Available in Black or White

As well as having wifi built in you will also have an optional choice to buy a 3g supporting addon module, which I suppose has it's own appeal. No word yet on battery life or release date, we'll update you when we know more. My biggest concern now is, what should we call it? Is it a tablet? (tablet is in the name after all) or is it a UMPC? a MID?? I've no idea at this stage so how about all you folks throw in your suggestions for what it is.

Via Archos & Crave

Were headphones always considered a fashion accessory? I remember having a huge foam covered pair that was anything but pretty. But it sounded great with my Walkman cassette player, and that's all that mattered to me. I suppose the trend gained momentum around the same time MP3 players became a fashion accessory. While other companies threw in earbuds as an afterthought, Apple highlighted their glowing white pair in their advertisements. Those white earbuds became a status symbol at the time, showing everyone how trendy you were, or conversely that you were a sheep, depending on how you feel about iPods. Nonetheless, it paved the way for stylish headphones like the ones you see below.



JVC Victor designed these new in-ear headphones for fashion-conscious women that would like a pair to match their outfits. They also serve the purpose of making the folks at Head-Fi cringe. There are six variants to choose from including a plaid, checkered, Zebra print, and leopard skin design. They go on sale in Japan next week for 2,000 Yen, or roughly $21US. So the moral of the story here is, iPods ruined everything. That is all.

via AV Watch

Note: I don't really have a Zebra print sweater. Not that there's anything wrong with that

Cowon is hands down the best company when it comes to supporting a player after its release. The S9 was already a leading player in its category, but that hasn't stopped Cowon from adding things like widgets, more codecs, new ways to navigate, and now gapless playback. They just released a beta firmware (2.31) that provides gapless playback for lossless formats, and supposedly Ogg Vorbis, although as of yet vorbis still seems to have gaps between the tracks. Another addition that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser is support for M3U playlists. Check out the full list of updates below: Firmware 2.31b: Added the typist feature that is a notepad with a keyboard. Improved receiving quality, compatibility, and performance of Bluetooth. Support gapless playback in lossless music files (WAV, FLAC, APE, and LOSSLESS WMA) and OGG files. Support M3U. Support AVI files that are damaged. Fixed the error that frame color wasn’t changed in document mode. Fixed some minus operation error in calculator. Support Thai.

According to a member at iAudiophile, the update also provides support for MP4 containers. Cowon you rock!

Download:

2.31b (international version)
1.31b (Korean version)
3.31b (DMB models)

Cowon S9 at Amazon

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Just completely random this time around. Don't worry, I'll get to tech stuff soon.

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Over the years, I've received a lot of juicy tips about upcoming players from people claiming to be insiders. Some turned out to be true, others merely a fan's dream list. Often it's easy to tell the difference, but if I were told the upcoming Zune would be an OLED touchscreen device powered by an Nvidia Tegra chip, with an HD radio, a built-in web browser, and possible Xbox gaming integration, I'd be a little skeptical. It just sounds too good to be true, but we all know now that it's [link]real]/link], and it's coming this Fall. The original leak was published by Neowin, who recently caught up with their source to find out more about the Zune HD.

This deep throat mystery source at Microsoft actually admitted to his higher-ups that he leaked the news, and continued to do so afterward. Now that takes courage folks. There were only a handful of juicy tidbits in the interview, including the possibility of a 64GB model down the line, and a broad pricing estimate of $249 - $280 for the 16GB model. The source also said Microsoft is working to get movies onto Zune Marketplace. Something that brings home his other statement of the ZHD being designed as a "center of entertainment.". The Zune HD will be released in three months, three agonizingly long months.

LINK

Thanks Ricardo Dawkins

We hope you haven't forgotten about the Sony X1000 series. We haven't kept up with our weekly love affair with this player, but don't think for a second that I'm not anticipating the moment I get my hands on one. In the meantime, we'll have to settle on the next best thing, reviews from around the web. The latest comes from ABi, who opted to acquire a UK model. It s mostly the same as the US version, except it lacks the Slacker Radio feature.

ABi editor Grahm Skee states the X1000 "is easily the fastest most accurate touch screen on any device I have used to date". The X1000 also has a superb build quality, and a nice scratch resistant display. As you'd expect, Skee was impressed with the sound quality, rating it as one of his favorites. It's not all sunshine and roses though. The built-in web browser doesn't work too well with full fledged websites, just mobile versions. While videos do look nice on the 3.0" OLED display, getting them on there is a nuisance since it doesn't have native support for the most popular video formats and resolutions. And finally, it looks like Sony still hasn't learned their lesson in the software department. The included Media Transfer software is buggy and requires you to pay in order to fully get the most out of it. Thankfully it isn't required, as the X1000 is a UMS device. Check out the summary and interface walkthrough video below:

Summary Pros Great Sound Quality Capacitive touch screen Great OLED screen Slacker Radio, YouTube, Direct Download Podcasts Solid design Cons No Native Video Playback, Conversion is Neccesary Expensive Horrible Included Software Buggy Podcast Feature No multi-touch

Sony X1000 review by ABi

If you'd like to get the X1000, it looks like it's in now in stock and shipping from Sony Style. It also shows a release date of July 3rd on Amazon.


Thanks Connect

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Hey did you know Mickey Mouse's ears aren't ears at all. They're actually actually udders. Yep it's true! ! Why else would iriver be milking the Mplayer for so long? Some with solid colors, some with multicolored ears, some with Army camoflauge, and finally as you can see below, some are decked out with crystals. You can probably find a variation to match any outfit you have on. Not that I imagine most of the readers here care about.



As if the the Swarovski crystals wasn't cringe-worthy enough, you'll find little pearls and emiley face trinkets on the ears too. The players were released a few days ago in Japan for 12,800 Yen, or about $133US. Now that they've fully tapped the "Eyes" series, iriver wil be moving on the the "Mouth" edition. It will feature an intutive system that adapts to your music preferences, and even suggests songs you can listen to (voiced by the Mouse himself of course). The technology is being made by some start-up company in Sunnyvale, California called Cyberdyne Systems. I can't wait!

via AV Watch