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MP3 Sales November
Total November 2003 Dollar Volume $46,030,890
Brand Unit Share
1.Apple 21.3%
2.Digitalway 15.2%
3.IRiver 14.7%
4.RCA 9.0%
5.Rio 7.6%
Source NPD Group Techworld
Scottrade up in Southern California eom
Sony unveils first hard disk audio player
Mini musical magic
by Martyn Williams
Sony took the wraps off its first hard disk drive based audio player today, saying the gadget, which will be sold under its Aiwa brand-name, will be available worldwide from April.
The Giga Pavit is based on a 2GB drive from Cornice. The Colorado company's "storage element" drives are already used in several other digital music players. Its 2GB capacity version was launched at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas last week.
The drive provides enough storage space to accommodate around 500 songs, with the device's USB 2.0 interface able to transfer an hour's worth of CD-quality audio in about 18 seconds, according to Sony. It supports MP3 format files at fixed or variable bit rate.
Two versions of the player are available: the HZ-WS2000, which has an in-line remote control in the headphone cable; and the HZ-DS2000 in which all the components are built into the main case. The WS2000 measures 91x56mm, or about the same size as a business card, and is just over a centimetre thick, while the DS2000 is slightly taller and wider and a good deal thicker at 94.5x60x18.4mm.
The Giga Pavit's launch a week after Apple announced its iPod Mini music player, which has a similar storage capacity, makes comparisons between the two almost inevitable.
In a press release, Sony took the first stab and claimed, without naming the iPod Mini, that the Giga Pavit is both the world's thinnest and lightest hard disk based audio player. On face value, that appears correct, however a closer look reveals at least grounds for an appeal from the iPod's legions of fans.
Sony's comparison is based on the HZ-WS2000 remote-control version of the Giga Pavit in which the main display and controls are separate from the body of the player, compared to the all-in-one iPod Mini.
A more meaningful comparison might be between the bulkier HZ-DS2000 all-in-one version of the Giga Pavit and the iPod Mini. In that case, the Apple device comes out on top, being lighter and occupying almost half the volume of the Aiwa player.
Added together, the 18 gram remote-control unit takes the total weight of the HZ-WS2000 to 86g, which is lighter than the iPod Mini.
The Giga Pavit is due on sale in Japan and major international markets in April and will cost around ¥35,000 (£200), said Sony.
A PC running Windows XP, 2000 or Me with USB interface is required. The device won't work with Apple Macs, according to the company
Sony Announces Portable Hard Disk Player "USB Audio" Under AIWA Brand
Tokyo, Japan, Jan 14, 2004 18:26 (JST) - (JCN Newswire) - Sony Corporation (TSE: 6758) today announced "USB Audio", a core product lineup which will newly define the AIWA brand. Sony will energetically promote these products which will be progressively launched on a global basis from February 2004.
In our personal life space such as private rooms, more and more people are utilizing PCs not just for information gathering or communication but also to enjoy music, video and game entertainment. As the first wave of products enabling a fuller entertainment lifestyle utilizing PCs, Sony will launch the "USB Audio" product line-up under the AIWA brand, targeted at music-loving PC users.
USB Audio is a new category of portable audio devices that connect via the USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, installed on most PCs as a default. This allows for easy connections without troublesome and complex set-ups. A wide range of audio products that fit the lifestyle of PC users will be introduced including audio players using the USB storage media "Pavit"; an ultra-thin and light card-sized HDD player; and a high quality PC peripheral speaker that fits in the back of a PC display. In USB audio products, PC-user-friendly functions are adopted, for example the high data transmission speed that allows one hour of music data to be transferred in only 18 seconds by connecting to a USB port (USB2.0).*
* In the case of transferring music data (MP3 format/128kbps) from a PC to Pavit media in a USB 2.0 compliant device.
The core customer segment for "USB Audio" is the "digital generation" who use the internet for recreation, carry their music with them and who value their personal time and tastes. To reach the digital generation worldwide, a web-centric marketing campaign centered on the renewed websites "www.aiwa.com" (global portal) and "www.jp.aiwa.com" (Japanese portal) will be implemented. They will incorporate the following new communication tools for customers.
1. Introduction of intuitive design and messaging
In order to reach out to the digital generation worldwide beyond language borders, AIWA will introduce unconventional design and intuitive messages as its communication tools. "aiwacon"(Fig. A) is an icon that embodies the concept and enjoyment of the products that can be used with the PC. And "sonics" (Fig. B) is the logo-character presenting AIWA's "groove" on the website and in the street with nine kinds of image and music varying from rock, reggae, hip-hop to country and Hawaiian.
2. Enrichment of interactive content
The website will be updated with enriched music and creative content to complement its existing highly interactive product information website. There will be a number of collaborations with up-and-coming musicians and creators on related projects. Through premium content such as original video clips, tunes and games, AIWA will attract viewers to the website and build up a hip and sophisticated website community.
3.Enhancement and expansion of online sales
The website is also positioned as a sales channel to PC users. In Japan, the flagship store 'AIWA SHOP' will open on 'SonyStyle', Sony's e-commerce site, and will carry the USB audio product line-up from January 14 (URL: http://www.jp.sonystyle.com). We plan to enhance and expand online sales through broad partnerships and will not limit our activities to websites run by Sony.
Sony to launch MP3 music download gadgets under AIWA brandname
TOKYO : Consumer electronics giant Sony said it will launch a portable audio gadget globally in February under the AIWA brandname to compete in the popular MP3 music-downloading market.
'USB Audio', linked via the USB (universal serial bus) ports on most personal computers, will enable users to download an hour of MP3 music in just 18 seconds, Sony Corp. said in a statement Wednesday.
To protect copyrights, users will not be able to transfer the downloaded music from the portable audio machines.
The new product line-up will comprise audio players using the USB storage media 'Pavit', an ultra-thin and light card-sized HDD (hard disc drive) player and a high-quality PC peripheral speaker.
The Pavit will cost 6,000 yen (57 dollars) to 26,000 yen, the HHD about 35,000 yen and the speaker between 15,000 yen and 33,000 yen.
Sony said it will stage an Internet-based marketing campaign for the new devices, refreshing websites www.aiwa.com (global portal) and www.jp.aiwa.com (Japanese portal) with original video clips, music and games.
"There will be a number of collaborations with up-and-coming musicians and creators," Sony said.
In 2002 Sony made money-losing Aiwa a wholly owned subsidiary, which has survived as one brandname under the wing of Sony.
Sony will sell the new product line-up under the AIWA brandname at lower prices than those for similar but higher-end devices already sold under its own name on formats other than MP3, a Sony official said.
The company will also use its e-commerce site for Japan, SonyStyle, to sell the USB devices starting January 14.
The struggling electronics maker recently said it will launch in April high-capacity MiniDisc products and start a music downloading business, just like the one offered by Apple Computer Inc., in response to the competitive portable digital audio market.
A pioneer in rolling out the world's smallest and lightest electronics gadgets, Sony has suffered declining net profits in recent quarters in the face of tough competition, a rising yen and slumping game hardware sales.
Apple + HP = iPod Forever
BYTE OF THE APPLE
By Alex Salkever
JANUARY 14, 2004
Despite critics who decry Apple's insistence that no other formats play on its device, this deal shows that Steve Jobs's digital-music strategy is a winner
As expected, Apple's (AAPL ) iPod music player dominated the spotlight at the MacWorld San Francisco Expo last week. CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a smaller, lighter, and slightly less expensive version of the wildly popular digital-music playback and storage device (see BW Online, 7/7/04, "A maxiPrice for Apple's miniPod"). He also trotted out impressive stats showing that iPods are getting about 55% of the gross revenues from sales of all digital-music players. Few anticipated, though, that the iPod would also steal the limelight at the much larger and broader Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Jobs managed to accomplish this with an announcement that Apple would start shipping Hewlett-Packard-branded iPods at some point in the summer of 2004. Equally important, HP CEO Carly Fiorina said the No. 2 PC maker would install Apple's iTunes Music Store software and put the shop's icon on the home screen of HP's (HPQ ) consumer machines.
A SLAP AT MICROSOFT.
This surprise was the talk of CES, the biggest consumer-electronics expo in the U.S. "What this announcement says is for the first time one of the biggest manufacturers of Windows-based PCs is adopting as a standard an Apple platform. If I were an Apple shareholder, I'd be as happy as a kid let out early from school," says digital-media analyst Phil Leigh.
The deal stipulates that Apple won't co-brand iPods for any other PC company. But Apple will gain powerful distribution through HP's extensive retail network, a development that likely will fuel a new wave of iPod purchases and a steady stream of people buying music through iTunes Music Store.
It's also a rebuke to Microsoft (MSFT ) from a particularly important customer. Redmond is eagerly promoting its own Windows-based audio-file standard (Windows Media Audio, or WMA) and digital-rights-management schemes for music downloads. A host of other groups are pushing their own formats, including an upcoming offering from music and consumer-electronics giant Sony (SNE ). Apple chose a format known as Advanced Audio Coding, and it's teamed with an antipiracy scheme dubbed FairPlay. But Apple has set the DRM so that AAC-encoded tunes downloaded from iTunes Music Store won't play on any other devices.
"PRETTY MUCH GOLDEN."
At the moment, Apple has over 70% of the market for the digital-music downloads, so the only real competition is between Jobs and Bill Gates. And Jobs is winning: The HP deal underscores that he's the go-to guy for the music industry.
"He was smart enough to go do something that was beneficial to the music industry in creating a paid environment that protects their interests. He's pretty much golden in terms of getting deals with the labels," says Tim Bajarin, CEO of consultancy Creative Strategies. That Jobs could become the most powerful guy in digital music from a platform with a mere 5% or less of total market share is like Houdini pulling a Hummer out of his hat.
Step back, though, and the strength of Jobs's position becomes a bit less clear. Apple has decided to keep a close hold on the hardware by making the iTunes store compatible only with iPod players and Apple's audio-coding format. You can't import iTunes-formatted songs to a Dell (DELL ) Digital Jukebox or any other player not made by Apple.
DEJA VU?
Apple's tactic differs from the longstanding Microsoft strategy of licensing its software to work on any hardware, which started in operating systems and continues in the world of digital music. Microsoft has licensed its WMA digital-audio format to dozens of companies, and it's compatible with over 500 different types of digital players. And WMA files work on desktop software jukeboxes by MusicMatch, Roxio (ROXI ), Yahoo! (YHOO ), and Real (REAL ).
It all sounds a lot like the circumstances under which Apple lost its market dominance in the personal-computer industry to a host of hardware makers sporting code by Bill's boys. This leads to a few questions:
Apple is the force majeure of music right now, but has it chosen to reboot an already discredited strategy by refusing to let other music standards play on iPods, and not letting iTunes songs be uploaded to digital-music players made by other companies? Has Steve lost his marbles? And will Gates slowly and steadily reel Apple in to take over digital music and force the iPod into the unwelcome role of fetish item for Macheads?
DIFFERENT STORY.
That's the scenario painted by many iTunes and iPod competitors. "Apple can maximize their short-term profitability by keeping the system closed and proprietary. But three years from now, if they continue to do this, their share will be at a very small level -- far smaller than if they had agreed to license more broadly," says Dennis Mudd, CEO of music-download service and software outfit MusicMatch.
That may be. But I think Jobs has this one right, and Apple will continue to make headway. Times have changed, and the music market is different. For starters, Apple is building a captive audience for iTunes Music Store. Every 99-cent download represents an investment for a music lover and an additional disincentive to ditch their iPod and go with, say, a Dell Digital Jukebox. Converting an entire collection into MP3 format and burning it onto disks would be a major hassle. And no one wants to go out and replace their music collection every time they switch players.
So as more and more people download tunes from iTunes, the Apple music format becomes harder and harder to dislodge as a prominent standard. In a nutshell, I think this is also the reason why Apple had so much trouble getting people to switch computing platforms: The cost and inconvenience of switching not just hardware but software is prohibitive.
ME AND MY iPOD.
I also think the music-player business and the PC business differ in terms of the cool factor. Apple and Sony are the only PC companies that build machines to appeal to design freaks. That's because few view a PC as anything but a machine. It's a giant paper weight that sits on your desk, not a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
A music player, on the other hand, is a fashion accessory. Sure, plenty of folks don't care what their player looks like. But the majority will view their iPod as an extension of themselves and their image: Hip, sleek, and cutting-edge. And no one disputes Apple's stellar track record for building things that are just plain cool.
Other cool music players may emerge, but it's not that easy to build cool products, as HP seems to have acknowledged by abandoning its own efforts to build an iPod killer and throwing in with Apple. And when has Dell ever been associated with cool? Um, next question.
CHOICE CUTS.
Finally, content choice is an issue. I think it's a far bigger deal in the PC business than it is for music players. For PCs, software is content, and Apple has suffered its lack since many software makers have Windows but not Mac versions of their products. After all, it costs additional money and manpower to create dual versions of essentially the same product.
No such problem exists in music. A song is a song is a song, regardless of the digital format it comes wrapped in. And basically it doesn't cost extra to make songs available in multiple formats. Apple's iTunes music software will always be able to play songs just as well as MusicMatch or RealJukebox.
The only real issue with choice is when one music-download site can't offer the songs that users want. As long as Apple maintains the good graces of the music industry, it probably won't face that issue. Add these factors up, and the digital music game, for the next couple of years at least, is Apple's to lose.
HP Denies Claims it Will Bring WMA to iPod
By David Worthington and Nate Mook, BetaNews
January 13th, 2004, 7:06 PM
Hewlett-Packard has denied claims published in Paul Thurrott's WinInfo newsletter alleging that it intends to extend support of Microsoft's WMA audio format to the iPod portable music player.
HP recently stunned the IT world and announced this month at the at the Consumer Electronics Show its partnership with Apple to license iPod technology for HP branded products.
Contrary to Thurrott's report, HP does not have current plans to break out of the boundaries established by Apple's iTunes, which supports only MP3 and Apple's AAC audio formats. As part of the agreement forged between the two parties, iTunes software will ship preinstalled on new HP consumer PCs and notebooks.
"We're not going to be supporting WMA for now," Muffi Ghadiali, product marketing manager for HP's digital entertainment products group, said in a statement. "We picked the service that was the most popular (Apple's iTunes Music Store). We could have chosen another format, but that would have created more confusion for our customers."
According to its own figures, Apple's iTunes music store currently comprises 70 percent of all music sold online. In addition, over 2 million iPods have been sold since its introduction. Both iTunes and the iPod have been the focus of considerable attention from Apple; America Online recently integrated member screen names to provide one-click access to iTunes, and Apple is preparing to ship the new iPod mini in an assortment of colors.
"We explored a range of alternatives to deliver a great digital music experience and concluded Apple's iPod music player and iTunes music service were the best by far," said Carly Fiorina, HP's chairman and CEO. But senior Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox points to possible problems with supporting only one format.
"For the next six months, HP customers have access to MusicMatch and its music store. Songs bought there, in WMA, won't play in iTunes or on iPod," said Wilcox. "In a few months, when HP starts to consider the customer problems associated with two non-compatible formats -- WMA and FairPlay AAC -- things might look different to the company."
Apple faces a steady flood of competition from rivals including Napster, MusicMatch, Real Networks, MSN, and even Wal-Mart who are eager to chip away at iTunes' early lead.
Not surprisingly, Apple has stuck with its proprietary form of the AAC audio codec coupled with its own rights management technology, dubbed FairPlay. Initially, AAC was authored by a consortium of firms interested in developing a new industry-wide standard. Many of Apple's competitors utilize the WMA format -- also proprietary -- for the distribution of media.
Microsoft has submitted its Windows Media 9 video specs to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) for review, but has thus far kept WMA off limits to the world outside of Redmond.
marc4
(repost)
Digital Media introduces MP3 player similar to Apple's iPod
LAS VEGAS, the United States, Jan. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Digital Media Group, a licensee of Polaroid Corporation, unveiled Thursday a line of MP3 players that are similar to Apple's popular iPods in both the sleek appearance and the huge storage capacity.
Showcasing its MP3 players at the 2004 International Consumer Electronics Show opened here today, Digital Media Group said its Polaroid Juke Jam HDD Digital Jukebox Players combine MP3, WMA andFM tuner with voice recording capability, portable hard disk drivestorage and direct MP3 encoding, all in one unit.
The company's Juke Jam players are available in 20, 30 or 40GB memory options, capable of holding thousands of MP3 or WMA files. They also feature a USB 2.0 for super-fast downloads, an easy to use file navigation system, and have multi-language capability including English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
Digital Media Group said additional features of its Juke Jam include sleep and standby timer settings, backlight time settings,date/time functions, and a rechargeable Li-On battery with approximately 8 hours playing time.
The player is also sleek in design, boasting an extra large backlit LCD display. It is also PC and Mac compatible. The major difference between a Juke Jam and an iPod may be the price. Digital Media Group said its Juke Jam players start at approximately 299 US dollars, while an iPod with 20 GB storage capacity now sells for 399 dollars.
With Digital Media Group's Juke Jam players on the market, Apple will face a real challenge in the lucrative MP3 player market. Enditem
ELEMENT INTRODUCES FIRST-EVER PORTABLE HDD WIRELESS MP3 PLAYER AND FILE CADDY
http://www.soniqcast.com/simple.html
Minneapolis, MN, Jan. 8 - Petters Group Worldwide and SoniqCast announced today it has launched "Element" a consumer electronics brand featuring Aireo™, the world's first-ever portable wireless WiFi (802.11B) MP3 player and file caddy. Debuting at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show, the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology, the pocket-sized Aireo™ reflects Element's positioning as fun, easy-to-use personal electronic entertainment with cutting edge technology and innovative features that give users the ultimate in freedom and usability. The Aireo™ Player will launch at leading American retailers beginning in February.
Retailers are always looking for interesting products that complement their consumer's entertainment needs. We believe Element™ with its flagship product, Aireo™, strengthens our position as a leader in providing our customers with electronics that are approachable, relevant, and satisfying to the technology minded consumer.
The world's first portable MP3 player and file caddy to use a wireless interface to download music and data, Aireo™ includes SoniqSync™ audio content management software by SoniqCast, an independent operating company of Petters Group Worldwide.
SoniqCast President Kurt Thielen, says, "Aireo™ is different from every other player on the market because it automatically and wirelessly moves music from a PC to the player, utilizing a wireless WiFi connection. This eliminates the manual download process and the use of wires required with other MP3 players. Our SoniqSync™ software, automates the music download process, and makes it so much easier to capture and listen to music. In addition to moving content wirelessly from PC to player, Aireo's internal FM transmitter allows the user to wirelessly transmit music from our player directly to a car stereo. This eliminates more wires and accessories required by other MP3 players. Once consumers get used to the automatic download of music content that they'll get with Aireo™, they'll never want to do another manual download again."
Aireo comes with SonicSync™, automatic content management software, that gives Aireo™ owners the freedom to download music and data wirelessly on demand or based on a user defined schedule. And unlike other MP3 players that require a cumbersome cable hookup process, Aireo™ accesses Internet music services via WiFi-enabled computers and laptops that have an Internet connection. Future releases of Aireo™ software are expected to enable content download directly from the Internet via Hotspots and peer-to-peer content download from one Aireo™ player to another. When WiFi connections are not available, downloads can be performed from any computer using the Aireo™ USB interface.
Aireo's other notable features include an internal hard disk drive, a built-in FM transmitter for wireless broadcasting of music over home or car stereo systems, and two headphone outputs for multiple-party private listening.
Retailing at $299.99, Aireo™ comes with a carrying case, headphones, an AC power cord/charger, USB cable, installation guide, SoniqSync™ personal preferences play list manager, and owners manual.
About SoniqCast
SoniqCast is a leading-edge innovator of consumer electronic audio products that use the latest technologies to provide simple and pleasurable audio experiences. For additional information visit www.soniqcast.com.
About Petters Group Worldwide
Petters Group worldwide is a dynamic collection of companies that create, develop and invest in companies that manufacture, procure and market consumer merchandise. From hot technology and preferred brands to superior manufacturing, Petters Group Worldwide gives retailers the products they want, when they want them… at prices that keep them competitive! For additional information visit www.pettersgroup.com.
Editorial Contact:
Mary Pernula
952.974.8208
mary.pernula@pettersgroup.com
The other company waited one hour! They must really want our services.......
An ''Ittiom'' video player made by EDig for the Indian market (which we did not know of prior to this) was on display. It's essentially an IFE but no security, just a player and doing well in India.
We are making a video player for use in India and no one knows this? And the player is doing well????
MH " Lawyers, Holidays and Travel" Sounds like a John Candy movie.....
PortalPlayer Launches Platform For Developing Music And Photo-Enabled Personal Media Players
(repost)
Together with Leading ODM Partners, PortalPlayer Announces the Personal Media Player: Photo Edition, Driving the Next Wave in Portable Music Jukeboxes
Las Vegas, Nev., January 8, 2004— PortalPlayer, Inc., the company that enabled the fast-growing music jukebox market, today announced a new development platform - the Personal Media Player: Photo Edition. The development platform includes a system-on-chip (SOC), Firmware Development Kit (FDK) and Software Development Kit (SDK) for customers to quickly bring to market a new category of products called "Personal Media Players." These battery-powered, hard-disk-drive-based devices will allow end users to capture, store, play and display their entire music, album art, and photo collections on a single device that fits in their pockets.
"PortalPlayer has captured 85 percent of the portable music jukebox market in 2003," said Michael Maia, vice president of sales and marketing of PortalPlayer. "We accomplished this leadership position by delivering complete development platforms to our customers which help them rapidly bring innovative and differentiated products to market. The Personal Media Player: Photo Edition is the next logical step and expands our leadership into the high-growth digital photography segment."
PortalPlayer original design manufacturer (ODM) partners Lite-On®, Tatung®, Wistron® and authorized developer Aeronix will be the first ODMs to design personal media players using the new PortalPlayer platform. These ODMs are fully enabled to tailor the platform to fit the unique industrial design, user interface and enhanced feature support requirements of their original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers.
Features of the Personal Media Player
Products based upon the PortalPlayer Personal Media Player: Photo Edition platform will enable customers to develop personal media players that make complete music and photo collections portable to be shared with family and friends. End users can:
Copy, view, store, catalog, and modify images without a PC.
Print directly to HP and Canon® printers without a PC using the PictBridge® standard.
Transfer images from a digital camera directly to the portable media player through the USB 2.0 compliant On-the-Go port or by copying from the flash memory card. Synchronize images directly to and from a PC and the portable media player.
View still pictures (JPEG, GIF and TIFF) and video (MJPEG) on the color STN or TFT LCD on the device or on a standard NTSC/PAL TV, through the TV out connector.
Listen to music from the leading online music services such as Musicmatch®, Napster®, Real Audio® and more. Hear audiobooks from Audible.com.
Automatically identify CDs, name and categorize digital files, and generate custom playlists with the touch of a button using the Gracenote® Music Management System.
Record voice over narrations to go with the photos.
Synch digital music files and voice recordings with photos, providing the first of its kind multimedia slide show in a handheld device. Support for the industry standard MPV format (www.osta.org/mpv) enables slide show interoperability and quick indexing of metadata.
Interact with popular PC applications that are used to organize and view photo collections.
In the second half of 2004, the platform will offer image capture support, allowing people to take photographs using their personal media players. In addition, plans are in place to incorporate advanced OLED display technology from Eastman Kodak Company for brighter, more vibrant images visible from a wider viewing angle than conventional LCDs make possible.
The Photo Edition Development Platform
The PortalPlayer Personal Media Player: Photo Edition platform consists of three elements: a highly-integrated SOC; an FDK that includes robust development tools enabling custom feature sets and application enhancements; and an SDK that enables customers to create compelling PC applications.
The PP5020 SOC features dual ARM7TDMI® microprocessors. Its 160 MHz engine enables fast decoding/encoding of digital audio and decoding of JPEG and MJPEG images. Display support is included for YUV out to an external TV encoder, color TFT VGA graphics controller, 4-bit gray scale controller or a bridge interface to smart panels.
The PP5020 SOC minimizes system bill-of-materials (BOM) costs through on-chip integration of Hi-Speed USB® 2.0 Device, Host and On-The-Go (OTG) support and FireWire® (IEEE 1394a) connectivity. Fast data transfer rates for up to four hard disk drives are enabled by ATA/66 IDE controllers and dedicated DMA engines. As a result, customers can design a personal media player using the PP5020 without the need for many of the external controllers commonly required with other SOCs.
In addition, the PP5020 features advanced power management capabilities that enable shutdown of most functional modules when not in use. Personal media players that incorporate the PP5020 can operate more than 15 hours on a single AA alkaline battery.
The Personal Media Player: Photo Edition FDK includes the firmware necessary to develop compelling personal media player products. Specific capabilities of the PortalPlayer (PPI) FDK include:
Immersive Media Experience: Highest audio quality reproduction, PPI Optimized CODEC Suite, PPI CODEC Socket Architecture
Intelligent Library Indexing: PPI File System, PPI Database Engine, PPI Metadata Engine Digital Rights Management: PPI Crypto Services, Music Service Framework Adaptive Power Management: PPI HDD Micro-Pulse Power Control™, PPI Buffer Play Caching PortalPlayer also supports the Photo Edition platform with an SDK that enables custom PC application development, including synchronization, firmware updating, and slide show creation. The Photo Edition SDK libraries for the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 and XP operating systems are provided in C++.
Pricing and Availability
PortalPlayer has authorized four companies to develop production-ready implementations on the Personal Media Player: Photo Edition platform - Aeronix, Lite-On, TATUNG and Wistron. The PP5020 is priced at $19.50 in 10,000-piece quantities.IF WE ARE INVOLVED< HOW MUCH COULD WE GET OUT OF THE $19.90?) FDK and SDK licensing are available separately.
For more information, email photoedition@portalplayer.com or call 408-521-7007
DofP
Beginning this spring, Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP said it will start delivering its own version of music player, as well as make Apple's popular and easy-to-use iTunes digital music jukebox and online music store available to HP customers.
"its own version of music player" (talking about IPOD)
"make Apple's popular and easy-to-use iTunes digital music jukebox and online music store available to HP customers." (talking 100% about iTUNES)
DofP
As much as we look for innuendo and glimmers of hope, dots etc., in this case, IMO it is what it is.....
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/155908_applehp09.html
http://news.com.com/2100-7354_3-5137473.html?tag=st_rn
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040108-103942-3182r.htm
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114205,00.asp
http://www.quicken.com/investments/news_center/story/?story=NewsStory/dowJones/20040108/ON2004010822....
http://news.com.com/2100-7353_3-5138044.html
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7664305.htm
moxa1_
Some still believe the Apple/Portal Player/e.Digital dot connecting. This post from Agora sure erases the dots to me...also even if true, what real revenues would a deal like that generate? Chin up...we have MUSICAL!
http://news.com.com/2100-7354_3-5137473.html?tag=st_rn
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040108-103942-3182r.htm
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114205,00.asp
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/155908_applehp09.html
http://www.quicken.com/investments/news_center/story/?story=NewsStory/dowJones/20040108/ON2004010822....
http://news.com.com/2100-7353_3-5138044.html
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7664305.htm
Well I was right about a PR when the CES doors opened today. Trouble is HP is with Apple and not e.Digital......
"We explored a range of alternatives to deliver a great digital music experience and concluded Apple's iPod music and iTunes music service were the best by far. By partnering with Apple, we have the opportunity to add value by integrating the world's best digital music offering into HP's larger digital entertainment system strategy."
"THE KILLER PR" HP and Apple Partner to Deliver Digital Music Player and iTunes to HP Customers
2004 International CES
January 08, 2004 01:06 PM US Eastern Timezone
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2004--Working to provide consumers with the most compelling digital content whenever and wherever they desire, HP (NYSE:HPQ) and Apple (Nasdaq:AAPL) today announced a strategic alliance to deliver an HP-branded digital music player based on Apple's iPod, the No. 1 digital music player in the world, and Apple's award-winning iTunes digital music jukebox and pioneering online music store to HP's customers.
As part of the alliance, HP consumer PCs and notebooks will come preinstalled with Apple's iTunes jukebox software and an easy-reference desktop icon to point consumers directly to the iTunes Music Store, ensuring a simple, seamless music experience. This offering is yet another way that HP is helping consumers enjoy more from their personal digital entertainment content.
"HP's goal is to bring the most compelling entertainment content and experiences to our customers," said Carly Fiorina, chairman and chief executive officer, HP. "We explored a range of alternatives to deliver a great digital music experience and concluded Apple's iPod music player and iTunes music service were the best by far. By partnering with Apple, we have the opportunity to add value by integrating the world's best digital music offering into HP's larger digital entertainment system strategy."
"Apple's goal is to get iPods and iTunes into the hands of every music lover around the world, and partnering with HP, an innovative consumer company, is going to help us do just that," said Steve Jobs, chief executive officer, Apple. "As the industry balkanizes by offering digital music wrapped in a multitude of incompatible proprietary technologies, consumers will be reassured in getting the same unparalleled digital music solutions from both HP and Apple, two leaders in the digital music era."
According to internal HP research, more than 54 percent of current HP consumers download music to their PCs.
More than 2 million iPods have been sold since its introduction, solidifying its position as the No. 1 digital music player in the world. All iPods work seamlessly with the award-winning iTunes digital music jukebox software and the iTunes Music Store, which has sold more than 30 million songs, providing music fans with the best digital music experience on either a Mac or Windows(R) PC.
The iTunes Music Store offers Windows and Mac users a music catalog of more than 500,000 songs, the same "gold standard" personal use rights and the same 99 cents-per-song pricing. The iTunes Music Store features online gift certificates for family and friends; Apple's innovative and patent-pending online "Allowance" feature, which allows parents to automatically deposit funds into their kids' iTunes Music Store account every month; more than 5,000 audiobooks, which can be purchased with one click and listened to on a Mac or Windows computer as well as on iPods; Celebrity Playlists; and new exclusive tracks from more than 60 artists. The iTunes Music Store offers music from all five major music companies and over 200 independent music labels.
Pricing and availability
HP's digital music player is expected to become available this summer and be priced competitively to other digital music players currently available.
Beginning this summer, the iTunes software and a desktop icon guiding users to the music site will be preloaded on HP Pavilion, Media Center and Compaq Presario desktop and notebook consumer PCs.
About Apple
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging and printing. For the fiscal year ending on Oct. 31, 2003, HP revenue totaled $73.1 billion. More information about HP is available at www.hp.com.
Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any projections of earnings, revenues, or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies, and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning proposed new services or developments; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; statements of belief and any statement of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions referred to above include employee management issues; the timely development, production and acceptance of services and their feature sets; the challenge of managing asset levels, including inventory; the difficulty of keeping expense growth at modest levels while increasing revenues; and other risks that are described from time to time in HP's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 31, 2003 and HP's other Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed after HP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2002. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
R
Show opens in 15 minutes? Possible PR then? Dreaming? eom
Who needs HP when we have Musical...eom
I doubt Musical is the worlds largest flash MP3 player mfg. One of the worst maybe, but not the largest...so That still is yet to be announced?
Audible and PortalPlayer Integrate Audiobook Service in New Personal Media Player Platform
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 2004--
Audible and PortalPlayer Further the Evolution of Portable Media Players with Support for All Genres of Spoken Word Audio
Audible, Inc. (OTC BB: ADBL), and PortalPlayer, Inc., today announced the intention to integrate listening features and audio format support for audiobook and spoken word audio fans. PortalPlayer, the company that enabled the fast-growing music jukebox market, and Audible(R), the leading provider of digitally delivered spoken word audio, will work together on PortalPlayer's new Personal Media Player: Photo Edition development platform to optimize new portable audio players for playback of Audible's spoken word audio files.
"With research group In-Stat/MDR predicting sales of 37 million MP3 players worldwide in 2007, Audible and PortalPlayer are reacting to market demands by giving media player manufacturers easy access to the revenue-generating service that Audible provides," said Foy Sperring, Vice President Strategic Alliances, Audible, Inc. "Audible is pleased to work with market leader PortalPlayer to reach our goal of a day in which Audible is supported by all the leading media players on the market."
"Portable personal media players are the ideal devices for storing and delivering spoken word audio such as books, newspaper stories, radio broadcasts, and more," said Michael Maia, vice president of sales and marketing for PortalPlayer. "Next-generation consumer electronics devices based on PortalPlayer platforms will be optimized to take full advantage of the breadth of content available to Audible customers."
This agreement gives Audible the support of the leading manufacturer of the silicon and software found in today's most popular music jukeboxes, streamlining the technical process for making next-generation personal media players AudibleReady(R) and allowing the devices to play all of the 34,000 hours of audiobooks, audio editions of newspapers and magazines, and more available at www.audible.com.
Similarly, PortalPlayer has now positioned itself as a resource for any computer or consumer electronic original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or original design manufacturer (ODM) who desires to include AudibleReady functionality in their next-generation personal media players, and therefore add a revenue channel that is already appreciated by today's AudibleReady device and technology partners.
About Audible Inc.:
Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's largest, most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content download and playback on personal computers, CD or AudibleReady(R) computer-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 34,000 hours of audio programs and 135 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc., to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business partners are Apple Corp., Casio Inc., Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, Palm, Inc., Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., SONICblue Incorporated's Rio Audio Group, Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.
About PortalPlayer:
PortalPlayer, Inc. is personalizing digital entertainment by providing complete platforms for computer and consumer electronics manufacturers to design innovative portable products that integrate audio and photo capabilities. The company's award-winning, flexible silicon and software platform has been adopted by the majority of leading audio jukebox manufacturers worldwide by providing superior features and unmatched flexibility, and enabling rapid time to market. Founded in 1999, PortalPlayer is a privately-held company with offices in Santa Clara, California; Charlotte, North Carolina; Seattle, Washington; and Hyderabad, India. For more information, visit www.portalplayer.com.
Audible, www.audible.com and AudibleReady are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc.; AudibleListener and Otis trademarks of Audible, Inc. and all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.
Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. PortalPlayer and the PortalPlayer logo are trademarks of PortalPlayer, Inc.
Contacts
Audible, Inc.
Jonathan Korzen, 973-837-2718
jkorzen@audible.com
or
Tanis Communications For PortalPlayer
Kim Stowe, 408-839-8750
kim@taniscomm.com
The Company’s major OEM and ODM customers have included –Alba, Alfa, Audio Vox, Best Buy, Bush, Carrefour, Circuit City, Classic, Curtis Mathes, e.Digital, Elta, ESC, Goodmans, GPX, Innovation, Jensen, Jwin, K-mart, Koss, Memorex, Roadstar, Sanyo, Sonigem and others.
The quality name brands America knows and loves........
Musical? LOL Remember that quality product they last put out..the XP-$#@$? Does anyone know of ONE quality product Musical makes? TIA
Microsoft Announces Windows Media Now Supported By More Than 500 Devices, Up 150 Percent Since 2003 CES
Thursday January 8, 3:01 am ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040108/sfth015_1.html
Sony develops super-capacity MD format
TOKYO (AFP) Jan 07, 2004
Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony has developed a new MiniDisc (MD) format with a massively expanded recording capacity, a company spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Sony Corp. will announce details of the technology on Thursday, Junko Sato said, while the business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported the capacity will be about 40 hours, or 30 times the current level of 80 minutes.
"Specific figures will be somewhat different," Sato said. "We cannot outline new MD specifications and related products until a presentation tomorrow."
The newspaper said Sony planned to release MD recorders and discs that support the new technology later this year.
Sony will urge Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and other rival consumer electronics makers to adopt the technology as a new standard, the report added.
The new format uses a disc of the same size as the existing one and the new equipment is expected to play back content recorded in the existing format as well, the daily said.
It added that the new equipment would also employ copyright protection technology.
The new higher-density MD format is Sony's response to the increasingly competitive portable digital audio device market, Nihon Keizai said.
Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod has been gaining popularity in the United States and Japan for its ability to download music from personal computers and store about 10,000 songs or 600-700 hours of music, the daily added.
A total of around 80 million MD players and recorders have been shipped since the first MD devices were released in 1992, it said.
Sales of MD devices in Japan are expected to remain unchanged at about 6.7 million units in 2004 while global sales are forecast to drop five percent from 2003 to 195 million units, the report said.
It added that Japan and Europe accounted for some 75 percent and 15 percent of global sales respectively
MICROSOFT SET TO UNVEIL NEW DIGITAL MOVIE PLAYER
By STEPHEN LYNCH
January 7, 2004 -- Microsoft will try to leapfrog archrival Apple today when it introduces the latest in media players - an iPod for movies.
The Portable Media Center, which Bill Gates will unveil at a keynote address tonight at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is a handheld device with a small LCD television screen.
Expected in the second half of this year, the PMC will play shows or films that have been downloaded in a digital format.
"Think of it as the evolution of the MP3 player," said Stephen Baker, an analyst with the NPD Group. "What happens is you buy a movie online and watch it on a plane or train."
The PMC is one of a number of media players premiering at this year's CES. Following Apple's enormous success with the iPod music players, HP and Sony, among others, are expected to introduce new portable devices.
Microsoft's PMC should be one of the more ambitious. Downloading movies is still a long process, but Microsoft is gambling - as Apple did with digital music - that this will change soon, Baker said. "Maybe you'll burn a show from TiVo," he said. "Or transfer DVDs to a hard drive."
An early version of the PMC was on display at last year's CES. Microsoft won't release details of the revamped PMC (except to say it will be "sleeker"), but industry followers say it should include a rectangular screen that's about 5 inches by 4 inches and a 20-gigabyte hard drive. That would hold about three full-length movies under current digital formats.
There are similar devices on the market now, from RCA and Archos, selling at between $400 and $900. But Microsoft's would be preloaded with Windows software, allowing the PMC to double as a note-taking device and an organizer, Baker said.
Microsoft and its hardware allies will have a hard time catching up to Apple in the digital-music market, Baker said. The competition got tougher yesterday, when Apple unveiled a multicolored, lower-cost $250 "mini iPod" at the MacWorld trade show.
But a multimedia device such as the PMC could let Microsoft catch up, Baker said. "There is a first-mover advantage," Baker said. "Apple had it with iPod. The opportunity for Microsoft is pretty big."
Gateway review (PC magazine) on ABC News.com
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/ZDM/dmpx20_review_pcmag_040106.html
Rio Unveils Super-charged Nitrus 4GB MP3 Player and is Number One In Mini Hard Drive MP3 Market
Tuesday January 6, 8:06 am ET
New Rio Nitrus 4GB Expands the Revolutionary Mini Hard Drive MP3 Market Developed by Rio
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Expanding the successful mini hard drive market that Rio developed, Rio today introduced, to its already first-class MP3 line-up, the Rio Nitrus 4GB MP3 player. This new player is built on the award-winning Rio Nitrus 1.5GB MP3 player platform, keeping the same sleek, stylish and pocket-sized design along with more than double the memory and weighing less than two ounces.
Recent reports show that the Rio Nitrus 1.5GB is the best-selling 1.5GB MP3 player on the market and has become a favorite with consumers and retailers, proving that this new MP3 segment is redefining the MP3 market. In the most recent NPD Intellect market share report, Rio claimed stake to the market share lead for all mini hard drive MP3 players.
Additionally, the Rio Nitrus 1.5GB was recently honored with the prestigious CES Innovations Honoree Award in the Audio category, selected as the MP3 player of choice for American Music Awards gift baskets and has earned an upcoming spot on the hit FOX show "The O.C."
The successes of the Rio Nitrus 1.5GB, along with the rest of Rio's thriving MP3 player line-up, have contributed to Rio's comeback status. With its innovative designs and top-notch quality products, Rio proved once again why it's considered the top MP3 brand.
"The cult-like success of the Nitrus has really shown us that there is a huge market for these new types of devices," said Kevin Brangan, vice president of product marketing at Rio Audio. "By introducing a 4GB version of the Nitrus we're building on the best selling mini hard drive MP3 player on the market and plan on increasing our mini hard drive market share."
When it debuted in August 2003, the Rio Nitrus 1.5GB was the MP3 market's first cross between a hard disk and flash-based player, providing a new option for the MP3 consumer. Offering yet another option for the MP3 consumer, the Rio Nitrus 4GB, weighing less than two ounces and smaller in overall size than a deck of playing cards, can playback over 2000 WMA songs (132 hours of music) on a built-in 16-hour LiON rechargeable battery, and includes a five-band parametric equalizer. The Rio Nitrus 4GB supports USB 2.0, allowing for lightning fast transfers of content between multiple PCs.
Availability and Pricing
The Rio Nitrus 4GB will begin shipping in January and will be available through Rioaudio.com, and all major retail outlets in the U.S. The estimated U.S. street price is $249.
About Rio
Rio Audio, a Digital Networks North America company, pioneered portable digital audio technology in 1998, with the launch of the Rio 300. Since then, Rio has become the world's number one brand of portable MP3 players by developing a host of award-winning portables that let music lovers take their music with them wherever they go. For more information regarding Rio, or to purchase a Rio digital audio player, please visit www.rioaudio.com.
Media Contact:
Colleen Henley
Porter Novelli for Rio Audio
+1-408-988-2100
colleen.henley@porternovelli.com
Apple Expected to Introduce Cheaper iPod
Tuesday, January 6, 2004 12:59 AM ET
Apple Computer Inc. (AAPL, news)'s (AAPL, news) iPod was the season's must-have holiday gift, despite its daunting price tag. Now, just weeks after pricey versions of the sleek portable music player were flying off the shelves, Apple is expected to roll out a signficantly cheaper version, Tuesday's Wall Street Journal reported.
Apple is expected today to introduce a new iPod that costs much less than its current $299 entry-level model, according to people familiar with the matter. ( The top-of-the line 40-gigabyte iPod holds 10,000songs and costs an eye-popping $499.) Analysts believe Apple could price the new iPod as low as $200.
While that's more than the $100 figure that has circulated on Apple rumor Web sites in recent weeks, it's still a sharp enough markdown that Apple hopes will attract a much larger audience of music and gadget lovers.
Apple's move is expected to put pressure on a new crop of rivals to trim their prices.
Apple declined to comment on any new products it may be introducing this week, expected to be announced at the MacWorld conference in San Francisco.
Introduced in October 2001, the iPod was the first digital music player to combine huge song storage capacity in a style that hipsters could feel proud about clipping to their belt buckles. The gadget featured a navigation wheel that is regarded as one of the most-efficient ways to comb through a large number of songs.
Wall Street Journal Staff Reporter Nick Wingfield contributed to this report.
Dow Jones Newswires
01-06-04 0059ET
Copyright 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Apple launches mini iPod
By Richard Edwards, Evening Standard
Days after more than a million people paid up to £400 for the most popular hi-tech toy of Christmas, the iPod, manufacturer Apple has announced a cut-price mini version.
The iPod, a digital jukebox which can hold up to 10,000 songs, has been a worldwide hit in the past two months after Apple produced a version compatible with Windows computers.
But now Apple is set to release a smaller version, costing £65, which will be able to store 800 songs.
Apple chief Steve Jobs is expected to unveil the cheaper iPod at a San Francisco exhibition next week.
It is intended to target people who want a digital music player but do not need one which can hold music from more CDs then most people could ever own.
Up to 1.3million people bought the iPod for Christmas, including a host of celebrities such as the Beckhams, Ronan Keating and Robbie Williams.
It weighs less than two compact discs and, as well as storing music, holds digital camera images and can be used as a dictation machine and alarm clock. Music is loaded on to the device from an Apple computer or a PC.
High-street chains such as John Lewis said the demand for the iPod was outstripping supply. Many stores had to take post-Christmas orders from frustrated shoppers.
In addition to the lowercost version of its digital jukebox, Apple will introduce different coloured cases for the currently allwhite iPod. Dedicated iPod cases have been designed by Pucci and Christian Dior.
Philips Launches the Smallest Micro Audio Jukebox and World's Lightest Recording Audio Jukebox
Cornice and Creative news also below..out of posts for the day..
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2004--Philips Electronics announced two new audio jukeboxes today. Philips' new hard disk offerings include the smallest micro audio jukebox and the world's lightest recording audio jukebox. The new products utilize Philips miniaturized storage technology and offer consumers an immense hard disk capacity in a super compact form for ultimate portability. The two new models (hdd060 and hdd120) provide new options for consumers who are looking to enjoy a universe of music on the move and to suit any mood.
"Philips' new portable hard disk players are a great addition to the 2004 Infotainment line of products," said Des Power, Senior Vice President, General Manager Regional Business Management and Marketing, Philips Consumer Electronics, North America. "Our new products are created with the consumers in mind, offering users the option of having their favorite music content at their fingertips - anytime, anywhere. Whether you're looking for something that's highly portable, the perfect fashion accessory or to carry your audio collection with you, we have a stylish and sophisticated option to fit your needs."
All of Philips' portable hard disk players feature easy-to-use operations that provide an effortless audio experience, such as including finding a favorite song among the thousands that may be stored. The unique Philips' SuperScroll(TM) navigation interface enables fast and precise navigation to the exact music of your choice. The SuperScroll keys have two-level functionality; holding down either the 'up' or 'down' button activates a scroll accelerator that allows super-fast navigation through the list of stored songs. The user also can find tracks through any preset category: Playlists, Artists, Albums, Genres, All tracks and, with the hdd120, Recordings.
Each Philips' portable hard disk audio jukebox features the Digital Music Manager, a PC based software program that allows users to easily manage and transfer their music from their PC. For the hdd120, there is an additional feature called EQ Link, which enables users to change the equalizer settings and even rename the presets from 'Rock,' 'Pop,' 'Jazz' and 'Classic' to suit their own listening preferences. The user can link these new equalizer settings to be activated with specific genre types like 'rock,' 'hip-hop,' 'R&B' or 'rap.' These changes also will be transferred to the hdd120 at each PC connection.
The Smallest Micro Audio Jukebox
Philips new wearable hdd060, the smallest micro audio jukebox, offers consumers the ability to always take their music with them without compromising sound quality. Featuring a 1.5 GB(1) (375 MP3 tracks) storage capacity, the hdd060 is only 1.8 cm thick, weighs less than 95 grams and is the same length and width of a standard credit card. Users will be able to easily review track information on the device's 2-bit grey, 128 x 96 pixel LCD screen. Users also can store data files on the hdd060, making it a portable external drive as well.
For one-touch button playback, the hdd060 features SuperPlay(TM). This feature enables the user to start enjoying music quickly without first having to select playlists or individual tracks. By simply selecting the desired category -such as 'Albums' or 'Artist'- and by pressing the 'Play' button, the user can listen to all the music that is stored under these top-level music library categories.
Sporting a high-gloss magnesium casing, the hdd060 is small enough to fit perfectly in a consumer's pocket or a small purse and light enough to wear around the neck. Users easily can access their computer through USB 1.1 connectivity in order to transfer their favorite MP3 and WMA songs. Available in February, the hdd060 will have a suggested retail price of $199.99.
Take All Of Your Music With You
The Philips hdd120 is the lightest recording jukebox that allows consumers to take all of their favorite music on the go. Featuring a 20 GB storage capacity, the player is capable of holding more than 5,000 MP3s and 10,000 WMA songs.
Equivalent to approximately one week's worth of music, the hdd120 allows the user to have a song on hand for any occasion. For simple and fast downloads from your PC, the hdd120 operates through a high-speed USB 2.0 connection.
The player's recording feature allows users to record voice memos via the built-in microphone. Direct MP3 recording easily can be completed through the internal MP3 encoder, enabling the device to record audio tracks from its microphone input, analog line-input or digital-optical line input. It can be used as everything from a voice recorder with extremely long recording times, to a high-quality portable digital audio recorder for live-session music recording and DJ dance track mixing. In between, it allows users to enjoy audio tracks from virtually any source imaginable.
The hdd120 features a super-slim design and an extended battery life providing more than 10 hours of playback time. Like the hdd060, the hdd120 sports a high-gloss magnesium casing, making it durable yet lightweight. The screen is easy to read from all angles, with white text on a black display complementing the back finishing color of the casing. Multifunctional, the unit's hard disk drive allows users to store and carry data files from one PC or device to another. Available in February, the hdd120 will have a suggested retail price of $349.
Cornice Introduces New 2.0-Gigabyte Storage Element, Advancing Low-Cost Data Storage for Electronics
2004 International CES
Prior to CES 2004, Cornice Inc. (Longmont, Colo.) announced the latest product in its successful "Storage Element" line of compact, low-cost, high-capacity data storage solutions for consumer electronics. Capable of holding two gigabytes of data in a very small package, this Storage Element enables more functionality and better affordability for digital music players, video capture devices, GPS handhelds, and other consumer electronic products.
LONGMONT, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2004--
Storage Innovator Targets Video, Multi-function, and GPS Applications With New Device That Holds 33% More Data Than the Previous Product Generation
Cornice Inc., an innovator in compact, high-capacity storage, today introduced the 2.0-gigabyte Cornice Storage Element -- a storage device for use in consumer electronics, portable devices, and other applications that demand large amounts of reliable, inexpensive storage in a small space and at the lowest cost.
The 2.0-gigabyte Storage Element will allow electronics device manufacturers to build new pocket-able products that store more music, video, and pictures, as well as more office productivity files such as presentations and word processing documents. With the additional storage relative to the previous generation of the Storage Element, increasingly compelling, cost-competitive video capture and playback devices can be developed that are able to store more than three hours of VHS-quality video. Other applications include continent-inclusive GPS devices, multi-function handheld computers, and other emerging product types.
By carrying out a fundamental re-evaluation of how portable storage devices should be designed and manufactured, Cornice achieved the industry's lowest cost for high-capacity portable storage. By re-examining the mechanics and electronics of storage devices, Cornice was able to create an inexpensive storage solution that is compact, durable, and optimized for portable electronics.
Launched in June 2003, the first generation of Cornice's Storage Element remains a key component in some of the most innovative MP3 players, video camcorders, and USB keychain drives introduced that year. Leading consumer electronics infrastructure providers like Texas Instruments, PortalPlayer, and SigmaTel announced their continued intent to optimize their offerings for use with Cornice's Storage Element, providing consumer electronics manufacturers an easy way to incorporate the Cornice Storage Element within future products.
"With the highly successful introduction of Cornice's Storage Element in June of last year, it was evident that our company and its technology struck a chord within the consumer electronics community -- that reliable, low-cost, high-capacity data storage within very small electronic devices was a near-term, achievable reality," said Kevin Magenis, president and CEO of Cornice. "The debut of this two-gigabyte device demonstrates that we are committed to supplying our customers with increasingly high storage capacities at an extremely competitive price."
Meet Cornice At CES
Cornice will be showcasing the new 2.0-gigabyte Storage Element at the International Consumer Electronics Show from January 8 - 11, 2004, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (So. 3&4, 21154).
Price And Availability
The 2.0-gigabyte Storage Element is available in volume quantities now. List price is $70 per unit in quantities of 100,000 per year. Email Cornice's sales staff at sales@corniceco.com or call 303-651-7291.
About Cornice
Cornice Inc. is an innovator in small, compact, low-cost, high-capacity storage that enables a new generation of pocket-able consumer electronic devices for the world's leading brand-name manufacturers. The Cornice Storage Element (SE) is durable, integrated, personal storage that brings new levels of affordability and content capacity to these devices.
Creative Announces Nomad MuVo TX USB 2.0 Digital Audio Player
Monday January 5, 2004 8:05 AM EST
Creative today announced the NOMAD MuVo TX digital audio player that features an ultra fast USB 2.0 connectivity and longer continuous play time of up to 15 hours. The sleek NOMAD MuVo TX with 512MB, small enough to fit on a key chain yet can hold up to sixteen hours (WMA 64 Kbps format) of music, will ship in January 2004 at an estimated street price of S$499.
“With the launch of the NOMAD MuVo TX Creative again raises the bar for flash-based MP3 players,” said Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative Technology Ltd. “The original NOMAD MuVo forever changed the MP3 player category. Now we’re expanding our award-winning NOMAD MuVo line with the NOMAD MuVo TX, which features USB 2.0 so that many hours of music can be transferred in seconds.”
The blue, backlit LCD on the NOMAD MuVo TX displays full song information from ID3 tags and shows track number, play time, play mode and EQ setting. It’s easy to select favorite songs and set play modes, such as Shuffle and Resume, with the scroller button. With the built-in microphone, users can also record over 32 hours of live audio—use it to record quick reminders, hours of notes, lectures and conversations.
Like the original NOMAD MuVo family of MP3 players, the NOMAD MuVo TX does not require cables and conveniently doubles as a USB flash drive. Just slide the player apart, plug it directly into the computer’s USB port, and it will be automatically recognized as a removable drive. Users can transfer any file type from their PC onto the NOMAD MuVo TX and vice versa with simple drag and drop functionality. The 512MB NOMAD MuVo TX can hold up to 350 floppies worth of data.
True to Creative’s rich audio heritage, the NOMAD MuVo TX boasts superior audio quality with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 90dB—incredible sound quality that rivals players many times its size. The NOMAD MuVo TX can play uninterrupted high-quality music for up to 15 hours (on MP3 format) on just one AAA alkaline battery.
Although the NOMAD MuVo TX does not require software, the player comes bundled with Creative MediaSource™ software for consumers who may have never used MP3 or WMA files before. Creative MediaSource is a full MP3 and WMA ripping and organizing application with a fresh, clean interface. It also includes everything needed to convert a CD collection into a portable digital library that can be transferred easily to the NOMAD MuVo TX and taken wherever one goes.
"we made a mistake,"
Updated: 08:37 PM EST
Several Changes to BCS on Table for Next Season
NCAA Basketball Tournament-Style Committee Possible
By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP SPORTS
NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 4) -- Conceding "we made a mistake," the head of the BCS said an NCAA basketball tournament-style committee might become part of the selection process next season -- reducing the possibility of a split national championship in football.
Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said Sunday several issues will be discussed in the coming months, including eliminating computers from the selection process and adding an extra Bowl Championship Series game.
Tranghese, coordinator of the BCS as part of a rotation among the six major football conferences, doesn't have the power to impose any changes on his own. But his comments indicated some possibilities to improve the system.
The BCS came under intense criticism this season when USC, ranked No. 1 by the media and the coaches, was bypassed for Sunday night's Sugar Bowl. The Trojans were expected to remain first in the Associated Press poll after an impressive victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Oklahoma and LSU, which finished 1-2 in the BCS rankings, were invited to the Sugar Bowl, with the winner assured of getting the top spot in the coaches' poll.
It's precisely the sort of co-championship the BCS was supposed to eliminate.
"We've got a system that somehow leaves the No. 1 team in both human polls out of the championship game," Tranghese told a group of football writers. "We've got to do something."
One method for addressing several different proposals is to set up a panel modeled after the one that selects the field for the 65-team NCAA basketball tournament. While the BCS poll would remain in effect, the committee could get together at the end of the regular season to determine which teams play for the national championship.
If such a committee had been in place this season, it could have overruled the BCS standings, pointing to Oklahoma's 35-7 loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game. LSU and Southern Cal, which each lost games earlier in the season, would have met in New Orleans.
Oklahoma held No. 1 in the BCS based on its strength in the computer rankings.
"Computers don't calculate when you lose a game," said Tranghese, coordinator of the BCS as part of a rotation among the six major football conferences. "The polls are a reflection of your performance from week to week. We should have thought of that. We made a mistake, and we should be criticized."
He said the BCS would discuss several options for tweaking the system, such as requiring a team to win its own conference to qualify for the national championship game.
Tranghese favors eliminating the computers altogether, perhaps keeping a scaled-back ranking system that incorporates the two major polls and the other factors already in place -- strength of schedule, losses and quality wins.
"Get rid of the computers," he said. "I hate those things."
A committee -- perhaps made up of representatives from the six conferences -- could oversee the selection process. But no system is perfect, Tranghese stressed.
"We've not even faced the ultimate problem," he said later outside the room, talking with a smaller group of reporters. "What if we have three undefeated teams? What if we have three teams with one loss, but none of them lost at the end of the year?"
On top of everything else, the non-BCS conferences are pushing for a greater role, having been shut out of the lucrative system that started in 1998.
"We're trying to open the door wider," Tranghese said.
But he also said the major conferences would retain their BCS dominance. "Do you really think there are teams out there that we left out that could have won the national championship?" he asked.
"We've got a system that somehow leaves the No. 1 team in both human polls out of the championship game. We've got to do something."
-Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese
Tranghese also raised the possibility of changing the BCS name when the contract with ABC-TV ends following the 2005 season, even if the network wants to keep the moniker for marketing purposes.
"It's taken on a life of it own," he said. "Let's get one thing straight: We will determine what the name is, not ABC. If we decide to call it XYZ, it will be XYZ."
Tranghese said the BCS had no role in the coaches' guaranteeing their No. 1 spot to the winner of the BCS championship game. He described that as an arrangement between the American Football Coaches Association and the coaches poll.
Some coaches who voted USC No. 1 have grumbled about having to drop the Trojans on their final ballot.
"There's no rationale explanation for that, but we didn't make the deal," Tranghese said. "The coaches need to look in the mirror and say, 'I didn't know this?' They did know it. They just didn't think it through."
As for a playoff: No chance. Tranghese said college presidents won't allow BCS leaders to even discuss it -- even though a playoff would likely generate more revenue than the current 28-bowl system.
"If we could blow up the bowls and have a full-blown playoff system, just see how much money we could make," he said. "But it's not about money. It's about providing a lot of kids with a chance to play in a bowl."
01-04-04 20:54 EST
OT: Rose Bowl was the boring one-
The reason being was USC DESTROYED Michigan
Oklahoma was a pretender...were fading last part of season. Last season game loss was no fluke
LSU a very good team overall with great defense that would not stop USC, and USC defense would shut down LSU offense (offensive is more like it) LOL
OT: NO DOUBT USC number 1. The two teams tonight...snooooze eom
RR Got your message
I can't send private emails, so until I can... Thank you and no problem here.
MH Thanks...
1 week to go before possible reinstatement.
aghhhhhh This is my last post for the day.
rr "My family has other priorities."
Like an old car that is only driven on Sundays???????
That is a priority? LOL