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Archos ships 'TiVo to go' handheld video recorder
By Tony Smith
Published Thursday 15th July 2004 13:37 GMT
French portable media player specialist Archos has announced its latest video device aimed at consumers who want to record TV shows and watch them on the move.
The AV400 series offers either 20GB or 80GB of storage for audio, video and still photography. There's the usual broad array of supported formats: MP3, WMA and WAV for audio; MPEG 4 SP, XviD, DivX 4 and 5 for video; and JPEG (non progressive) and BMP for stills.
The players used MPEG 4 SP to record programming (at 512 x 384 and 30fps), pumped into the device from a TV, set-top box or VCR via a docking cradle. The cradle is capable of controlling the VCR or set-top box's tuner and incorporates a timer to record content when you're not around.
There's a built-in microphone and audio jacks whose input can be saved in any of the supported formats. Archos said it intended to offer a separate FM tuner which can also be used to record radio programmes. Cunningly, the machine buffers everything, allowing you to capture a complete song or show, even if you don't press 'record' as soon as it starts.
A CompactFlash slot allows picture taken on a digital camera to be transferred straight to the AV400's hard drive. Other card formats are supported by an optional add-on. Files can be exchanged with a Mac or PC via a USB 1.1 or 2.0 cable.
Archos is offering two AV400 series machines: the 420 and the 480. The former sports a 3.5in display, the latter a 3.8in panel. Both 320 x 240 screens provide 262,00 colours. Content can also be displayed on a TV via the docking cradle.
The two models weigh 280g and 320g, respectively. Both measure 12.5 x 7.8cm in front, but while the 20GB unit is 2cm thick, the 80GB model is slightly deeper, at 2.6cm. The AV420 provides up to four hours' video playback and 12 hours of audio-only play. The higher capacity model yields 4.5 hours and 16 hours, respectively.
The AV400 series doesn't come cheap, however, with the top-end model cost as much as a mainstream notebook computer. The 20GB AV420 will be available on 19 July, for $550/£400/€TBA. The 80GB AV480 is available now for $800/£600/€900. ®
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/15/archos_av400_series/
TWOMIL
If the ultimate objective is lower operational initial and costs, then what is cheaper then NO IFE system (Southwest)? Again, the purpose of an IFE system, or any perk above the basic necessities of flying are not needed, unless the company wants to or feels the need to enhance the consumers experience or add perceived value. This is done so consumers will enjoy the flight, and hopefully use the same airline again. Also to recommend the airline to others. While any revenue stream is welcome (rentals), I do not believe that is a major factor in an airlines decision whether to install IFE. Putting and keeping people in seats is what it is all about.
All the benefits of an IFE system can only be realized IF the airline chooses to use an IFE system. Some companies like Southwest have chosen to date, not to install a IFE system and have been very successful without it.
When companies do decide to use a IFE system, then of course the many benefits and advantages of the digEplayer over other systems comes into play, as you stated in your post.
The bottom line IMO is how can the airlines put and keep the most people in the seats of their aircraft. If they decide to use IFE as part of that, then the digEplayer has to be a serious contender to fill that need.
The main purpose is to help put people in the seats of the airlines that will use digEplayer as oppossed to the airlines that do not...a competitive edge.
How much additional revenue does JetBlue get from their IFE? LOL
ReignCom: King of MP3s
ReignCom Ltd. may not be a household name yet, but the small company's product ¡ª the iRiver MP3 player series ¡ª should ring a lot of bells.
ReignCom gained prominence when its MP3 player sales doubled those of Samsung Electronics in the first half of this year. While Samsung Electronics took over 25 percent of the MP3 player market here, this Kosdaq-listed venture seized over 60 percent.
Ray Lee, vice president of ReignCom in charge of subsidiary iRiver, says the business worked not only because he was an audio-visual specialist but because he had the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time.
In 1998, Mr. Lee refused an offer to stay on at Samsung Electronics after he was promoted to department head.
"I felt bitter when it became clear that if I were to climb any higher in the company, I would have to have connections," said Mr. Lee.
He walked out of the office with a colleague, Yang Deok-joon ¡ª who is now CEO of ReignCom. A year later, they established the company.
Their first business was importing electronic goods from an American company, but results were poor.
Then in January 2001, Mr. Lee decided to make ReignCom's own brand of MP3 players. When he was working for Samsung, he made CD, DVD and CD-RW (read-write) players ¡ª "anything round, that made sounds and images, I was in charge of," he said. As a result, he said he was "confident in whatever was round."
He sourced parts, including flash memories, from Samsung Electronics ¡ª but ordered too heavily and found himself with a surplus. He was worried that the parts would be left in stockpiles, but that summer there was a shortage of flash memories among manufacturers. ReignCom had plenty, and its MP3 players filled a sales gap. Success followed.
"Swiss luxury label Bally recently made a proposal to produce an MP3 player cover exclusively for iRiver," Mr. Lee said.
In sales terms, the iRiver series stands in second place behind Apple in the world's MP3 player market, but he expects that ranking to be overturned soon.
"Some say that MP3 players lack a future due to the emergence of MP3 cell phones, but digital cameras have remained strong despite the entry of camera phones into the market," said Mr. Lee.
by Yoon Chang-hee <mina@joongang.co.kr>
Hawaiian Airlines Gets Personal With digEplayer In-Flight Entertainment System
Tuesday July 13, 3:30 pm ET
Carrier Orders 1,500 Portable Units for Transpacific Flights
TACOMA, Wash., July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting in August, Hawaiian Airlines' award-winning in-flight service will set a new standard of quality for travel to Hawaii with the introduction of the digEplayer personal entertainment system. Developed by APS, the digEplayer is the world's first self-contained portable audio/video on demand in-flight entertainment system.
Hawaiian will be the first airline to offer the digEplayer on transpacific flights to Hawaii; Sydney, Australia; Pago Pago, American Samoa; and Papeete, Tahiti. Customers will enjoy a wide range of entertainment to select from, including 10-15 first-run, full-length movies; 8-10 short subjects or situation comedies; 20 music videos; and 100 audio tracks. The battery- powered, lightweight (3 lbs.) unit fits comfortably on a seatback tray or customer's lap, and will be available free in First Class and for a $10 rental fee in Coach Cass, subject to availability.
"We are extremely excited that Hawaiian Airlines has decided to make digEplayer the first choice of onboard entertainment for its passengers," said Bill Boyer, Chairman and Founder of APS, Inc. "We are equally excited that Hawaiian Airlines will be the first airline to use the digEplayer in wide body aircraft."
Hawaiian is purchasing 1,500 digEplayers from APS following a very successful two-month test run earlier this year.
Gordon Locke, Hawaiian's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales, commented, "The response by our customers to the digEplayer was phenomenal. The units were an immediate hit and sold out on every flight we tested them on. Customers raved about having their own personal entertainment system and the freedom to pick and choose movies, TV shows, and music that matched their interests. Parents especially liked how the systems kept their children entertained during the flight."
Locke added that the digEplayer builds on the superb quality of service that Hawaiian brings to the Hawaii travel experience. "When you combine our award-winning in-flight service and industry-leading on-time reliability, Hawaiian is already providing travelers with the best available flight experience to Hawaii. But we're always looking for ways to improve. The digEplayer will make a flight aboard Hawaiian and the experience of traveling to and from Hawaii that much more enjoyable."
In addition to the digEplayer, Hawaiian will continue to provide transpacific customers its full complement of onboard entertainment currently being offered. This includes a first-run, full-length movie for a headset rental fee, a variety of music and audio channels, and special in-flight videos produced by Hawaiian that highlight the people, culture, and islands of Hawaii.
More about the digEplayer:
The digEplayer 5500 (TM) is the world's first portable, Audio/Video-On-Demand, In-flight entertainment system. The newest versions of the player can now hold over 60 full length feature movies and 10 hours of dynamic music content from DMX In Flight and In Flight Dublin available on demand for the airline passenger. Current content comes from 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers and Buena Vista. Each unit contains a 40-gigabyte hard drive and utilizes the latest technology licensed from e.Digital Corp (O/S and engineering), DivX (compression) and DRM (security). The digEplayer is a cost efficient means for the airlines to provide a variety of entertainment options from first run movies and television shows to music videos, destination information.
About APS
APS is a privately held company based in Tacoma, Wash., which specializes in innovative technology for the airline industry. The digEplayer 5500 (TM) is an example of the industry-changing products developed by APS as the company looks into the future of the transportation and leisure industries.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, the nation's number one on-time carrier, is recognized as one of the best airlines in America. Business travelers recently surveyed by Conde Nast Traveler rated Hawaiian Airlines as having the best in-flight service and meals of any U.S. carrier. Hawaiian was recently ranked fourth best in the nation overall by Travel + Leisure, ahead of every other carrier flying to Hawaii.
Celebrating its 75th year of continuous service, Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii's biggest and longest-serving airline, and the second largest provider of passenger air service between Hawaii and the mainland U.S. Hawaiian offers nonstop service to Hawaii from more mainland U.S. gateways than any other airline. Hawaiian also provides approximately 117 daily jet flights among the Hawaiian Islands, as well as service to Australia, American Samoa and Tahiti.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (AMEX: HA; PCX). Since the appointment of a bankruptcy trustee in May 2003, Hawaiian Holdings has had no involvement in the management of Hawaiian Airlines and has had limited access to information concerning the airline. Additional information is available at HawaiianAir.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another round of media players
Posted Jul 12, 2004, 9:55 AM ET by Simon Spagnoletti
Still more portable media players with one-inch drives for your viewing pleasure. Korean electronics maker NeoSol is coming out with a bunch that all have pretty much the same specs, such as a 2.5GB hard drive, OLED displays, built-in TV tuner and recorder, playback and recording of MP3, WMA, DivX, XviD (bloody finally), AVI, ASF and AVI as well as JPEG display.
Frustratingly the hard drive on all of these is only 2.5GB in size, so you’re not going to be packing too many movies on there (there is an SD slot, but that’s not going to be of much use either). We were confused by the same-spec thing for a minute there, but then figured that it was a good thing, since it gives people more choice without forcing them sacrifice features — offering multiple designs is certainly a step up from merely offering different colors as the only option
http://www.austinv.com/comment.php?comment.news.225
Audible Releases First AudibleReady Developer Platform
WAYNE, N.J. --(Business Wire)-- July 12, 2004 --
-- Software Development Kit Builds Upon Broad Industry Acceptance of Audible's Spoken Word Delivery and Mobile Device Playback Standard
Audible, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBL),the leading provider of digitally delivered spoken word audio, today made the AudibleReady Client SDK Version 1.0 available for license to third-party developers. The Software Development Kit (SDK) will enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of mobile audio devices, as well as Audible's original design manufacturer (ODM) and integrated circuit vendor (ICV) partners to simply and rapidly adopt Audible's technology for seamless download, transfer, and playback of the more than 50,000 hours of spoken word audio programming available for download at Audible.com(R).
AudibleReady(R) platform components have already been adopted by partners who manufacture or provide components for more than 100 MP3 players, PDAs, or "smart" wireless telephone models. Current AudibleReady platform partners include Apple Corp., Sony Electronics, Creative Labs, Rio Audio, PalmOne Inc, Microsoft Corporation, Hewlett Packard Company, Gateway, Inc., and, with the announcement on Thursday, July 8, Audible welcomed Samsung Electronics to the family of platform partners who have adopted components of Audible's SDK.
"The release of the first AudibleReady Client SDK represents an important step forward for Audible's platform, partnership, and growth strategies," stated Guy A. Story, Chief Scientist, Audible Inc. "After nearly nine years of development and seven years of ongoing refinement in the marketplace, the AudibleReady standard for the end-to-end packaging, secure delivery, and playback of spoken word content by portable devices has achieved broad industry adoption. We consider this SDK release to be an important element of the continued adoption of our spoken word platform standard for mobile devices, and the first step in our intention to selectively license additional elements of our platform to our business partners."
"Samsung has decided to adopt the AudibleReady platform in a number of our handheld digital audio devices," said Simon Chang, Director of Samsung's yepp Marketing Team. "Last Thursday's announcement of AudibleReady Yepp and Napster MP3 players signals the first of many Samsung devices that will ship with Audible technology."
"VoiceAge is excited to support this initiative by providing to the first AudibleReady SDK our ACELP(R).net codec, proven over the years to be the best choice for low bit rate narrowband and wideband technology for Internet content," added Laurent Amar, President of VoiceAge Corp. "Working with partners like Audible facilitates the wide dissemination of ACELP(R).net to listeners who care about audio quality."
The AudibleReady Client SDK enables Audible's partners to support the Company's Internet audio service in current and future audio devices and multimedia platforms with a minimum of development. Some of the key elements of the AudibleReady SDK program include:
-- Support for secure playback of audio content, in Audible's proprietary format and DRM, with the full complement of AudibleReady spoken word user experience features.
-- Secure access technologies that allow automated downloads of audio directly to devices and personal computers.
-- Integrated support for ACELP(R).net speech compression from VoiceAge Corporation.
To join the developer program, a partner need only contact Audible and sign an AudibleReady Client Developer license. The developer partner then receives the SDK for integration into the relevant device or system. Audible provides technical support to licensees. The fee-free license contains marketing obligations to insure that the subsequent Audible support will result in new consumer customers for Audible's service. As part of the program, Audible will certify each complete and successful implementation as "AudibleReady."
Over the next few weeks Audible will make available the AudibleReady Client SDK for a variety of platforms and processors, including Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Philips processors, Texas Instruments OMAP and DSP, ARM-based processors, and others.
About Audible, Inc.:
Audible(R) (www.audible.com(R)) is the Internet's leading premium spoken audio source. Content from Audible is downloaded and played back on personal computers, CDs, or AudibleReady(R) computer-based mobile devices. Audible has 50,000 hours of audio programs from more than 165 content partners that include leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible.com is Amazon.com's and the Apple iTunes Music Store's pre-eminent provider of spoken word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally, the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc. in the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible. Among the Company's key business relationships are Apple Corp., Creative Labs, Gateway, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation, palmOne, Inc., PhatNoise Inc., RealNetworks, Inc., Rio Audio, Roxio, Inc., Sony Electronics, Texas Instruments Inc., and VoiceAge Corporation.
Audible, www.audible.com, AudibleListener, and AudibleReady are registered 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.
This press release contains information about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
iPod undermines Microsoft on copy-locked CDs
Last modified: July 12, 2004, 4:00 AM PDT
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
When a copy-protected CD hit No. 1 on the U.S. music sales charts last month, it marked a breakthrough for the antipiracy technology in all but one sense: The music still wouldn't play on Apple's iPod.
What's new:
Two big players in the CD copy-protection business were relying on Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format to placate consumers and create songs that could be copied in a limited way. That gave Microsoft a potentially profitable inroad into the music industry. Until, that is, Apple's iPod became a phenomenon. The iPod doesn't do WMA--thus, neither will many consumers.
Bottom line:
A copy-protected CD recently hit No. 1 on the U.S. charts--without iPod compatibility. Still, some say CDs will have to play nice with the iPod if antipiracy technology is to succeed. That means the door may be closing on Microsoft, and opening for Apple's own FairPlay technology.
Now the two companies responsible for most copy-protected CDs are scrambling to create new versions of their technologies that are compatible with Apple's popular digital music player. In the process, they're both making substantial changes in the way CDs are digitally locked, changes that could ultimately be a setback to recent Microsoft strides into the music business.
"If you look at the 500 or 600 customer service comments we've gotten, you see that 80 percent of them have to do with iPod compatibility," said SunnComm International Chief Executive Officer Peter Jacobs, whose technology was loaded on last month's chart-topping Velvet Revolver disc. "The rest are, 'Why can't I do what I want with my music.' And a lot of those are really iPod questions too."
The effort on the part of record labels to protect music CDs against unauthorized copying and "ripping" has been in limbo for several years while the companies that make the technology have been trying to work out bugs that sometimes prevent discs from being played. But new discs are now finding their way into United States markets in growing numbers.
The idea continues to spark bitter criticism in many circles. For example, the release of last month's Beastie Boys album in copy-protected form in several overseas markets prompted a wave of angry comments on fan sites around the world, even provoking a response from the band on its Web site.
Nevertheless, labels see the success of BMG Music's Velvet Revolver disc, as well as a handful of other recent releases, as a good sign and say they're now likely to go ahead with more experiments. The SunnComm technology used by BMG is anything but bulletproof--simply holding down the computer's Shift key can disarm the protection on PCs--but BMG executives have said the protection is enough to dissuade many casual copiers.
Still, the fact that makers of antipiracy technology are approaching Apple and the iPod marks a new direction for copy protection.
iPod's rise squashes Microsoft advantage
For the past several years, both SunnComm and rival Macrovision have worked to put two different versions of songs on each protected album. The first set of tunes is a locked-down version of the CD's content. The second set consists of digital tracks that can be transferred to a computer or to some portable music devices.
That "second session" has been filled, to date, with songs in Microsoft's Windows Media Audio format. Both companies chose the WMA format because it's supported by virtually every PC on the market, and a large number of different portable players.
The decision, which was never warmly embraced by all the major record labels, appeared to give Microsoft the potential for powerful and profitable inroads into the music business. If songs in its format were to be included on every CD, WMA could go a long way toward becoming a de facto digital music standard.
But the subsequent meteoric rise of the iPod--which does not play Microsoft-formatted music--has forced a change in plans: no more reliance on Microsoft's technology, no more second session and an appeal to Apple for compatibility.
SunnComm and Macrovision each say that the new generations of their technology, due later this summer and early next year, respectively, will let people effortlessly create versions of songs for computers and portable players, in almost the same way people rip CDs to create MP3 files today. Software will be loaded on the music CDs that will help create a new copy-protected file in a form that can be played on an iPod, or on Microsoft-compatible players such as the Rio Karma, or on whatever else a consumer might be using.
"It's clear that because the hot portable player of (the day) is a constantly shifting target, the (era) of having fixed (digital rights management) stored on CDs is over," said Adam Gervin, senior director of marketing at Macrovision.
That's the theory, at least. The sticking point remains Apple, which has not yet licensed its iPod-compatible FairPlay digital rights management technology to anyone.
Some signs point to progress in this area. Gervin said his company has already demonstrated iPod support to record labels, although he declined to say whether Macrovision has a license to use Apple's code in a final product. Jacobs said he too was optimistic that Apple would provide the tools needed.
Indeed, if Apple is able to license its digital rights management technology for use on copy-protected CDs, it could be a promising new revenue source, depending on the terms. Apple declined to comment on the issue.
Analysts said the move toward iPod compatibility is very important if copy protection for music CDs is to succeed.
"It's fairly critical," said GartnerG2 analyst Mike McGuire. "If the labels start hearing that the reason people aren't buying an album is because it won't work on the iPod, then you'll see some reaction."
A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company had been happy with the way its tools had been used by record labels to date but that she was unfamiliar with SunnComm's most recent plans.
Digital Mind Corp. Releases DMC 800 Ultra Portable Audio Player;
Digital Mind To Manufacture the Only High Capacity Ultra Portable Music Player Made in the Unites States
CARLSBAD, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- July 12, 2004 -- Digital Mind Corp. (DMC) today announced that it will manufacture, distribute and provide support for the DMC 800 portable music player and storage device in the United States, under special agreement with MultiChannel Labs (MCL), one of the leading MP3 makers in Korea. The DMC 800 has been available from MCL in Europe, and has received critical acclaim for its sleek design, high-end technical features, superb quality and performance.
"The DMC 800 is one of the most sophisticated, full-featured, portable storage/music players available anywhere," said Jim Collier, Digital Mind's president and CEO. "Its small size, elegant mirror finish and world class quality make it one of the premier products in its class. Its long list of features include support for MP3, WMA, WAV, ASF and Ogg Vorbis file formats, 16+ hour replaceable lithium ion battery, studio-quality direct encoding, voice recording, FM Radio (and FM recording) and both PC and Mac compatibility without special software. This makes the DMC 800 one of the most feature-rich ultra-portable digital audio players on the market. We are also extremely proud that it is manufactured and fully supported in the United States."
The base model DMC 800 comes with 20GB of storage, enough capacity to hold 5,000 songs, voice and FM recordings or to backup computer files that can be shared between PCs and Macs. Its intuitive user interface allows the user to start navigating through files and playlists almost immediately.
The DMC 800 joins the 40GB and 80GB DMC 500 Portable Audio Players that are also made in the United States by Digital Mind Corp.
Prices start at $229, and a full list of specifications and reviews can be found at the Digital Mind Web site: www.DigMind.Com.
About Digital Mind Corp.: DMC is a value-added innovator dedicated to bringing advanced technology products to technically demanding consumers. DMC is partnered with numerous electronic design centers throughout the world that are developing a wide range of technically advanced products for sophisticated users. Please visit our Web site at www.DigMind.Com.
Joe
There was mention of it on the Gateway website.
Regardless whether or not these units are just remaining inventory being sold off, having that as an option means we already know how what to do......
http://support.gateway.com/s/SOUND/7004768/7004768sp2.shtml
http://support.gateway.com/s/SOUND/7004768/7004768nv.shtml
Gateway 20.0GB Available Best Buy online
Blowing out old inventory or???
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1083714106660&skuId=6714558&productCategoryId=pcm....
Easy-to-use scroll buttons and wired remote control; functions include repeat all, random play, resume play, skip playback, repeat shuffle and 1-track repeat
Illuminated 2.5" indigo-blue backlit LCD with brightness and contrast controls
FM radio tuner with 12 station presets; built-in digital voice recorder, clock and digital timer
Doubles as an external hard drive to store and transfer data
5 band equalizer with 5 preset modes and custom mode
High-speed USB 2.0 interface for easy connection and transfer rates up to 1 song per sec.
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 10 hours of playback
Support for Microsoft JANUS DRM and Windows Media Player 9
PC and Mac compatible
DigEplayer mention in Los Angeles Times
Today's in-flight entertainment puts passengers in control
Competition-minded airlines offer more on-demand audio and video services, with myriad choices, despite the cost of equipment.
Today's in-flight entertainment puts passengers in control
By James Gilden, Special to The Times
Here's a trivia question that will challenge even the most ardent devotee of movie esoterica: Identify the first theatrical film shown on a regularly scheduled commercial airline flight. (Hint: It was in 1961 aboard a TWA Boeing 707.)
For the answer to this — and other questions about the ever-changing world of in-flight entertainment — you'll have to read to the end of this story.
The options for amusing oneself on some airlines rival those of the best-stocked home entertainment centers. Some in-flight entertainment, or IFE, systems offer as many as 400 options (including on-demand movies, television, video games and music), live satellite television with 24 channels and pay-per-view movies, and a hand-held device, similar to a portable DVD player, that's pre-loaded with dozens of entertainment choices.
In the last dozen years, airlines have nearly quadrupled the amount they spend annually on products and services for IFE — from $400 million in 1992 to an estimated $1.5 billion in 2003, said the World Airline Entertainment Assn.
Despite this investment, most passengers rank IFE as low as sixth on the list of reasons to choose an airline — well behind price and schedule, the top two considerations, said Rob Brookler, a spokesman for the association.
Such a system costs millions for each aircraft, Brookler said, so don't expect financially struggling airlines to upgrade their systems any time soon. Still, the competitiveness of the airline industry makes it a near-necessity.
"Everything else being equal, high-end entertainment can be a deciding factor," Brookler said, especially when competing for "premium passengers" in first and business classes. Greater IFE choices also tend to generate greater customer loyalty.
I experienced firsthand the high end of IFE on a Singapore Airlines flight in May from Los Angeles to Singapore. The audio-video on-demand system provided me with 300 entertainment options (expanded to 400 last month), including 60 feature movies, 75 TV shows, 100 music CDs and 30 Nintendo games. My choices included the entire "Matrix" and "Lord of the Rings" trilogies, episodes of "Friends" and "Frasier" and several movies not yet out on video. I whiled away the 17-hour flight watching such films as "The Last Samurai" and "House of Sand and Fog" and playing chess on the 9-inch LCD screen in the seat back.
Even more compelling than the choice of entertainment was the sense that I was master of my entertainment universe. "It gives the passenger the fullest control of their … experience," Brookler said. "The programming is stored digitally on a server so it is of the highest quality."
Because it is digital (that is, you're not limited by having one tape for an entire cabin) you can start a show at any time and pause, rewind or fast-forward. The intuitive controls on my Singapore Airlines flight were on a small hand-held device that popped out of the armrest.
Air Canada, Kuwait and South African airways also are among those that have the system on board select aircraft. Other long-distance carriers, especially in Asia, are looking to upgrade their systems, Brookler said.
But initial cost of such a system is just one consideration for airlines looking to expand IFE options. "Technology changes so rapidly you want to be careful about investing in technology that may obsolete itself," said Dave Palmer, managing director of marketing for Alaska Airlines. "Plus, it makes no sense to carry an embedded system in a two-hour market."
In October, Alaska Airlines rolled out the digEplayer, a lower-cost option for airlines that want high-end audio-video on demand. This hand-held digital device, which has a 7.5-inch LCD screen, can be distributed to passengers as they board the aircraft. It can be programmed with up to 30 full-length feature films, television programs, music videos and destination information as well as 10 hours of music programming. Like the system I used on the Singapore Airlines flight, it allows the passengers to control the entertainment.
"We're finding that there are different times of day that there is more usage, and we're able to put more on those flights where there is more demand," Palmer said.
The units are provided free in first class and can be rented for $10 in coach. You can reserve them in advance at http://www.alaskaair.com . Current programming includes nine movies, three TV shows and 10 hours of music. They have been so well received that Alaska has ordered 600 more. They were initially available only on transcontinental flights and between Anchorage and Chicago, but they will soon be available on all flights of three or more hours. Other airlines testing or deploying the hand-held systems include United's Ted service and Hawaiian Airlines.
Many of the growing ranks of low-fare carriers have embraced live satellite digital television as the IFE of choice. It's available on JetBlue, Frontier (for a $5 fee) and Song, and the new Independence Air will have it on its new Airbus A319 aircraft when it starts service in November from the West Coast. Besides offering more than 20 live television channels such as NBC, the Weather and the Travel channels, some airlines are expanding their offerings to include XM satellite radio and pay-per-view movies. For the technologically curious, JetBlue has an online video that shows how it installs the DirectTV system onto its aircraft (www.jetblue.com, then "learn more" then "DirecTV").
Even with all the IFE options available today, you probably won't find a listing for the first movie shown on that TWA flight. It was the United Artists' release of "By Love Possessed," starring Lana Turner and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. The plot? "Neurotic woman engages in an affair with the law partner of her impotent husband," according to the Internet Movie Database. With that kind of story and today's entertainment options, you'd think one airline could fit it in the lineup.
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Jane Engle is on vacation. The Times welcomes questions and comments on Travel Insider; send them to 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012, or e-mail travel@ latimes.com. James Gilden can be reached through
Kino International
http://www.edig.com/product.php
From Daboss
Kino International was founded in 1977 as a theatrical distribution company specializing in classics and foreign language art films. The company began operation with a license to handle theatrical distribution of the Janus Collection, a library containing over 100 important European and Asian art films of the 40s, 50s and 60s, including La Strada, The Rules Of The Game and Rashomon. Although Kino has grown considerably since then, we still are pleased to represent 35mm theatrical distribution for this great collection, which in some ways set the standard for all that has followed.
Building on this foundation, Kino acquired many classic feature films and packages for distribution to the then-vital repertory theatre circuit, which consisted of over two hundred active venues across the United States in the pre-cable, pre-video mid-70's. In addition to the Janus Collection, during its first ten years Kino distributed the Chaplin films, including Modern Times and City Lights, The Killiam Shows Library, including Son Of The Sheik and It, The David O. Selznick collection, including Rebecca and Notorious, the Alexander Korda London Films library including Things To Come and The Thief Of Bagdad (1940), the Walter Wanger Collection including Stagecoach, To Be Or Not To Be and even some wide screen epics like El Cid and George Stevens's Giant which we reissued very successfully. Kino retains some of these films, while others are now distributed by other companies.
Kino has broadened its offerings of classic films during the last decade to include films from the CIFEX, Corinth and Mosfilm libraries, enjoying many theatrical reissue successes. Among these were Wages Of Fear (with forty minutes of restored material), Tarkovsky's Solaris, Fellini's La Strada and his brilliant 8 1/2, Fritz Lang's M (with ten minutes of restored material), Volker Schlöndorff's multi-prize-winning The Tin Drum and most recently a 50th anniversary reissue of Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief.
While continuing to distribute classic films in their original 35mm format, Kino took a new turn in 1980 with the acquisition and opening of Masahiro Shinoda's beautiful Japanese chamber piece The Ballad Of Orin. Since then, Kino has focused on the distribution of high-quality contemporary world cinema, American independents, and documentaries - usually by up-and-coming directors.
Among the films and filmmakers Kino has introduced to North American film audiences are:
Aki Kaurismäki's Ariel, The Match Factory Girl and La Vie De Bohème
Andre Techiné's Scene Of The Crime
Suzana Amaral's Hour Of The Star
Shohei Imamura's Vengeance Is Mine, Palme D'or winner The Ballad Of Narayama and Dr. Akagi
Julie Dash's Daughters Of The Dust
Victor Gaviria's Rodrigo D
Patrice Chereau's Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train
Mitsuo Yanagimachi's Himatsuri
Michel Khleifi's Wedding In Galilee
Wong Kar Wai's Fallen Angels and Happy Together
Cheick Oumar Sissoko's Guimba and Genesis
Ray Müller's The Wonderful, Horrible Life Of Leni Riefenstahl
Yim Ho's The Day The Sun Turned Cold
Amos Gitaï's Kadosh and Kippur
Percy Adlon's Sugarbaby
Chen Kaige's Life On A String
Bertrand Tavernier's L.627 and Capitaine Conan
Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy and Stuart Samuels' Visions Of Light
Tian Zhuangzhuang's The Blue Kite
Unable to find existing video distributors interested in purchasing small art films, Kino established its own label, Kino On Video, in 1987. Our first release, Mark Whitney's tapestry-like documentary on C.J. Jung, Matter Of Heart, was an immediate success, and set our new venture into video distribution off and running.
Kino on Video has grown substantially since that first release. It not only disseminates contemporary world cinema to communities and institutions which might not otherwise have access to those films, but also provides new life to many classic films which were not previously available to the public outside of a few big cities. Kino on Video has contributed significantly to the resurrection and distribution of films from the silent era, which are often prohibitively expensive to restore on film, but can be economically and beautifully preserved with new video and digital technologies.
Kino on Video issued its first series of silent films, "They Had Faces Then", in 1989. This ten title series included Erich Von Stroheim's Queen Kelly, The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari and The Phantom Of The Opera. It was a smashing success, and filled a void by providing quality restorations of films from the silent period to the home and institutional collector. Since then we have released over 130 silent films on video, many through our rewarding association with Film Preservation Associates, headed by film historian David Shepard.
Among the highlights of Kino's silent catalogue are the five-part series "The Movies Begin", consisting of 122 films made between 1894 and 1914, the ten-part series "The Art Of Buster Keaton", released in 1995 and winner of Entertainment Weekly Magazine's "Best Video of the Year" award, "The Slapstick Encyclopedia", and more recently, the 1924 version of Peter Pan.
In 1999, Kino issued its first DVD release and today has more than two hundred and fifty titles available in that popular format. Some notable Kino DVD releases include: "The Art of Buster Keaton" collection, the restored version of METROPOLIS, and the complete 14-film "American Film Theatre" series. One hundred additional titles are available on VHS only.
Kino now boasts a catalog of one of the most important libraries of classic and contemporary world cinema titles available to the home video collector -- and the critics agree! In 2002 and in 2003 Kino on Video won the prestigious Heritage Award from the National Society of Film Critics for its work in film preservation.
Our 2004 release slate contains a number of important films which we will be introducing in the coming months. We anticipate these new films, like all films carrying the Kino logo, will bring to the screen imaginative and compelling cinema experiences.
See the Kino International Trailer:
QuickTime: 100k / 300k
RealPlayer: 100k / 300k
The first challenger to take a bite out of Apple's mighty iPod.
CoWon Systems iAudio M3
http://www.computing.co.uk/Products/Hardware/1156545
Price at time of review £279.00
By Niall Magennis [09-07-2004]
To have a chance of knocking the iPod off its throne as king of the MP3 players you need to produce a smaller device with similar storage capacity. That's just what CoWon Systems has managed with the 20Gb iAudio M3.
Cowon are entering the HDD market with the iAudio M3 and immediately it looks like a serious contender. Previous solid state offerings from this manufacturer are award winners and have topped best selling lists around the world. The M3 looks set to follow. The slim iAudio M3 and remote control come in a number of metallic finishes and look very smart. In a moment of genius Cowon decided to put all the functions on the
The slim iAudio M3 and remote control come in a number of metallic finishes and look very smart. In a moment of genius Cowon decided to put all the functions on the remote control so that you don’t have to use the controls on the main HDD unit, while out and about. Your iAudio M3 stays in your pocket, out of site and safe from harm, while you openly and easily use the remote control to select your tracks, create play-lists or tune into your favourite radio channel. As a result the main unit has been de-cluttered of controls and a screen.
Housing 20GB of storage, the M3 will keep you occupied for some time and with an integrated FM tuner you could always tune into the radio to listen to something else if you manage to get through your 600+ albums. With support for M3U play-lists and multilevel folder support there many different ways that you can organize and play your music.
USB 2.0 connectivity and audio inputs/outputs through the desktop cradle mean that integration to your PC setup and your home entertainment system is a doddle. Multi audio codec support including MP3, WMA and OGG files and superb sound quality powered by BBE and Mach3Bass all add to your listening pleasure.
Features
• Plays 5,000 songs of MP3 (tested on 20GB)
• USB Storage Drive
Store or transfer any type of files
• Supports MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, WAV files
• High speed download
USB 2.0 interface
• Direct MP3 encoding & Voice recording
• FM Radio & FM Radio recording
• Superb sound quality powered by BBE, Mach3Bass, 5 Band EQ
Specifications
• Playback formats - MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, WAV
• Capacity - 20GB
• PC Interface - USB 2.0 (Max. 480Mbps)
• Battery – Built in rechargeable Lithium Ion battery (Max 14 Hours Continuous Playback)
• Buttons – Play (Pause), FF, RWD, MENU (NAVI), VOL+, VOL-, MODE, REC
• Switch - Hold
• Display – 128 x 96, 6 lines 4 grey LCD with LED backlight
• S/N Ratio – 95dB
• Frequency Range – 20Hz-20kHz
• Maximum Output – 20mW + 20mW (16 Ohm Earphone)
• Dimensions – 103.7mm x 60.8mm x14.2mm (excludes remote control)
• Weight – 136g (including battery)
• Charging time – 3 hours
• Power Supply – AC adapter DC5.0V, 2A
In the Box
• iAudio M3
• Headphones
• In-line remote control
• USB cable
• Desktop Cradle
• DC Charger
• Software CD-ROM (Jet Shell, Jet Audio)
Support Information
• I have copied music into the Playlist Folder on my iAudio M3 but I cannot play them back?
The Playlist Folder is designed for storing M3U Playlists and not for music files. Music files stored in the Playlist Folder will be ignored and you will not be able to view them on the in-line remote control or play them on the iAudio M3. Please create a folder or folders on the iAudio M3 for your music files, and refer to your instruction manual for the iAudio M3 and the Jetshell software for details on how to create M3U Playlists.
In part, its small size has been made possible because there's no display screen on the iAudio itself. Instead this is mounted on the in-line remote on the headphone lead.
This works reasonably well, but be warned that the display is very small and using it is nowhere near as slick as Apple's offering. The biggest failing is that you can't search for songs by name or album. Instead, you have to track down tunes by browsing through the main music folder.
However, the iAudio does score over the iPod in terms of features. It's got a built-in FM radio, it can support WMA and Ogg audio files, there's a good-quality voice recorder and an encoder that allows you to record directly into MP3 format from analogue sources such as a hi-fi. On top of this, the battery life is excellent at 14 hours - that's six hours more play time than Apple's pride and joy.
All in all, this is a very high quality player. It has an abundance of features and sounds great. We just wish it was easier to search for individual tracks. See how the iAudio compares in our hard-disk MP3 player round-up in the next issue of Computeractive.
Contact: MP3 Plus 01225 762137
www.mp3-plus.net
Overall:
The smallest and best sounding hard-disk MP3 player on the market at the moment.
Amazon Taking Portable Media Center Orders
Friday, July 09 @ 07:33:32 PDT
http://news.designtechnica.com/article4621.html
Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders for two devices based on Microsoft's Portable Media Center.
Creative's 20GB Zen Portable Media Center and Samsung's Yepp YH-999 20GB Portable Media Center are now available for pre-order from online retailer Amazon.com. The handheld devices are based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system and allow users to store and play recorded TV, movies, home videos, music, and photos transferred from a PC.
Portable Media Centers feature a USB 2.0 interface for file transfers and support the following file types: Windows Media Video, Windows Media Audio, MP3, and JPG. They are also compatible with other file types that the player transcodes, including MPEG, MPEG2, DVR-MS, ASF, WAV, and MIDI.
Samsung's Yepp Portable Media Center retails for $499.98 at Amazon and features a 3.5-inch color TFT display. The product ships with a Li-Ion rechargeable battery, an IR remote controller, earphones, a USB 2.0 cable, USB charger, an encoding wire, carrying case, user manual and install disk.
The Creative Zen Portable Media Center features a 3.8-inch TFC LCD screen with a 320x240 resolution and is selling for $499.99 at Amazon. Included with the Zen is a power adapter, Li-Ion rechargeable battery, protective carrying case, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, video and line out cables , quick start guide, and an installation CD.
Windows-Powered Media Players Hit Amazon
Orders taken, but updated Creative Zen and Samsung Yepp won't ship for weeks.
Scarlet Pruitt, IDG News Service
Friday, July 09, 2004
Microsoft says handheld digital entertainment devices running its Portable Media Center software can now be ordered from Web retailer Amazon.com--although the gadgets won't be delivered until late August at the earliest.
Consumers are being offered two choices: the Creative Zen from Creative Technologies of Singapore, or the Samsung Electronics Yepp YH-999 Portable Media Center. Both of the devices are designed to allow users to watch digital videos and reordered television as well as listen to music and look through photographs. The new Yepp was previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The Zen is a sibling of other Creative MP3 players.
For those who have preordered, the Creative Zen device will be available in late August and the Samsung offering will be out in late September, Microsoft says. Both machines have a storage capacity of 20GB and retail for around $499.
The Samsung device has a 3.5-inch TFT LCD screen, and measures 3.8 inches by 4.2 inches by 0.83 inches. The Creative Zen device, on the other hand, boasts a 3.8-inch blue backlit LCD screen, and measures 5.7 inches by 3.2 inches by 1.1 inches.
Eyeing IPod
Microsoft has been touting the Portable Media Centers as its next foray into the mobile media market. The devices run Windows Mobile software and users transfer digital media to them from PCs running Windows XP. They play back files in the Windows Media Video, Windows Media Audio, MP3 and JPEG file formats, and are compatible with other file types including MPEG, MPEG2, MIDI and WAV, according to Microsoft.
The devices are aimed at winning some of the market presently dominated by Apple Computer's IPod digital music players, which have seen robust sales. The Portable Media Center devices go beyond music, however, adding playback of digital video and photos. The 20GB devices will allow users to store up to 5000 songs, 80 hours of video, or tens of thousands of pictures, Microsoft says.
Microsoft also says users of the new devices are being offered subscriptions and pay-per-view service from mlb.com. The site provides Major League Baseball game footage, highlights, and games that can be downloaded and transferred to the portable players.
The i-Bead 1000 MP3 player
Jul 9, 2004, 11:05 AM ET by Ryan Block
http://www.engadget.com/entry/3611628961773696/
Yesterday brought the first of what is surely to be many, many 1-inch drive DAP announcements, and today South Korean i-Bead prepared the launch of their i-Bead 1000, some pretty stiff competition to the Kinzo. Though it’s only got a 1.5 GB drive (compared to Kinzo’s 2.2GB), it does play MP3/WMA/ASF/WAV/Ogg, displays BMP/JPEG images on its 128 x 128 pixel 65,000 color screen, has USB 2.0, an FM tuner, digital voice recorder, line-in encoder, 10-hour Li-polymer battery, playlists, text viewer, and is a bit smaller (3.6 x 1.6 x 0.7 inches), phew. Which is all really nice, because it’s going to need some amazing features to outshine that awful, awful name it’s got
South-Korean i-Bead has aquired a very decent reputation with their pendrive range (i-Bead1xx/2xx/3xx) and now they're moving on towards our territory: the i-Bead 1000 will be a micro-HDD based player with 1.5GB on-board. More interesting would be the 65k colour screen, pretty unique for such a small device.
Capacity: micro-HDD 1.5GB
USB 2.0
Supports MP3 (VBR), WMA, ASF, WAV,Ogg
BMP, JPEG
Dimensions: 93 x 42 x 17.9mm
Weight: 100 grammes
LCD: 128 x 128 px 65k color screen
FM tuner + recorder
Line-in encoder
Battery: Built-in rechargeable Li-polymer battery
Battery life per charge : 10 hrs
Lyric support
SRS WoW
Supports playlists
Text viewer
Alltogether, an interesting player because of the fact that it will very likely make it to Europe and the USA. i-Bead's products have always been of considerable quality, when compared to less-wellknown Asian companies, so it's a good thing they've decided to ship this unit worldwide. No release dates have been set, though.
EFF's Digital Television Liberation Project Starts Its Engines
A little less than a year from now -- July 1, 2005 -- an FCC regulation known as the "broadcast flag" will lock up digital television signals. But the Electronic Frontier Foundation's "Digital Television Liberation Project" aims to help the public keep over-the-air programming free.
The Broadcast Flag, which places copy controls on DTV signals, is aimed at stopping people from making digitally perfect copies of television shows and redistributing them. But it also stops people from making perfectly legitimate personal copies of broadcasts. More disturbing, says EFF, the broadcast flag regulations will outlaw the import and manufacture of a host of personal video recorders (PVRs), TiVo-like devices that send DTV signals into a computer for backup, editing, and playback.
Once the FCC's broadcast flag rules go into effect, all PVR technologies must be flag-compliant and "robust" against user modification. EFF describes this as a case of "the entertainment industry trying to tell you what you can do with your own machines."
EFF advises that it's not too late for consumers to get their hands on broadcast flag-resistant PVRs. For the next year, DTV tuners can still be manufactured that make digitally perfect recordings of broadcasts. These tuners will continue to work even after the FCC's regulation takes effect. To help people get these endangered devices before it's too late, EFF has launched the "Digital Television Liberation Project." The Project aims to create a "cookbook" that teaches technically minded (and not-so-technically minded) people how they can whip up their own fully capable DTV devices. "We want to open the high-definition revolution to everyone, preserving the abilities to time shift and manipulate media that we've come to expect," said Wendy Seltzer, EFF staff attorney and leader of the DTV Liberation Project.
The DTV Liberation Project will use these PC-based PVRs as benchmarks, comparing the capabilities of the general-purpose computer to the limited subset of viewing options broadcast flag-compliant devices can offer. "When people see how many more features today's PVR has than next year's, we think they'll be as puzzled as we are by the FCC's choices to 'advance the DTV transition'," Seltzer said.
The Project, which is currently seeking donations of hardware, money, and volunteers to help develop the cookbook, has already built an HD-PVR using MythTV's free software package. Seltzer will be demonstrating that machine at the DefCon conference in late July. To learn more about EFF's Digital Television Liberation Project, go to www.eff.org/broadcastflag.
Business Editors/High-Tech Writers 2005 International CES
ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2004--The hottest and newest technology from more than 2,400 global companies will debut at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 6-9. General attendee registration is now available at www.CESweb.org.
As ranked by TradeshowWeek, the International CES is North America's largest annual tradeshow of any kind. Produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the International CES helps attendees gain an understanding of the vibrant consumer electronics industry. From wireless, digital imaging, computing and networking technology to audio, video, electronic gaming and accessories for the home, office and road, consumer electronics keep people connected with family, friends and information 24 hours a day worldwide.
"The consumer electronics industry continues to grow each year, encompassing more and more product areas and economic sectors. The International CES parallels the industry's growth, and you can expect an even more dynamic CES for 2005," exclaimed CEA Vice President of Events and Conferences Karen Chupka. "Because the show provides the industry's best value, exhibitors and attendees can get much of their business for the year done in just four days, as well as interact with the 'who's who' of the global technology industry."
The 2005 International CES covers more than 20 product areas spread throughout both the inside and outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Las Vegas Hilton and the Alexis Park. Some of the exhibitors taking significant space at the 2005 show include: Alpine, Audiovox, Casio, Daewoo, Delphi, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Kenwood, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Panasonic, Pioneer, Rockford, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba.
In addition to CES exhibits and educational conference sessions, more than a dozen specialty TechZones will showcase some of the latest products driving the $101 billion consumer electronics industry, including broadband, ultra wideband technology, home networking, digital video recording, MP3, in-car digital systems, portable power, storage compression, electronics recycling and assistive devices.
"As the industry's main event, CES attracts more than 130,000 industry professionals from 110 countries - many from beyond the traditional scope of the CE industry such as content providers, broadcast professionals and public policy leaders," said Chupka. "We remain committed to making sure every attendee and exhibitor has the best possible experience in order to grow their businesses throughout the year."
To help attendees catch all the hottest products during the show, the CES Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase honors and profiles the newest and best designed and engineered products. Press and analysts have the chance to get an early look at the 2005 Innovations honorees and other top exhibitors during CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES, on Tuesday evening, January 4.
For more news on CES before, during and after the show, visit www.CESweb.org, the interactive source for CES information. Beyond registration, attendees can make their hotel and travel arrangements through www.CESweb.org. International guests can obtain help in applying for travel visas via the website as well.
Note to Journalists: Detailed press conference information will be available later this year. Journalists are encouraged to arrive in Las Vegas by Tuesday, January 4, 2005 to take advantage of all the CES press conferences and events. CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES will run January 4 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center, room S226, across the hallway from the CES Press Room. A list of press room hours and services is posted at www.CESweb.org.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 1,500 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $90 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.
CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.
UPCOMING EVENTS
-- CEA Summer Technology & Standards Forum August 2-6, 2004, Coronado, CA
-- CEA Industry Forum October 18-20, 2004, San Francisco, CA
-- Fall Electronic House Expo November 16-18, 2004, Long Beach, CA
-- International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology January 6-9, 2005, Las Vegas, NV
CONTACT: Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
Jeff Joseph, 703-907-7664 email: jjoseph@ce.org website: http://www.CE.org or
Leah Arnold, 703-907-7626
email: larnold@ce.org
website: http://www.CESweb.org
KEYWORD: VIRGINIA NEVADA TRACK
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE HARDWARE COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS TRADESHOW
SOURCE: Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
© CompanynewsGroup
MP3 player developer acquired
July 7, 2004 KST 00:24 (GMT+9)
ReignCom Co., a global leader in the MP3 player market, is taking over MPMan.com, the company that developed the first MP3 player.
The company said yesterday that it will spend about 3.4 billion won ($2.9 million) to acquire 96.5 percent of the venture firm. Last May, it was selected as the preferred company for takeover by MPMan.com's creditors and signed a memorandum of understanding. MPMan.com was a leading MP3 player manufacturer until it went bankrupt in July last year.
Significantly, ReignCom will not only buy the company, but patent rights as well. MPMan.com holds the international patent rights to the core technology used in MP3 players ¡ª playing music on portable players using MPEG coded digital music files ¡ª and on the equipment needed to play it. The patents are registered not only in Korea, but also in the United States and China.
The industry is particularly interested in what ReignCom will do once it becomes the owner of the patents. Until now, the Korea Portable Audio Consortium, made up of MP3 player industry participants, has been very sensitive about having MPMan.com bought by a single company. Sixteen companies had been jointly pursuing the takeover of MPMan.com to prevent the patent rights from going to just one company.
Regarding future royalties, ReignCom said that it will try to be fair. "Our company paid a lot because of those patent rights. In that sense, we will try to make fair demands of other companies," said PR director Kim Dong-hwan.
by Yoon Chang-hee <wohn@joongang.co.kr
fred
.
I was only posting about the 500 series that is featured on the website and what you were referring too. That is why the excerpt. "carl" posted that they were selling well, and then posted a link about DMC selling the 800 series. If one does not use that link "carl" posted, one cannot access the 800 on the DMC website. That combined with "carl" only posting about Jimbo, leads me to believe "carl" is an ex e.Digital employee or something along those lines. No biggee either way.
BTW, the 800 appears to be a very nice player. Great product for a small store front, $200 website business, too sell....
Seagate takes Cornice patent complaint to ITC
By Martyn Williams
IDG News Service, Tokyo Bureau
05-07-2004
Seagate Technology LLC is expanding its battle against fellow hard-disk drive maker Cornice Inc. by taking its patent infringement claims to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the company said Friday.
In its latest complaint, Seagate is asking the ITC to block import to the U.S. of any products containing Cornice hard-disk drives, said Woody Monroy, a spokesman for Seagate.
A spokeswoman for Cornice declined to comment.
In June Seagate filed a patent infringement suit against Cornice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. That filing asked the court to prevent Cornice from selling its drives in the U.S., as well as for unspecified monetary damages, Seagate said.
Cornice makes 1-inch hard-disk drives branded "Storage Element" that are used in a number of portable electronics devices including MP3 players from Japan's Sony Corp., which uses them in its Aiwa-brand players; Digital Networks North America, which uses them for its Rio-brand audio products, and South Korea's iRiver Co. Ltd. and Digitalway Co. Ltd.
Earlier this week Western Digital Corp. said it has also filed a patent infringement suit against Cornice.
berge
While you are correct, that, as you know, was not the jist of what I was stating.
Without using the link Carl posted, can you access it from the DMC website? If not, why not?
main link
http://digmind.com/
store link
http://digmind.com/store/index.html
Starting from the link you posted, click on home or another link. You cannot get back to the 800, hence IMO new page not yet released...so Carl is a former e.Digital employee, curent employee of brand X, or close to one. LOL
Look at all the free attention they are getting. Might double sales this next week...too 2 units.
They do come up, but not the 800. You either produced the website (ex edig employee) or were given access to a yet unreleased page . No biggie either way. Just "keeping it real" LOL
Lets get our own store front "office," pick out a player we want to sell, ask the manufacturer if we can slap a label on their product for a price, do a $200 website, and you and I will be in business. Deal?
How did you get the new, not ready for public consumption website info?
Heah Carl LOL Most all of your posts have been about Collier. Connected at the hip it seems.
Whether you buy them and stick on your own labels, or buy a few parts and screw them together or have them screwed together (the first Treos were put together in San Diego if my recollection is correct)they are still another companies product,hence my comments are vallid.
BTW, I could be doing something wrong, but I sure cannot find the pages about the new DMC model when I go directly to the DMC website....You must be "special" Unreal LOL
http://www.investorshub.com/boards/profile.asp?User=9865
http://www.digmind.com/
http://www.digmind.com/store/index.html
"To be fair, the HD-500 is actually Xclef's older model mp3 player; now a budget player. Though the 500 may not compete well against the current slew of music jukeboxes, Xclef's latest model, the HD-800, definitely has a chance. The HD-800 retains all the features of the HD-500, but is a sleeker and physically smaller package with a revamped control layout".
"Older model"? LOL! Typical. A day late and a dollar short! Way to go Jimbo. Repackaging someone elses old product and selling etail.. ..Stay on that cutting edge. Don't forget to put your "companies" stickers on the package. We sure wouldn't want anyone to know you had nothing to do with the development of this player.
Heck, maybr I'll buy 20 players, get some peel and stick labels, a two bit website and I will have my own "electronics company"! Yeah Thats the ticket. Then the e.Digital bashers will be oh so proud of me...not to mention my mommy! Go Jimbo! roflmao!
http://www.atruereview.com/mp3player/index.php
Xclef HD-500
Exotic, exhilerating and totally excellent? The Xclef MP3 jukebox is none of those things...
The Xclef plays WMAs as well as MP3s, has an FM tuner, and can record to MP3 via the built-in microphone. But has it got the X-factor?
Let’s start with the positives. First, the sound quality, which pleasantly surprised us with its tinkly crispness. Then there’s the decent six-line LCD. Navigation is simple too, and the volume level, which could deafen Keith Richards, would be great with portable speakers. You can read text files on it if you get the urge,and there are loads of pointless EQ options to twiddle with. The supplied earphones were excellent too, though if you want ones with a remote control on, it’s 15 quid extra.
So far, so good, but this is where things turn sour – starting with the way it looks. Ever wondered what happened to the designers that used to work at Ratners? Now you know. With its tacky button and flimsy jogwheel, it couldn’t look any cheaper if it donned a polyester suit, slapped on some Davidoff and took the local bike for an all-you-can-eat buffet down the local chinese.
Then there’s the useless tuner. Despite living two miles away from a bloody great BBC mast, we couldn’t pick up a thing. And worst of all, when you switch from the tuner to the menu, it makes a jarring popping noise that’ll have you ripping the earphones out and yelping in agony like a maimed animal.
The rubber cover for the USB port didn’t fit properly either and we ended up using Blu-tak to silence its incessant flapping. It whirrs noisily too, and although the Xclef appears on your computer as a removable drive, you can’t just drag and drop files on to it – instead you must copy and paste. Why? It’s absurd!
On its own, the Xclef isn’t that bad. But put it in an identity parade with a 10GB Apple iPod and the 30GB Creative Jukebox Zen NX – both of which cost only a tenner more – and it starts to wither. As for X-factor, the only 'X’ we’d give this is the one in 'poor excuse for a jukebox’.
Tom Bailey
Compaq tunes into MP3
By Team Register
Published Friday 2nd July 2004 10:48 GMT
It was five years ago today... Back in 1999, Compaq supremo Michael Capellas said that "The Internet will demand different types of devices to service different purposes". He was talking about cool kit like digital music players, and he was right:
Compaq tunes into MP3
By Tony Smith
Published Friday 2nd June 2000 16:09 GMT
Compaq will hop onto the MP3 bandwagon later this year courtesy of CEO Michael "Groovin'" Capellas's pet project: the Big Q's consumer division.
"We're coming out with MP3 players. The Internet will [demand] different types of devices to service different purposes," he told a gathering at Santa Clara, California's Churchill Club, according to CNET.
That means kit like digital music players and Net access set-tops - both products Compaq's consumer division has been working on since its formation in July 1999, not long after Capellas joined the company.
"It is time to take these beige boxes and transform them into interesting access devices," he added.
It's also time to take a stand against the controversial MP3 sharing software, Napster, said Capellas: "It will ultimately be destructive if we don't take a stand." The Big Q Capo's concern here is the ease with which Napster can be used to distribute unauthorised copies of mus#ic and other intellectual property, as demonstrated by the open source Napster knock-off Gnutella, which he didn't appear to mention. Perhaps he hasn't heard of it.
Capellas didn't go into much detail about either the MP3 player or Compaq's set-top box, so it will be interesting to see when - and if - the company does indeed make a foray into the consumer electronics space. Comdex launch in time for Christmas, anyone?
After the speech, Churchill Club members boogied away the night in single-minded pursuit of the groove.
As history records, HP swallowed Compaq in 2002 after much legal wrangling, but retained the brand name.
Later that year - having pocketed a cool $14.4m from the deal - Capellas jumped ship to join, er, Worldcom. The bankrupt giant was able to rustle up enough cash to promise Capellas a $2m sign-up fee plus first-year salary of $3m - something which raised a few eyebrows at the time.
Still, men of vision demand a salary to match their farsightedness. In March, we reported that "Apple posts Compaq iTunes as HP music store goes live". This was followed by the news that HP will imminently punt an HP-branded iPod.
Rival Dell, meanwhile, is offering a $100 trade-in to customers who ditch their iPod in favour of the company's Digital Jukebox MP3 players. The age of the digital music player is truly upon us. As for the "interesting" set-top box, well, it's early days.... ®
OT Digital Video Systems' Korea Subsidiary Makes First Shipments Under Visteon Purchase Order
Thursday July 1, 8:30 am ET
PALO ALTO, Calif., July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Digital Video Systems (Nasdaq: DVID - News) announced that its subsidiary in South Korea has shipped automotive DVD players to Visteon Corporation (NYSE: VC - News), under the purchase contract announced in January. Visteon is a leading automotive supplier with annual revenues in excess of $17 billion.
Visteon is purchasing a versatile portable DVD player that DVS has designed to fit into Visteon's docking station for use in vehicles. The Visteon system is marketed nationally in the United States under the trade name of "Dockable Family Entertainment System(TM)." The player blends into a vehicle's interior and can move easily from in-vehicle use to laptop or in- home use. The DVS designed automotive grade portable DVD player weighs only 2.5 lbs, gives consumers a large 10-inch viewing screen, remote control, and infrared headphones. Visteon's docking unit and the compatible, portable DVD player are designed as a modular unit. The player simply locks into the nearly flush mounted docking unit. Front seat occupants have the opportunity to listen to the radio or CD of their choice, while rear seat passengers enjoy video and other entertainment.
When docked, the player uses the vehicle's power supply and audio system to operate and charge its batteries. The unit can be removed and will play for approximately three hours on its battery power. Because the system is modular consumers can install docking units in several vehicles so that one player can be easily transferred from one vehicle to another.
The system package includes accessories like infrared headphones and a remote control. Optional equipment includes a carrying case, battery charger/AC adapter and even a bass booster for enhanced sound. The portability of Visteon's aftermarket system adds a measure of security and accessibility at home or on the road.
Visteon's Dockable Family Entertainment System is a low profile, clamshell, laptop-type configuration that plays DVDs, CDs, and CDs containing MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) files. Auxiliary jacks on the player accept input from other devices, such as game units or camcorders.
The Visteon Dockable Family Entertainment System is currently available through car dealers and selected independent automotive accessory distributors.
DVS Chairman and CEO Thomas A. Spanier commented, "We are excited that we have reached the purchase order stage and made initial deliveries on this proprietary product. We won this contract in head-to-head competition against top Japanese and Korean name brands, with our rapid engineering turnaround, high quality and competitive pricing. This product incorporates our proprietary technologies in vibration and shock resistance and temperature range tolerance, as well as the ISO/TS 16949:2002 certification that our quality management system has earned. The new Dockable Family Entertainment System(TM) is the 'latest and greatest' of several automotive products which DVS is now shipping. Anybody planning a long car vacation with their kids this summer ought to think twice about pulling out of the driveway without a DVS designed Visteon product in the family SUV or van."
Sony's New Hard Drive and Flash-Based Network Walkman Players Offer More Ways to Download
Wednesday June 30, 10:00 pm ET
A Walkman Player to Suit Every Lifestyle Leaves No Music Fan Behind
SAN DIEGO, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Sony Walkman® player was born out of a pure love of music and the understanding that people want to listen on their own terms," said Todd Schrader, a vice president at Sony Electronics in the U.S. "That's why we are introducing a hard drive player and a flash media-based device with the kind of durability and long battery life that people have come to expect from a Walkman product.
"Both these players will soon join our extensive line of more than 20 portable digital music players, offering the largest variety of ways to listen to downloaded music."
Designed to work with the Connect(TM) online music store and personal computer, a 20 GB hard drive digital music player and a 256 MB flash-based device join Hi-MD(TM) Walkman digital music players, Net MD(TM) Walkman recorders, and ATRAC® CD Walkman players. As a result, consumers have both a variety of hardware options along with an end-to-end system for downloading, managing and taking music with them.
"We understand that one size does not fit all," Schrader noted. "We've created the line of Walkman digital music players that offer something for every music fan. From accessing legal downloads through a CD Walkman player that costs about $60 to collecting up to 13,000 tracks on a credit card-sized hard-drive device, Sony is the only company in a position to provide such a wide breadth of products and services for a complete digital music experience."
NW-HD1 Network Walkman Digital Music Player
The epitome of elegant design, the silver NW-HD1 model weighs less than 4 ounces making it the world's smallest portable audio device built with a 1.8-inch, 20GB hard drive. Music lovers will be able to store up to 13,000 four-minute songs recorded at 48 kilobits per seconds (kbps) on this sexy little player that fits right in the palm of your hand.
The new hard-drive player lives up to the Walkman legacy for stability and endurance. It houses an internal rechargeable battery that provides up to 30 hours of continuous playback. G-Sensor(TM) shock protection offers an advantage over traditional hard drives by safeguarding the player's internal mechanisms to protect against impact and help prevent a loss of data. Sony's skip-free G-Protection(TM) technology is also incorporated to help eliminate skipping during active uses, as well as to provide quick recovery from both horizontal and vertical shock.
The new hard-drive device connects to a compatible computer via a USB 2.0 digital interface for high-speed music transfers. It comes bundled with SonicStage® version 2.1 software, which makes it easy to import, manage and transfer music collections. With SonicStage software, playlists or track information created in the jukebox can be automatically transferred to the device.
Additionally, SonicStage jukebox supports and seamlessly converts many Internet audio formats, including MP3, WMA and WAV files.
Accessing music on the Network Walkman player is as easy as a click of a thumb. Sony's Jog Dial® navigation lets you quickly retrieve tracks and playlists on the seven-line backlit LCD display. Four different display modes offer the flexibility to navigate through track numbers, bit rates, song titles, artist names and more.
The NW-HD1 Network Walkman digital music player will also come supplied with a USB charging cradle and carrying pouch. It will be available in mid-August for less than $400.
NW-E75 Network Walkman Digital Music Player
Measuring a little more than an inch and weighing about 1.5 ounces (without battery), the sassy NW-E75 model is small enough to fit on a key chain, yet is home to 256 MB of built-in memory that stores up to 170 four-minute songs at 48 kbps. This tiny, tune-token is also huge on battery life, achieving up to 70 hours of continuous playback on one AAA battery. And since there are no moving parts, users can enjoy uninterrupted playback even during serious activity.
The flash-based player connects directly to a PC's USB port for quick transfers and comes bundled with SonicStage version 2.0 music management software. It has a backlit LCD display with four modes to show track numbers, play modes, artist names, song titles and more. The group/folder function allows for easy navigation between multiple folders transferred from playlists.
The NW-E75 Network Walkman digital music player will be available in mid-July for less than $200.
Connect Music Store
Connect Music Store currently offers consumers more than 600,000 music tracks from major label and independent artists, as well as the ability to enjoy that content on a wide range of digital music devices that are priced to suit any lifestyle. Connect Music Store version 1.5 will launch in the fall, and will include new features such as Internet radio, and news and reviews.
Contacts:
Rachel Branch
Sony Electronics Inc.
858-942-7595
Rachel.branch@am.sony.com
Yona Spiegelglass
Burson-Marsteller
619-542-7812
yona_spiegelglass@sdg.bm.com
Sony Debuts 20 Gigabyte Walkman to Silence IPod
Thu 1 July, 2004 04:35
LONDON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp. unveiled plans on Thursday to launch a Walkman digital music player capable of storing 13,000 songs, aiming to reclaim the top spot in a market now dominated by Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod.
The Japanese consumer electronics maker said the 20-gigabyte device, its second hard-disk drive gadget aimed at unseating Apple, will be launched on July 10 in Japan, by mid-August in the United States and in September in Europe.
It is expected to sell for around 53,000 yen ($487) in Japan and less than $400 in the United States, Sony said, undercutting Apple's 40-gigabyte device that sells for $499 and can hold up to 10,000 songs.
Dubbed the Network Walkman NW-HD1, it is the first major upgrade to the legendary Walkman brand on its 25th anniversary.
It joins the "Vaio pocket," a digital player Sony unveiled in Japan in May. The Vaio pocket has a similar storage capacity and also carries a 53,000 yen price tag.
Sony views a high-capacity, hard-drive player as a crucial addition to boost usage of its online music store Sony Connect. It is hoping the cachet of the Walkman brand name will help it close the gap on the iPod and Apple's iTunes download service.
Since Apple launched iPod three years ago it has dominated the digital music player market, outselling all competitors by nearly a two-to-one margin. Apple has an even larger lead in downloads, selling over 85 million digital tracks.
"This very clearly completes the range for us," said Robert Ashcroft, senior vice president of Sony network services Europe, a division of Sony Electronics.
Ashcroft said Sony Connect was due to be launched in Europe next week, beginning with the French market. He said that with the NW-HD1, Sony now had over a dozen digital players compatible with Sony Connect.
Assembling a large installed base of consumers with digital music players is considered crucial to survival in the brutally competitive digital download market.
As with Sony's other players, the NW-HD1 plays songs in the company's proprietary ATRAC format only, meaning it is not compatible with any other online stores and cannot play tunes in the popular MP3 format.
Sony, well-regarded by gadget lovers for its design prowess, said the NW-HD1 will be the smallest 20-GB player on the market. It is slightly larger than a credit card and less than half an inch.
On the size of the drive, Sony said it packed more songs in a smaller storage space by using advanced compression technology.
Sony said Toshiba Corp. developed the hard drives while the rest of the gadget was designed by Sony engineers.
The battery lasts 30 hours, at least three times longer than the iPod's -- a selling point that Sony plans to play up in promoting the device.
The NW-HD1 also employs shock-resistant technology that protects the hard drive if is dropped.
"We couldn't come up with something using the Walkman brand until it survived the 1 meter (3 ft 3.37 in) drop test," said Ashcroft. (Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka) ($1=108.78 Yen)
New Sony Walkman to Rival Apple Player Jun 30, 2004
Cd walkman - Compare up-to-the-minute prices from hundreds of trusted stores
shopper.zdnet.com
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The iPod may finally have a serious competitor. The company that brought us the Walkman is entering the hard disk music player arena now dominated by its trendsetting-rival Apple Computer Inc.
Sony Corp. (SNE) plans to unveil Thursday its newest Walkman, a palm-sized, aluminum-encased player that can store up to 13,000 songs on its 20-gigabyte, 1.8-inch hard drive, and promises 30 hours of playback on a rechargeable battery.
Weighing 3.8 ounces, the new Sony NW-HD1 is smaller and lighter than the iPod's 15-, 20- and 40-gigabyte models, and just slightly larger than the 4-gigabyte iPod Mini. Sony claims the portable player is the smallest of its class.
The product will be available in mid-August for less than $400, Sony said.
Then the face-off will begin.
'I'd call it an iPod challenger, and one that will keep Apple on its toes,' said Richard Doherty, an industry analyst with The Envisioneering Group.
Apple was not the first to introduce a high-capacity hard-disk portable music player, but its October 2001 launch of the iPod defined the market. The product's runaway success - with an estimated 3 million units sold - has since drawn other rivals, including Dell and Samsung.
Still, Apple leads with about a 60 percent share of the hard-disk drive player segment in the United States, and about 30 percent of all portable music players, according to Michael Goodman, an analyst at The Yankee Group market research firm.
Sony's sleek new Walkman is a highly-anticipated and belated entry but will likely be Apple's fiercest competitor yet, Doherty predicts.
'These are two aging entrepreneurs who are incredibly well-driven internally to exceed what they did just the month before,' he said. 'It'll be great to finally have these two in the same playing field.'
Of course, portable music isn't new to Sony. It pioneered the category when it introduced the original Walkman in 1979.
But in the past few years, analysts say Sony lost some of its luster as it aggressively pushed mini disc-based music players, and sales - except for Japan - fell short of expectations.
'Apple's iPod came out, and it was so successful, it really forced Sony's hand,' Goodman said.
Sony VAIO-Branded Portable Digital Music Player Puts Up to 26,000 Songs in Your Pocket
Wednesday June 30, 10:00 pm ET
VAIO Pocket Player Stores Music, Photos and Data for Entertainment Everywhere
SAN DIEGO, June 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Offering a bright new window on your favorite tunes, Sony's VAIO® Pocket hard drive digital music player, announced today, features a 2.2-inch color LCD display so you can display full-color photos and album covers while you're grooving to the beat.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040630/LAW112-a)
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040630/LAW112-b)
The VAIO Pocket music player is the latest offering in Sony's industry-leading line of nearly two dozen portable digital entertainment products, including several new Walkman® digital music players, also announced today.
The VAIO Pocket has an array of advanced features for computer and digital content fans. Its 40GB hard drive stores up to 26,000 songs. With its QVGA color LCD you can choreograph a music-enhanced slideshow of personal photos. Plus, transferring music and pictures to VAIO Pocket is quick and easy via a USB 2.0 port.
USB streaming makes offloading photos from a Sony Cybershot® digital still camera to the player a breeze. The VAIO Pocket serves double-duty as a storage device so you can take more pictures even when you're far from your PC. A USB 2.0 cradle is also supplied for easy PC connection, high speed transfer of files and convenient and rapid charging.
Easily gripped and operated with one hand, the VAIO Pocket player also sports a unique user interface dubbed Grid Sense. The Grid Sense touchpad is a grid of raised dots which work together like a PC touchpad. It allows for smooth and precise song selection and navigation. You can also use the included three-line backlit LCD remote control to select songs when the player is on a belt loop or in a bag.
The device's elegant black matte finish adds to its tactile feel, but is durable enough to resist scratches and fingerprints.
"Now this is a tech-lover's digital dream device," said Mike Abary, Sony Electronics' general manager of VAIO product marketing. "We made the VAIO Pocket for PC enthusiasts who want lots of storage for both music and pictures in an attention-grabbing, pocket-sized device."
Charge and Go
With a single charge of the built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, you can set all of your activities to music with up to 20 hours of continuous playback.
The device allows you to load up your favorite CDs or download music from the new Connect(TM) online music store, which currently features more than 600,000 music tracks from major labels and independent artists.
The Connect service works not only with the VAIO Pocket player, but with a wide range of digital music devices that are priced to suit any lifestyle. An upgraded version of the service will debut this fall and will include such new features as Internet radio, entertainment news and music reviews.
The VAIO Pocket uses SonicStage(TM) music management software to help import, organize and transfer albums and playlists. It plays back ATRAC3® and ATRAC3plus files and supports the most popular Internet audio formats, including MP3, WAV and WMA files.
Coming in September to retail outlets nationwide and online at SonyStyle.com, VAIO pocket is expected to sell for about $500. It will come with SonicStage software, ear bud headphones, a USB cradle, a USB cable, and AC power adaptor and an LCD remote control.
Contacts:
Valerie Motis
Sony Electronics Inc.
(858) 942-8016
valerie.motis@am.sony.com
Christopher Downing
Ruder-Finn/Switzer
(415) 348-2733
downingc@ruderfinnswitzer.com
Dell Announces Music-Player Replacement, Recycling Offer; Customer Choice, Value Center Stage in a New Dell DJ Offer
ROUND ROCK, Texas --(Business Wire)-- June 30, 2004 -- It'll be a bright summer for digital music fans tired of fading batteries.
In "A Deal that Rocks," Dell (Nasdaq:DELL) is offering 15 Gigabyte (GB)(a) Dell(tm) Digital Jukebox (DJ) music players for $99 after mail-in rebate to customers who send in an iPod for recycling for a limited time(b). Customers can also get free DJ shipping, 25 free Musicmatch downloads and a copy of Microsoft(R) Plus! Digital Media Edition and Windows Media Player 9, for a limited time.
The Dell DJ(tm) has up to 20 hours(c) of battery life before needing a charge, about two times that of the iPod(d). DJ users also can choose to download their favorite music from the many MP3 and Windows Media-based download services on the Web.
With A Deal that Rocks, music fans simply buy a 15GB DJ at its regular price of $199, download a $100 mail-in rebate form(e), and send in their completed mail-in rebate form with the discarded iPod to be recycled..
Dell last fall launched 15 and 20 GB versions of the DJ. The players each hold over 7,000 and 9,000 songs(f), respectively. For more information on the DJ, go to www.dell.com/dj.
About Dell
Dell Inc. (Nasdaq:DELL) is a premier provider of products and services required for customers worldwide to build their information-technology and Internet infrastructures. Company revenue for the past year totaled $43.5 billion. Dell, through its direct business model, designs, manufactures and customizes products and services to customer requirements, and offers an extensive selection of software and peripherals. Information on Dell and its products can be obtained at www.dell.com.
Pricing, specifications, availability, and terms of offers may change without notice. Taxes, fees and shipping charges are extra, and vary. Dell cannot be responsible for pricing or other errors, and reserves the right to cancel orders arising from such errors.
(a) One GB equals 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity will be less.
(b) Limit one Dell DJ mail in per rebate per customer. Request must be postmarked within 30 calendar days of product ship date. Any claims postmarked after 30 calendar days of product ship date will not be processed. If terms and conditions are not met, rebate will not be sent. Any purchase that is returned or exchanged is no longer eligible for a rebate, and amount of rebate may be deducted from credit for returned item. Only actual purchaser of the qualifying products may participate in this rebate program. This offer can be combined with select other offers.
(c) Battery life is based on continuous play.
(d) Battery life estimates as of 6/24/04. Check Web sites for current information.
(e) Rebate coupon must be postmarked within 30 calendar days of your system ship date and rebate checks are ordinarily processed within 8-10 weeks. See www.dell4me.com/rebates or call 1-800-624-9897 for rebate coupon and details at www.dell4me.com/ADealThatRocks.
(f) Assumes audio format is 64kbps WMA encoding with average song length of four minutes.
Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc.
Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.
Stratos Provides First-of-its-kind In-flight Entertainment Software for Swiss International Air Lines
Wednesday June 30, 8:30 am ET
Industry-leading ALIS system gives passengers personal, seat-back access to unlimited on-demand movies and hundreds of CDs of music using simple, browser-based interface
BETHESDA, MD, June 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Stratos Global Corp. (TSX: SGB - News), a leading global communications services and solutions provider, today announced the launch of the latest version of its industry-leading Airline In-flight Services (ALIS) system on Swiss International Air Lines' (SWISS) A340 flights. The new ALIS system features seat-back access to an unprecedented selection of passenger-controlled music, video entertainment and other services.
Stratos is also currently working with SWISS to introduce from-the-seat e-mail and SMS capabilities.
ALIS is operated through an easy-to-use, browser-based interface that functions much like a standard Internet browser application on a computer. Passengers view the browser on personal video screens mounted in the back of every seat, and text is available in four languages (English, French, German and Italian) to serve SWISS' international customer base.
On a typical SWISS flight, passengers have access to up to 30 on-demand movies, a selection of single- and multi-player video games, cameras showing the terrain below or the runway ahead, real-time maps displaying flight trajectory, and child-friendly content for younger passengers. SWISS passengers can also use ALIS to choose from up to 100 CDs worth of music programming covering all genres, from rock to classical. There is even a silent channel for those wishing to sleep or relax without interference.
With ALIS, each passenger has the ability to start video and audio programming on demand at the time of their choosing. They can even pause, fast forward and rewind movies and other supplemental short video programming as desired - features that are unavailable with most other in-flight entertainment systems. The Stratos ALIS system used by SWISS is also capable of supporting other interactive data services, such as in-flight Internet access and shopping.
"Since it first launched in 1995, ALIS has been the leading in-flight entertainment software for the commercial airline industry on a global scale," said Jim Parm, president and chief executive officer, Stratos. "The latest version of ALIS, which Stratos has launched with SWISS, demonstrates Stratos' continued leadership in the aeronautical communications sector. Stratos' ALIS system provides SWISS' passengers with a selection of passenger-controlled, in-flight entertainment that is far more advanced than anything else out there."
About Stratos
Stratos (www.stratosglobal.com) is a leading international telecommunications services provider offering customers operating in remote locations a variety of satellite and microwave wireless technologies to provide Internet Protocol, data, and voice solutions through a range of newly emerging and established technologies such as Inmarsat®, Intelsat®, Iridium®, Globalstar®, VSAT, and others. Stratos serves an array of diverse markets including government, military, oil and gas, maritime, industrial, aeronautical, media and recreational users anywhere in the world.
Western Digital sues Cornice
By Tony Smith
Published Wednesday 30th June 2004 10:44 GMT
Western Digital has accused storage start-up Cornice of violating its intellectual property and has asked the US court to ban sales of Cornice's hardware.
WD's lawsuit, filed yesterday with the US District Court for Orange County, California, follows a similar action launched against Cornice last week by Seagate.
The WD suit alleges Cornice has infringed seven of its patents - one more than Seagate could call up. Seagate's suit, filed in the US District Court for Delaware, seeks monetary damages and looks to place a permanent injunction on Cornice from selling the allegedly infringing product in the US - as does WD's own action.
Cornice was formed in August 2000, and claims to have hired "a team of world-class innovative engineers who had worked together at such HDD leaders as Maxtor, Quantum, Seagate and Connor Peripherals".
The company shipped its first product, a 1.5GB 1in mini-hard drive, just over a year ago. Earlier this year, it added a 2GB model and recently filled out its Storage Element line with a 1GB unit.
Cornice has pitched its products at the MP3 player market and other consumer electronics applications, landing deals with Agere, iRiver, Thomson, Digitalway and Rio.
Seagate is also targeting this makret with a 5GB unit of its owN. Hitachi's 1in 4GB alternative is believed to form the basis for Apple's iPod Mini. So far, the mini market is not one Western Digital operates in.
Cornice has yet to respond to either suit. ®
ARCHOS Unveils the New Pocket Video Recorder AV400, Making Home Entertainment Portable
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2004--
The Ultimate Handheld Digital Video Recorder Offers TV Recording and a Portable Home Entertainment Center in one Pocket-Sized Device
ARCHOS(R), Inc., the pioneer and technology leader in pocket-sized audio and video digital media solutions for mobile consumers, introduced today a new pocket-sized Digital Video Recorder and player that makes home entertainment portable. The ARCHOS Pocket Video Recorder AV400 is the industry's first and only portable digital video recorder with television recording and scheduling capabilities, and audio, photo and data storage in one pocket-sized device.
Geared towards families, TV enthusiasts and gadget lovers, the Pocket Video Recorder AV400 experience starts in the living room where you can record television shows and movies directly from a TV, VCR, or cable/satellite receiver with a convenient one-time set-up TV Cradle. At the same time, the AV400 takes personal entertainment enjoyment far beyond the living room, where consumers can watch videos and view photos on a large color LCD screen, listen to and record music, and transfer photos from a digital camera and data files from a PC or Macintosh.
The Pocket Video Recorder AV400 was designed with consumer ease of use in mind and presents many new features unseen in a portable video player, including a sleek and small design, 20-gigabyte to 100-gigabyte hard disk capacity, removable battery for extended life (20-gigabyte version), one-time set-up TV Cradle, an external speaker for enjoying music and video without headphones, best video playback quality(1), and a built-in Compact Flash reader for transferring photos directly from digital cameras. These new features make the AV400 a uniquely powerful device, yet slim, light and easy to use.
"While companies are focusing on music-only players, or developing first-generation portable video players, ARCHOS is steps ahead with pocket video devices that put all a consumer's personal media in their pocket," said Henri Crohas, ARCHOS chief executive officer. "With our new line of products later this year, we plan to provide consumers a way to secure their digital content and are engaged with Microsoft to support its new version of Windows Media Digital Rights Management, when it is broadly available. ARCHOS' AV line of products are very robust in terms of both meeting consumer expectations and addressing industry trends, which ensures ARCHOS remains at the forefront of this growing portable video player market."
Portable Entertainment Starts with the Pocket Digital Video Recorder
To be placed on or near the TV set, the TV Cradle is a docking station for the AV400 that allows you to record directly from a TV, VCR or cable/satellite tuner. Once the TV Cradle is connected to the TV, VCR or cable/satellite receiver for the first time, you will not have to reconnect the cables again, just dock the AV400 and you are ready to record or view your files on the TV.
The AV400 Recording Scheduler directly controls the tuner inside your VCR or cable/satellite receiver to automatically adjust the channel and record based on the time and duration of the schedule. Further, the AV400 Scheduler will synchronize with Yahoo TV Guide (where available) from the Internet so you can prepare your recordings for the week or month in advance.
Far More than a Portable Music Player with Video, Photos, Music and More
The new Pocket Video Recorder AV400 allows you to:
-- Record and Play Back Video: Record between 80 and up to 400 hours of TV programs and video content, or between 40 and up to 200(2) full-length movies in MPEG-4 video, at DVD quality and with CD quality stereo sound. Listen with a built-in speaker or headphones.
-- Schedule Video Recording: Program recordings using the Recording Scheduler, which directly controls the VCR or set-top box tuner to schedule and automatically record TV programming.
-- Enjoy a Large, Color LCD Screen: The AV400 features a high-resolution, 3.5-inch or 3.8-inch color LCD screen(3) or view directly on a TV, PC or other video output device.
-- Record and Listen to Music: The newly designed music player lets you record between 300 and up to 1500(3) hours of music, with playback in MP3, WMA or WAV formats using a built-in speaker or headphones. The ARCHOS ARClibrary software automatically tags tracks for easy viewing and organization.
-- Store and Manage Photos: Store and view hundreds of thousands(3) of JPEG photos on the AV400, and view as a slide show. Instantly transfer photos from computers using USB 2.0 or from memory cards using the built-in CompactFlash(TM) reader. The Pocket Video Recorder AV400 can also support SD, MMC, SmartMedia(TM), Memory Stick(R) or Memory Stick Pro thanks to the optional 4-in adapter.
-- Record and Listen to the Radio: The FM Radio & Remote Control (optional accessory) transforms the AV400 into an FM radio with full MP3 voice recording capabilities, while the ARCHOS patented retro-recording system saves the entire song from the start, even though it has already started playing.
-- Take Documents and Files on the Road: The AV400 is seen as an additional drive on your computer and can store any computer file using the USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 compatible).
-- Additional Advanced Features: Personalize your screen background with favorite photos, edit movies on the device, organize photos in thumbnail view, and manually set a bookmark during a movie or video to return to the same place, even if the device has been turned off. The AV400 also will be compatible with Microsoft's Windows Media Player 10 and Portable Media Center devices.
Pricing and Availability
Leading with the 20-gigabyte and 80-gigabyte models, the AV400 series will be available in stores worldwide beginning the first week in July and are priced at $549.95 and $799.95, respectively. Additional product information and add-on accessories are available at www.archos.com.
Archos Announces the AV400 Global Release in July
Tuesday June 29, 2004 11:04 PM CDT
Archos today unveiled a new pocket-sized Digital Video Recorder and player that makes home entertainment portable. The ARCHOS Pocket Video Recorder AV400 is the industry’s first and only portable digital video recorder with television recording and scheduling capabilities, and audio, photo and data storage in one pocket-sized device.
Geared towards families, TV enthusiasts and gadget lovers, the Pocket Video Recorder AV400 experience starts in the living room where you can record television shows and movies directly from a TV, VCR, or cable/satellite receiver with a convenient one-time set-up TV Cradle. At the same time, the AV400 takes personal entertainment enjoyment far beyond the living room, where consumers can watch videos and view photos on a large color LCD screen, listen to and record music, and transfer photos from a digital camera and data files from a PC or Macintosh.
The Pocket Video Recorder AV400 was designed with consumer ease of use in mind and presents many new features unseen in a portable video player, including a sleek and small design, 20-gigabyte to 100-gigabyte hard disk capacity, removable battery for extended life (20-gigabyte version), one-time set-up TV Cradle, an external speaker for enjoying music and video without headphones, best video playback quality1, and a built-in Compact Flash reader for transferring photos directly from digital cameras. These new features make the AV400 a uniquely powerful device, yet slim, light and easy to use.
“While companies are focusing on music-only players, or developing first-generation portable video players, ARCHOS is steps ahead with pocket video devices that put all a consumer’s personal media in their pocket,” said Henri Crohas, ARCHOS chief executive officer. “With our new line of products later this year, we plan to provide consumers a way to secure their digital content and are engaged with Microsoft to support its new version of Windows Media Digital Rights Management, when it is broadly available. ARCHOS’ AV line of products are very robust in terms of both meeting consumer expectations and addressing industry trends, which ensures ARCHOS remains at the forefront of this growing portable video player market.”
Portable Entertainment Starts with the Pocket Digital Video Recorder
To be placed on or near the TV set, the TV Cradle is a docking station for the AV400 that allows you to record directly from a TV, VCR or cable/satellite tuner. Once the TV Cradle is connected to the TV, VCR or cable/satellite receiver for the first time, you will not have to reconnect the cables again, just dock the AV400 and you are ready to record or view your files on the TV.
The AV400 Recording Scheduler directly controls the tuner inside your VCR or cable/satellite receiver to automatically adjust the channel and record based on the time and duration of the schedule. Further, the AV400 Scheduler will synchronize with Yahoo TV Guide (where available) from the Internet so you can prepare your recordings for the week or month in advance.
Far More than a Portable Music Player with Video, Photos, Music and More
The new Pocket Video Recorder AV400 allows you to:
· Record and Play Back Video: Record between 80 and up to 400 hours of TV programs and video content, or between 40 and up to 2002 full-length movies in MPEG-4 video, at DVD quality and with CD quality stereo sound. Listen with a built-in speaker or headphones.
· Schedule Video Recording: Program recordings using the Recording Scheduler, which directly controls the VCR or set-top box tuner to schedule and automatically record TV programming.
· Enjoy a Large, Color LCD Screen: The AV400 features a high-resolution, 3.5-inch or 3.8-inch color LCD screen3 or view directly on a TV, PC or other video output device.
· Record and Listen to Music: The newly designed music player lets you record between 300 and up to 15003 hours of music, with playback in MP3, WMA or WAV formats using a built-in speaker or headphones. The ARCHOS ARClibrary software automatically tags tracks for easy viewing and organization.
· Store and Manage Photos: Store and view hundreds of thousands of JPEG photos on the AV400, and view as a slide show. Instantly transfer photos from computers using USB 2.0 or from memory cards using the built-in CompactFlash reader. The Pocket Video Recorder AV400 can also support SD, MMC, SmartMedia™, Memory Stick or Memory Stick Pro thanks to the optional 4-in adapter.
· Record and Listen to the Radio: The FM Radio & Remote Control (optional accessory) transforms the AV400 into an FM radio with full MP3 voice recording capabilities, while the ARCHOS patented retro-recording system saves the entire song from the start, even though it has already started playing.
· Take Documents and Files on the Road: The AV400 is seen as an additional drive on your computer and can store any computer file using the USB 2.0 (USB 1.1 compatible).
· Additional Advanced Features: Personalize your screen background with favorite photos, edit movies on the device, organize photos in thumbnail view, and manually set a bookmark during a movie or video to return to the same place, even if the device has been turned off. The AV400 also will be compatible with Microsoft’s Windows Media Player 10 and Portable Media Center devices.
Pricing and Availability
Leading with the 20-gigabyte and 80-gigabyte models, the AV400 series will be available in stores worldwide beginning the first week in July and are priced at $549.95 and $799.95, respectively.
Some new Asian DAP-stuff from... ehr.. TGE... or something
Well, this one came out of the blue like a meteor splitting the earth in two, but anyway: Chinese TGE has some new DAP's in their pipeline.
First off, there's the 1.8" HDD player called... drumm roll... "Jukebox". Well, one tip: this name won't make you famous. Other than that, the player's looking pretty cool. It offers line-in encoding, FM-tuner and the likes, plus 12 hours of playback time per charge, USB2.0 transfers and USB-host functionality. No indication on prices - this one will come with 20GB, MP3 & WMA support, that's pretty much it.
The other two players are video-DAP's, which support MPEG4 & DivX @ 640 x 480 (25fps). Both seem to last for 4 hours whilst playing video, whereas music can be played for some 10 hours in a row before having to recharge the li-ion batteries (plural?).
There's a large one, measuring 107*72*25 (mm), boasting 20GB of capacity and 3.5" TFT. Next to that, there's a micro-HDD version of it (we've seen this before, one news post below: S-Media's Black Diamond set the tone) with a 2.5" TFT. Dimensions unknown, same goes for any other information such as price and release dates (sometime in 2004, yay). Seem to come with some kind of docking station, though.
Don't make the assumption that these products won't make it to Europe/USA. One of them did already, we talked about it earlier this year: the mini Jukebox, OEM'ed by Typhoon (arghr... GoDot-flashbacks). TGE has rebranded the iOPS MFP-3xx series, Aigo's little colour TFT-flash player and several other slightly-known products as well. These players are likely to be sold under any name but TGE's, but they might show up eventually.
http://www.austinv.com/comment.php?comment.news.173
"Early July" begins this week! lol eom
e.DIGITAL CORPORATION REPORTS RESULTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2004
(SAN DIEGO, CA. – June 28, 2004) – e.Digital Corporation (OTC: EDIG) today reported revenues for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004 (the Company’s fiscal 2004) totaled $3,418,180, a 32% increase over fiscal 2003 revenues of $2,597,363. The Company reported a reduced operating loss for the fiscal year of $2,328,400 versus a loss of $5,841,920 in fiscal 2003. Net loss per common share for fiscal 2004 was ($0.02) versus ($0.05) in fiscal 2003. The Company reported $687,397 or a 21% gross profit on revenues in fiscal 2004 compared to a gross loss of $899,695 in fiscal 2003.
“We believe fiscal 2004 marked a turning point for e.Digital as we increased our revenue and profit margin and significantly lowered our losses while enhancing our proprietary technology platforms,” said Fred Falk, president and chief executive officer of the Company. “This is directly attributable to the dedication and hard work of our engineering team lead by Atul Anandpura and increasing original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) and original design manufacturer (“ODM”) demand for customized solutions of our MicroOS™-based technology platforms.”
Falk added, “We made good progress in fiscal 2004, working with our customers, partners and business associates on the release of products based on our wireless technology platform (Softeq, Hewlett Packard and Walt Disney World Resort), our personal video technology platform (APS, 20th Century Fox, DivXNetworks, DMX, Ittiam, and Alaska Airlines), and our personal audio technology platform (Gateway). We expect continued revenue growth in fiscal 2005 through further orders and new releases of OEM/ODM-branded products based on our proprietary technology platforms.”
“We will release information on business and technology developments as well as provide additional revenue guidance in early July,” concluded Falk.
About e.Digital Corporation: e.Digital Corporation partners with leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs) licensing, designing and providing manufacturing services for OEM and ODM-branded digital video, digital audio and wireless products based on the Company’s proprietary MicroOS™-enabled technology platforms. e.Digital specializes in the delivery and management of open and secure digital content through it’s Personal Video, Personal Audio, Automotive, and Wireless technology platforms. e.Digital’s services include the licensing of the Company’s MicroOS™, custom software and hardware development, industrial design, and manufacturing services through the Company’s manufacturing partners. For more information about e.Digital and its technology platforms, please visit the company website at www.edigital.com.
Safe Harbor statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform of 1995: All statements made in this document, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the businesses of the Company and the industries and markets in which the company operates. Those statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that will be difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. More information about potential factors that could affect the Company can be found in its most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other reports and statements filed by e.Digital Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). e.Digital Corporation disclaims any intent or obligation to update those forward-looking statements, except as otherwise specifically stated by it.
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CONTACT: e.Digital Corporation: Robert Putnam (858) 679-1504 robert@edig.com