How would you change the Sony Z Series Walkman?

How would you change the Sony Z Series Walkman

Sony's Walkman Z had a frustratingly delayed journey to western shores, and when it arrived it offered a solid, if uninspiring portable media player. It certainly bested the competition in some areas, but the easily-chipped bodywork and closed-off Walkman apps that wouldn't play nice with Google Music didn't help those already invested in the rival service. Still, those you were desperate to avoid buying an iPod Touch who splashed out on one of these, how did you find it? If Kaz Hirai was asking your opinion on how to build the world's greatest Walkman PMP, what would you say?

How would you change the Sony Z Series Walkman? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 12 Aug 2012 22:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air soundbar further befits its moniker with custom speaker grilles

DNP Klipsch's Gallery G17 Air soundbar befits its moniker with custom speaker grillsRemember Klipsch's $500 Gallery G-17 Air soundbar that wowed our ears last holiday season? If you weren't fond of the AirPlay-enabled rig's piano-black finish, you might be pleased to know that the company is ready to let you spice it up visually. If you'll recall, the unit features a removeable magnetic speaker grill, which can now be customized to your heart's desire -- provided you've got another 25 bucks, a 300 DPI image file and four weeks of waiting time to spare. Naturally, we're partial to seeing it affixed with the Engadget white and blue, but feel free to give it a go with something of your own favor at the source link below.

Continue reading Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air soundbar further befits its moniker with custom speaker grilles

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Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air soundbar further befits its moniker with custom speaker grilles originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jul 2012 04:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s Walkman F PMP hits the FCC mere seconds after being announced

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It was mere seconds after Sony's Walkman F was publicly announced to the baying hordes of PMP fans that the dismantled remains of one was found outside the FCC's headquarters. The autopsy report unsurprisingly passed the Android-powered media player safe for human consumption, only clarifying that the unit's WiFi radio is of the 802.11 b/g/n variety. Sony's flagship media player will hopefully arrive on American soil soon, we've got a whole season of Breaking Bad to catch up on.

Sony's Walkman F PMP hits the FCC mere seconds after being announced originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony unveils 2012 Walkman range: Android 4.0 F series and refreshed entry-level E series (eyes-on)

Sony unveils refreshed Walkman range Android 40 F series and entrylevel E series eyeson

The Walkman F800 is Sony's latest PMP; a 3.5-inch Android media player that replaces the company's middling Z series. Perhaps the most intriguing point is that the new media player will arrive with Android 4.0 from the start, alongside the usual raft of WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity options. Storage choices range from 8GB, through to 16GB and 32GB, with 4.5 hours of video playback apparently possible on the handhelds. It's the new flagship media player for Sony, and will launch in Europe priced at around £210 ($279).

The noise-cancelling E series (and an even-more-bare-bones version) has also been refreshed. The hardware hasn't changed that much, aside from a larger 2-inch LCD screen, but there's a whole raft of new patterns and colors. The petit slabs will arrive alongside a new dock that will run off the PMP's own battery, augmenting the existing built-in speaker. If you liked the E series, but need something a little more wireless, then the just-announced Bluetooth-toting Walkman S770BT may hit the spot. Aside from that addition, the device otherwise lists the same specifications as the E series. Sony tells us that all three Walkman families will be available in Europe starting today -- and we managed to handle both the new noise-cancelling E474 (£80, or around $80) and the F800 last week. Unfortunately, we were only able feel around the device, as unfortunately neither were powered up. The F series feels a lot like a solidly-built smart phone, with a matte black finish -- the device arrives in just the single color option. Meanwhile, the E series attacks the rainbow, with a range of patterns. These feel predictably lighter, and should slip into pockets very easily. Take a closer look at the PMP pair in the galleries below.

Continue reading Sony unveils 2012 Walkman range: Android 4.0 F series and refreshed entry-level E series (eyes-on)

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Sony unveils 2012 Walkman range: Android 4.0 F series and refreshed entry-level E series (eyes-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review: Android media player that needs more of a voice

Samsung Galaxy Player 42 review

It wasn't all that long ago that one of the pinnacles of the gadget world was the PMP. How many gigs has yours got? Mine plays FLAC. Whoa, iPod video! These are sentences that are largely consigned to the digital mists of time. Now that your phone, watch and pretty much any other gadget can fill the shoes of the media player, its days among gadget nobility are numbered, and its rank slipping ever lower. There will always be a corner of the gadget realm for them but it's more of a country cottage, compared to the sprawling manor of yesteryear.

Why all the nostalgia? Samsung's Galaxy Player 4.2 is the latest descendent of the Android media player lineage, and the company's rightful heir to its PMP kingdom. As you can see, a full-fat media player in 2012 wears a very different uniform than its forefathers, and definitely fights a different battle. Can what is essentially a phone-without-a-phone, hold its territory and prevent the mobile bandits from scaling the walls? We spend some time with it in the trenches to find out.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review: Android media player that needs more of a voice

Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2 review: Android media player that needs more of a voice originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Player 4.2 now available online

PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Player 4.2 now available online

Not willing to give up your old dumbphone, but still need something to feed your Android addiction? You're in luck: Samsung's serving up two devices today rocking Google's dessert themed OS, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and the Galaxy Player 4.2. Sammy's latest slate rings in at $400, buying 16GB of internal memory (expandable to 32GB via microSD), a 1GHz dual-core processor and a serving of Ice Cream Sandwich. The Galaxy Player 4.2, on the other hand, can be found munching Gingerbread for a mere $200. If you're looking for a new Galaxy that makes phone calls, however, you'll have to wait for the Galaxy S III.

PSA: Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Galaxy Player 4.2 now available online originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th

The last we heard, Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 was in pre-order limbo at Office Depot. Now we have official word that the slate will launch at that outlet -- and also at Amazon, Best Buy, Tiger Direct and others -- on May 13th. As expected, the 16GB WiFi version will go for $400, and if you've followed our coverage, you'll know it's a solid dual-core slate that nonetheless doesn't make huge spec improvements over the original Tab 10.1 (barring that Ice Cream Sandwich OS, of course). The Galaxy Player 4.2 will also make its debut this Sunday, for an asking price of $200. Android-loving moms: rejoice.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 and Galaxy Player 4.2 come stateside on May 13th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cowon Plenue Z2: US pricing, availability and hands-on impressions

cowon plenue z2
Just mention the company's name, and a pair of things come to mind: world-beating sound quality, and above-average prices. Such is life when you're Cowon, which has informed us that its Plenue Z2 portable media player will be shipping to the US of A in May. Based on details shared to us from a Cowon spokesperson, "early May" is the targeted release window, which makes sense given the unit's FCC debut back in December of 2011. We've learned that it'll ship in 16GB (white only) and 32GB (black only) sizes, with prices set for $279.99 and $319.99 in order of mention. As for specs? Glad you asked. Rather than relying on one of Cowon's proprietary operating systems, the Z2 will ship with Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread), while measuring 62.8- x 116.5- x 11.8-millimeters, weighing 116 grams and boasting a 3.7-inch (800 x 480) capacitive touchpanel.

On the audio side, you'll get a typical 20Hz to 20,000Hz frequency range, 29mW + 29mW maximum outlet and a 95dB signal-to-noise ratio. There's also an HDMI output, a microSD expansion slot, built-in FM radio tuner, 802.11b/g/n WiFi module, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and an internal microphone. The outfit claims that this guy can last some 22 hours when playing back music alone, while video junkies will see 8.5 hours of their favorite Family Guy clips before needing a rejuvenation session. Not surprisingly, the Z2 also supports a smorgasbord of file formats, including AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MKV, MPG, DAT, 3GP -- tired yet? -- DivX, XviD, H.264, WMA, OGG, PMC and FLAC. We managed to grab hold of a unit prior to its launch here in the States; head on past the break to hear our take.

Continue reading Cowon Plenue Z2: US pricing, availability and hands-on impressions

Cowon Plenue Z2: US pricing, availability and hands-on impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung prices Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at $400, rings up a fresh pair of Galaxy Players for $150, $200

Samsung prices Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at $400, rings up a fresh pair of Galaxy Players for $150, $200
Sammy's gone ahead and priced the latest in its Galaxy Tab and Player series, affixing monetary stickers to not only the 7-inch slate we just took for a spin, but to its 10-inch brother and a pair of handheld cousins. $250 nabs you the aforementioned Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, but an extra $150 will afford you the Tab 2 10.1's three-inch advantage. Of course, if you'd rather keep that 7-inch beauty and pocket a spare device, that same $150 will buy a Galaxy Player 3.6. If that's too small, Sammy will let you pick up a 4.2 variant for $200 square. Care to read that straight? Mosey on past the break for Samsung's official press release.

Continue reading Samsung prices Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at $400, rings up a fresh pair of Galaxy Players for $150, $200

Samsung prices Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 at $400, rings up a fresh pair of Galaxy Players for $150, $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iRiver B100 wants you to ‘touch the supreme sound’, pedants grumble

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It's been some time since we heard much from iRiver but the PMP maker is keeping busy with the snow-white B100. This capacitive touchscreen media player will offer up to 36 hours of music playback, or eight and a half hours of video watching. The 3.1-inch TFT screen has a resolution of 320 x 480, but it's backed up by a (relatively) long list of media codecs, including OGG, WAV, APE and ASF compatibility. If you're sick of limited playback options, you might want to consider downscaling those screen-size desires for improved format freedom. The PMP launches today, with prices starting at 11,800 yen (around $144) for the 4GB model, while the 8GB version will set you back 13,800 yen (around $168) at online Japanese retailer, Rakuten. The Google-translated PR awaits your quizzical looks below.

Continue reading iRiver B100 wants you to 'touch the supreme sound', pedants grumble

iRiver B100 wants you to 'touch the supreme sound', pedants grumble originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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