The culmination of a new Zune HD 64GB and firmware v4.5 has meant that the Zune HD has received a lot of attention recently, but we can announce a new SDK for developers – an SDK of different sorts.

That’s right, ZuneBoards is reporting that Microsoft’s flagship media player has been hacked by a group of indie developers.  Available for all versions of the Zune, the hack, titled OpenZDK, gives developers “access to everything XNA withheld before”.  Essentially, this will mean that sky is the limit (games and apps galore).

Until those developers crack on and develop something to show for, consumers will be kept in limbo. The question beckons: how long until we see Microsoft patch the flaw with a new firmware update? Takers?

[via Engadget]

iRiver are contempt on blessing us with new MP3 players, and who’s complaining? After recently receiving release announcements on the K1, E160, and E170, iRiver have unveiled the M31 and M41 Shining Revolve. If you’re looking for the glitz and glamor of the K1, we suggest you turn your head away…

The entry-level M31 is effectively a 2-in-1 MP3 player and USB storage device. Packed with a tiny OLED screen (128×32), the gizmo supports MP3, WAV, and WMA file types. With an unknown storage capacity, the M31 has dimensions of 80.5 x 26 x 11 mm and weighs in at around 22 grams.

Without a doubt, the M41 is the more interesting of the two. Its packs a nicely-sized 1.8-inch display with support for both audio and video playback. Codec support is a slight mystery; however, we do know that the player will support MP3/WMA audio files and AVI video files.

The battery life of 15 hours of continuous audio and 4 hours of continuous video are on the lower side of the scale, but at a cost of around $65 USD, who’s complaining? The device measures in 8 x 8 x 40.4 mm and weighs in at 45 grams.

No word on release dates.

[via gmp3]

A number of close-up and personal videos of the Cowon J3 have been posted to the web courtesy of Cowon Inside. The videos, available through YouTube, give us an idea what to expect from the upcoming Cowon player (which has already had confirmation of a UK release).

If those still images just haven’t quite been on par with motion video, we might be able to relieve you of some of your frustration.

The neatly-laid GUI interface is not only responsive to the human touch but accurate. Everything is well labeled and navigation appears to be a breeze. The AMOLED touchscreen really is a good choice; video is crisp and clear.

Anyways we won’t babble on; otherwise, this could turn into a third-party review.

Videos after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

Philips has announced an update to its Philips GoGear Spark MP3 Player appropriately named the Philips GoGear Spark 2. The “revamped” player brings a number of exciting changes. One notable difference is that the Spark 2 now offers ‘wearability’.

The device packs a smallish 1.5-inch TFT LCD screen with a more intuitive user-interface. These improvements in user-interaction are amplified by a new rocker button situated on the edge of the player making track selection just that much easier.

File support is improved with the intro of FLAC and APE support amongst the previously supported MP3 and WMA formats.  The built-in lithium loses 5 hours of battery life over its predecessor offering 22 hours of continuous audio playback on a single charge. Audio playback is purportedly improved with the new FullSound Acoustic which is intended to make lossy audio codecs sound like CD quality.

The Spark 2 sees the much-needed inclusion of an FM radio with 20 presets. Carrying on the tradition of its former, the device still offers a voice recorder and photo viewer.

In a growing trend seen in other Philips’ players like the Activa, the players pumped out by the Dutch manufacturer are not only becoming smaller but now more wearable. The Spark 2 features a removable clip which makes it convenient, accessible, and easy to attach to clothes and bags.

[via IMP3]

Do you have what it takes to push PlayerBites onto the next level? Well, then we could be looking for you. Do you share a passion for all things technology? Are you a fanatic about mobile audio/video devices?

Yes, that’s right – PlayerBites are looking to add to their team. We’re looking for passionate individual’s who are willing to contribute a few posts a week. Unfortunately, PlayerBites barely manages to cover its hosting costs, so we would be unable to offer a substantial payment of any sort. Who knows what could happen in the future?

If you think you could be our match, head on over to the contact page and send us your details; we will be in contact shortly. Before you continue, please make sure you are an individual with the following characteristics:

• An excellent, skilled writer with proper comprehension of English grammar.
• An author with previous writing experience (blog, newspaper, etc.).
• Someone who can contribute at least 4-5 posts a week.
• An individual who is passionate about technology and who shares an interest in mobile media players.

Creative has revealed two new funky MP3 players which will be released under the infamous Zen brand, the Zen X-Fi Style and Zen Style. While the Zen Style is the more affordable of the two, the X-Fi Style has a few more features making all that more appealing.

Not to be confused with the Zen X-Fi 2, the X-Fi Style features a slick 2.4-inch (320×240) screen. Although not confirmed, we suspect the screen is touch-sensitive. The player boasts a range of storage capacities including 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB but leaves out any expandability via an SD card slot.

The claimed 25-hour battery life of continuous audio is rather respectable without forgetting the five hours worth of video. Unlike the Zen X-Fi 2, the X-Fi Style boasts a built-in speaker for times when those earphones get plain annoying. The device supports a whole host of audio/video file types including support for MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC and WAV audio files and MPEG-4, WMV, XVID and DiVX files.

Additional features include an FM tuner, voice recorder, sound equalizer, and RSS reader (which requires a PC sync rendering it useless). Prices will vary depending on storage size (from $114 to $178) with the player initially making an appearance in Singapore. A stateside release is expected soon after.

The entry-level Zen Style will come in two different variations – the 100 and 300. The differences are subtle; the 300 reigns supreme with its FM tuner and external speaker. From the 1.8-inch screen to the smaller storage capacities (4GB, 8GB or 16GB), the aforementioned Zen X-Fi Style is leagues ahead over its counterpart.

File format is limited. We’re talking support for MP3, WMA, WAV and Audible formats while video support is almost non-existent. That’s because video playback will require that you transcode your videos to a special propitiatory format which is only decodable by the player itself. On that note, the battery life, capable of 32 hours of continuous audio or 4 hours of video, is on par with the X-Fi Style.

The Zen Style will retail for around $64 and $114 (depending on storage size) when released in April.

[via Electronista]

Just when you thought that the new Cowon J3 PMP would be limited to an Asian-only release, we have news of the J3 hitting Europe. That’s right. Having already hit the shores of South Korea, an official UK Cowon distributor, Digital Audio Distribution or DAD, has confirmed that it will be stocking the Cowon J3 come the end of the month.

Unfortunately, there is no exact word on pricing; however, a DAD spokesman stated that because of the similarities between the S9 and J3, the Cowon J3 32GB model should sit somewhere between £213 and £262 on launch.

She would be expecting a US release to follow? If the S9 is anything to go on, I think so – expect to pay somewhere in the region of $260 for the 32GB Cowon J3 sitting it inline with the S9.

On a side note, if you’re in or around the Birmingham area, you can get a sneak peak of the new J3 at DAD’s stand located in zone G3 of the Gadget Show Live at Birmingham’s NEC.

[via ElectricPig]

[EDIT:] If you don’t already have a ticket for the Gadget Show Live, you might be kicking yourself because all tickets are sold out.

Microsoft have blindsided us with a double whammy. Not only is a 64GB version of the Zune HD confirmed, but the 64GB release will coincide with firmware update v4.5 of the Zune HD.

The updated firmware marks much-needed/anticipated additions to the Zune operating system. Some of the changes are said to include Smart DJ mix, personalized recommendations, and Marketplace support for TV.

Smart DJ is a catch-up feature to the iPod’s Genius technology. What makes it an awesome addition is the fact that consumers will be able to use it to stream content from the Zune Marketplace. Pandora anybody?

The biggest news is added video codec support. That’s right, Microsoft have announced support for Xvid, part of full compatibility with MPEG-4 part 2 Advanced Simple Profile. We would go more in-depth on the added features, but there’s no need to – check out the video below…

Getting back to that 64GB version, the device now has its own dedicated product page. Nope, nothing new other than the increased storage capacity.

The 64GB version will set you back $349.99, which is much cheaper than the pesky 64GB iPod Touch (currently priced at $399.99); although, the 64GB range is yet to appear on any major online retailers.

[via SlashGear, Engadget]