Axxen has released a couple of mp4 player which are so thin you my snap them if you look too hard. Both the Playgo X11and the Playgo x12 are just 5.6 mm thick.

These two mp4 players have fancy OLED screens and support touch keypad. They have all the usual features, such as FM radio and support for a multitude of video and music formats. The Playgo x11 has a 1.5″ OLED screen where as its bigger brother, the x12, has a 2″ screen, so both are extreamly portable. Weighing just 20g you may even forget it is in your pocket. There is little other information at the moment but we will keep yo posted when these little beauties make their way over from Korea.

[Source: AVING]

However, it seems that mobile phones aren’t the limit of Google’s ambitions. According to new rumours, the search engine company is working on extending Android to all manner of devices, including Set Top Boxes, MP3 players, and any other device that could potentially connect to the Internet.

The rumour about Android being more than just mobile phones has been around for a while, but it was always seen as pure speculation. It stemmed from a talk that Vint Cerf (Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist) gave back in 2006, in which he said:

“In an internet enabled world, there is no reason that a projector could not be online and downloading images, maybe using the Blackberry as a control device.

Surrounded by networked equipment that is reachable anywhere, devices harnessed on a temporary basis to do something for you and then released. I am predicting that during this decade, we will see more systems interacting with other systems like this….”

Now, though, “industry sources” (ah, those mystical industry sources are back again, it seems!) have apparently informed Eric Edlon of VentureBeat that “…although Android will indeed start as a mobile OS, Google intends to expand it to be a sort of universal operating system that will span set-top boxes for televisions, mp3 players and other communication and media devices and services.”

The Great Goal of Google

This would make sense, as Google’s goal, ultimately, is to get as many people viewing its adverts as it possibly can. Currently, this is predominantly the Web, but Google has pretty much saturated this market with its AdSense advertising programme. Android on a mobile phone is therefore Google’s way of trying to expand the number of eyeballs its ads are seen by, by extending the Web to the mobile device (it’s also developing apps for the iPhone as a way of hedging its bets).

But why stop at mobile devices? We all spend time watching TV, and are so used to adverts on it, we barely even register we’re watching them. Imagine, though, extending the Web to the TV via an open software platform that lets anyone develop on it. Rather than prevous efforts to get people surfing the Web on their TV, which largely have involved just bolting a crappy browser to a Set Top Box, an Adroid Set Top Box would enable you to control the media you view on the screen.

TechCrunch gives some neat examples:

“If creating applications for set-top boxes was more like creating applications for the Web, we’d be able to do a lot more things with our TVs—especially if those set-top boxes were also connected to the Web. Want instant messaging and caller ID on your TV? No problem. Want customized information widgets for the TV that scroll breaking news, weather, sports scores or stock quotes from sources you choose in your own ticker at the bottom of the screen? No problem.

Want to turn that annoying ticker off? No problem. Want to control the camera angles on that basketball game? No problem. Want to add the live video stream from your friend’s cell phone who is at the game? No problem. Want to create your own video mashup of fight scenes from various movies that you can edit right on your TV and share with others on their TVs? No problem.”

Intriguing indeed, and something that the TV-viewing public would love. It would require huge support from the TV industry though, which, given that a lot of them are currently suing Google for illegal content hosted on YouTube, may not exactly be forthcoming. It’ll also take time for TV network companies to distribute the Set Top Boxes over their current models, which would be needed if an Android Set Top Box was to take off in a big way.

But the image that TechCrunch paints of a world with Android TV is an enticing one, and one that you can’t help but feel is inevitable. It might take five or even ten years to reach as the corporate politics plays itself out, but a world of mashup TV linked to your own video and music content stored on your PC and in the cloud, all distributed freely across a dozen Web services and accessible via any device (and all with Google’s AdSense running next to it!) really will be with us very soon.

It’s the future that MediaMentalism was built to report on, and one that Google seems intent on creating.

[Source: VentureBeat, via TechCrunch]

Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand the X-Mini is set to revolutionise the world of portable audio. The X-Mini capsule is the first pocket sized speaker with bass support and a built in rechargeable battery. Neil over at Spoken Like a Geek brought one into the office and showed us it in action. I expected the usual tinny pathetic sound to come out of this tinny speaker but was stunned into silence when this uncompromising sound quality and volume was blasted out (not sure of his music choice but you can’t have everything).

The secret to the X-Mini’s volume and bass is in its innovative design. Give the unit a twist and the X-Mini can be extended up like an accordion. It is this extendable vacuum which mimics the characteristics of a subwoofer and gives speakers a crisp, meaty sound quality that you would normally except from much larger speakers.

Usually with external speakers like this they drain the battery of the device you plug them into and so reduce your playing time but the X-Mini are slightly different, with an internal battery that will last 8 hours you can enjoy your sounds for long.

These speakers are truly amazing and a must have accessory for anyone who likes their music, videos, or games on the move but don’t want to skimp on sound quality. If you are flying from the UK anytime soon, according to Neil the best place to pick one of these up is the Nokia store at Heathrow Terminal 5 but failing that there are some links at the bottom of this post.

So what’s the disadvantage? There is only one problem with the X-Mini and that is the lack of stereo. Never fear, XM-I, the creators of the X-Mini noticed this flaw and rushed to fix it with the X-Mini Max. Rather than getting one speaker, with the X-Mini Max you get two. Each has the patented Bass Xpansion System (BXS) so you still have that crisp, full bodied sounds and volume, but by pairing them up you get a substantial increase in volume without distortion and you can experience stereo sound.

By having two speakers rather than one it does make the X-Mini Max a less portable option, but the cleaver people at XM-I, have thought of that and made it so the speakers can be separated and used independently of each other. Essentially they become two X-Mini speakers. Each speaker has a rechargeable battery like the X-Mini but the battery life has been extended to 10 hours, so even more time to listen to your favourite songs before it starts using power from your device.

Capable of producing volume and bass over ten times its physical size this is a sweet little speaker that packs a hell of a punch.

X-Mini and X-Mini Max on the web

If you like the look of these and you are not flying from Heathrow Terminal 5 in the near future then check out the links below. If you have used these speakers or know of others just as good let us know and leave a comment below.

• Amazon have the X-Mini and Max as well as some others
• Advanced MP3 have both
• Pixmania have just the X-Mini

[Source: Spoken Like a Geek]

The world has been in awe of the iPod Touch for too long now. It was innovative and slick when it first came out but Apple has not moved the technology on much since then. There are rumours of a new version of the iPod Touch coming in the near future but the changes proposed are far from exciting. iPods are like Marmite you either love them or hate them… I am in the latter camp. I haven’t got anything in particular against iPods I just think you can get more for your money, and that is where this article comes in. We have trawled through the masses of alternative personal media players with touch screens to find the best iPod Touch competitors out there and put them all in one easy to find place, namely here.

What does the iPod Touch offer?

To discover the best alternative to the iPod Touch we first need to identify what we are trying to beat, so let’s take a quick look at the specifications of Apple’s top PMP.

The Apple iPod Touch is quite a compact little number, measuring just 110 x 61.8 x 8 mm and weighs only 120 grams. Apple have managed to shove a 3.5″ widescreen multi-touch screen which displays at a 480×320 resolution into this small casing.

With the iPod Touch you can play audio formats: ACC, Protected ACC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV for 22 hours. And you can play video formats: H.26 and MPEG-4 for 5 hours. You have a choice of three flavours when it comes to buying an iPod Touch: 8GB, 16GB or 32GB flash drives which will set you back £169.99, £232.00 and £289.00 respectively.

Other than that you are able to surf the internet wirelessly, as long as you can find a wireless connection but the iPod Touch doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity.

The key feature to Apple’s iPod Touch is, well, the touch-screen. It has sparked an interest from the public and motivated Apple’s competitors to try and come up with the same technology. There are many perks to touch screens, like eliminating those pesky buttons that take up space, thus allowing for larger screens, but there are also disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is the feel of interacting with a touch screen, when you press anything you have to look to see if it is pressed, there is no feedback unlike a physical button which you know you have pressed. Apple has not tried to overcome this flaw, but some of the competitors have.

The Apple iPod Touch is nice to look at and nice to use but its features leave something to be desired, for example the format support is not great, the battery life could be improved and the price is definitely too much for what you receive. Apple feel safe so they don’t try anymore; like many couples married for a while we need to spice things up a little and the spice in this case comes in the form of competition. Of course, when others try to mimic the leader there are many failures but there are also many successes.

We have compiled a list of the best personal media players with touch screens which give Apple a run for its money.

1). Cowon iAudio D2

Recently made it in to the list of top ten mp3 players. In fact not just made it, three different variants of the Cowon iAudio D2 were in the list. So people already realise the iPod Touch is not the best deal around. Let’s start with price as we have done before, and let’s face it everything is going to be cheaper than an iPod Touch it just depends how much cheaper. The Cowon iAudio D2 comes in at £45-£75 cheaper depending if you the D2 with DAB radio or not (encase you are wondering it is cheaper without). Familiar start; 1-0 to the Cowon iAudio D2.

iAudio D2 doesn’t have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth so we are back to a draw with 1-1, but hang on, although the iAudio doesn’t have these there are a few other nifty things it does have like a memory expansion slot, which is lacking in the Touch. And for all those times when you are bored of your own music you can switch to the DAB radio in the D2 and listen to a bit of Chris Moyles on radio1. I think that is worth a point to the Cowon, two features for one of the Touch’s: 2-1.

At 2.5″ the screen on the iAudio D2 is smaller than the Touch’s, and coupled with the lower resolution of 320×240 the iPod Touch gets a point back to make the score 2-2. The Touch has another ace up its sleeve with its touch screen, the iAudio D2 has “Virtual click” which is an overlay navigation function but still loses this one: 2-3 to the Apple iPod Touch.

Battery Life - partially due to the smaller screen the iAudio D2 has a whopping 52 hours of audio playback and 10 hours of video. No contest: 3-3.

Codec - MP3, WMV, WAV, OGG, FLAC, AVI, JPG, TXT. Not great so back to Touch being the leader: 3-4.

Weight and Size - 78 x 54 x 16mm and weighs 91g. Smaller in every way except thickness and with the iAudio D2 being lighter score becomes: 4-4.

This is a petty even match, so it comes down to: do you want to pay a lot of money for an iPod Touch and get a slightly larger screen, multi-touch interface and Wi-Fi or do you want to pay £45 less for DAB radio, memory expansion slot, better battery life, TV out and better sound quality?

2). Samsung Yepp YP-P2

Recently featured in “Want a Bluetooth MP3 player?” the Samsung Yepp YP-P2 is a good £40-£50 cheaper than the equivalent 8GB iPod Touch. That’s 1-0 to the underdog Samsung YP-P2. Next up we have connectivity which is a little difficult to judge. The iPod Touch has built in Wi-Fi web browsing but the YP-P2 has Bluetooth, it is a tricky call as both technologies have advantages. With Bluetooth you can connect to a variety of devices including wireless headphones, and even your mobile phone so you can take calls through your PMP if you so wish. With Wi-Fi access you have to ask yourself, are there really that many hotspots around? The answer is probably no at the moment but that is set to change. So for the time being you are likely to be accessing the internet at home and how likely are you to want to do that on a 3.5″ when you have a full screen monitor sitting elsewhere in the house. Having said that with Wi-Fi you could use your device as a media remote control. I think we will call connectivity a draw and give them both a point: 2-1.

The Samsung has done a fantastic job with the interface which you can customize to your heart’s content, just like the iPod Touch it has an amazing touch and grab interface but there is nothing on the market at the moment which can beat the Touch’s unique “Multi-touch” interface so I although the YP-P2 has a stunning interface I begrudgingly give the point to Apple (it only just wins though): 2-2.

Now for the quick fire round:

Battery Life - YP-P2 gives you 35 hours (audio), 5 hours (video). The 35 hours beats the Touch without even breaking a sweat: 3-2 to Samsung.

Codec - MP3, WMA, JPEG, WMV, MPEG4. A narrow win for Apple’s baby, it has more codec support but the YP-P2’s formats are more common. 3-3

Weight and Size - 100 x 52 x 9.9mm and weighs just 79g. Although 1.9mm thicker than the Touch it wins on all the others so Samsung break back into the lead with 4-3.

On top of all of that the sound quality of the Samsung YP-P2 is marginally better, and not only can you change the sound settings for music with the nine band equalizer, the YP-P2 unlike other PMPs also has three settings for video. I make the score now 5-3.

With a final score of 5-3 to Samsung this little device is strong competition for the iPod Touch. If you want to see a little more here is a video.

3). Archos 605 Wifi

A little chunky, the Archos 605 is a good deal cheaper than the iPod Touch. At around £100 cheaper for the 30GB version the storms into the lead: 1-0. Even the 160GB version is cheaper than the 32GB version of the iPod Touch but I am guessing part of the cheapness harbours from it not being flash memory.

Both the Touch and Archos have Wi-Fi and are able to surf the web and stream your media from your PC but the web browser doesn’t come as standard with the Archos, it is an optional extra so we have a draw again: 1-1.

Few can compete with the design of the Archos 605; they have really done a superb job. The large 4.3 inch screen that provides and amazing 800×480 resolution really makes the videos leap out with exceptional brightness and clarity. The screen far outstrips the Touch in size and resolution; 2-1 to Archos. The touch is very nice to use and somehow the Archos prevents smudges from excessive use, so although the iPod Touch has multi touch, smudges are one of my pet peeves so: 3-1.

Battery Life - Archos 605 Wi-Fi has a poor 17 hours (audio), but add half an hour to the video play to get 5.5 hours (video). Not a good show from Archos here: 3-2.

Codec - MP3, WMA, WMA DRM, WAV, MPEG-4, WMV, JPEG, BMP, PNG, PDF (with optional plugins: AAC, AC3, H.264, MP2). With the optional extras Archos supports more of the commonly used codecs. 4-2

Weight and Size - 122 x 82 x 15mm and weighs just 190g. Heavier and larger Archos loses this one but part of the reason for the size increase is the larger screen, so don’t be too hard on it. 4-3.

Audio is alright and definitely equals most of its competitors but video is really where the Archos 605 shines. With the superb screen quality on a 4.3″ screen and the fact it comes with a built in kickstand and internal speaker you can see why the final score is 4-3 to the Archos 605 Wi-Fi. Check out this strange video battle of the Archos in action.

A leap into the future

Not so much a leap as a step. Coming out in the very near future are a few touch screen PMPs that will really make Apple run screaming to the hills.

1). iRiver Spinn

The iRiver Spinn is a very, very nice personal media player due out soon. It has lots of features that put the iPod Touch to shame including a touchscreen AMOLED display with haptic feedback. The AMOLED display would be a huge improvement itself, but remember me saying it can me strange using a touch screen because you can’t feel if you have pressed a button or not, well the haptic feedback removes this and so makes the use of the touch interface much easier and nicer. The iRiver Spinn also has a unique spin control to quick navigation; you can see it in action here. I could go on for hours about how much better the Spinn is with its 24 hours payback, DAB radio and Bluetooth but you get the idea.

2). RAmos iMovie T8

The RAmos iMovie has a large 4.3-inch screen that takes up most of the device as you can see from the image.

Featuring a slim 10mm aluminium-magnesium frame, the iMovie will cost around £117 for the 32GB version.

The RAmos iMovie will support playback of: RMVB, AVI, FLV, WMV, MPG, MP4, DAT, and 3GP.

3). Meizu M7

Basically an iPod Touch clone with a slightly smaller screen. The Meizu M7 will have a 3-inch touchscreen with 480 x 288 resolution, 15:9 aspect ratio, 16.6 million colours and support H.264 at 720 x 480.

Although the Meizu M7 is similar in looks to the Touch it is a lot cheaper, at about £87 for the 8GB version that is £82 pounds cheaper.

Links to Touchscreen PMPs from across the Web

If you are want more information on these devices and many more check out the following sites:

• Amazon’s range of Touchscreen players
• Kelkoo’s list of Touchscreen players
• Lightinthebox.com has an extensive list
• Pixmania’s collection
• Advanced MP3 Players

Summary

Having reviewed the touchscreen market extensively I have seen plenty of evidence which proves what I have always suspected. With any popular brand you pay for the brand name rather than the item that has the brand and iPod Touch is no different. If you want a personal media player so that you can say you have an iPod Touch then this article is not for you, but if you want a person media player that offers value for money and superior technology then have a look around there is plenty on the market that is not an iPod.

iPod Touch was cutting edge once, and that is why it has reached such fame but it has not moved on since and is being left behind by its competitors. The consumers are starting to realise this as the top ten list shows, let’s hope Apple has also noticed and will be doing something about it soon.

Know of any other good touchscreen personal media devices? Drop us a comment below…

You can see the complete top ten after the jump.

To be fair, this list comes from AdvancedMP3Players, a somewhat niche UK-based online store, and so shouldn’t be seen as representative of the MP3 player market as a whole. However, the store caters to people who want their MP3 players to be more than just clones; players that really stand out and add something a little bit extra. In other words, the type of people you’d expect to buy an iPod Touch, but who clearly aren’t.

Maybe the iPod has lost its touch, at least with the early adopters?

The complete top ten follows below:

Top 10 MP3 Players

1. iRiver Clix 2 8GB MP3 Player
2. Cowon iAudio 7 16GB MP3 Player
3. Cowon iAudio D2 4GB MP3 Player with DAB Digital Radio
4. Cowon iAudio D2 4GB MP3 Player
5. Cowon iAudio D2 16GB MP3 Player
6. NU Dolphin Waterproof 1GB MP3 Player
7. SumVision M18 4GB FM MP3 Player
8. Samsung YP-K3 1GB MP3 Player (Samsung Reconditioned)
9. Cowon iAudio D2 8GB MP3 Player with DAB Digital Radio
10. Apple iPod Nano 8GB MP3 Player (New)

[Source: Advanced MP3 Players]

If you liked the crazy dancing Sony Rolly mp3 player you are going to love this new addition to the world of mad speaker design. The Freewheeler speakers created in collaboration with designers Ron Arad and Frances Pellisari certainly make you raise one eyebrow and mouth, “what” when you first see it.

The 23″ tall by 10″ wide speakers would not look out of place rolling along attached to a pimped out car but I don’t think that is its original purpose. Freewheeler is designed to be used indoors or out and even offers stereo sound. The marvel of stereo sound is not achieved by the Freewheeler rolling backwards and forwards like a crazed puppy but by the cleverly designed components that can split the signal.

Are you ready for the price…? £10,787.85! This make the Freewheeler the king of crazily-priced designer tech, certainly not something you would want to roll around the garden as the designers intend.

If the only thing stopping you from buying the Freewheeler speakers is the colour then never fear as they also come in NAC Orange. Dig those orange speakers more expensive than my car.

Links to crazy speakers around the web

If the price has not put you off or you just fancy having a laugh at some other designs check out these links:

• Freewheeler
• Speakers from Symbio
• Pink dog shaped monstrosities
• Alien interactive speaker

Let us know if you find any more. Drop a comment below…

[Source: Gizmodo]

Media Maestro LSX is a piece of software that enables you to control the media on your PC from hundreds of different devices.  The Media Maestro LSX family has just received a new addition in the form of Media Maestro Mini, a free download as part of the Media Maestro LSX solution. The Media Maestro Mini is aimed at small devices with screens ranging from 3 to 7 inches.

With the Media Maestro Mini the company has extended the range of devices it supports, and one of the big names which are now supported is the Nokia web tablet (N770, N800, N810). Just install the software on your PC and then on your Nokia (or countless others) and you will now be able to wirelessly control your Apple iTunes or Windows Media Player.

What can you actually control from your Nokia? Well after turning your Nokia into a media remote control you will be able to start/stop/pause music and videos, browse your library, fiddle with the volume… actually you can pretty much do what you can from your PC but without having to move from the sofa. Check out the video below for a quick demo. It loses some of its credibility because the video has a picture of a PSP around the outside rather than an actual demo but you get the idea.

As you can see from the video you can control and view your media from a mobile device, which is cool, but the screen is small and the sound quality could probably be better. So if you connect your PC to your television or stereo system the sound or images being played on the PC will be played through them. This is a much better scenario. From the comfort of your seat you can control your PC with your mobile device and so control your TV or stereo system.

The company plans to support more devices moving into the future as well as expanding the capabilities of the Maestro LXS family.

[Source: Media Maestro]

The Mumu iPearl by RAmos is, as you might guess, aimed at the female half of the word. It is not often that you get a device designed from scratch to be for ladies, the companies normally just dunk a current player in pink paint a declare it fit for a female.

RAmos is trying very hard at the moment to penetrate the market dominated by the Apple iPod Touch. The Mumu iPearl is the latest touch screen PMP to come out of RAmos, earlier this year they announced the very nice looking iMovie T8 and now they have this pink beauty, the Mumu iPearl. At least I assume it is a touch screen, one thing RAmos forgot to include was any specifications. So it is a bit of a guessing game at the moment, but one thing RAmos did say is, you should be able to get your hands on one of these mysterious pink objects by the end of August.

[Source: PMP Today]

So we’ve done the hard work for you and compiled a list of the top Bluetooth MP3 players on the market today, together with links to the all the Bluetooth MP3 players from the major online stores.

Yes, we’re very very good to you people!

Why buy a Bluetooth MP3 player?

A Bluetooth MP3 player is a must-have couch potato gadget who prefers listening to their tunes without moving, rather than having to fiddle about with wires to hear their tunes. A Bluetooth MP3 player will let you do some or more of the following:

• listen to your tunes wirelessly, either through a Bluetooth headset or an external Bluetooth speaker. No wires, no fuss, just stream your music from the MP3 player to the speaker, no matter where it is in your lounge.
• stream your tunes to your car stereo wirelessly - a number of car radios now also come with Bluetooth, meaning you can listen to your tunes from your MP3 player in your car without having to use headphones (dangerous and, er, illegal!) or one of those annoying FM transmitters.
• take calls from your mobile phone via your MP3 player - never get up to answer the phone again!
• wirelessly copy your tunes to and from your PC - no more fiddling about with USB cables.

Wired MP3 players are so lost year, while Wi-Fi ones are still a bit pricey. If it’s a decent MP3 player you’re after, you might as well throw Bluetooth into the mix as well - you won’t regret it.

We’ve come up with the following list showing five of the best Bluetooth MP3 players on the market today. If these don’t tempt you, check out our links to the Bluetooth MP3 players from the major online stores.

1). The Samsung YP-T10 Bluetooth MP3 player

Looking not unlike a mobile phone, the Samsung YP-T10 lets you stream your music from the device to a Bluetooth earpiece or a Bluetooth wireless speaker using Bluetooth A2DP technology.

Nothing flash or fancy, the Samsung simply lets you play MP3 tunes with or without wires. It comes in several variants, from 2GB up to 16GB, and also features an intriguing “character animation” user interface, to stop you getting bored from looking at a dull list of tunes! Good value too, with prices starting from just £50.

2). Samsung YP-S5

A much fancier version of the Samsung YP-T10, the YP-S5 is actually a complete Personal Media Player, letting you play music and video.

I’ve included it here, though, as not only does it let you play your tunes wirelessly either through a Bluetooth headset or Bluetooth speakers, but it also comes with own set of speakers, meaning you can to your tunes with your friends without any awkward configuration. Just select tune, press play, annoy neighbours!

Apparently, it’s “perfect for the active, outdoorsy, hip and young lifestyle”, which leaves me out on all four counts!

3). Samsung YP-P2

The Samsung YP-P2 takes the concept of Bluetooth MP3 players one stage further. Not only will it stream your tunes to any Bluetooth headset or speakers, but a soon to be released upgrade will let you pair it up with your mobile phone. When a call comes in, you can see who’s calling on the P2’s 3.0″ screen. If you accept the call, the music will pause and you can then speak to the caller using the T9B’s microphone, and listen to them through your Bluetooth headset or speakers.

A technological marvel, and the ultimate gadget for the lazy bugger who really can’t be bothered to reach over to his phone when someone calls! Oh, and given that it’s Samsung’s answer to the iPod Touch, it has a superb interface and some stunning features, too, including the ability to play videos in 16:9 widescreen format.

As you might have gathered, Samsung are quite fond of the Bluetooth MP3 players. There are quite a few more models by the company as well, which you can find in our links to Bluetooth MP3 players.

4). Sony 8GB Wirefree Walkman

Not all Bluetooth MP3 players come from Samsung - some come from Sony too, who after pioneering the mobile music gadget market in the 80s with its Walkman range of products, is now shipping some seriously good MP3 players.

The Walkman 8GB Wirefree player is one such device that also supports Bluetooth streaming to headsets and speakers. Of course, Sony wouldn’t leave the whole market of Bluetooth MP3 players open to Samsung, and so they have a wide range of players available. You can check out their range at the online stores listed below.

5). Philips GoGear SA5285BT

Another 8GB Bluetooth MP3 player, the Philips GoGear may not be the best looking, but it does let you upload and download MP3 files wirelessly via Bluetooth.

Yes, not only can you stream your tunes to a Bluetooth headset or speakers, you can also sync your tunes (or at least a subset of them, depending on the size of your library!) with those on your PC, all without wires or without moving off your beloved couch!

6). The Sony Rolly

I’m not entirely sure what to file this under, but gloriously bizarre gadget from Sony is a little robot-like thing that not only plays your MP3 tunes (and those encoded in other formats), it’ll also dance around in time with the music.

The MP3 files can either come from its own 1GB of storage, or be streamed wirelessly from your PC via Bluetooth, so I’m classing the Sony Rolly as a Bluetooth MP3 player, even if that doesn’t quite describe it!

Links to Bluetooth MP3 payers from across the Web

If this has whetted your appetite, you can find more Bluetooth MP3 players at the following sites:

• Amazon’s range of Bluetooth MP3 Players
• Bluetooth MP3 players built into watches and sunglasses!
• Pixmania’s Bluetooth MP3 Players page
• Kelkoo’s list of Bluetooth MP3 players
• Advanced MP3 Players - an online store dedicated to, well, advanced MP3 players!

Links to Bluetooth speakers

Finally, what long list of Bluetooth MP3 players and related links would be complete without a few links to some fine Bluetooth speakers.

• Parrot’s range of Bluetooth speakers
• Expansys’s range of Bluetooth speakers

Summary

The thing I’ve noticed from writing this post is that:

1. Finding a Bluetooth MP3 player from amongst the billions of ordinary Bluetooth players out there is not easy!
2. The companies who seem to be focusing on Bluetooth MP3 players more than other are Samsung and Sony, who seem to be going head to head in an all out-fight for MP3 domination.
3. Gadget manufacturers like placing their gadgets in the hands of extremely attractive girls. Shocking, but who am I to buck the trend?!

Having reviewed the market extensively, it’s notable that the majority of Bluetooth-equipped audio devices are actually Personal Media Players, which sell for a lot more than your average MP3 player as they have to play video and must come with much greater storage capacities to boot.

This is why many manufacturers have concentrated on providing a standard MP3 player and Bluetooth-equipped PMP, but not a Bluetooth MP3 player.

Times are changing, though, and with Bluetooth technology now at absurdly low prices, it won’t be long before there are many more of these excellent gadgets on the market.

In the meantime, if it’s a Bluetooth MP3 player you’re after, then hopefully this post will have provided at least a good place for you to find the one you want.

Know of any other (good) Bluetooth MP3 players? Drop us a comment below…

TuneWiki MP3 Player software

If it’s MP3 playing, karaoke singing, wireless syncing, location-based music mashup software you’re after, then just look what what Andoid users can look forward to when TuneWiki launches on the platform later this year.

TuneWiki is software developed by an Israeli company that was originally designed for use on the Apple iPhone. Since Google’s Android is an entirely open mobile phone platform that gives programmatic access to the entire device, they decided to port TuneWiki onto it. After looking at the specs of Android, they then realized that they could do something special with Android that they couldn’t do on any other phone - something very special indeed.

TuneWiki overview

TuneWiki, at its heart, is an MP3 player, so it can playback MP3 tunes and also provides playlists and the usual control options you’d expect from an MP3 player. It’s also a karaoke machine, as it’ll automatically sync any song with lyrics stored in its huge database. This is where the term TuneWiki comes from, as the database of lyrics is supplied by users, meaning there’s a huge inventory of lyrics for it to draw upon.

Better still, we’re not just talking about lyrics in English - we’re talking lyrics in virtually any language, as TuneWiki users come from all over the world and have happily supplied translations to the tunes of their favourite artists. The lyrics are perfectly synced with the song using some kind of algorithmic magic.

TuneWiki on the iPhone would let you search for songs on the iPhone itself or on iTunes. With new TuneWiki for Android, though, you can do all of this, plus search for songs on Windows Media Player on your PC, or on Songbird, synchronizing the tunes via Bluetooth or WiFi. If the tune you wasn’t isn’t available on either of those services, it’ll direct you to YouTube and play the video directly, complete with the lyrics from its own lyrics database overlaid on top of the YouTube video. Fantastic!

TuneWiki wizardry - mashing up GPS and music

And now for the special sauce in the TuneWiki magic. The software mashes up music and location providing a visual map of the music people are listening to all across the world.

If you’re wondering what’s so special about this, just check out the video above. Suppose you’re playing “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick-rolling uber-celeb Rick Astley. TuneWiki will be able to show you all the other people that are listening to the tune at that exact moment, overlaid on a Google map. If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed to provide a sense of community, it’s music, and being able to see the location of other people listening to the same tune as you while you listen to it really does make the world seem very small indeed.

Just imagine listening to your favourite break-up tune seeing on a map where everyone else is listening to it. Suddenly, you don’t feel so lonely any more as you can see at a glance just how many other people are feeling similar emotions to you. You’re not alone, after all..unless “Never Gonna Give You Up” is your break-up tune, in which case you probably are!

In addition, TuneWiki collates the music that people are playing and provides a list of the top tunes by geographical area. So now you can see what the top tunes are in the UK, or Dubai or China or anywhere in the world, for each day. Not just by country, either - TuneWiki breaks it down by area as well, so you can see the top tunes that are being played in a radius around you (Android phoens all have GPS in them, which is where this bit of magic comes from). If you’re a student, you can therefore see the top tunes that your campus likes, and compare it with other campuses across - well, the world!

TuneWiki has to be one of the most impressive pieces of software I’ve ever seen. It’s a truly innovative use of the Android platform, making full use of its GPS abilities and the openness of the platform, together with the Web 2.0 concept of the Wiki. MP3 players have become pretty same-old same-old of late, with each new variant simply adding new skins to the same functionality as any other MP3 player; TuneWiki has shown that it doesn’t have to be like that. They might just have created the world’s best MP3 player!

[Source: TechCrunch]