Adding to the company’s existing line-up of flash-based portable audio players, iriver has introduced the T10 and T30, adding compatibility with Microsoft Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) 10, better known as ‘PlaysForSure’. The newfound support for PlaysForSure enables the two flash players to be used in conjunction with subscription-based music services such as Rhapsody To Go, Napster To Go and Yahoo! Music Unlimited.

Sporting an unusual and slightly ‘bent’ form factor, the T10 incorporates a four-line colour display and comes in either orange or red. On the list of formats supported for playback are MP3, WMA, WMA DRM 10 and Ogg Vorbis, with the T10 also boasting SRS WOW technology for improved audio quality. Furthermore, the player is equipped with a stereo FM receiver from which users can record either manually or at a preset time.

Also doubling as a voice recorder, the iriver T10 integrates USB 2.0 for PC connectivity and comes bundled with a sports case and, armband and sports clip, claiming up to 34 hours of music playback.

With a more conventional form factor, the T30 shares many of the features of the T10 such as its four-line backlit display – although that of the T30 is monochrome, as opposed to the colour variety found in the T10. Offering up to 34 hours of music playback, the T30 also supports MP3, WMA, WMA DRM 10 and Ogg Vorbis file formats, and is equipped with SRS WOW technology.

As is the case with the T10, the T30 also offers a voice recorder, but omits the FM radio capabilities in favour of a slightly smaller size. Like the T10, the T30 connects via USB 2.0 and comes in 512 MB and 1 GB editionts.

Available this August in the US, the iriver T10 sells for $149.99 USD and $199.99 USD for the 512 MB and 1 GB editions, respectively. The T30, meanwhile, sells for $99.99 USD and $149.99 USD for its 512 MB and 1 GB editions (guess which is which). Furthermore, the T30 is also already available in Europe, where the 512 MB and 1 GB editions sell for €95 EUR and €145 EUR, respectively. Rounding matters up, the T10 is also available in Europe, although its pricing in this market has yet to be announced.

Source: Infosyncworld

By Michael Kobrin
This fall, Creative will bring a color screen and photo-viewing capability to its most popular MP3 player. The Creative Zen Micro Photo will have a 262,144-color organic LED display, which the company claims will offer a very wide viewing angle and better color than a standard color LCD. We first saw the Zen Micro Photo at CES in January, where it was announced in 5GB and 6GB capacities priced at $299 and $349, respectively. Creative has since adjusted those numbers: The Zen Micro Photo will have 8GB of storage and will be priced at $249 when it hits stores in September or October. It will be the same size (3.3 by 0.7 by 2 inches) and weight (3.8 ounces) as the Zen Micro, but the user-replaceable battery will now last 15 hours instead of 12. It also retains the FM tuner, voice and FM recording, and that eerie blue glow, and the player will be available in ten different colors. The Zen Micro Photo will be compatible with online subscription and download services, but it still doesn’t support Apple computers, nor will it be USB Mass Storage Class-compliant. This release, of course, puts the ball in Apple’s court to come up with a color version of the iPod mini.

Source: PCMAG
Photo: Gizmodo.com

It turns out that SanDisk’s SD Plus is a card with a twist—or, rather, a fold. Even though the card itself is smaller than a postage stamp, it’s been built with teeny, tiny hinges. And when you fold it back on itself, you reveal a set of metal contacts that you can insert directly into the U.S.B. jack of your Mac or PC.

The card doesn’t have an actual U.S.B. connector of the sort you find at the end of your camera’s cable; it dispenses with the outer rectangle frame. All that really counts, it turns out, is those metal contacts.

That’s it. The computer sees the card as an external drive—a flash drive, just as though you’d inserted the card into a card reader—and you can download the photos just as you always do. Except you’ve completely eliminated the need for an additional piece of gear that bridges your camera and your computer.

More info: NY Times