Aiptek Pocket Cinema

Although portable media player manufacturers go on about their amazing 3.5 inch screens, I’m never really impressed.  When it gets down to actually using them for something more than chosing tracks or messing with apps you really dont get very far.

With the Aiptek Pocket Cinema v10 and t10 the problem is solved by projecting the screens from your portable devices straight on to a nearby wall or door.  You can watch a movie straight from your iPod (or other device) upto 50 inches in your room.  This forehead-slappingly small device utilises breakthrough technology to project the pictures and movies trapped inside your gadgets, on to walls, screens and naked backsides. And despite its pocket-friendly dimensions, the image it chucks out is up to 50” wide. It’s even got a built-in stereo speaker.

The Aiptek Pocket Cinema comes with built in memory, and can be used for more than just films.  Are you a businessman?  How cool would it be to turn up with your own projector being played through an iPhone? 

They come with a tripod  and remote and are powered by a rechargeable lithium battery.  Not only does the Aiptek Pocket Cinema v10 project films and images from pretty much every media device, but it comes with 1GB of internal memory for those who are too lazy to lug 5g worth of iPod around.

If you love big screen movies, but hate squinting at your portable devices then the Pocket Cinema v10 and t10 are an awesome way of solving the problem.

Available at the cheapest prices from:
Amazon >> and Firebox >>

Sony NWZ – X1000 – Some More PMP News

I’ve blogged about some of the portable media players (PMPs) that are already invading the market. These are really great all in one devices that are perfect for people who are constantly on the move and want to bring as much choice in entertainment with them as possible (count me in as one of these easily bored people who always bring a book, my iPod, my phone, and my Nintendo DS Lite and Playstation Portable whenever I have to leave the house for more than two hours).

Sony may not necessarily be the pioneering manufacturer of PMPs in the market but no one can contest that a Sony branded product is always a sought after piece of electronic equipment. If I’ll buy a PMP I’d surely want a Sony, too. Sony has recently revealed more details about the NWZ – X1000. This new device is actually being branded as a Walkman but since it has video capabilities I think it falls safely under the PMP category.

The NWZ – X1000 will be able to play MP3, WMA, and AAC audio formats at up to 320kbps. With regards to video, it can handle MPEG – 4, H.264, and WMV formats. The OLED screen is limited to just 320 x 240. This is a big mistake for me especially since the native resolution of the screen is 432 x 240. The NWZ – X1000 will also have built in FM radio functions, WiFi capability with 802.11 b/g connectivity, internet browsing with Youtube support and a relatively long 33 hours of battery life when playing music and nine hours for video.

There are still no details given about pricing so watch out for it.

Philips releases new PMPs

Personal media players are a great companion if you’re the type who is constantly on the move and away from your traditional sources of entertainment at home. Personal media players, or PMPs, are all in one gadgets because it cannot only play music files, it can also play videos as well. Top that off with the capability to play FM radio and a voice recording function then you will see why PMPs are growing in popularity.

Philips (http://www.philips.co.uk/) has been producing a number of PMPs for the market and recently the company has released two more media players to its popular GoGear line. The two players are the Opus and Ariaz.

The Philips Opus is a bit plain looking and this player is skewed more towards people who love to watch videos. The Opus possesses a 2.8 inch display and comes with FullSound technology. It also has Bluetooth stereo audio capability and an FM radio and voice recorder. The Opus comes with proprietary software to help in downloading and encoding open source video that will be read by the player. The Opus can also support the BBC iPlayer, which is a great feature because you can now just copy shows directly from the iPlayer to the Opus with nary a problem.

The Ariaz, on the other hand, is a more straightforward player. It has practically the same features as the Opus but it only has a 2 inch screen. It does offer touchscreen controls and a rocker button for easier navigation through the electronic files in the player.

Expect the Opus to be available in the 8, 16 and 32GB capacities for €99, €147 and €179. The Ariaz will come in 4, 8 and 16GB capacities and will sell for €79, €99 and €129. Expect both players to be widely available.