Olympus unveiled a HD-based music player that can also take photos. The m:robe 500 player combines a 20GB built-in hard drive and a cell-phone-quality camera (1.22 megapixel) into the same unit. The 3.7-inch LCD screen controls both the player and the camera. Photos can be directly printed through any PictBridge-enabled printer via USB 2.0. The m:robe 500 player won´t appear in stores until January 2005 though. Estimated price is USD 499.99.
Elitegroup Computer System (ECS) launched EZ-Buddie 2, a personal entertainment center in a compact package (220 x 180 x 320 mm). Among other features, it tunes into FM radio stations and displays photos from a memory card or disc. With dual operating systems, EZ-Buddie 2 works without booting Windows. It is operated through a remote controller and has a variety of monitoring features. EZ-Buddie 2 is available with a range of Pentium 4 processors and Celeron processors and up to 2 GB dual channel DDR400 memory. The speakers are optional.
Dell introduced two new Axim handhelds, the X50v and the X50, featuring Intel's Xscale PXA270 and 2700G graphics chip (X50v). The Axim X50v features a 3.7" VGA display that provides images at 640x480 resolution while the Axim X50 has a 3.5" QVGA display with a 320x240 resolution. Both promises extend battery life and enhanced multimedia performance through the Xscale PXA270. The handhelds run on Widows Mobile 2003 Second Edition and include the new Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. A headset connection supports voice over Internet protocol and voice recognition applications and both models include integrated Bluetooth 1.2.
Axim X50v features include:
624 MHz Intel Xscale PXA270 processor
128 MB Flash ROM and 64 MB SDRAM with XMB (cross media bar) on-screen navigation to access memory
Integrated 802.11b Wi-Fi
Intel 2700G multimedia accelerator with 16 MB of video memory
Axim X50 features include:
416 MHz or 520 MHz Intel Xscale PXA270 processor
64 MB Flash ROM with 64 MB SDRAM memory for the 416 MHz model and 128 MB Flash ROM with 64 MB SDRAM memory for the 520 MHz model. Both support XMB.
TwinMOS released a new digital music player and USB 2.0 flash disk. The Red Rock S21 supports MP3, WMA and WAV formats and is offered in 128 MB, 256 MB and 512 MB capacities. Featuring a blue backlit LCD screen, the player also includes 5 equalizing modes, digital recording function and FM tuner and recording. The S21 measures 73,6 x 24 x 27,8 mm, weighs 50g (including an AAA battery) and is available in red, purple, light blue and silver. It comes with a leather pouch.
BenQ launched the new Joybee 125, a digital multi-functional music player (MP3, WMA and WAV) with 128 MB or 256 MB capacity. It weighs 41g and features a blue backlit LCD screen. It is also equipped with a retractable USB 1.1 port for easy data storage and a Li-Ion battery that allows listeners to play up to 10 hours of music. The Joybee 125, available in orange, silver and black, also includes a FM tuner and voice recording.
