New MP3 Player Roundup

Amidst rumours of new iPods Nanos and such, the competition is continuing to churn out new and cool looking music playing devices. I for one can’t complain - let’s take a closer look at some of them:

Sony Network Walkman NWD-B100

This USB-plug type MP3 player is coming to Europe in August (no US release date yet) and the best thing about is that Sony have finally gotten rid of their proprietary ATRAC format, in favour of more conventional MP3 and WMA. Now we can finally ditch the dismal Sonic Stage for transferring songs. The NWD-B100 comes in 1GB and 2GB models, and features a FM tuner, mic/voice recorder, up to 12 hours of battery life.

Microsoft Zune, Take 2

One million units later, the Zune still isn’t doing very well according to the critics. Hoping to address that concern, Microsoft will be releasing a new version in time for the holiday season. The details and features are a little sketchy (read entirely based on rumours and heresay), but one of the cool things planned is upgradable firmware for future-proofing the device in terms of new software features.

Cowon iAudio 7

Engadget has a roundup of reviews of this portable media player, which has supposedly “better audio quality” than the iPod. With 4GB and 8GB versions, and an interesting looking “swing touch” interface, and FLAC and OGG support, there’s a lot to like about this little fella.

Toshiba Gigabeat MET401

Not much here, but the latest Gigabeat portable music player from Toshiba has been filed with the FCC. One noteworthy feature is that it is equipped with Wi-fi, ala Zune, but hopefully not as lame.

Yamaha BODiBEAT

I’m still undecided whether to throw this one in the gimmicky or useful bucket yet, but this music player from Yamaha claims to be “the first music playback device that synchronizes your music to the movement of your workout”. Apparently it monitors your pulse and then selects a song that matches the pace of your exercise.

Finally, if all that hasn’t satisfied your appetite for the latest portable music players, here’s a roundup review article from Wired of the latest flash players. Enjoy!