Cowon is hands down the best company when it comes to supporting a player after its release. The S9 was already a leading player in its category, but that hasn't stopped Cowon from adding things like widgets, more codecs, new ways to navigate, and now gapless playback. They just released a beta firmware (2.31) that provides gapless playback for lossless formats, and supposedly Ogg Vorbis, although as of yet vorbis still seems to have gaps between the tracks. Another addition that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser is support for M3U playlists. Check out the full list of updates below: Firmware 2.31b: Added the typist feature that is a notepad with a keyboard. Improved receiving quality, compatibility, and performance of Bluetooth. Support gapless playback in lossless music files (WAV, FLAC, APE, and LOSSLESS WMA) and OGG files. Support M3U. Support AVI files that are damaged. Fixed the error that frame color wasn’t changed in document mode. Fixed some minus operation error in calculator. Support Thai.

According to a member at iAudiophile, the update also provides support for MP4 containers. Cowon you rock!

Download:

2.31b (international version)
1.31b (Korean version)
3.31b (DMB models)

dmb   cowon   iaudio   lossless wma   beta firmware   calculator   gapless

Cowon didn't waste any time bringing their newest players to the US. Both the iAudio 9, and the E2 are now in stock at JetMall.net. For now, just the 16GB iAudio 9 is available (in black), and is selling for $169.99. The E2, for the three of you who might care, retails for $64.99 (4GB).

iAudio 9 Features

• Capacity: 4, 8, and 16GB
• Display: 2.0" TFT (320 x 240, 262K colors)
• Audio: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, APE, and WAV
• Video: AVI, Xvid SP/ASP, WMV (320 x 240)
• Built-in Speaker and AV-Out
• FM tuner and recorder
• Battery Life: 29 hours for Audio, 7 hours for video
• Controls: Capacitive Touch Pad, Power/Hold, Menu button, VOL+/-

iAudio 9
iAudio E2

via Cnet

menu button   cowon   touch pad   xvid   cnet

The ZEN X-Fi2 has received much criticism mainly for its sluggish interface and unresponsive touch screen. And Creative must have heard it loud and clear as in the latest ZEN X-Fi2 firmware released today, it has provided an almost complete re-design of its user interface. In what could be the most drastic firmware update ever (please ignore the dramatization), Creative has added in new features to the ZEN X-Fi2. The new features are:

-Colored icons UI
-Accelerometer (for photos)
-Sudoku game (shock!)

I must say that the colored icons should have been there in the very first place and why the accelerometer will only work while viewing photos is still a mystery to me. But it's interesting that Creative added in the Sudoku game, which could be a signal of more applications to come. I have upgraded my ZEN X-Fi2 with the latest firmware and i must say that the responsiveness has greatly improved! If you have been considering buying the ZEN X-Fi2, this firmware update might have made up your mind for you. Now, could we have microSD integration next, Creative?

[Download firmware 1.10.04]

----- Update: -----

Watch the video of the new ZEN X-Fi2 firmware in action (via Creative's YouTube Channel)



Written by kingone at epiZENter.net

youtube   accelerometer   dramatization   user interface   responsiveness

Today in China, Creative held a Summit to discuss the future of their Zii Processor, and their business/marketing strategies with OEM partners. At the event they revealed the Zii Trinity, a powerful mobile phone platform. The concept phone shown is running on a linux-based "Zii Optimized" Android OS, and has a 3.1" multitouch OLED display. Check out the full spaces below:

Features of the Zii TRINITY 3.5G Concept Phone

* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Tri-band WCDMA, HSDPA Cat 8 at 7.2mbps
* Full featured platform featuring ZMS-05 StemCell Processor
* Linux-based Zii Optimized Android and Plaszma Support
* Accelerated OpenGL ES 3D Graphics, Video and Imaging
* 3.1" 480x800 16M colour Active Matrix OLED with capacitive multi-touch
* Mini HDMI port for 1080p video output
* Xtreme Fidelity#8482 X-Fi audio technology
* 5M pixel rear facing, auto-focus camera
* VGA forward facing camera for video conferencing
* USB 2.0 Micro port for connectivity and charging
* MicroSD storage expansion and SIM card slots
* 256MB low-power DDR memory
* Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR and Hardware GPS
* Composite Video output
* 1130mAH lithium polymer battery

Additionally, Creative announced ZiiLife, a software suite designed to accompany the Trinity platform. Here's a summary of what it provides:

- ZiiLife™ Software, Services and Content Suite
To add value to the Zii range of devices, Creative introduces ZiiLife which consist of 4 main services:

• ZiiMeet – The Next Generation 7M™ Collaborative Conferencing System
  "ZiiMeet is a highly-scalable Multi-Purpose, Multi-View, Multi-Platform, Multi-Medium, Multi-Host, Multi-Party and Multi-Device collaborative conferencing solution that works on PC, Mac and Zii Powered devices. ZiiMeet allows different parties to communicate and broadcast themselves ‘live’ simultaneously across different devices and platforms."
  
  
• ZiiVue - For all your entertainment needs
  The ZiiVue is Creative's attempt to be a content provider. It boast a wide variety of content offerings such as HD movies, music, and TV media. Creative is already in talks with various music labels and production companies.
  
  
• ZiiAcademy - The world in your hands
  "ZiiAcademy is the future of education, paving the way towards a collaborative model for knowledge acquisition and assimilation. ZiiAcademy allows users to explore the information world in an interactive and immersive learning experience, and engage in live discussions. Future Books with embedded video, text-to-speech, dictionaries, online tutorials and even engaging in live dialogue with lecturers or textbook authors can be encompassed in ZiiAcademy, revolutionizing educational pedagogy as we know it." Sounds totally like the Zii MediaBook.
  
  
• ZiiApps - There's an app for everything
  "ZiiApps works with developers to produce game offerings, applications and utilities that support the Zii Platform. Developers who work on the Plaszma SDK can upload their applications to the ZiiApps store, which offers global support and distribution." Read: Zii App Store.

Creative has certainly created an attractive ecosystem here, but like the Zii EGG, its success depends on the willingness of other companies to sell them. We'll update you with more information as it comes in.

[ZiiLABS Announces TRINITY]
[Creative Launches ZiiLife™]

auto focus camera   business marketing strategies   lithium polymer   composite video output   conferencing solution

NOTE:
Due to functional conflicts between js framework Mootools (used in Slideshow plugin) and js framework Prototype (used in e.g. Lightbox plugin and e107 0.8) it is not recommended to use this plugin in combination with e.g. the Lightbox plugin or themes using Prototype based javascripts.

he height and width can be set by the administrator, and a lot of other settings out of the box as well. (Notice the details in the screen shots).

NOTE:
Due to functional conflicts between js framework Mootools (used in Slideshow plugin) and js framework Prototype (used in e.g. Lightbox plugin and e107 0.8) it is not recommended to use this plugin in combination with e.g. the Lightbox plugin or themes using Prototype based javascripts.

Additional available menu:
slideshow_easyshop: display the latest products from EasyShop. Compatible with EasyShop 1.4x or 1.5x.
IMPORTANT NOTE: the slideshow_easyshop menu is NOT included in the free download; available from NLSTART shop for a modest fee.

screen shots   prototype   Zii   Creative