Tekkeon company at MacWorld 2006 unveils myTalker, the Bluetooth gateway that allows users use music headphones to make and receive mobile phone calls while listening to an iPod or other MP3 player.

myTalker connects between an iPod player and the headphones, and pairs with any Bluetooth mobile phone, just like a Bluetooth headset. Calls are heard directly through the music headphones and the user speaks through a microphone built into myTalker, which clips to a shirt or collar.

Buttons on myTalker enable users to control calls. Headset status and low-battery notification are provided through visual and audible indicators.

myTalker weighs just 1.2 oz (33g), and is small in size (1.1″w x 1.9″ l x 0.5″ d). myTalker is compatible with all iPods and any MP3 player equipped with a standard audio jack, and pairs with any Bluetooth phone.

The price for myTalker (ET7000) is $74.95. myTalker will be available in February 2006.

Oregon Scientific has announced a new waterproof MP3 player, called MP121, with FM radio and built-in pedometer ($149.95).

If you a runner, walker, skier and even swimmer, you can now listen to music in the rain and count how many steps you’ve taken. This smallish MP3 player, which measures just 2.72 x 2.07 x .83 inches, includes two separate headsets, one specifically designed for swimming with earplug-like earphones, and the other more-traditional earbuds. MP121 contain a 512MB internal flash drive.

The new MP3 player will cost just $149.95.

MP3 file-sharing service Kuro, Taiwan-based, anounced a new MP3 player Kuro Neo. MP3 player designed for use with its peer-to-peer file-sharing network.

The MP3 player comes with 512MB of flash memory, while also featuring an SD memory card slot so users can expand their storage capacities without having to upgrade the entire device. The company stated that the Neo can also serve as a USB drive and card reader for SD memory cards, and it does not require any driver installation.

Lite-On Technology Corporation (LTC) is the OEM manufacturer of the Neo.

digitimes.com

Teclast, China based company, introduced a new low cost MP3 player. It’s a P330, which is sold at US$47 for 256MB flash memory version. Teclast manages to make a better one at same price range with own design. The tiny P330 is built on SigmaTel STMP3502. It features a 2 color OLED display (128?64 resolution) and 2 phone jacks. It is powered by a AAA battery for up to 8 hours of playback.

MSA put on the market a new mp3 player MSC Dino A. It’s totally a rip off of Apple’s iPod Nano.

MSC Dino A (left) and Apple iPod Nano (right)

Dimension of MSC Dino A – 90 ? 40 ? 7.8mm (iPod Nano -89 ? 40 ? 7mm).
It comes in flavors from 256MB to 1GB memory. Asking price – $61.

Let see what do say Apple on it!

French company Ingenico anounced payment system based on an iPod. The new payment system allows users to make payments, offer receipt information, and transmit other information stored on the iPod via an iTrip RM trasmitter.

Ingenico demonstrated how travellers could book plane tickets and receive them via MP3 format file by e-mail. “He or she would then just need to store the MP3 receipt on an iPod before going to the airport. When preparing to board, the traveller would simply play the MP3 ticket on the iPod to send all ticket information securely and in realtime to the boarding gate.”

SigmaTel announced a new mp3 player, called Klegg Mini.

Its a miniature Mp3 player with a color display, provides the capacity to hold over 250 songs, 10,000 photos. The Mini Color Display MP3 player comes in a variety of colors that offer 128 MB, 256 MB or 512 MB of flash memory. Measuring 1.8 inches in length, 1.6 inches in width and 1/2 inch thick, the new MP3 player Klegg Mini offers voice recording, audio playback in WMA and MP3 formats, slide show playback and supports USB 2.0. A USB rechargeable Li-ion battery offers users up to 26 hours of audio playback.

Korean company Altgen anounced on Monday a new MP3 player PAN-300VT. New model enables people on the move to place phone calls or receive short messages.

Now users can place or receive phone calls or check their messages through the new MP3 player.

After a Bluetooth phone receives cell phone signals, it relays them to PAN-300VT and users can talk via the MP3 player’s speaker and a headset connected to it.

Altgen plan to market this mp3 player in the local market later this month, with an price about $200, before breaking into the global arena.

Cowon is back with yet another MP3 player. Instead of introducing a full-fledged hard drive player, the company is hoping to target Apple’s iPod Nano with a version of its own, iAudio U2. The iAudio U2 comes in three striking colors including red (256MB), blue (512MB), black (1GB) and white (2GB).

According to Cowon, the iAudio U2 is based on a slim design, offers USB 2.0 for fast transfer speeds, is easy to use, has a wide LCD screen, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with an average lifespan of 20 hours and an option to personalize your iAudio U2 with a logo of your choice. Moreover, the iAudio U2 is packed with dynamic bass and JetEffect audio enhancing technologies.

Cowon iAudio U2 Reviews

DAP reviews the Cowon iAudio U2 and write – ‘Taking in consideration that the U2 is an improved version of the already rather-impressive iAudio 4, there’s little worth complaining about. It’s smaller than its predecessor while operating it has become way easier, whereas iAudio 4’s top-notch sound quality and configurability has been implemented into the U2 without any problems. One thing that’s quite remarkable is the fact that i4’s screen has been simplified before it was fitted into our reviewed player. As a result of this, there’s a little less information to be found in there, but in return we get heavily-improved contrast and brightness values.

With iAudio’s activities in the past few months (new players popping up all over the place, with a few new flash units as well), it seems like technique has already caught up with the U2. However, although lacking on some areas (maximum recording/encoding rate), this little flash player can certainly still compete with the more casual (music-only) units out there. Build quality, design job, accessory set and the likes are still quite impressive and show iAudio’s craftsmanship when it comes down to flash-based stuff. If you happen to stumble into the U2 for a reasonable price (very well possible, these days), it’s certainly one of the top picks to choose from.’

CNET Reviews the Cowon iAudio U2 and gives it a ‘Excellent’ rating. They write – ‘The good: Excellent sound quality; small and light; eye-catching looks; FM, line-in, and built-in mic recording; equalizer and several sound effects; USB 2.0 support; no drivers necessary in Windows XP or Mac OS X.

The bad: Limited recording options; average battery life; pricey.

The bottom line: The stylish, flash-memory Cowon iAudio U2 crams great sound quality, an FM radio, and line-in recording into a tiny package.’

Cowon iAudio U2 Press Release

From the Manufacturer

The iAudio U2 is the latest innovative product to come from Cowon Systems and the deisgn is every thing we have come to expect from them. The new ‘handy-mini’ is small on size but big on features packing everything in from a voice recorder to direct MP3 encoding.

The ultraportable iAudio U2 is compact yet extremely functional. With a great new joystick navigation system and a large 4 line graphic LCD screen, you can easily select your songs or choose from the 1000s of sound settings and other menu options using one hand. Other controls on the device are a Hold Switch, Play/Stop button and the Record button.
The great colours and polished finish look fantastic and you will want to show this off to your friends and colleagues, however as part of the great accessory bundle you get a protective rubber case to keep the shiny finish out of site and safe from harm.

With an integrated FM tuner and direct MP3 encoding options there are endless ways to listen to music. Further enhancements are promised through Firmware upgrades, that should include increased audio Codec support.

Features

Compact Stylish Design, slim and smooth design fits snuggly in your hand or pocket
High Speed USB 2.0 Connection, the iAudio U2 can also be used as a portable storage device
5 Direction Joystick Control, joystick for navigation of files and volume control
Large Graphic LCD Bright Blue back light means great visibility in poor light
Long Battery Life, the tiny inbuilt lithiun polymer battery provides upto 20 hours playback
Song Lyrics Support, With LDB from Cowon, supports four lines of characters for lyrics display
Personal Logo, With the included Jet Logo Software you can create your own custom logo
Sound Effects, 5 Band EQ, BBE, Mach3Bass, MP Enhance, 3D Surround and Pan
Multi-Codec support, MP3, WMA(With DRM), WAV and ASF audio formats
Voice Recording, Multiple bit rate options
FM Radio, save you favorite radio stations in the presets
Direct MP3 Encoding, Record from external audio sources such as a your record player

Compare Price on the Cowon iAudio U2

Do you know that you risk of hearing loss? MP3 players are everywhere, and it seems as if everyone plays their players kind of loud. A quick survey on a street of people wearing the headphones yielded typical results:

“Loud enough so I can’t hear anyone around me.”

“Very loud. The people on the train say, ‘Excuse me, can you lower that?’”

Perhaps blasting the volume is not such a good idea.

“If you cranked it up to maximum volume at about a 110 to 120 decibels even a few minutes a day at that problem could over time give you a induced noise hearing loss,” said director of pediatric otolaryngology, Long Island College Hospital.

Noise-induced hearing loss isn’t an immediate problem. The damage creeps up over years.
The issue with MP3 players is actually two fold: the volume of the sound and the time exposed to it.

“85 percent of people that they surveyed turned up the volume regularly to compensate for the trucks and the subway and the noises in the street. We have the ability to place these little ear buds into the ear canal and those are not as good at filtering out the background noise because they don’t always fit snugly so the reaction is to turn up the volume,” said Dr. Rosenfeld.

Given you can store up to three hundred hours of music on a typical MP3 player and the battery lasts twelve hours – and one can turn it up to 100 decibels – it’s up to the consumer to protect one’s hearing, and use the players safely.

The signs of a noise induced hearing loss include ringing in the ears or trouble hearing or understanding things when there is a background noise.

wdtn.com