There are several things we know for sure when it comes to the impending launch of Microsoft’s revised Zune:

1. It has already been approved by the FCC.
2. There will be a 16 GB and a 120 GB version.
3. It will look exactly like the current Zune.
4. People will make fun of it.

It’s ok Zune fans, stick to you guns and defend your underdog player. Not everyone has to go with the grain and rock an iPod of course. Besides, you can always shout Zune Pass as a defense and then act high and mighty when an iPod owner retorts with “BitTorrent”. But wait! It looks like there actually might be some new features to help the Zune get a leg up on Apple’s dominant player. From CNET’s Matt Rosoff:

I can’t say much, but I’ve seen what Microsoft’s planning, and befitting its status as a software plus services company, the real advances aren’t going to be in the Zune hardware, but in the Zune software and associated services.

Cryptic as that may be, CNET does have a historical closeness to Microsoft in many regards so Zuners might just be able to rejoice. After all, Microsoft has to get someone excited about its gear. When all is said and done however, hardware is hardware. Software can make or break a device and Apple’s iPod Classic line is hardly feature-rich in that department. So stay strong Zune fans - more info is undoubtedly coming soon.

UPDATE: It looks like we can put a price tag on the 120 GB model thanks to a slight miscue from B&H. $250 it is, maintaining the price point on the 80 GB model it will replace.

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Sony has just let the cat out of the bag and unveiled its latest Portable Audio Player lines dubbed B-Series, E-Series and S-Series. From bottom to top Sony has focused on functionality, form and affordability with its new portable players and we can’t say it failed in any of the aforementioned categories. That said, what about storage fellas? Sony’s new players top out at 8 GB which, for many, just doesn’t cut it these days. For users willing to sacrifice storage space for versatility and style however, these puppies may be right up your alley. The high end S-Series line touts features like active noise cancellation, Sony’s SensMe Channels and up to 40 hours of playback while the low end B-Series includes FM radio and a low entry price of $45. What about the B-Series? Well, no one talks about the middle child. From the press release:

The S-series of Walkman noise canceling video MP3 players come in two different storage capacities in black:

• The NWZ-S736F has approximately 4GB of internal storage and will cost about $150.
• The NWZ-S738F has approximately 8GB of internal storage and will cost about $180.

The E-series of Walkman video MP3 players will be available in the following configurations:

• The NWZ-E436F comes in black, red, pink, blue, has approximately 4GB of internal storage and costs about $100.
• The NWZ-E438F comes in black, red, pink, has approximately 8GB of internal storage, and costs about $140.

The B-series of Walkman MP3 players come in two different capacities and four colors:

• The NWZ-B133F player has approximately 1GB of internal storage; comes in black, red and blue and will cost about $45.
• The NWZ-B135F player has approximately 2GB of internal storage; comes in black, red and pink and will cost about $60.

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Well it looks like Rosey might just be on to something here. Rose’s recent late-night Apple rumors video dropped a bunch of new unconfirmed info on us and amongst the ground he covered was the upcoming 4th generation iPod nano. Of course his description of the new nano was in line with rumors that had been floating around for a while but now we’re seeing the first case design emerge and it looks pretty on point with the rumors. It’s all there; taller design, thinner body, rounded corners and a widescreen. It should also be noted that the source claimed back in July that the upcoming second generation of the iPod Touch will feature integrated GPS. The source of all this by the way, is the same source that leaked iPhone 3G case moldings that turned out to be completely accurate. Hit the jump for rendering of the upcoming 4th generation iPod nano.

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Ahh, the good old FCC. It has been quite a resource lately, throwing previews of upcoming products at us left and right. Electronics manufacturers must absolutely adore this archaic government body.  Regardless, behold the new Zune that will soon be making its way to the shelves. You might be thinking to yourself, “hey, this looks just like the old zune!” You’re right, it does. The only revision this model will get is a hefty 50% increase in storage capacity. From the looks of it, everything else is untouched including the firmware version. The new model maintains the same dimensions as the existing 80 GB model thanks to the inclusion of the slender 1.8-inch hard drive Samsung announced last year. This, along with some decent pricing, may help the new model compete with the iPod Classic which is already available with a 160 GB well. Of course there’s always Zune Pass, a great little all-you-can-eat subscription service we’re sure you’re familiar with. Apple has yet to come up with a competitive offering, presumably to avoid cannibalizing iTunes sales. Considering how well iTunes is doing these days we suppose it’s understandable that it would avoid such a service. The new meatier Zune model will almost surely be available in time for the holidays and an unconfirmed educated guess puts the price tag around $300.

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Are you one of the 78 people out there that actually bought a Sony Mylo 2? Today is your (moderately) lucky day. Sony has just released a minor update to its diminutive little messenging/PMP/gaming gadget. The new firmware version brings video recording to the Mylo 2 by way of its rear-facing camera, which should allow you to share as many embarrassing moments with the outside world as you’d like, provided you’re in range of a Wi-Fi connection. Other enhancements include support for 16 GB Memory Sticks, as well as a variety of UI enhancements. 

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Not quite the formative years, but what better time to get people hooked on Apple products than while they’re in college? Besides, you need something to do while you’re sitting through those two-hour lectures right? Apple is currently running a slightly-early back to school promo for college kids looking to get their Mac on and truth be told, it’s a pretty good deal. Nuts and bolts: Buy a Mac, get a free iPod. The deal isn’t just for students either. Any student, faculty or staff member can purchase a qualifying Mac computer and get an 8 GB iPod Touch or 8 GB iPod Nano for free after a $299 rebate. Considering the MacBook starts at $1,000 now, and that’s before any student discount, this deal really is pretty solid. Don’t worry though, you have plenty of time to think about it as the offer is good from now through September 15th. Qualifying Macs include any MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or iMac model.

[Via gadget lab]

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It might not be the prettiest portable media player on the market, but at the very least the Eco Media Player is a conversation starter. What kind of conversations will it start? Well, that remains to be seen. This unique PMP designed by British inventor Trevor Baylis might be a little bulky around the waste, but it has all of the basic functionality that we’ve grown to expect and a couple of extras. What’s more, it uses 100% human kinetic energy for power. Using a crank that folds out from the rear of the device, users wind it up to create the energy that powers the device. One minute of cranking will generate enough energy to run the player for approximately 40 minutes! Sure, you might catch a couple of stares while sitting on the bus winding up your PMP, but you can sleep easy knowing that you’re doing it for the environment. In terms of functionality the Eco Media Player lets you play music and videos, view photos, record voice memos, tune in to FM radio and it even sports an LED torch. Available now with 2 GB of storage, the Eco Media Player will run you about $300 give or take.

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It came and went almost as fast as K-Fed’s time in the limelight, but apparently it up for was just long enough to be leaked across the net. An amazon.com snafu this past Sunday has leaked pics and some new info on the Sansa Fuze, a tiny portable Digital Audio / Video Player that has some nice potential. Not all of the specs were posted on the site but there was enough to intrigue:

• 1.9" color screen
• microSDHC support
• MP3, WMA, and MPEG-4 support
• FM tuner
• Voice recorder
• Red, Black and Pink color options went up on Amazon, more expected

The site also reported battery life of 24 hours for audio playback and 5 hours for video; identical to the battery specs on the iPod nano. What’s more, the Fuze was listed at $99 for the 4 GB! Yes that’s $99 for 4 GB and microSDHC support as opposed to $150 for a 4 GB iPod nano. In other words, for less than the price of a 4 GB nano you could snag a Sansa Fuze and an 8 GB microSD card from eBay. Of course you might not be allowed to hang out with the cool kids, but you’ll be out rocking 12 GB of music and videos while they’re at home deciding which songs to bounce to make room for the movie they just rented for $3.

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It takes a certain amount of self-confidence and dedication to be willing to look like the guy pictured above while viewing your videos. "Ridiculous" is the first word that comes to mind; "tool" is the second. If you can get past the fact that you’ll look like you jumped out of Freejack or Running Man, the Cinemizer video glasses are actually pretty cool. They’re not exactly pocketable, but certainly more portable than the crystal clear 45-inch display that they simulate. Zeiss has teamed up with FROG Designs to bring the Cinemizer to fruition, and the finished design is fully adjustable to accommodate most users. Integrated earphones provide the accompanying audio and the glasses will run for an average of 2.5 hours on a single charge. Don’t have an iPod? There is also a standard 3.5mm video-in available. Each Cinemizer lens is equipped with a 640 x 480-pixel LCD display so 3D viewing is of course possible with a relevant source. Zeiss debuted the Cinemizer video eyewear at MacWorld this week but it won’t be available for purchase until February or March. Once released, the Cinemizer will carry a hefty €369 ($540 today) price tag and will initially be available through German retailer GRAVIS.

[Via I4U]

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As if there isn’t already enough out of CES 2008, this pocket-sized projector has got to be one of the coolest gadgets that made its debut at the show. What’s the big deal? Code-named "SHOW", Microvision’s new projector is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and can project a DVD-quality widescreen 848 x 480 pixel image up to 100-inches in size! What’s more, is that the SHOW is designed to connect quickly and easily to a variety of laptops, mobile phones, PMPs, digital cameras and other mobile devices. The production model provides up to 2.5 hours of battery operation and will make use of the company’s single micro-mirror laser scanning display technology. If Microvision can partner with Wayne Szalinski to develop an eight-foot projector screen that will fit in the back pocket of a pair of jeans, we’re good to go.

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Well, CES is definitely making companies bring out the guns! Then again, did we really think they weren’t? Sling Media’s recent product announcements are pretty good too. We’ve been waiting for the SlingCatcher for god knows how long? It’s basically a set top box that receives the video instead of the SlingBox where it transmits. What this does is "catch" that transmitted feed and bring it to your TV. Kind of cool, right? You go on a trip, have your SlingBox all setup at home, go to that remote location, plug in the SlingCatcher and you’re off! No more watching Ugly Betty on a crappy 17" monitor. SlingCatcher also has the ability to grab content from a USB thumb drive, or even a USB hard drive, so you’re never without you’re illegally-downloaded Divxs. But what if you don’t have any Internet connectivity by the plasma TV? There’s a 802.11g wireless option for it, so you’ll be straight. One more thing about the SlingCatcher until we move on…it’s the first SlingMedia device to have a remote. So pull up a chair, grab a cold one, and lean back. What good is new hardware without updated software though? SlingPlayer 2.0 for PC will make use of the newly announced SlingCatcher and allow you to "Clip+Sling" content — grab clips so to speak — and then share them instantly online. We’ve also finally got a program guide built right into the software, and even a 60-minute buffer which will allow local play, pause, rewind and fast forward controls. Existing SlingBox customers will be able to grab the new software this quarter for no additional cost. Last on the list would be the SlingModem. Don’t look that stunned, we knew they were going to start integrating the beloved Sling features with other hardware sooner or later. The SlingModem is actually fully functional and CableLabs certified. They’re currently in talks with all the MSOs in the US and even worldwide to get the ball rolling and get this thing out there! Hit the break for the juicy snaps of all the madness!

Unfortunately it’s a bit late to add this little beauty to your Christmas list, but maybe you’ll score some cash this holiday season and treat yourself. Weighing in at a feather light 179g and at only 116mm tall, Micro’s digital camcorder packs heavyweight specs into a tiny package that will easily fit into just about any pocket. This handheld stainless steel digital camcorder puts DVD-quality video recording and a 5.4-megapixel still camera in the palm of your hand - literally. Support for SD cards up to 4GB allows you to shoot and store up to four hours of 720 x 480 30fps video at a time. The built-in flash, 8x digital zoom and 2.5" high-resolution LCD also make this device a very decent still digital camera. Of course you won’t get all of the bells and whistles found in some digital still cameras, but features like image stabilization, red-eye reduction and white balance settings will certainly get the job done. Pack all of this functionality into a stainless case, slap a modest price tag of $149.99 on it and you’ve got yourself a winner.

[Via coolest-gadgets]

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If you’ve ever wanted to be overlord of all the geeks at your local D&D club, this thing will sure give you a fighting chance. IMOBILE has packed a 3G-capable GSM phone, audio / video player, Bluetooth capability, and a touchscreen into a wristwatch. That’s right, the little things most people use to tell time can now be used to make calls and make your neighbors snicker behind your back. No word on availability (I know you’re disappointed), but do click on to see all the photos from PhoneDaily’s report. Unless, like most people nowadays, you use your cell phone as a watch. Then, well, you won’t really have a need for this…

[via AkihabaraNews]

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