New GoGear DAP by Philips

Philips has announced a new addition to their popular GoGear range of media devices – the SA2940. The SA2940 with its 1.5 inch color display(128 x 128 pixel resolution) is actually an upgrade to their previousSA2825 model, which was equipped with a monochrome display. 

The new color display will be able to show off the album art as well as photos. It will feature Philips' Full Sound technology and will also come with a set of preset EQs as well as a customizable option. This 4GB capacity device is in all other aspects quite the same as the previous model and is still of course quite light weight at 30g. It still retains its glossy square shape with navigation controls on four sides of the display. 
Philips has not yet announced a price for the SA2940 or the availability yet, so stay tuned.

Lite-On and Philips introduce first External Blu-Ray disc Drive

With Blu-ray Disc now the clear victor in the high-definition format war, those cautious about buying hardware can spend with ease. Those with home theater PCs or laptops will be pleased to learn that Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions (PLDS) will be soon releasing its first USB external BD-ROM drive in Q2 2008.

“Due to recent market developments we can expect an increasing volume of movies to be released in high definition on Blu-ray Discs,” said Jelmer Veldman, European Marketing Manager at PLDS. “The market adoption of Blu-ray as the optical disc standard for High Definition content results in a growing demand for Blu-ray playback solutions. The portable external Lite-On BD-ROM drive allows users to playback their Blu-ray discs on any PC via a USB 2.0 cable.”

The upcoming model, designated the Lite-On DX-4O1S can read Blu-ray Disc media at 4X, single-layer DVD at 12X, dual-layer DVD at 8X, and CD media at 32X maximum.

Those who prefer internal drives can find the Lite-On Blu-ray Disc drives for around $150.

Alternatively, HTPC addicts may consider the Xbox 360 HD DVD drive, now on clearance for $50 . While HD DVD may have limited future potential, the Xbox 360 add-on, which works with natively with Windows Vista, is an affordable option to view today’s high-definition content.Source

Nokia Suitcase

The new year has come and the year has proceeded, but there is some good news especially for those who bought Nokia Xpressmusic phones.
Why?
Maybe You are wondering.......
Heres why....


This kit contains the Nokia 5610 and 5310 phones, with a host of products to aid the music experience. Apparently, the suitcase was just a teaser and the products it contains not yet launched in India. After a lot of digging it was found out that JBL might be interested in bringing its docking station (present in the suitcase) to India.

JBL Docking Station

The docking station is primarily for the Nokia 5310 Xpressmusic phone. The phone fits snugly onto the given space and the buttons on the station sort of latch on to the ones given on the phone, allowing you to control playback and volume from the docking station itself. The best thing about the docking station is that it also charges your phone. The sound quality is something to kill for – it’s brilliantly loud. The lows are well-rounded and have a lot of character. You can feel the thump, and if we are talking about a small room, well let's just say you can have a blast. The volume can be cranked up to the max without much visible jarring. Once the 5310 is connected to the docking station, you can control playback, forward/rewind and volume from the external controls itself. Also with the converter (generally provided) you can blast music from any Xpressmusic phone, or even a regular MP3 player. So you need not limit the docking station usability to the 5310.

Altec Lansing Speakers

Altec Lansing speakers are in all fairness decent. This, however, is when compared to the docking station. For a small room, you can have a decent output, provided you do not blast the volume. The bass lacks warmth, and jars when the volume is pumped up high. This is because it doesn't have proper drivers to drive the sound.Mind you, this isn’t a docking station. It has a 3.5mm cable sticking out, which can attached to any MP3 player. From the way it was packed, we got the impression that the speaker was clubbed with the 5610. Well, if it is, it’s heavily undermining the 5610!

Philips Headphones

The Philips headset included in this ‘spy kit’ of sorts is quite light and easy to use. It can be folded and carried around easily. The sound quality is really good; you can comfortably listen to music with minimal distraction even while commuting. The cushioning around the ears helps to keep out ambient sounds. You will have to use it with a Nokia headphone adapter, as the wire is too short.

Accessories

The Nokia kit comes with plenty of accessories for mobiles and dock stations. What’s included is a mobile charger, a DC charger for the JBL dock, an additional Nokia adapter, 3.5mm to 3.5mm and 2.5mm to 3.5mm cords that can be used to connect the phones to the docks as well as other devices. So the Nokia case is quite well equipped – not just for the 5610 and 5310 but for any mobile or media device that use 3.5mm universal connectors for music output. Unfortunately the kit as a whole is not available in India. Then again, would you really buy it?We do know that the JBL dock will be available officially soon, but there's no definite word on price and availability.