Philips Aria, Vibe, Opus MP3 players come to US

According to a recent Philips press release, the Aria and Opus GoGear MP3 players announced for Europe last February are coming to the US, joined by a wallet-friendly newcomer named the GoGear Vibe.

The Philips GoGear Vibe is due out in April, priced at US$49 for 4GB, and US$59 for 8GB. You can pick the player up in either black or white (the white model looks pretty cool, actually), each featuring a 1.5-inch color screen and support for music, photos, video, FM radio, and voice recording.

If you need an MP3 player with a little more meat to it, the Philips GoGear Aria (known as the Ariaz to all you Europeanz), features a 2-inch color screen, and packs 8GB or 16GB of storage for US$79 and US$99, respectively. The Aria also comes bundled with Philips sound-isolating earphones, instead of typical earbuds.
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mp3HD: New lossless MP3 format explained

French media behemoth Thomson has announced mp3HD, a new lossless "hybrid" MP3 format, which not only offers the sound detail lost in a normal MP3, but remains compatible with your existing MP3 player or iPod.

It's called mp3HD and still uses the traditional .mp3 file extension. Simply put, it works by storing a conventional lossy MP3 track that standard players can play, alongside a "lossless" version--both audio streams are contained in one single MP3 file. It's similar to how hybrid SACDs work.

Ideally this would appeal to users who want to enjoy lossless audio at home, and universally compatible MP3s on the commute, without having to rip two versions of the same song.
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iriver P35: Feeding our habit wherever we go

With Battlestar Galactica finishing this week, Crave is all set for a from-the-start BSG marathon. A portable media player such as the newly shown-off iriver P35 is perfect for immersing ourself in whatever show we're currently obsessed with, so we can watch it in the gym, on the train and in meetings when we're supposed to be paying attention. The only problem is, such fixation can lead to weird things happening to the way we talk. Oh, and it's not available here just yet. Frak.
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Nintendo DSi downloads won't just be for games

Word from the Nintendo Developer Conference in London suggests the company is encouraging third-party developers to think outside of the box when it comes to DSi downloadable content on the DSi Shop.

While Nintendo has focused its WiiWare platform around games, it seems the DSi might be a viable platform for applications outside of gaming. While we know games will be available--there are already plenty circulating in Japan--the unique photo, microphone, and touch-screen capabilities embedded in the system could make for some very interesting third-party applications.

The possibilities are potentially endless. Think about it: A Facebook app? Maybe a Flickr app that will let you upload photos? This certainly erases any doubt about Nintendo following the same Apple App Store model found on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Now that everyone is familiar with the new media features on the DSi, what kind of app would you like to see on it?
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iTunes rolls out high-def movie downloads

As expected, iTunes customers (Windows|Mac) can now buy and rent films in high definition, Apple said Thursday.

Customers can buy hit titles for US$19.99 and rentals will cost US$4.99. Rentals will be available a month after a film is released on DVD. Prior to this offer, high-def films were available only for rental.

The high-def-quality movies are compatible with Macs and PCs. But iPhones and iPods can still only play films in standard definition, the company said. Each high-def film comes with a standard-def copy to play on Apple's handhelds.
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