New from SanDisk (the company that invented flash storage cards) comes the Sansa SlotRadio player and cards ($100). This die-cast aluminum player plays slotRadio mix cards which contain 1,000 songs with music from Billboard's charts organized into themes like "chillout" and "workout." There's no software to install, or time-consuming playlist creation — just pick from a wide variety of pre-filled slotRadio cards ($40) and go. The player features a 1.5-inch OLED screen for viewing artist and song information, a FM radio, and an integrated belt clip for working out or on-the-go enjoyment.
Thanks to Uncrate sponsor SanDisk, we've got another SlotRadio to give away. To enter to win, just tweet us (@uncrate) a product you've been using that you think deserves to be on Uncrate. Update And the winner is... @mykcrawford.
Microsoft's portable media player just got a whole lot better. The just-announced Zune HD ($TBA) will sport an OLED touch screen (16:9 widescreen, 480x272 resolution), multitouch functionality, an HD Radio receiver, HD video support, Wi-Fi, and a full-screen web browser. The new Zune will also be heavily integrated with the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, and an HDMI dock (sold separately) will let you watch movies on an HDTV. The release date is pegged as "early fall" and storage capacity hasn't yet been announced. [Thanks, Matt]
Amazon is going the bigger is better route with the Kindle DX ($489). With a 9.7-inch paper-like e-ink screen (2.5x bigger than the standard Kindle), and measuring just over 1/3 of an inch thin (like a magazine), the new DX is definitely tall and slim. The new Kindle DX also gets auto-rotation (read in portrait or landscape mode), better image and photo display, native PDF support, 4GB of storage (good for up to 3,500 books), wireless 3G access, and a handy text-to-speech feature.
With over 500,000 units sold, the Amazon Kindle e-book reader might just be the coolest thing to happen to books since Gutenberg, but just because something isn't broken, doesn't mean you can't make it better. Enter Kindle 2 ($359), a svelte device overhaul featuring the sort of upgrades that seem to imply that Amazon actually listens to its customers. Weighing in at just 10.2-ounces, the K2 has a larger screen than its predecessor and can still hold a charge for days. It includes the built in 3G wireless (for no extra fee), allowing you to download content, lookup subjects on Wikipedia and more. If you found you ever found yourself on the verge of ordering a Kindle, but couldn't pull the trigger, your salvation is here. Kindle 2 will ship on Feb. 24, so pre-order yours today.
Prepare for casual summer days with Timberland's® Earthkeepers® Casco Bay Canvas Shoe. These lightweight, laid-back kicks will add a stylish pop of color to any no-sock, warm-weather look. Choose either a fun slip-on style or the one-eye moccasin style, with a choice of four colorways ranging from blueberry to poppy. See the entire collection here.
Fit a full-featured Windows XP machine in your (jacket) pocket with the Raon Everun ($700). Powered by a 600 or 700 MHz AMD processor and sporting anywhere from 16-32GB of storage, the Everun also boasts a 800x480, 4.8-inch touchscreen display, full QWERTY keypad, a USB 2.0 port, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, and more.
With a 4.8-inch, 800x480 touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, and more, the ClarionMiND ($650) is ready to give the best Garmin units a run for their money. This Mobile Internet Navigation Device (hence the MiND) also boasts GPS navigation, 4GB of SSD flash memory, a microSD slot for expanded storage, an Intel Atom processor, two USB ports, and more. It'll keep you on track in the car, informed at the coffee shop, and entertained pretty much anywhere.
Sick of squinting at your tiny iPhone screen during long flights? Why not just project the movie onto the back of the seat in front of you. The Pico Pocket Projector ($430) is an ultra-portable DLP/LED projector that measures just 2 by 4.1 by 0.7 inches, weighing only 4.2 ounces. It projects a screen size up to 60 inches on nearly any surface. The Pico also has a rechargeable battery and a built-in speaker (though headphones or external speakers are recommended). [via]
The Nomad Portable Speakers ($72) are a throwback to the 1930s. It was a simpler time, before computers and technology polluted the airwaves, when radio sounded crackly not through interference, but because everything was broadcast through AM. Fortunately this deck only shares aesthetic simplicity with its 1930s brethren — the Nomad Portable Speaker features an AM/FM radio, with a stereo Auxiliary port for blasting anything from iPods to laptops.
Do your laps to Lamb of God with the Speedo Aquabeat Waterproof MP3 Player ($145). Waterproof up to 10 feet, the music player comes with waterproof earplugs and offers up to 9 hours of playtime. Oh, and it floats — for when it inevitably falls off from your underwater head banging.
A leather strap brings some serious style to the Bird-Electron EZ0 Portable Speaker ($90). Perfect for blasting your iPod during workouts, long subway rides, or bikini car wash competitions, this Japan import features a compact aluminum body and requires no power source. It's available in red, white, and limited edition gold, silver and anodized blue.
It'd be great if every portable media player packed in an iPhone-like speaker, but they don't. Filling in the gap is the X-Mini Capsule Speaker ($25), a portable, rechargeable mini-powerhouse that collapses down for extra portability, or expands for extra sound. With USB charging and nearly eight hours of playback time, it's begging to become your iPod's new best buddy. [via]
iRiver's new Spinn ($TBA) is a slim new device that packs in a lot of features. In addition to the analog-alicious Spinn System Toggle Wheel, the player plays music and videos, displays photos, and has an FM Tuner, recording capability, DMB, Flash 2.0, a Text Viewer, and an e-Dictionary. The Spinn — which will come in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB versions — also features a 3.2-inch TFT-LCD Screen, Bluetooth 2.0, and 30 Frames Per Second Video viewing in the MPEG4 Format.