While these players aren’t as popular as they once were, turntables are still widely available. But this special player called “Years” by German artist Bartholomäus Traubeck is the first and only one of its kind available in the whole world.

The Years turntable plays the music that takes years and years to compose – and I mean that literally. This unique record player spins cross-sections of tree trunks and translates the arrangement and pattern of the tree’s rings into sweet piano notes.

Traubeck came up with this ingenious record player using a digital camera and hooking the entire thing up with computer software.

He basically took a turntable and modified it so that its tonearm could hold a digital camera and light in place of where the needle usually is. As the thick block of wood turns, the camera scans the the rings for their thickness, growth rate, texture, and overall color tone. This data is then fed into the computer software, which fits the information onto a musical scale. The final result? Sweet music – au naturale.

[via Gizmag]

It will play your cassettes and easily convert them into digital files, thanks to its USB connection.

You can easily convert that bunch of mixtapes into MP3 files with this device. It comes with software that will help you get the deed done, but since it’s a plug-and-play USB device, other music recording software should do the trick as well.

While it’s powered by USB, it can also be run on AA batteries, and you can use it like a Walkman, thanks to its headphone jack. If you need to hear what’s sitting on all those old cassettes, head on over to Brando where it will cost you $26 (USD).

The compact abigs T6 box features a clean and attractive modern design with a nice LCD screen for navigation of content on the front. The player can handle a wide variety of video formats including MPEG 1/2/4, XviD, WMV9/9HD, H.264, MKV, WMV, AVI, ISO, VOB, MPG, ASF, and DAT among others. And it can play video at full 1080p resolution. There’s also support for MP3, WMA, OGG, AC3, PCM and DTS audio formats. (Sorry, no AAC).

You’ll also find a wide variety of A/V outputs, including component video, HDMI, S-Video, and optical, coax and analog audio outputs. You can also plug in a pair of USB flash drives, or an external e-SATA drive. It’s also got built-in wireless networking (802.1b/g, but no n) for streaming files from your computer.

And if the T6 isn’t enough for you, keep your eyes peeled for the even newer abigs D7, which adds full Dolby Digital Plus and DTS surround sound processing, 802.11n networking, as well as the ability to record analog video (composite only) into digital formats in real time. Make note, the D7 does away with the coax audio output if you have a need for that.

These media players are made primarily for the Korean market, but Sarotech is including menus in English and many other language as well. I was able to find the abigs T6 over on eBay for $279 (no hard drive) and $349 (with 1TB storage). The D7 hasn’t started to show up stateside yet, but I’d expect to see it very soon.

It’s kind of hard to decide what to make of this product. Was there ever a uCrown1? The greyish plastic reminds me of the color of a NES.

One thing is for sure: anyone visiting Asia will be surprised to get a full back and head massage when visiting a hairdresser to get a haircut. It surprised me the first time I got one a few years ago in Taipei. I have to say that head massages are pretty relaxing.

That’s probably the reason why OSIM is making this product, although I have to wonder if it actually works well. Brookstone says that it’s got an air pressure massage, as well as a vibration massage, coupled with magnetic therapy and gentle heat. Plus, it’s got built-in speakers to play your tunes while relieving stress and relaxing your muscles. Sounds like a full package!

It looks pretty unflattering, so I’d suggest using this when you’re home alone. It will cost you $200 (USD) to look like an idiot in the privacy of your own home. But you’ll feel good doing it.

[via DVICE]

As you may have guessed from its looks, the Tape Express is also a portable cassette tape player. So if you just can’t let go of your tapes even after recording their contents, you can still use them with the Tape Express. Pop in a couple of AA batteries and take it with you wherever you go, just like old times.

You can get the Ion Tape Express at Firebox for £50 (approx. $80 USD). Nostalgia guaranteed.

[via popgadget]

I’m not saying that Digital Trends’ review was biased or anything. From a technical standpoint, the DMP-B15 deserves a 7 because it’s so versatile. You can connect it via HDMI cable to an HDTV and use it as a conventional Blu-ray player. It also has VIERA CAST functionality, Panasonic’s web video service that allows access to sites like YouTube and Amazon’s Video-on-Demand, as well as for downloading firmware updates or BD-Live content. The DMP-B15 also has an SD card slot and an AV input, so it’s still useful even if you don’t have a Blu-ray disc on hand.

Unfortunately, nearly all of those functions are hampered in one way or another. First of all, the 8.9-inch, 1024 x 600 screen kind of defeats the purpose of Blu-ray media because it can’t really handle HD content. Second, the DMP-B15 can only go online via… Ethernet *groan*. No Wi-Fi. Third – and I’m not sure about this but still – Digital Trends only mentioned support for MPEG-2 and AVHCD playback from SD cards. Fourth, the battery’s only good for 3 hours.

So what would make you spend $800 dollars for this jack-of-all-trades? I guess the only reason is just so you can say that you have the world’s first portable Blu-ray player. Actually I don’t even believe that claim, because we already have portable Blu-ray players: Blu-ray capable laptops. And wouldn’t you know it, at least one of those laptops sells for just $700 USD! Yes, something that’s way way way more versatile, has WiFi, and can play all kinds of shit costs $100 less than the DMP-B15.

But hey, it’s your money. You can get the DMP-B15 at Amazon. Or not.

The article also uses specific MP3 player models (other than the iPod) as examples to help you narrow down your options; last time I checked there were about 1,523,907 models of MP3 players out there. You’ll probably end up buying an iPod, but hey, at least you can say you thought things through.

The system combines both an MP3 player and a compact speaker system in a single conical device. Just plug it into an outlet, add your tunes on an SD or MMC memory card, and you’re ready to play your tunes. The system recently landed at DealExtreme for just under $90, including a 1GB Toshiba SD card.

All this talk about space capsules, and now I can’t get that 1970s Far Out Space Nuts show out of my mind.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

“I said lunch, not launch!” Classic stuff.

In addition to flapping its yellow beak, the bird has blinking light-up eyeballs and an OLED belly that displays track and lyric information. If that’s not enough, the plastic avian also has an FM tuner, voice recorder and a built-in speaker. Too bad its little birdbrain only can hold 1GB of songs.

Importer ChinaGrabber sells these wingless birds for $32.99 each (in wholesale lots of 10+ only).

As far as I know, there is no official MP5 file format. As best I can tell is that this is just some sort of marketing hooey, designed to deceive the public into thinking they’re getting their hands on something new and exciting. The $60 player looks like any other cheap MP4/MP3 media player, complete with a 2.5-inch color screen, an FM tuner and 1GB of flash memory.

If you’re willing to take a gamble on one of these players, you can pick one up here. As is always the case with this kind of stuff, Caveat Emptor.

The DV-980H supports Dolby Digital Surround EX, which adds the surround back speaker channels, giving the player a leg up over traditional 5.1 surround. The player’s video processing circuitry can crank out 1920×1080 full frame images, letting you take advantage of the native pixel resolution of today’s top of the line 1080p displays.

This is a true “universal” player, supporting DVD, DVD-Audio and SACD format discs. Of course, it doesn’t play today’s high definition formats like Blu-ray or HD-DVD, but it’ll sure make your old DVDs look as good as they possibly can. The player also handles DivX format video files with ease.

In terms of connectivity, the 980H offers an HDMI (v1.2a) digital output, as well as component video, optical, coax, and discrete analog outputs for each of the eight audio channels too.

The only real gotcha here is that this player doesn’t include the stellar Genesis/Faroudja video chipset that was found in the classic DV-971H and DV-981HD models. But if you’re looking for both 1080p output and 7.1 channel audio, this new model is the way to go.

As is always the case with OPPO’s players, the DV-980H offers a ton of bang for the buck, retailing for just $169.

[via SlipperyBrick]

The kid-friendly Disney Mplayer features a bubbly personality inspired by Mickey Mouse’s famous ears. Playback and volume controls are cleverly integrated into the ear designs.

While the images above might give you a sense of what these players look like close up, they’re actually quite tiny from the looks of this early prototype image that surfaced earlier this year…

The Mplayer should be hitting the streets of Asia this month, but it’s not known if and when the device will show up in other parts of the world.

[via iriverfans and dapreview]

Released for the 10-year anniversary of the popular electronic pet franchise, the $115 Tamagotchi Music Fever player doesn’t connect to your computer. Instead the quirky music player can only directly import music (up to 120 minutes) from a CD player or other audio source.

It features nineteen different character types and a couple of little mini-games built in. Two other modes let the little animated critters dance around or play musical instruments along with your latest Nine Inch Nails tracks.

The BDP-94HD is a true second-generation Blu-ray player, featuring such niceties as CEC to control other devices control over HDMI cable. The player also has full support for Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 channel audio. In addition, Pioneer has included their Home Media Gallery feature that allows streaming of video, music and photos from your network-connected Windows PC.

Aimed at the high end of the market, the $1000 player should be hitting stores later this month.

While Sony certainly has a leg up on the race with millions of PlayStation 3 consoles out there, one big road block to broad adoption of either high definition disc format is the high cost of standalone players. Most standalone Blu-ray players cost between $500 and $900 and most HD DVD players cost between $400 and $700. With prices that high, it might be a long time before the “great unwashed” dive into either format.

Now, a company from Canada, Venturer, is working on an Chinese-manufactured HD DVD player which could reach the market for under $200. The bargain basement Venturer SHD7000 certainly won’t have the build quality of $500+ players, but the price could be enough to convince the masses that it’s time to upgrade from plain old DVD.

[via Engadget HD]

While it certainly looks cool to have the CD stick out of the player, I wouldn’t want to accidentally bump into a disc rotating at 500+ revolutions per minute. The photo doesn’t show it, but I’m pretty sure the CD player wouldn’t look so slick once it’s splattered with blood from your amputated fingers.

Fortunately, the design

Regency TR-1
Back in 1954, I.D.E.A. released the very first portable transistor radio. The Regency TR-1 radio measured 3″ x 5″ x 1.25″ and featured an analog AM tuner. In a strange prediction of things to come (I’m talking to you iPod), the Regency came out in a variety of colors over the years, ranging from a simple bone white to pearlescent lavender and lime colors.

The TR-1 tuned stations by a simple gold dial and played through a low-fidelity monophonic speaker. It retailed for $49.95 back in the day, which would make it cost around $325 in today’s dollars.

KLH Model 11 Portable
With the companies he founded still making an impact on today’s audio scene, Henry Kloss developed the very first portable stereo back in 1962 when he released the KLH Model 11.

The Model 11 was the first transistorized stereo system, and featured a record player, amplifier and two speakers which all folded neatly into a “suitcase” for easy transportation. While the stereo only ran on A/C power, not batteries, it still was a milestone in the development of portable music players.

Philips Compact Cassette and the Norelco Carry-Corder 150
In 1965, Philips released the first ever compact cassette tape. Originally designed for recording dictations and other boring stuff, the cassette recorded up 45 minutes of sound on single 1/8-inch tape.

To compliment Philps’ innovation in recording media, they released the battery-powered Carry-Corder 150 cassette recorder. It ran on 5 flashlight batteries and weighed in at over 3 pounds (fully loaded). Later, Mercury Records would release a selection of music on Philips cassettes for about $6 a piece. Cassette and 8-track tapes would dominate the portable music world for the next 20 years.

Sony Walkman TPS-L2
Back in the 1970′s and 1980′s Sony was the king of miniaturization, and in 1979, they released the first truly self-contained portable music system, the TPS-L2 Walkman cassette player.

The Walkman’s real innovation was its size, measuring only slightly larger than a cassette tape itself. Featuring a pair of portable, lightweight headphones and operating on AA batteries, it ushered in a new era of portability. The original Walkman retailed for 33,000 Japanese Yen, which would be around $274 US dollars today. The Walkman went on to sell millions of units and spawned numerous variations and imitators for many years after its initial release.

Sony Discman D-50
As CDs overtook cassette tapes in both sound quality and popularity, Sony saw the need to update its popular Walkman line for a new generation.

In 1984, on the one year anniversary of the introduction of compact discs, Sony introduced their D-50 portable CD player, the first ever portable digital music player. The D-50 was actually my own first foray into portable music players, and it truly was a marvel. Just slightly larger than a CD case, the player offered all of the great audio quality that digital recordings had to offer.

SaeHan / Eiger Labs MPMan F10
The very first solid state commercial music player didn’t come from Apple, Diamond or Creative as many think. In fact, it came from a Korean company called SaeHan Information Systems, and was imported to the U.S. by Eiger Labs. The MPMan was the very first MP3 player of all time. It featured a whopping 32MB of RAM (expandable to 64MB by sending the player back to Eiger for an upgrade,) and held about 8 average length tracks (around 32 minutes of music.)

The MPMan appeared on shelves in the summer of 1998, and ran on a rechargeable NiMH battery pack. Since the player used solid state memory, it actually had about 9 hours of battery life, which is still better than many hard drive based players today.

Apple iPod and iTunes
Leave it to Apple to stand back, look at what other companies were doing wrong, and to vastly improve upon their mistakes. The original iPod, released in 2001 combined a 5GB hard drive with a rechargeable battery pack and a paradigm breaking user interface. Marketed by Steve Jobs as “1000 songs in your pocket,” the iPod didn’t necessarily do that much differently under the hood from other MP3 players, but it had a sleek design (by 2001 standards), a unique and simple navigational system, and the Apple brand name to back it all up.

Initially, the iPod only supported Macintosh computers, and the only way to get music tracks was to record from your own CDs or from (often illegal) downloads on the Internet. In 2003, Apple released iTunes and opened their iTunes store, which made it easy to purchase legal music downloads for just 99 cents a track. Shortly afterwards, they introduced a Windows-compatible version of their software.

With their one-two punch of form and function, Apple continues to dominates the portable music player market today. Over the years Apple has continued to release a plethora of new iPod models, including the recent addition of video playback, and the forthcoming iPhone.

Only time will tell how portable media players will evolve. With innovations like touchscreens, high definition video playback, wireless streaming, low cost solid state memory and more on the horizon, the first 50 years were just the beginning.

When asked about the possibility of upcoming price reductions, Toshiba CEO Yoshihide Fujii was quoted as saying: “At first I thought the price threshold is $499. Maybe coming next is $399 and after that is $299.”

You can currently find the Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player at street prices just north of $400, and the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on for $199. However, the idea that a stand alone player could hit shelves for under $300 could give HD DVD another boost over Blu-ray, which still offers most players at $800 and up (except for the Sony Playstation 3).

[via Gizmodo]

The new $499 model is reported to load discs in under 20 seconds in most cases, which is a significant improvement over the minute-plus load times of the earlier models. In addition to improved performance, the HD-XA2 touts a slim new black case, HDMI 1.3 output and an improved video processing chip set. The new remote control is also improved over the original, feeling more like a typical DVD player remote. If you don’t have an Xbox 360, this could be the HD DVD player to buy.

The $229 OPPO DV-981HD is an updated version of the award-winning DV971H player. For starters, the 981 includes an HDMI digital output, rather than the DVI output featured on the original model. In addition, the player features true 1080p output and adds multi-channel SACD audio support. Both the 971 and 981 feature some of the best video scaling and deinterlacing capabilities out there, using a Genesis/Faroudja chipset which produce excellent image quality.

For those of you keeping score, the original DV971H scored a record-breaking 98 in the Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity DVD Benchmark, a widely respected benchmark in the home theater enthusiast community. What’s even more amazing is that OPPO’s players are very reasonably priced when compared to other high quality DVD players. Assuming that the DV-981HD is built on the same core technology, and simply adds new features and higher resolution output, OPPO could be going for a perfect 100 score this time. If you have a large DVD collection, and don’t think that HD DVD or Blu-Ray are ready for prime time yet, you owe it to yourself to check out one of these players.

(BTW, if you don’t have an HDMI connection on your television, you’ll need to go with the $199 DV971H model, which still includes component analog outputs.)