i know it looks shite.. really its cheap shite.. stuff thats prob going to break out the box.. but the idea is what people a wee while ago wanted... before the tablets started.. and yes 4 video codecs ..its cheap shite.. but at least someone is doing it... if creative did it.. and sold me a zen omega without the drive.. Update.. zen v+ is alive.. after charging for a week it popped up "My Zen"..
Zii Contest: Win a pair of Football shaped speakers
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Most of the world calls it football, but us stubborn Americans call it soccer. No matter what you refer to this beautiful game as, the World Cup has everyone buzzing about it. Even Creative is getting into the craze. They have an ongoing contest that challenges your football knowledge. Each week, you'll be provided with a single trivia question. Choose the correct answer and you could be 1 of 10 people to win a pair of those cool football shaped speakers you see above.
The contest is in it's second week of four, and here's the question: " To many football fans, the game of football is also described as... " (and no they don't mean Soccer)
In order to enter the contest you have to sign up for a free ZiiLife account. They even leave you hints in your ZiiDisk folder every week. Good Luck everyone, and make sure to comment if you're a winner!
Hey guys, as you may have noticed, epiZENter was down for some time. This was because of a DDOS attack on the software we're using at the site (e107). This site, as well as DAPreview were compromised, but with a little help from my dedicated server company, everything appears to be back to normal. Updating to the latest e107 software version is said to help with the exploits, but it's still concerning. As all of you have seen, this site has gotten it's fair share of spam. It frustrates me daily, and I'm sure it annoys everyone here as well.
I'm currently looking into switching the software we use, but it might require us to lose a lot of the content we currently have. Wordpress is an option, but I'm not sure how customizable it is. I feel VBulletin is probably our best bet, but it is a bit costly at around $290 for a license. I'm open to any suggestions so make sure to leave them in our comment's section. On behalf of epiZENter, I want to apologize for any inconvenience we've caused, and thank you for your continued support of this site.
While we all wait for Creative to come out of their coma, we're going to cover some excellent work from our community. Member SumWon has been working magic with his Zii Egg for some time now. One of his latest projects is getting Duke Nukem 3D on the device. He didn't use the tools provided by ZiiLabs, but rather another software development kit called "Sourcery G++" The port isn't perfect yet, but it's nice to know we have people here who are capable of advancing the Zii Egg platform.
You can find this, and many other Zii Egg apps and games in our Forums
[ image disabled ]Still don't have a Vado HD? And you call yourself a Creative fan! Kidding of course, though I do consider it one of the best products that Creative has made. If you're in the market for an HD pocket cam, Dell has the 2nd gen Vado HD for $65. The 2nd generation doesn't differ too much from the original we reviewed. It replaces the matted exterior with a glossy one, and comes with 4GB's instead of 8.
Vado HD (2G) Features
4GB Capacity
Records video in high-definition with resolutions up to 1280 x 720
Records using H.264 Compression
Wide-angle glass Lens for wider and clearer shots
2.0" Anti-glare screen
2X Digital Zoom
Included Vado Central software (Mac Friendly) for editing movies and snapping photos
Easy uploads to Youtube and other sites
Connect to a HDTV with an HDMI connection
Removable Battery
In the box: HDMI cable, USB Extension cable, Silicone Skin
Creative fan, and fellow epiZENter editor, Kingone, has published his review of the Aurvana Air. Creative announced the premium pair of earphones around the same time last year. According to kingone, the Air has a classy look with its aluminum earhook design, and champagne-gold finish. The earphone' name is fitting too, since they're as light as a feather. Overall, kingone was quite pleased with the pair, but questions why Creative went with standard earbuds, rather than an in-ear style. He comments on the lack of noise isolation, and some sound leaking out.
Here's his conclusion:
Conclusion Creative took a leap of faith with the aesthetic design of the Aurvana Air. Ultimately, the company believed that comfort and style would win over the hearts of casual listeners. While I would have preferred the Air to have been of an in-ear design, the great level of comfort and very decent audio performance has made me a very happy user of the Aurvana Air. There are also the additional frills that Creative has included like the leather travel pouch which helps to sweeten the deal. If comfort and above average audio performance is what you are looking for, the Aurvana Air is definitely worth a look at. For the full range of Aurvana gears, visit the Aurvana site at [Linky]
Rating: 8/10
I've been working on my Aurvana Air review off and on for some time now (I procrastinate way too much), so you can look forward to that, as well as a small giveaway for the earphones later this year.
Could Creative's new line of Bluetooth speakers be a sign of things to come?
Last week, Creative announced a new line of Bluetooth speakers ranging from the high-end ZiiSound D5, to the colorful and more affordable D100. Some might find it strange for Creative to release this many Bluetooth speakers despite the lack of support in their own players. Could this be a sign that Creative will be releasing players with bluetooth support in the future? It's one of the few areas that Creative hasn't tackled yet so it's definitely a possibility. On the other hand, we know Creative has become more of an accessory company that caters to a wider range of consumers, rather than just us Zen fans.
In the video below, Creative provides their reasons for coming out with so many Bluetooth speakers now. The narrator states "we see the emergence of a brand new market...In 2010 we will see a flood of wireless-capable mobile devices of all types" Could one of those types be a Creative MP3 player?
The ZiiSound D5 is Creative's top of line model. It's geared towards iPod/iPhone/iPad owners but it works with other players and phones as well. It's a rather large system with a nice modern look to it. In fact, it has just received a red dot design award for its great design. The speaker uses apt-x, a nearly lossless codec, for playback. The ZiiSound D5 is available right now for S$399 Singapore dollars, or roughly $291US.
Creative D200
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The D200 shares the same technology housed inside the ZiiSound D5, but in a smaller more affordable package. It'll be released in July for S$149 Singapore dollars, or about $109US.
Creative D100
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Last but not least is the D100. It's my favorite of the trio, perhaps because it's the only one I could afford! They come in a range of colors that should look familar to any Vision:M owners out there. Creative calls it their "Wireless Boombox", and for good reason, as it has a pop-out handle for traveling, and can operate with 4-AA batteries. The D100 will retail for S$89 Singapore dollars, or $65US when it comes out this Summer.
Would you like Creative to make a bluetooth compatible Zen? Let us know in our comments section. Creative has been known to read our site from time to time so they might just listen to us!
Some may have forgotten, but the Creative ZEN was actually the first 32GB flash player released. I thought it was a bold move at the time, considering the financial woes of the Singapore company. Despite their continued struggles, Creative has announced a 64GB model for the ZEN X-Fi2. They’re not the first to reach that capacity this time around, but better late than never I say. The 64GB X-Fi2 is available for S$399 Singapore dollars, or about $287US.
Creative has announced a new line of players called the "ZEN Style" series. The new players, as the name would suggest, are quite stylish come in a variety of colors. They also share many of the same design elements as the 3rd gen Vado HD. Here's a quick run-down of the new series.
ZEN X-Fi Style
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The name may throw you off, since it's closer to the original ZEN, than the ZEN X-fi, at least in terms of looks. The ZX-Fi Style has a 2.4" display, X-Fi sound enhancements, a built-in speaker, and 25 hours of battery life. Sadly, the device doesn't appear to have an expansion slot.
Specs:
Capacity: 8, 16, and 32GB
Display: 2.4" TFT (320 x 240 resolution, 262K colors)
Audio: MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, and WAV
Video: MPEG-4 SP, WMV, Xvid, Divx (up to 640 x 480 resolution)
The ZEN Style is a compact player, with roughly the same dimensions as the ZEN Mozaic. There are two models to choose from, the 100, and 300, with the latter having an FM tuner, and a built-in speaker.
Specs
Capacity: 4, 8, and 16GB
Display: 1.8" TFT (128 x 160 resolution, 65K colors)
The new Style series doesn't really bring anything we haven't seen before. Rather, these players are re-skinned versions of older players, with a few new tricks. The new designs are certainly more mainstream, compared to something like the Mozaic however, and the prices are pretty reasonable too. These aren't exactly the players we've been waiting for, but hopefully it'll provide Creative with some revenue so that they can make the players we've really been wishing for.
All Day Gold Box Deals on Creative products at Amazon
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Creative doesn't get much publicity these days, but today Amazon is dedicating their "Gold Box Lightning Deals" section to all Creative products. They kicked things off at midnight with their Gold Box Deal of the Day featuring the 2nd gen Vado HD for $99.99 shipped. Here's a run-down of the deals, as well as the clues for upcoming ones.
Creative launches Aurvana In-ear2 earphones and HS-930i Headset at IT Show 2010
IT Show 2010, Singapore's largest consumer electronics exhibition, has officially started. Creative is in attendance of course being a native company of the region. Along with some of the products we already know about, like the Vado HD (3rd gen), and those cool World of Warcraft Headsets, they're also launching two new products at the show.
Creative Aurvana In-Ear2
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Creative launched the Aurvana earphones back in 2006. They received a lot of praise and showed Creative could compete with other premium headphone manufacturers. Building on that success, they've released other high-end pairs in subsequent years, such as the the Aurvana DJ, X-Fi, Air, and Ice. Now they've created a successor to the original called the Aurvana in-ear2. They've redesigned it, adding a nice metal finish, and did some fine-tuning to the specs.
Specs
Driver Units: Balanced Armature
Frequency Response: 15Hz-16kHz
Impedance: 42ohms
Sensitivity (1kHz): 110dB/mW
Cord Length: 1.2m Oxygen-Free Copper cable
Input Plug: 3.5mm stereo gold-plated miniplug
Net Weight: 11g
Package contents: pair of Creative Aurvana In-Ear2 earphones, 2 sets of silicone eartips in 3 different size, travel case with cable management holder, cleaning tool, airplane adapter
Creative HS-930i Headset
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Creative is also introducing the HS-930i, a new headset designed for the iPhone. It also comes with a PC adapter, allowing you to use it with programs like Skype, and Live Messenger.
Key Features of the Creative HS-930i Headset
One-click music and call-answer switch with music playback control on the slim in-line microphone
Includes PC-Adapter for voice communications on Netbooks, PC, Laptops and Macbooks
Noise-isolation technology with its superb in-ear design and multi-size soft silicone eartips
Premium metal housing design with swivel cap-ends for unique loop ear-style wear
Technical Specifications of the Creative HS-930i Headset
Earphones
Drivers: 6mm micro driver
Frequency Response: 20Hz ~ 20kHz
Impedance: 16 ohms
Sensitivity @ 1kHz: 105dB/mW
Microphone
Frequency Response: 80Hz ~ 10kHz
Impedance: 2.2k ohms
Connectivity: 3.5mm gold-plated plug
Cord Length: 1.2m Oxygen-Free Copper
Weight: 12g
Colour: Silver
In-Box Accessories: S, M, L size eartips, PC-Adapter
Both the the 2nd gen Aurvana in-ear earphones, and HS-930i headset are currently on sale at the IT Show for 149 Singapore dollars, or roughly $107US. No US release date has been provided yet.
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