Noreve Case for the iRiver SPINN

Noreve comes through again with a well crafted leather case that fits and protects perfectly my iRiver SPINN. All controls and the USB port are accessible with the case closed. There is even a small hole for access to reset. The leather is high quality and the stitching is excellent. It comes with Noreve's standard but well engineered belt clip and a screwdriver to install it with.

Noreve's cases are pricey, but you won't find a better quality case out there. You can get yours in a wide range of colors, although you might have to wait a few weeks if they don't have the color you want in stock. I recommend them and have several within my collection of devices. You won't go wrong with Noreve's Tradition leather Case for the iRiver SPINN.

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Zunes Keep Getting Better. Watch Out Apple!

I mentioned back in October and September that the Zune would make a great gift, and was far better than the iPod Nano of the same price. Zunes are now an even better value. Their prices have been reduced. The Zune desktop software has been updated. The device firmware also receives an update that improves reliability and includes new multiplayer games.

New prices for the Zune are $99 (4gb), $139(8gb), and $179(16g). The 8ogb and 120gb Zunes remain $229 and $249 respectively. For comparison an 8gb Nano is $149.99 and a 16gb nano is $199.99 A 120gb iPod Classic sells for $249.99.

The Zune software update adds new features in addition to usual fixes. The 3.1 upgrade includes a visual overhaul for the Zune Social feature, and easier navigation. Also added is a "like minded listeners" feature that shows users other Zune Social members that tend to play similar music.

All Zune devices now get 5 free games, including Checkers, Hexic, Space Battle, Sudoku, and Texas Hold'em. Both Checkers and Texas Hold'em can be played via WiFi against other Zunes! I only have two Zunes to test, but can confirm that multiplayer works great for both games. I don't know if the Texas Hold'em game supports more than two players, but it should. One Zune has to Host the game after which another one (or more) can Join.

The Samsung P2 and T10 can play games wirelessly (via Bluetooth) between devices. As far as I know Microsoft is only the second MP3 player manufacturer to utilize a wireless technology for game play. Bluetooth has a range of about 10 meters (30 feet). Wifi has potentially more range, and leads to the possibility of neighbors playing Poker (or Checkers) with each other even though everyone is in their own home. If you have children who don't mind playing with each other, the amazing wifi song-sharing and game play of the Zune make it a GREAT gift to get them all.

I'm personally a Sudoku addict. I've got a two Sudoku games on my iPod Touch and one on my Samsung Instinct phone. The Sudoku game now on the Zunes is a great implementation, and includes Classic, Mini, and Custom (you create them) puzzles. There are Easy, Normal, and Hard modes. If you don't know the game there is a Learn-to-Play option. It's only a 4 page (screen)description of the rules, but it will be enough to get you started and addicted.

If you were on the edge about which MP3 player to buy, these Zune updates should push you over. Microsoft has the right idea. They may have stolen it from Samsung. With free updates the devices get better and better. The Zune was born with great hardware. This update makes even better use of the WiFi chip in all of them. Well done, Microsoft!

My Conclusion? Get a Zune. Get a Zune. GET A ZUNE!

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Samsung YP-T10 Review. Amazing Value for Your Money!

The Samsung T10 is the little brother of the Samsung P2. While not a touchscreen player, the T10 did inherit many of the P2's functions and features. I picked mine up through Amazon.com for $99.77 with no tax or shipping. It arrived via DHL within 4 days of my order, in great shape and brand new. On a quick check it looks like the T10 is even cheaper since I ordered mine. T10s are available in Black, Purple, Red, Line-yellow, and White. Expect to pay a little more for any non-black T10.

On hooking it up to my PC, the same software (Emodio.exe) I use with my Samsung P2 player loaded up and promptly informed me of an available firmware update. If you've never installed another Samsung player before, the package includes a small CD with software you should install before plugging in the T10 for the first time.

Also included was a charging cable, earbuds, earbud covers, and three pieces of paper. There was a Quick Start Guide, a Registration notice, and a warning about actual memory space on the T10.

The body of the P2 is as clean as one could be. The only external mechanical switch is the Hold/Power slider on the right side. The bottom edge is where you'll find the charging cable port, the headphone jack, a small microphone, and a wrist strap connection point. There is a tiny reset hole on the back.

The front face is split with a 320 x 240 pixel 2" LCD on the top half, and the lower half occupied by a touch sensitive control area. There are dedicated spots for Menu, Back, up/down volume, left/right file browsing, and a center Play/Pause/Select button. All are backlit. The YP-T10 is 3.78" long by 1.63" wide and only .31" thick. It's about the same length and width as the iPod Nano and small Zune. It's smaller and thinner than the Samsung P2.

The rest of it's specifications can be found at Samsung.com. I'll warn you that as the T10 has been updated, the specs I've linked you to are not 100% accurate any more. One example is that the T10 does allow game play, yet the specs claim it doesn't.

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The Functions include Music, FM Radio, Datacast (podcast) and Video play, Photo and Text view, and Games. There is also an Address Book which you can fill via bluetooth from your cell phone. While I'm on the topic of phones, the T10 can be paired with most Bluetooth enabled phones, and serve as a wireless headset for them. You can receive and initiate calls from the T10 once it's paired with a phone. The built-in microphone serves well here, and will also allow you to record voice messages or a class lecture if you desire. You can record from FM radio as well. Both functions create MP3 files which can be played back the same as any music file. If you've got a sibling or friend with a T10 or a P2, you can send any file to them via bluetooth. File transfer also works between T10 and a PC, so long as the PC also has Bluetooth. Many Apple Mac PCs do.

The User Interface (UI) is well thought out. Left and right taps on the touchpad get you through the main menu items. There are three menu styles to choose from. The touchpad is just the right degree of sensitive. It knew what I wanted on the first tap, and responded quickly. It's not as efficient as the P2's touchscreen interface, but it serves easily as well as the Zune or Nano UIs do.

Music. You can sort music by Artist, Album, Songs, Genres, Playlists, Recorded files (off FM or from the microphone), or using the music browser. Sound Effects include Street Mode or Clarity. Samsung's DNSe has 10 predefined settings including Normal, Studio, Rock, Classical, Jazz, Ballad, Club, Rhythm & Blues, Dance, Concert Hall, and at least one User Defined setting. There are four play modes including Normal, Repeat, Repeat One, and Shuffle. There are also four music play screen options. Should you be listening to a podcast or ebook, you can change the play speed from o.7x to 1.3x in .1 increments. You can tell the T10 to connect to bluetooth headphones from the Music menu rather than having to go back into the bluetooth settings.

Video. The T10 will play WMV or MPEG4 video files at 30 frames per second and 320 x 240 resolution. Other formats can be converted using the PC software included. They display horizontally on the screen. You've got 3 DNSe (audio) settings for video including Normal, Drama, and Action. You can add bookmarks to video. You can also adjust the screen brightness from the video menu. Very handy. There are three sample videos included. Video looks excellent on the 2" screen, although it's not quite a theater experience.

Pictures. You can play music while looking at photos. You can zoom 200% to 400%, and rotate in 90 degree steps. Slide shows can be timed slow, fast, or normal. Lastly you can select a photo to serve as your menu background image. Pictures look as good as you can expect at 320 x 240 resolution. Standard for players with the same size screen.

FM Radio. The Radio application is fairly straightforward. Headphones must be plugged in as they serve as the antenna. You can autotune stations or manually select. You can adjust the reception sensitivity and region. Lastly you can record from the radio. There doesn't appear to be any RDS.

Datacasts. Datacasts can be either audio or video, differ from music or video files in that they are periodicals. You can bookmark within them, and they will always resume where you left off the last time they were played.

Prime Pack. Prime Pack is where you'll find the Text viewer, Voice recorder, Games, and the Address Book. I don't have any games on my T10 yet, but will do a quick review when I get them.

File Browser. Using the file browser you can peruse every file on the T10, and optionally delete it. Any media file selected will begin playing in the related app.

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I chose the T10 as one of the best MP3 players you could buy for your kids. The voice recorder and bluetooth allow siblings or friends to record messages and then send them wirelessly to each other. The T10 is a better value than the iPod Nano. Same size screen, but far more features. Sound quality is better than any iPod. You won't find an FM radio on any iPod, and the T10 even allows you to record off FM. You can use the included earbuds, or choose from a vaste assortment of wired and wireless headphones. Bluetooth is the stand-out application on the T10. Once you go wireless you won't go back.

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Conclusion? The Samsung YP-T10 is an amazing player. At less than $100 its value is not matched by anything else out there. They are a little hard to find, but well worth the trouble.

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