PortablePlayersWorld.com Latest Blog Posts

NextUp TextAloud 3.0.55 Portable

Thu, 02 May 2013 10:56:01 GMT

Convert any text into voice and MP3 for PC or download to MP3 player. TextAloud is the leading text to speech program, available with exciting premium voices (including several languages) from ATT, Cepstral and NeoSpeech for the best in computer speech for your PC. TextAloud uses voice synthesis to convert text into spoken audio. TextAloud reads text from email, web pages, reports and more, aloud on your PC. TextAloud can also save your daily reading to MP3 or Windows Media files ready for playback on your iPod, PocketPC, or even on your TV with Tivo's Home Media Option.

What you can do with TextAloud:
• Sit back and relax while your PC reads to you
• Save text to MP3 for portable audio players
• Proofread your own writing
• Listen to that report while you're on the treadmill
• Find help for someone with a reading disability
• Create messages for your answering machine
• Reduce eye strain from too much reading
• Listen to information while you work on something else
• Take some reading along for your daily walk or run
• Turn your iPod into a tax write-off
• Listen to an eBook during your commute
• Study English as a Second Language
• Help a senior citizen or someone with low vision
• Add some spice to your PowerPoint presentations
• Find a great new tool to study for exams
• Listen to text read in other languages
• Amuse your kids by letting your PC read stories to them
• Create audio files for computer games
• Prepare for a big speech by hearing your words read aloud

Features at a glance:
• Single-Article and Multi-Article Mode for listening to articles one at a time, or building a playlist to listen to later.
• Load articles using the Clipboard, Document Import, Hot Keys and Drag and Drop.
• Support for Word, PDF and HTML documents.
• Support for multiple Text-To-Speech engines, including international voices.
• Support for WAV, MP3 and WMA audio files.
• Proofread tool for listening to documents as you proofread.
• Plugin toolbar for Internet Explorer to listen to web pages.

Source: christithow.blogspot

Seagate GoFlex Slim review

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:34:25 GMT

At just 9mm high the Seagate GoFlex Slim is currently the world's thinnest portable hard drive - it's 38 per cent slimmer than the current GoFlex ultra-portable drives. This 7200 RPM drive is USB 3.0 compatible (backwards compatible with USB 2.0), so you benefit from fast transfers if your PC or Mac has a USB 3.0 port. You can also connect the GoFlex via SATA once you've unplugged the USB adaptor. Should you want to connect the drive via FireWire or eSATA, you can buy separate adaptors.

The supplied 18" (45.7cm) mini USB 3.0 cable is fine for laptop use but for desktop PCs, or if you want to connect it to your TV without it dangling from the back, you may want to pick up a longer one. The Slim works on both Mac and Windows, with an NTFS driver for Mac preloaded on the drive. If you want to use it with Time Machine, though, you'll need to reformat it to HFS+. Also preloaded are automatic backup software, folder sync software and encryption. The drive is encased in a matt black anodised aluminium shell which looks better than plastic and gives it a pleasingly solid feel, though it does pick up fingerprint smudges very easily.

When first plugged into a USB port the drivers install within seconds and then you're good to go. If you want to use the supplied software you can install it from the drive. A small white LED at the back of the unit shows that it's powered up.

The Slim is virtually silent in use. When placed on a wooden desk in a quiet room there was a barely audible buzz as the drive spun, and despite a lack of vents, it remained cool to the touch.
We benchmarked the GoFlex Slim over both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connections, using ATTO Disk Benchmark.

Maximum sequential read and write speeds:
USB 3.0
Write: 119 MB/s
Read: 121 MB/s
USB 2.0
Write: 31 MB/s
Read: 35 MB/s
Not only is the GoFlex Slim small enough to sit unobtrusively alongside a laptop or to pop into a laptop bag pocket, but its size and good looks make it ideal to slip onto an already crowded TV stand so you can connect it to your TV or Blu-ray player.
The GoFlex Slim has a price tag of around £80, so it'll cost you more than a higher capacity and slightly more portly drive from Seagate's original portable GoFlex line. A 1TB GoFlex Ultra-portable, for example, can be picked up at Amazon for £70 (though if you want to connect it via USB 3.0 you'll have to splash out for an upgrade cable).
So if capacity is your priority you can get more storage for less cash, but if you're after a portable hard drive that's small and good looking, then the GoFlex slim is a good buy.

Source: techradar

Plextor Portable Media Player (MediaX PMP) review

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:06:59 GMT

Movietime! Everyone loves movies, and computers, and televisions as big as billboards. But unless you've got some media streaming gubbins like a PS3 or a decent DVD player, there's a bit of a data chasm in getting your (possibly illicitly) downloaded movies onto your telly box. And the problem with these set-ups is that they tend to be on the bankruptcy-inducing side of expensive. Enter Plextor's Portable Media Player. It's essentially a 160GB portable hard disk drive that can be connected to your television to watch movies. And it functions quite well at a rudimentary level, supporting SCART and even component output for 720p. It will also play MPEG, DivX, XVIDs and (possibly illicitly) copied DVD folders.

Limited file support
It does fall a little short, though: it won't play AAC or WMV ?les, and bearing in mind these are the de facto standard for high-definition video it seems pointless marrying it to a player capable of 720p. The term 'portable' is also a misnomer: when you factor in the mains adaptor and spaghetti-like slew of cables needed to connect it to a television, you're dealing with an Eee PC-sized package. Plextor has promised an updated version of the Portable Media Player in the coming months, touting an HDMI output, and hopefully supporting more file formats. If the minor niggles are ?xed, then they'll be on to winner, but until then this leaves this player a little to be desired. Extra points for innovation though.

Source: techradar

Passion In My Pants: Astell & Kern’s AK100 portable music player

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:21:52 GMT

In the Headzones room, Astell & Kern’s Owen Kwon introduced me to his company’s sexy little AK100 hi-rez portable music player ($699). The AK100 is good-looking, powerful, and versatile: It uses a Wolfson WM8740 DAC; natively supports “Mastering Quality Sound” (MQS) files with resolutions up to 24-bit/192kHz; has 32GB of internal memory and provides two micro-SD slots, each supporting an additional 32GB of memory; offers micro USB, optical in/out, and headphone connections; and is compatible with FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, and AIFF files.

The user-interface was intelligent and intuitive. I scrolled through the AK100’s playlist and landed upon one of Ms. Little’s favorites—LMFAO’s hit single, “Sexy and I Know It.” I suddenly had passion in my pants: Not only was the sound clear and authoritative, but I could also easily sense the song’s inherent humor, irony, and hip-shaking attitude. I believe John Atkinson, that sexy thing, has a unit in for review. Watch out for that.

Source: stereophile

SMPlayer Portable 0.8.4 (media player) Released

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:25:35 GMT

SMPlayer Portable 0.8.4 has been released by PortableApps.com. SMPlayer Portable is the popular SMPlayer packaged with a PortableApps.com Launcher as a portable app, so you can take your video player with you. It has all the same great features as SMPlayer including remembering the settings of all the files you play, configurable subtitles, audio track switching, seeking by mouse wheel, video equalizer, multiple speed playback, playlists and more, so you can take your favourite video player with you wherever you go. It's packaged in PortableApps.com Format so it can easily integrate with the PortableApps.com Platform. And it's open source and completely free.

Source: portableapps

Star Wars alarm clock doubles as a speaker

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 14:49:34 GMT

This gadget is named as Clone Wars I-Twin MP3 Player/Alarm Clock, obviously, it’s inspired from Star Wars. As its name implies, it’s an alarm clock for waking Star Wars fans up. At the same time, the gadget is also a booster integrated two ultra loud speakers for your musics. You can easily connect your iPod, Zune, BlackBerry or other MP3 players to the alarm clock for playback. Clone Wars I-Twin MP3 Player/Alarm Clock is available for $15.99 USD at Star Wars Shop.

Source: gadgetsin

House of Marley Chant Portable Wireless Speaker

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:56:26 GMT

We have introduced many nice portable speakers, but if you like those eco-friendly gadgets, the House of Marley’s Chant portable wireless speaker may be able to draw your more attention. The Chant is a Bluetooth portable speaker system that measures 150 x 112 x 112mm and weights 590g. As we can see from the images, the wireless speaker system features sleek portable design along with recycled plastic housing and earth-friendly fabric washes, metal plating and printing inks, while the built-in 2-inch full-range driver and 2-inch passive radiator generate impressive sound for your favorite music.

In addition to built-in Bluetooth technology, the wireless speaker also has an integrated 3.5mm audio input for any music player with 3.5mm audio jack, apart from that, the rechargeable battery of the Bluetooth speaker offers 6 hours of playback time, and the included REWIND carry bag with carabiner allows you to take the Bluetooth speaker anywhere with ease.

Source: gadgetsin

eBay watch: 1960s Dansette Challenge portable record player

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:29:33 GMT

Seems to be more and motor companies on eBay right now renovating vintage record players, particularly Dansettes. This 1960s Dansette Challenge portable record player is an example of the finished work.

Nice example too, as well as a rare one. Not sure I've seen this model and its contrasting front panel on the auction site before. As you've probably guessed, the player has been full restored and serviced, said to be in 'as new working condition' right now.

Inside, you'll find a BSR Monarch turntable, able to play 16, 33, 45 & 78rpm speeds, with record sizes of 7" 10" & 12", with the option to stack up to eight discs at a time. It also has two chrome capped controls, the Dansette badge to the bottom left, the Challenge badge in silver and a red pilot lamp on the front that illuminates when the player is switched on. Valve amplifier of course.

It is sold with a Ful-fi TC8H crystal cartridge and a copy the original BSR turntable instructions. It's also sold without a reserve, right now at £5.50.

Source: retrotogo

Inspan, Genius launch SP-i320 portable music player

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:03:21 GMT

NEW DELHI: Inspan Infotech launched SP-i320 portable music player with speaker from Genius. The all-new music player is a combination of a portable mp3 player and loud speaker and features plug-and-play functionality. Genius SP-i320 is priced at Rs 1,800 and comes with a warranty of 1 year.

With the new Genius SP-i320, users simply need to slide the knob to turn on/off and adjust volume, while functional keys can play or select music. The device has an aux-in jack so that users connect it to a notebook, iPod, cell phone or other electronic devices through a standard 3.5mm jack. With the Genius-Link, multiple Genius SP-i320 portable speakers can be linked in a row. It also has a built-in rechargeable lithium battery which provides up to eight hours of power.

Key features:
MP3 and Aux mode selection;
Supports mp3 music in FAT32 format ;
Play/pause, next/back track, forward /reverse in MP3 mode;
Support Link to other portable speakers;
1.5-inch metal driver for low-bass sound;
Two-hour charge via microUSB;
Up to eight hours working time;
Supports up to 32GB USB storage device; and
Colour options: Blue, Bronze, Firebrick and Olive

Source: articles.timesofindia.indiatimes

Portable Gaming Roundup

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:31:09 GMT

The portable gaming world is now more crowded thanks to the introduction of new products at CES 2013. Graphics hardware giant NVIDIA is jumping on board with “Project Shield” and mobile device manufacturer Archos is introducing “Gamepad.”

Before, Nintendo and Sony dominated the scene with their line of on-the-go products, namely the DS/3DS and the Vita. Thanks to the introduction of tablets, any Android or iOS phone can do more than just a simple round of Angry Birds. These days, the pie chart mapping who the big winners and niche players are is getting rather full.

The question many people will ask is will these new devices simply be a new flavour of the month, or be the creamy toppings one could put on the plate?

With Archos offering Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) on their gaming unit, the question of which mobile player is tantalizing will depend on the gamer’s personal taste. The reports about NVIDIA’s handheld reveal this company likes Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean). If these food metaphors are not bad enough, the choices gamers now have to make will depend on what they each like to eat. No official specs have been released at the time of this writing, but based on reports from Gizmag and Laptop Magazine the following was extracted.

With the Razer Edge as the third contender in this lineup, the battle for which product will be the better value for the buck will happen when all the items are out. The release dates for each of these devices are spread throughout the year. If these companies are going to slug it out between one another, they should have these products outs within a few months of each other instead of the other way around. No date has been set for Project Shield, Razer’s Edge has an unofficial mid-year date, and Gamepad is confirmed for Q4 release.

So far, none of these mobiles handhelds look like a clear winner. Niche products are a tough sell. In order for a product to succeed, it has to have a broad spectrum appeal. That’s why the Consumer Electronics Show exists, despite concerns that this trade show may be past its prime.

Source: gamersyndrome