Portable Media Players: Discerning audiophiles always crave the best sound quality even as they settle for the convenience of an MP3 player. With the Sony Walkman X Series ($284.77) they won’t have to compromise. Outstanding audio, beautiful touchscreen display, and integrated Wi-Fi put it at the head of the pack. In the market for an iPod shuffle contender? Look no further than the Sansa Clip+, which one-ups the tiny iPod by adding a tiny screen.

Speaker Docks: You’ve seen iPod docks, you’ve seen iPod alarm clocks, but have you seen a dock alarm clock that comes with a bed shaker? Try snoozing through that!

Though the processor will be paired with Android and Plazma operating systems and development platforms, phones were not among the devices listed in the press release. There was a focus on 3D gaming and Creative’s X-Fi audio technology, so it’s not too much of a leap to expect that handheld PMPs will be the first to benefit from the ZMS-08.

With the promise of low-power consumption, it seems ZiiLABS is looking to challenge NVIDIA’s Tegra chip on every front. The ZMS-08 won’t ship until the beginning of 2010, so we have a while to wait before our first glimpse of what it’s capable of.

Hat Tip: Engadget

We took the Zune HD, Sony Walkman X, iPod Nano and the Samsung P3 (another player with a high audio quality rating) to two music stores in New York City to ask employees and patrons which they thought sounded better. However, we didn’t let our test subjects see which players they were listening to. The only data they had to go on was how each sounded while listening with a pair of Bose QuietComfort 15 noise canceling headphones.

We created a playlist with 15 – 30 second snippets from 6 songs. The tracks were not only from different genres but also encoded at different bit rates so each listener would experience the full gamut on each device. Our playlist consisted of the following tracks in MP3 format:

• Where is Bobbie Gentry? by Jill Sobule (256 Kbps)
• The Wind Cries Mary by Jimi Hendrix (256 Kbps)
• One Girl Revolution (Battle Mix) by Superchick (320 Kbps)
• Nine to Five by the Original Broadway Cast (192 Kbps)
• Battle Without Honor or Humanity by Tomoyasu Hotei (128 Kbps)
• Songs of Captivity and Freedom (Doctor Who Soundtrack) by Murray Gold (320 Kbps)

Our first stop was Village Music World, a little store packed floor to ceiling with CDs and records — audiophile heaven. After both employees and patrons listened to each playlist on the Zune, Walkman, nano and P3, we asked them to describe their auditory experience.

Testers felt that the Zune and nano had nearly identical sound quality but rated it as thin or flat. Everyone agreed that the Walkman and P3 had superior quality because the sound was fuller and richer, but our testers were evenly split on which they thought was slightly better.

Next we went to Other Music in the Village, a store famous for its amazing collection of CDs and LPs plus its knowledgeable employees. After listening to the players in the same order, Other Music employees had similar reactions. Zune and nano sound quality: thin; weak bass; felt hollow; flat. Walkman and P3: fuller, richer sound; more present bass; more “air” to the music. One Other Music employee rated the nano higher than the Zune, but preferred the Walkman overall.

Everyone we conducted the test on were iPod owners (past or present) and many rated the quality as good before the test. All but one was surprised to learn that the iPod was one of the devices they’d given a poor rating to. The only exception was John from Other Music; he stopped listening to music on his iPod due to audio quality. (He likes vinyl best.)

After the test was over, I asked each person which player they would buy if they were going to purchase a new one now. Everyone chose either the Sony Walkman X Series or the Samsung P3 over the nano or Zune.

We played the PMPs in the same order for each listener:

1. ZuneHD
2. Sony Walkman X Series
3. iPod Nano
4. Samsung P3

When deciding to purchase a music player, what do most consumers look for? The four players we showed people each have good functionality and a good to great interface. Though iTunes is convenient for both organizing and purchasing music, it’s not the only kid on the block, anymore. Yes, Apple has the biggest selection. But when music lovers are looking to purchase new releases like Whitney Houston’s comeback album I Look To You, they can do so through Amazon.com or the Zune marketplace or even Wal-Mart’s website.

If a consumer feels that all else is equal, what’s left? Audio quality. And in that department, the most popular player and its most high-profile competition lag behind.

Does audio quality matter to you? If you could have a player that sounded far better for about the same price, would you choose it over the hot or popular product?

The Personal Television is designed for parents who to hand their kids something to watch in the back seat without subjecting their cell phones to all sorts of abuse. We think the price of the gadget needs to come way down if FLO TV wants to charge that high a monthly fee. $149 or $99 sounds about right. But at least the Personal Televsion does more than just TV. It’s also a photo viewer and music player.

The device has a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen, and measures 4.4 x 3.0 x 0.5 inches. It weighs just over 5 ounces. Like some other devices, it has a kickstand in the back so you can prop it up while you watch TV. But, here’s a key difference from any phone with mobile TV: because FLO TV runs on its own, dedicated network, instead of piggybacking on one of the four major carriers, it promises the kind of smooth mobile TV experience you don’t always get if you opt for video service from the likes of AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon.

You can choose between a one-year and three-year service agreement. That $8.99 per month stat assumes you’ve committed to three years of service (FLO TV won’t release full pricing information until launch). Subscriptions are non-refundable, so you can’t pro-rate them if you decide it’s not for you.

The FLO TV Personal Television will be available for purchase this holiday season. Stay tuned for hands-on impressions.

One of my favorite things about the Zune is the menu navigation. It’s very intuitive, combining common sense structure and design. No matter how deep into the menus you get, there’s an easy way to get back to where you were and, of course, the home screen. Like its predecessor, the Zune comes with wireless and now has an integrated web browser. Unlike some underbaked mobile browsers we’ve come across lately, the one included here makes navigation and URL input easy.

This elegance extends to the outside as well. There are only three buttons — power, home, and volume/playback control. Otherwise this sleek and slim device is smooth and uncluttered. It’s available in platinum, black, red, blue and green in 16GB and 32GB capacities.

The HD offerings extend beyond video — there’s also an HD radio receiver inside that will allow users to save song information for later purchase. And the new Zune Marketplace will carry an array of apps starting with n array of games that will show off the Tegra chip’s 3D capabilities.

We’ll have a full hands-on with the Zune HD and software soon.

The device includes a larger 2.2-inch, 240 x 376 display, microphone and speaker. The body is polished anodized aluminum in multiple colors. It comes in two models. 8GB for $149. 16GB goes for $179.

The nano will record 640 x 480 pixel video at 30 frames per second. You’ll even be able to add real time effects, like Sepia, X-Ray, Film Grain, Cyborg, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Stretch and 7 more. Read on for more details and hands-on impressions.

The new nano enables one-click uploading to YouTube, just like the Flip cam. And you get double the memory for a lower price. Apple showed us some sample footage and it looked quite good on the big screen, with well saturated colors and plenty of detail (and not much shakiness). I’m just not sure people want to buy a music and video player to get a camcorder.

We spent a little hands on time with the new nano and came away impressed with the video quality, but we’d want to do a full head to head with the Flip before declaring a winner.

There are certainly some trade-offs to using the new nano as a camcorder. First, we wonder how much battery life you’ll get when recording, even though we know it’s designed for capturing short clips. Plus, there’s no dedicated recording button. And, unlike some other competing flash cams like the ones from Kodak, you can’t capture still photos.

On the plus side, we like the new 2.2-inch display (up from 2 inches) and the fact that the nano can record smooth VGA video at 30 frames per second. If you want HD recording, look elsewhere. Maybe HD video capture will be added to the touch line by early next year.

Really, video recording is a bonus for potential nano buyers, and that might be enough to make a dent in Flip’s market share and mind share.

Click through for our image gallery and video.

The iPod classic is still kicking, with new 160GB model for $249. Last but not least is a $59 2GB iPod shuffle in multiple colors. There’s also an 4GB version for $79 and a new Aluminum edition for $99 (4GB).

Phil Schiller was first on stage bragging about the iPod’s success. And he has every right. iPod is at 73.8 percent market share, versus 1.1 percent for Microsoft (yikes). And Over 50 percent of customers are new to the iPod. Case in point, my dad just got an iPod touch.

Speaking of the touch, that’s the fastest growing product. To date Apple has sold over 20 million iPod touch devices. Hey, that’s not far behind the 30 million iPhones.

Schiller ended by saying that the iPod is not only great music and movie device but also amazing pocket computer (yes, we know). And, of course, it’s a great portable game player. There’s a reason why Sony and Nintendo are copying Apple. He put up a slide that shows the App Store has many, many more games than those other platforms, but what about quality? He showed us quick video to back up that argument.

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed coming out for iPod touch and the iPhone. The game has lots of hand-t0-hand combat but the side-scrolling action looks a bit dated between close-ups.

Tapulous’ CEO came on stage to demo Riddim Ribbon that puts you in the role of the DJ. The game combines racing (kind of like Tron) as you follow a green line to keep the beat flowing.

Playing the demo to Boom Boom Pow, he showed that it’s easy to challenge friends. Game coming this October. Rock on!

Gameloft showed us a new first-person shooter, with rich graphics and sweet sniper mode.

But the coolest game coming out is Madden 10. You can literally draw your own routes with your fingers. It’s available today. The graphics look pretty decent, and we like the new kick interface that lets you aim with your finger and kick with a swipe.

New Genius technology. App Store will show you recommendations based on what you already own Also adding 30,000 ringintones for $1.29 each. But does that include the full track?

iTunes recently surpassed 100 million accounts. Wow. Today introducing iTunes 9, which has a cleaner interface. First major feature is Genius mixes. It’s like a genius DJ that plays endless mixes of songs that go together, similar to radio stations. This reminds me of what Microsoft has done with its Zune software.

iTunes 9 also has improved syncing. You can say I want to sync these playlists and I want all the music by a given artists or genre. You can also sync faces and events in photos. But the big news is how Apple has improved app syncing, giving users more control. New home sharing feature lets you share music with up to five other computers and stream their contents. You can also drag whatever you want to your library.

When it comes to the store itself, there’s a cleaner interface with new movie pages and artist pages. New iTunes LP. Have videos and liner notes. Giving artists more control over what appears.

Demo time. Showing us new iTunes 9 with easier syncing of applications. You can easily remove apps right from the desktop, as well as search for apps. Can even move whole pages of apps, great if you want to (for example) have all your games together.

Moving on to network sharing. Showing us how you can move tracks from other computers on your network your Mac or PC by just dragging and dropping. Pretty slick.

Onto new iTunes store. New user interface makes it easy to buy tracks right from the Top Charts list, as well as instant preview streaming. You can gift albums, add to wishlist (new feature) as well as share via Facebook or Twitter.

iTunes LP have lots of extras. Going for interactive experience. Photos. Chronology. Behind-the-scenes videos. The Doors album has all the features.

There are also iTunes extras for movies. Now this could threaten DVD sales. Chapter selections and more. Who needs an optical drive in their notebook now?

Update: Apple Introduces iPhone 3.1 Software, iTunes 9

Update 2: Apple iPod Touch Now $199 for 8GB, $399 for 64GB. Madden 10 Available Now.

Final Update: Look Out, Flip. New iPod nano Includes Video Camera

The M1, available later this month, has a 3.3-inch AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display, which is both ultra thin and low power. This device is capable of impressive 3D graphics, which are on display in the M1’s UI. Couple that with 16GB of storage, 720p HD video, Bluetooth, and a scratch-resistant finish. We’re definitely eager to get our hands on this PMP.