sandisk

Do you remember the MusicGremlin, the rather cool MP3 player that enabled users to download tracks over the air? If it escapes your memory, it’s no fault of your own. The company hasn’t made much noise since the player launched a while back. But the name has resurfaced thanks to this morning’s announcement that SanDisk has bought them.

So what does this mean? SanDisk is tight-lipped on the exact details, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to speculate that MusicGremlin’s technology (and possibly its store) may find its way into a second-generation Sansa Connect or other SanDisk music player. Wireless music downloads are handy when you want new tunes when you’re away from the PC, and we’re sure that SanDisk is looking to give its base a piece of that sweet, sweet action.

It was 2005. Having just moved to Boston to complete a summer internship before my senior year of college, I soon found that the locals all seemed to possess two mobile staples: backpacks and iPods. It wasn’t long before I purchased my first Apple product—a 4GB iPod mini—and soon I was blissfully meandering down cobblestone streets, lip-syncing and jamming out to my favorite tunes just like the rest of the population.

The iPod mini, as most should remember, was a much clunkier version of today’s nano, and I couldn’t play videos or view pictures on it. But at around $200, it was still by far my best investment of the summer. My addiction to mobile music hasn’t changed in the last three years, but the choices for MP3 players has, and I’ve since upgraded my mini to the way sleeker 5G with video (which is still a step or two behind today’s classic and not as cool as the touch, but I’m at peace with that for now).

Diehard iPod fan that I am, I still like to consider myself open minded, which is why for a week I’m going to give up my 5G iPod for the new flash-based SanDisk Sansa Fuze. At first glance it could easily be mistaken for the iPod nano, but this 4GB player differentiates itself with cool features like an FM radio, voice recorder, and microSD Card slot.

When I’m outside my New York City apartment, my iPod is like my baby blanket; it goes wherever I go. I don’t think most babies trade their blankets in for smaller, sleeker versions to keep themselves pacified, but I’m willing to give it a shot for a little while. So kudos to me, right?

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