Cambridge SoundWorks - MovieWorks HD iPod Dock

The Cambridge SoundWorks MovieWorks HD isn't actually a new product. We first saw it last year January at the CES 2008 when it was still known as the Creative Xdock HD. It was said to retail for $619 but boy, what a difference a year make! This baby could be yours now for just $249 (yes, still pricey but I was comparing it to the inital price)! Norminated for the Best of CES, the MovieWorks HD allows you to upscale your iPod videos to 1080i and also enhances your music with the X-Fi audio technology.

Why you should buy:

-upscale your iPod videos to HD quality

-enhance your audio with X-Fi

-enjoy your movie in 5.1 surround sound

-enjoy wireless music with the wireless receivers

Why you should not buy:

-expensive ($249)

-does not supports the iPhone

Update: Enjoy $50 off on our NEW MovieWorks HD with ANY Home Theater System Purchase

Coupon Code: MovieWorks50

Expires: 2/28/09

[LINK]

[ORDER YOUR MOVIEWORKS HD TODAY]

TravelSound i85 for iPod Nano 4th Gen

We have seen glimpses of the latest TravelSound i85 at the recent CES. Now it's officially released for the European region in an exclusive deal with Argos. The i85 will dock the iPod Nano 4th Generation perfectly and will enable the in-built FM Radio function of the iPod Nano. Besides a battery life of 15 hours, it is also able to sync and charge the iPod when connected to the computer. What I like best about this TravelSound is the in-built re-chargeable battery and the lanyard which double up as an antenna for the player.

[LINK]

ZiiLABS Android Demo

Above is the ZiiLABS video demo of the Android platform running on its ZMS-05 chip. As you can see, compared to the current ZEN, photos load much faster even when magnified on the Android. You can also browse the web and magnify the site to your heart's content and the images will still not be pixielated. Finally, the demo also showcase the HD playback on the handheld device and also HD upscaling to 1280 x 720 resolution. It seemed pretty impressive but I would be more impressived if I had a chance to see it in real life. I applause the effort Creative is taking to promote the ZMS-05 chip at the various convention but nevertheless still feel a tab bit disappointed that they have yet to introduce an actual Creative Zii-based product. I guess this video gives you a hint of what Creative is up to with its next PMP.

ZMS-05 to support the Android Platform

Creative's name has rarely been associated with open source, looking back at its disastrous X-Fi driver support for Linux and its players' limited success on Rockbox. In short, Creative like writing its own software and we all know where that has taken the company to today. Therefore, I can safely say that many of us were comforted to hear that the ZMS-05 chip from ZiiLabs will support the Android Platform. Although we do not know the full extent of the support (would it be the whole OS or simply part of it), we do know that the ZMS-05 will allow Android based handheld devices to playback 1080i HD videos. One of the biggest complain i heard about the G1 phone was its mediocre battery life. Many said they had to charge the phone daily before it runs out of juice. Therefore, if the ZMS-05 chip can live up to its claim of high energy efficiency, I can forsee HTC replacing the Qualcomm chip in the current G1 phones with the ZMS-05. And with phone companies like Samsung and LG intending to roll out its own Android phone, that can only be good news for ZiiLabs. We will wait till Monday to see the ZiiLabs Android Demo at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Windows 7 Beta driver for Sound Blaster X-Fi

When Windows 7 beta was first released, many Sound Blaster X-Fi users were frustrated as the X-Fi sound cards were not support and Creative did not have any drivers for them. The only consolation was that under the Windows Update, Audigy drivers are now automatically installed. You no longer have trot through Creative's support site to download it. I think this is a good step that Creative is taking and hopefully in future, we will see the option for X-Fi drivers. Having said that, below are 2 beta X-Fi drivers for Windows 7:

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Series Beta Driver 2.18.0008
This download supports the following audio devices only:

Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic
Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty® Professional Series
Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty Champion Series
Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro
Sound Blaster X-Fi

[DOWNLOAD]

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Beta Driver 02.17.0006
This download supports the following audio devices only:

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty® Champion Series
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Professional Audio
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium

[DOWNLOAD]

These are BETA DRIVERS and Creative currently offers no technical support for it. Do share with us in the comments section if you encounter any problems with these drivers or what works and what doesn't for it. Also note that the Windows 7 Beta Trial ends on the 12 of Feb 2009.