Digital Christmas: Jingle Bells


11 Dec 2010

Turn up the volume and get into the party spirit! Check out some of this great music tech to keep it from being a quiet Christmas.

iPod touch

The iPod touch is a real music powerhouse. It features Genius Playlists, which makes playlists that go great with a song you particularly love.

It also has some nice design touches, for example, its Shake to Shuffle function – just give the iPod touch a shake and it’ll shuffle to a different tune.

But the iPod touch is much more than an MP3 player. You can access loads of apps from the Apple App Store.

Apple has also added all the advanced features from the iPhone 4 to the new iPod touch, including the Retina Display, HD Video recording and Facetime.

Not to mention its new app Game Center, which lets you play games with friends on the device.

Where: Apple Store and leading stores

iPod Nano

iPod Nano

The iPod Nano has gotten a complete revamp, bringing multi-touch functionality to the little device.

Tap and swipe to get to all your favourite songs. Its 1.5-inch display has a 240 x 240 pixel resolution and it’s available in a range of great colours.

It also has the same size connecting port as the iPhone and iPod Touch, so you can plug it into compatible speakers without fuss.

Like the iPod touch, this also includes some great music features, such as Shake to Shuffle and Genius. It also includes an FM radio and doubles as a pedometer.

Where: Apple Store and leading stores

Creative Zen X-Fi 2

Creative Zen X-Fi 2

The Creative ZEN X-Fi 2 features a bright, 3-inch TFT LCD touchscreen and multi-format support for music, including iTunes Plus and FLAC files.

The player’s memory can be expanded with a microSD card. Audio technology X-Fi Crystalizer intelligently restores lost detail in songs, enhancing the clarity of the sound.

It moves the standard left/right earphone stereo source away from the ears, virtually expanding it to create a greater depth of field.

It also has some interesting extra features, such as a TV-out capability to play movies and pictures on a large screen and the ability to sync and download RSS feeds to it.

Where: Argos

Logitech Pure Fi Express PlusLogitech Pure Fi Express Plus

 

Both a portable MP3 speaker system and an alarm clock, the Logitech Pure Fi Express Plus is focused on delivering clear sound across your bedroom.

The 360-degree speakers project clear and even sound.

It includes a handle and the ability to run on batteries, adding to it portability and a wireless remote control.

This speaker system supports iPod devices through the top port and other devices with a 3.5mm auxiliary cable.

Where: Peats, Pixmania.ie

Sony Walkman E450

Sony Walkman E450

Light and colourful, the Sony Walkman E450 has a redesigned playback screen than other models.

It has integrated Lyrics Sync, which displays lyrics for the current song on screen.

There’s also karaoke, which reduces the volume of the singer’s voice to let you take the spotlight.

Not only that, but with a built-in voice recorder, you can record yourself singing and listen back.

The Sony Walkman E450 offers 50 hours of music playback. Tracks are easy to add – just drag and drop songs to the MP3 player.

Where: Leading retailers

Speakal iPig

iPig

This iPod docking station has a 2.1 stereo speaker system built in.

You can adjust bass and treble and it includes a remote to control its five speakers and the iPod. Did we mention that it’s shaped like a pig?

This definitely is a unique stereo system with clever design touches. Its two eyes are two of the speakers and volume can be controlled by its ears.

But even then, its main focus is to distribute as best a sound as it can, with all the speakers positioned for maximum sound separation.

Where: Meteor, CompuB, HMV