Has Sony finally gotten a Clue with the Network Walkman
Grok Headline matches for Has Sony finally gotten a Clue with the Network Walkman
Sony NW-HD5 Network Walkman
Sony NW-HD5 Network Walkman
04/05/2005 07:43 PM
Sony has
just taken the wraps off their new NW-HD5 hard disk-based music
player, a tiny little thing with 20GB of storage. It weighes just 125
grams, which I'm told is less than the weight of a heavily-iced
cupcake (I'm not very good with weights, you might have noticed). Sony
is also promising an ample 40 hours of bettery life and an easily
removable battery. The NW-HD5 will be available in silver, red, and
black and will go on sale in the UK next month for £200 (no word
of a US release yet, but I'd say we'll get it soon enough).
The coolest trick is probably its new 'Follow Turn Display,' which
orients the interface screen depending on which way the NW-HD5 is
held. If I know Sony, I'll bet the controls rotate, too, like the Sony
Vaio U-Series.
Sony
announce the NW-HD5 [Pocket-LintUK]
Sony Network Walkman NW-HD3 Reviewed
Sony Network Walkman NW-HD3 Reviewed
02/05/2005 10:17 PM
Gizmo Girl
has a healthy review of Sony's relatively new NW-HD3 MP3 Player. (And
it plays real MP3, instead of "converts to our proprietary
format while you wai MP3", which had been the case with all of Sony's
previous "MP3" players.) Sony kindly calls it a "Network Walkman", but
don't let those words invoke in you dreams of sugarplum IP fairies,
streaming audio from one device to another, with rainbow wireless
interfaces and candy packets of audio sharing. No, the NW wraps your
MP3s so that effectively once they check in to your device, they don't
check out. Still, sans file-conversion, the transfer process isn't
quite as awful as their earlier players. And it comes in pretty (and
familiar) colors. Battery life is apparently quite stellar, and its
small stature but high capacity has them swooning.
Gizmo Girl
Review [Pocket-Lint]
Sony Building Smothered In Network
Walkman
Sony Building Smothered In Network
Walkman
04/07/2005 12:44 PM
It was only yesterday that Sony's NW-HD5 was
officially announced in Japan, and it seems the company has already
managed to convert the Sony Building into a giant promotion for the
Network Walkman line, called "Walkman Records." This marks a first for
Sony, as their domestic (Japanese) Walkman campaigns typically
revolved around MiniDisc (and for good reason). The first floor is
divided into three sections: "TOUCH," "LISTEN," and "BUY," where I
presume you can do each activity. Don't expect to see this at your
local Sony store any time soon — as of this writing, Sony hasn't
even announced the NW-HD5 for stateside release.
Netwo
rk Walkman in Sony Building [AV Watch]
Sony Refreshes Its Network Walkman (PC
World)
Sony Refreshes Its Network Walkman (PC
World)
04/06/2005 09:21 AMPC World - Hard drive-based device features a new design that more
closely resembles the IPod.
HOWTO de-obfuscate proprietary Sony
Network Walkman files
HOWTO de-obfuscate proprietary Sony
Network Walkman files
04/10/2005 02:56 PMCory Doctorow:
Waider sez, "I've spent some time over the past fortnight unravelling
Sony's obfuscated MP3 file format as used on the Network Walkman
device I have, and probably others in the same product range. The URL
has a full writeup that should allow folk to roll their own code -
I've already got command-line tools to load, list and unload the
device under Linux, and I've made a first pass at a plugin for XMMS to
allow you to play files straight off the device. Note, this isn't
ATRAC - it's obfuscated MP3."
* The file starts with a 4-byte signature, "WMMP"
* Next is a 4-byte longword giving the total file-size in bytes. This
includes the file header, i.e. it's exactly what you'd see displayed
in a directory listing of the file.
* Next is the duration of the track in milliseconds, again in a 4-byte
longword.
* The third 4-byte longword gives the number of frames in the file. If
you're trying to write a file to the device using your own code, I
recommend ripping bits out of XMMS or mp3info to get this number, as
I had difficulty locating a library that would calculate it without
actually decoding the entire file.
* There are 16 bytes of magic: there's the 0x08 0x9f 0x9e 0xff
sequence that occurs in the PBLIST file, followed by 0x01, and
padded out to 16 bytes with 0x00. I've no idea what any of this is
but it seems unchanging.
* The rest of the file is the obfuscated MP3 data, with no ID3 frames
- strip those out before you encode or your file will not play in
the device.
See, this is why DRM is doomed: some guy spends a couple weeks' spare
time picking apart a file-format for the intellectual challenge, and
then your system is irrevocably, totally, permanently b0rked. Sucks to
be a DRM engineer: how do they sleep nights, anyway?
Link
(
Thanks, Waider!)
Sony’s Network Walkman NW-HD1 - the
world’s smallest 20GB ATRAC3 player.
Sony’s Network Walkman NW-HD1 - the
world’s smallest 20GB ATRAC3 player.
07/01/2004 08:41 PMEngadget:
Sony’s Network
Walkman NW-HD1 - the world’s smallest 20GB ATRAC3 player. "The
Network Walkman is supposed to be able to get an astounding thirty
hours of battery life on a single charge." Dell has been advertising
"twice the battery life of iPod" on the radio lately, but the fast
talk at the end of the commercial says they assume 64kbps files. Most
people probably have 128kbps files on their iPods, so the Dell DJ
probably accesses the hard disk half as often -- voila, twice the
battery life. And if you use 48kbps audio, like Sony does, then you
get three times the iPod's battery life -- around 30 hours. When
everybody's using the same parts, the only way to get a 2x or 3x
advantage is to cheat.
Sony XDR-M1 DAB FM WALKMAN
Sony XDR-M1 DAB FM WALKMAN
06/22/2005 01:58 AM
People are saying that
terrestrial radio is dead, but don't believe them. They're crazy and
they smell. DAB&md
ash;a digital radio standard popular with people "in other countries,"
if we're to believe the media—is very cool and could possibly
improve our general listening experience. However, it is not readily
available here yet. That said, Sony has introduced a line of portable
DAB players including the XDR-M1.
This digital radio has 40 preset stations and an FM tuner in areas
that don't have DAB reception. Now, if they could give us DAB over
here instead of non-stop commercials for Trimspa, perhaps I'd turn on
my radio every once in a while.
Sony
launches range of DAB players [Pocket-Lint]
Sony unveils its new WALKMAN
Sony unveils its new WALKMAN
04/06/2005 12:33 PMSony has unveiled its new WALKMAN, a 20GB HDD player with an aluminium
body and credit-card-size dimensions that can hold up to 13,000 songs
or 900 CDs worth of music.
The NW-HD5 offers a 40 hour replaceable battery. It also features a
large and easy-to-navigate 7-line LED screen. The display is
synchronised to hand movements, flipping from horizontal to vertical
depending on moves, eliminating the need for “right side up”. The
NW-HD5’s specially designed sensor kicks in when dropped, providing
immediate and effective shock protection. The NW-HD5 comes supplied
with SonicStage3.1 software that plays both MP3 and ATRAC formats.
The player is available in a choice of black, silver or red and is
expected to be in UK shops next month. There is no announcement on a
North American launch.
Sony Launches MP3 Walkman
Sony Launches MP3 Walkman
07/01/2004 07:09 PMSony unveils HDD Walkman
Sony unveils HDD Walkman
07/01/2004 05:24 AMReg Kit Watch Watch out, iPod
Real "Walkman" settles with Sony
Real "Walkman" settles with Sony
06/07/2004 01:42 PMSony is apparently kicking down several million Euros to Andreas
Pavel, a German inventor who in 1977 patented and prototyped a
wearable stereo called the "Stereobelt." Of course, the Stereobelt
sounds a lot like the Sony Walkman, launched two years later. Flush
with cash, Pavel now plans to go after Apple and other makers of, er,
digital Stereobelts.
Link (via
my journal at The
Feature)Sony hypes "next-generation Walkman"
Sony hypes "next-generation Walkman"
11/05/2003 12:05 PMSony hopes to set history with Walkman,
again
Sony hopes to set history with Walkman,
again
07/01/2004 12:06 PMSony settles with German inventor of
Walkman
Sony settles with German inventor of
Walkman
06/07/2004 04:30 AMSilicon.com Jun 7 2004 7:59AM GMT
News: Sony refreshes HDD Walkman design
News: Sony refreshes HDD Walkman design
04/06/2005 09:01 AMSony Corp. will soon launch a new member in its hard-disk drive-based
Network Walkman family, its fourth so far, and this time the new
player is more than an update to the previous model.
New Sony Walkman to Rival Apple Player
New Sony Walkman to Rival Apple Player
06/30/2004 10:50 PMAP via Los Angeles Times Jul 1 2004 3:10AM GMT
Sony settles Walkman patent case
Sony settles Walkman patent case
06/01/2004 05:40 AMGerman awarded 'a few million euro'
New Sony Walkman to Rival Apple Player
(AP)
New Sony Walkman to Rival Apple Player
(AP)
06/30/2004 10:29 PMAP - The iPod may finally have a serious competitor. The company that
brought us the Walkman is entering the hard disk music player arena
now dominated by its trendsetting-rival Apple Computer Inc.
Sony plans Walkman to rival iPod
Sony plans Walkman to rival iPod
07/01/2004 07:03 AMSony is to revamp its famous Walkman by launching a digital music
player to rival Apple's iPod.
Sony pays millions to inventor in
Walkman dispute
Sony pays millions to inventor in
Walkman dispute
06/04/2004 02:04 PMJapanese Swap The Sony Walkman For The
Apple iPod
Japanese Swap The Sony Walkman For The
Apple iPod
04/10/2005 05:54 AMTokyo's so-called 'gadget city' of Akihabara, where Sony's walkmans
once reigned supreme, the most prized gadget is now Apple's iPod. It
was perhaps some indication of how Japan's self confidence has
faltered along with its economy. By Peter Cave, ABC News
Sony NW-HD1: A New Walkman-Branded Hard
Disk Player?
Sony NW-HD1: A New Walkman-Branded Hard
Disk Player?
06/23/2004 10:52 AMItem! I have it on good word that Sony is planning on launching
another hard drive-based music player, called the Sony NW-HD1.
It's all rumor at this point, of course, but according to my source it
will be branded under the Walkman name and has "far better styling
than the Vaio offer." Sony is apparently shopping it around to various
outlets now to see what people think in preparation of an autumn
launch. If anyone can grab me a picture of this mythical new unit, I
would bake you the most delicious cupcake man has ever baked.
Developing!
Related
Sony VAIO Pocket Review, iPod Comparison
[Gizmodo]
Sony's HMP-A1 VAIO Video Pocket [Gizmodo]
Live from CeBIT: Sony Walkman W800 First
Impressions
Live from CeBIT: Sony Walkman W800 First
Impressions
03/14/2005 06:03 PM
Sony Ericsson continues to make nice looking phones that I
have no desire to own. The W800 Walkman Phone
is nice enough looking, but the music application didn't seem very
advanced at all. Now I just played with it for a couple of minutes,
but I was expecting something more polished. Pressing the music button
takes you to the media player, but pressing it again doesn't play the
song. Neither does pushing in on the joystick. Instead, you have push
the stick to the right (at least I think; I had to rely on
visual feedback, which was sparse).
I'm happy to give it another shot in the future, but I was hoping
to get something that seemed more advanced than the average media
player application you can find on almost any modern phone.
Sony Debuts 20 Gigabyte Walkman to
Silence IPod
Sony Debuts 20 Gigabyte Walkman to
Silence IPod
07/01/2004 07:10 AMBoston Globe Jul 1 2004 11:35AM GMT
Sony takes aim at iPod with new
hard-disk Walkman
Sony takes aim at iPod with new
hard-disk Walkman
07/01/2004 08:50 AMSony Corp. has unveiled its first hard-disk drive-based digital music
player to bear the Walkman name. The device was launched on Thursday
as the Walkman brand marked its 25th anniversary. The NW-HD1 features
a 20GB hard-disk drive and is, according to the company, the smallest
music player at this capacity. It measures 89 millimeters by 62.1
millimeters by 13.8 millimeters and weighs 110 grams. The capacity is
half that of Apple Computer Inc.'s highest capacity iPod, but Sony
says its player trumps Apple's in terms of the number of songs it can
store: 13,000 on the Walkman versus 10,000 on the iPod.
Apple Hits Back At Sony 'Misleading'
Walkman Marketing
Apple Hits Back At Sony 'Misleading'
Walkman Marketing
07/07/2004 06:09 PMSny's 13,000 song measurement is based on it ATRAC3 compression system
at the relatively low rate of 48Kbps while Apple's measurement is
based on the AAC compression system at 128Kbps. "ATRAC3 at 48Kbps is
nowhere near CD quality." By Jim Darlymple, MacCentral (via
MyAppleMenu)
Sony Debuts 20 Gigabyte Walkman to
Silence IPod (Reuters)
Sony Debuts 20 Gigabyte Walkman to
Silence IPod (Reuters)
07/01/2004 12:11 AMReuters - Sony Corp. unveiled plans on
Thursday to launch a Walkman digital music player capable of
storing 13,000 songs, aiming to reclaim the top spot in a
market now dominated by Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod.
Sony takes aim at iPod with new
hard-disk Walkman (MacCentral)
Sony takes aim at iPod with new
hard-disk Walkman (MacCentral)
07/01/2004 08:53 AMMacCentral - Sony Corp. has unveiled its first hard-disk drive-based
digital music player to bear the Walkman name. The device was launched
on Thursday as the Walkman brand marked its 25th anniversary.
Sony's Network Walkman "not as good" as
iPod
Sony's Network Walkman "not as good" as
iPod
09/07/2004 06:39 AMMatthew Fordahl has written an article for The Associated Press
appearing in today's Detroit Free Press looking at Sony's recently
announced NW-HD1 Network Walkman and compares it to Apple's iPod...
New Sony online music service ties to
Walkman, airline miles (AFP)
New Sony online music service ties to
Walkman, airline miles (AFP)
05/05/2004 11:22 AMAFP - Electronics giant Sony has jumped into the online music fray
with a new download service similar to those from Apple Computer and
others, but linked to its Walkman music players.
Retropod: iPod case made from a vintage
Sony Sports Walkman shell.
Retropod: iPod case made from a vintage
Sony Sports Walkman shell.
07/07/2004 04:43 AMyellow Sony Walkman .. RetroPod
retropod.com
track this
site | 5 links
German Walkman Inventor Wins Battle
Against Sony, Fixes Gaze on Apple
German Walkman Inventor Wins Battle
Against Sony, Fixes Gaze on Apple
06/07/2004 12:09 PM
German inventor
Andreas Pavel has just settled a 20 year court battle with Sony over
the origins of the Walkman, a device Pavel claimed to have patented in
1977. While Sony has spent the better part of two decades trying to
ignore his claims of invention (despite the fact they paid him royalty
fees for the first few years of the device's life), Pavel's near
bankruptcy after a 3.7 million dollar court battle was finally
rewarded by a confidential agreement in which Pavel was reportedly
paid off to the tune of several million euros. Pavel, cock of the
walk, is now planning to take a swipe at Apple, whose iPod has become
the Walkman of this generation. Even better, Pavel has another patent
in the wings: a 1989 US filing for a technology that combines the
features of a portable audio player and a mobile phone. That patent
will be decided on 'soon.'
Read [Management.Silicon via Blues]
Related
Sony VAIO Pocket Review [Gizmodo]
Old School Sony Walkmans (Walkmen?) [Gizmodo]
Sony set to finally release a MP3 Player
Sony set to finally release a MP3 Player
11/06/2003 11:07 AMA lot of people have been waiting for this consumer giant to release a
MP3 player that will give the...
Sony beefs up the mini-disc, finally
Sony beefs up the mini-disc, finally
01/16/2004 01:00 PMI'm mainly posting about this so I can rip on the Sony MD. I paid way
too much money for a nice Net-MD player about two years ago.
Tardy Telstra finally OKs a 3G network
Tardy Telstra finally OKs a 3G network
04/14/2004 01:02 PMnews.com.au Apr 14 2004 3:47PM GMT
Sony to set up directly-run sales
network in US
Sony to set up directly-run sales
network in US
07/03/2004 01:13 PMTechzonez Jul 3 2004 5:10PM GMT
Sony, Philips To Devise Short-Range
Radio Network
Sony, Philips To Devise Short-Range
Radio Network
03/20/2003 01:05 PMIn an effort to create a ubiquitous, open network in which mobile
phones, handhelds and televisions can communicate, Sony and Philips
said they will work to construct a new standard for a short-range
radio network that could compete with Bluetooth.
Sony finds large PlayStation piracy
network in China: FT
Sony finds large PlayStation piracy
network in China: FT
12/24/2004 01:04 PMAsia.news.yahoo.com - Wed Dec 22, 02:27 am GMT
LEAD: Sony finds large PlayStation
piracy network in China: FT
LEAD: Sony finds large PlayStation
piracy network in China: FT
12/24/2004 01:04 PMAsia.news.yahoo.com - Wed Dec 22, 08:28 am GMT
Grok Description matches for Has Sony finally gotten a Clue with the Network Walkman
GrokA matches for Has Sony finally gotten a Clue with the Network Walkman
Has Sony finally gotten a Clue with the Network Walkman
