06/14/2006, 1:40pm, EDT
Wednesday, June 14th
MusicGremlin takes on iPod, iTunes
The Gremlin MG-1000
Gremlin owners can connect to Wi-Fi using both their home network and publicly-available Wi-Fi hot-spots. When the Gremlin turns on, the device's Wi-Fi manager scans in the background without interrupting the user's listening experience, automatically connecting to the strongest available network. The device can connect to both open and select permission-based networks. When not connected, users can browse and purchase new music via the included music catalog, which is then delivered to their Gremlin players during the next connection. The players can also connect directly to each other if no network is present.
Gremlin users can connect to each other over-the-air to browse each other's music libraries, while subscription users can send music to each other's players wirelessly and legally, both locally or connected via Wi-Fi to the internet.
Gremlin players feature all the basic functionality of other MP3 players, allowing users to transfer existing MP3 and WMA files from PCs to the player for playing. Gremlins also support Windows Media 10-based music services, further expanding the device's access to music sources which could harm Apple's limited iPod offering, which is bound to the iTunes Music Store.
Filed under: industry
Other story tags: digital music/video
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I could be enthusiastic about an iPod competitor if one is ever released which supports the platform I use and the music file format all my CDs are ripped in.
I can accept that an iPod competitor wouldn't be able to play iTMS songs, but at least they could provide synching with Macs and support for some of the most popular music file formats.
Otherwise, it's a non-starter.
The wirelessness is an interesting feature, but I don't think it's enough until open hotspots are everywhere.
I agree witth tthe waste of a headline comment above - those headlines are a dime a dozen - but the thing is - it will actually be worthy news if the headline read more like "Gremlin takes on iPod and cuts into market share significantly enough to be noticeable"
Again MACNN is wasting the reader's time with more non-news-worthy news_ They should either re-evaluate some of these story writers, fire them and get some in there that actually have a brain or re-evalute the editors, fire them and get some people in that can hold a coherent thought_
Apparently there is a new feature on Word Processors these days to go along with Spell Check and Grammar Check - it's called Intelligent Thought Check_