July 17 - 10:25am EDT   Creative is trying its hand again at competing with the iPod shuffle through a new and sleeker player, according to an unofficial release from its own website. The ZEN Krystal appears a successor to the earlier ZEN Stone Plus but is designed from the start to be used with its OLED screen with an upright design rather than the side layout of the pebble-shaped ancestor. It also targets the exercise market with a built-in pedometer that not only tracks jogging but comes with several games that tie into the pedometer's sensitivity to movement. [full story]

July 14 - 8:25am EDT   Creative this morning set US launch information for the ZEN X-Fi, its first Wi-Fi media player. The local launch quickly follows the Singapore announcement and prices the full wireless versions well below the iPod touch and also with more features than Microsoft's flash-based and similarly wireless Zunes, putting a 16GB version of the player at $200 and a 32GB player at $300. An 8GB player without wireless will sell for $150. All three should be available in early August. [full story]

July 10 - 8:40am EDT   Creative on Thursday took the wraps from the ZEN X-Fi, the company's first-ever wireless player and its first competitor to the iPod touch and Zune. The device succeeds the original ZEN and includes a new, nine-point control pad key to using the device online over Wi-Fi: Wireless LAN versions can use a phone-style text entry system to chat online using Windows Live or Yahoo instant messaging. The network access also gives the X-Fi the ability to stream music and video directly from a home computer on the local network, although a rumored Internet streaming feature doesn't reach the finished product. [full story]

June 29 - 10:40am EDT   Creative's ZEN X-Fi player is still in progress and is being more directly targeted at Apple on both the hardware and software sides, says a slew of leaked information obtained by epiZENter. Spotted in an official product shot, the X-Fi changes the look of the original ZEN to an aluminum-and-chrome look believed to be drawing heavily on the visual appeal of the iPhone. According to leaked documents from the company's UK website, the new ZEN will also be Creative's first wireless player and will have a unique nine-point directional pad to take advantage of integrated Wi-Fi: users will have the option of instant messaging on Windows Live or Yahoo Messenger with a phone-style ... [full story]

June 3 - 11:10am EDT   Hynix today unveiled a new upgrade to its flash memory that it hopes will dramatically improve the capacity of portable media players and other flash-bound devices. The company's version of three-bits-per-cell technology lets the company stack data to offer as much as 32 gigabytes of data into a tighter space. Despite the capacity jump, the 32GB chip occupies 30 percent less area than a more typical two-bits-per-cell flash chip, the company says. The space would allow a single chip to hold as many as 8,000 average-size MP3 tracks. [full story]

May 27 - 8:45am EDT   Creative has for now shelved its plans to develop a Wi-Fi capable player, the company's Nordic product manager Jan Hvidberg has revealed in an interview. The senior official confirms the one-time existence of the ZEN Share but says that there were "technical complications" developing the player that prompted the company to drop the project. The executive doesn't rule out the possibility of a future player with wireless but for now shelves hopes of an immediate release. [full story]

April 16 - 10:00am EDT   Creative's answer to the iPod touch and Zune has had details firmed up in its development, says a new, purported leak to epiZENter. The player once known as the ZEN Share is now said to have been changed to ZEN X-Fi to turn attention to the player's sound quality. While Wi-Fi is still a defining feature, the future jukebox now appears likely to include the Crystalizer used in other Creative devices to auto-enhance sound quality by filling in audio detail lost to compression. [full story]

March 25 - 3:45pm EDT   Creative has revealed that it will sell its Singapore company HQ for $180 million. The company says it plans to remain at the building but will release actual ownership of the location to an unnamed buyer. Under an agreement signed for the transfer, Creative will remain in the building and lease it for at least five years; the option will exist for two extensions of three and then two years if the company prefers to stay. The new terms will generate a $144 million profit on the building over the course of the next five years. [full story]

February 28 - 8:40am EST   Creative may finally be launching into touchscreen media players with its rumored ZEN Share player, say tips from alleged insiders. While the name is no longer certain, the device is claimed to be the first to rely on touch navigation. The new player would also break ground as the first Creative player to sport the company's X-Fi sound processing hardware, which helps restore missing detail from the compressed music files most likely to be used on a portable device. [full story]

February 27 - 2:10pm EST   Creative has begun aggressive steps to fight against the iPod nano and other low-cost flash players by offering major discounts for all low-end versions of its ZEN media player. The company has dropped the price of its more popular 8GB ZEN to $150, bringing it to the same price as the 4GB Apple player despite the added storage, a larger 2.5-inch screen, and potential expansion through an SD card slot. Other, smaller players have dropped to prices of $80 for a 2GB model and $100 for a 4GB version, which differ only in storage. [full story]

February 20 - 1:05pm EST   Creative will finally join companies such as Apple and Microsoft in offering a wireless music player, say some reported insiders privy to the details. Purportedly named the ZEN Share, the device will use Wi-Fi for its network connection. Most details are unavailable, though the name directly points to a sharing ability likely based on that of the Zune. The Microsoft player allows users of similar players to share tracks over a peer-to-peer wireless network and wraps songs in a temporary copy protection system to prevent trading of copyrighted tracks. [full story]

January 10 - 2:50pm EST   In addition to its new ZEN Stone players, Creative this week has also introduced the MuVo T200. It follows in the steps of the ZEN Stone Plus and adds a screen to its T100 predecessor. The color LCD gives listeners a chance to view track information and also enables features that were previously impossible on the earlier device, such as FM radio and voice recording with an integrated microphone. [full story]

January 7 - 2:25pm EST   Creative today offered a minor updated for CES with new versions of its basic ZEN Stone players and a reworking of its Xdock cradle for iPods. The Zen Stone with Speaker and ZEN Stone Plus with Speaker are unusual among very small players for their namesake speaker built into the back; the output provides unusually strong audio without the need for headphones, Creative claims. The basic Stone also holds more music than before, carrying 2GB of AAC, MP3, WMA, and Audible tracks. [full story]

January 5 - 11:40pm EST   Creative is starting the year with a a new video-capable ZEN V, an unintentional leak shows. The company's US download page reveals the existence of a device nicknamed the ZEN V Video, complete with available firmware updates. No technical information is listed for the player, though a video-capable ZEN V is expected to require a larger screen and a higher capacity than the current model, which tops out at a 1.5-inch display and 8GB of storage. Larger-size ZEN players already reach 32GB of flash memory. [full story]

December 7 - 3:50pm EST   Fulfilling predictions, Creative has begun shipping a 4GB version of the ZEN Stone Plus. The player has all the dimensions of the entry-level ZEN Stone but holds the same storage as many larger players. 1,000 typical songs fit on the device, Creative boasts. It also adds a feature absent from earlier models, supporting AAC songs (including those from iTunes Plus) in addition to MP3 and WMA. Battery life is the same at 12 hours. [full story]