The just announced SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player is much like the slotRadio player as comes with a new microSD memory card slot that enables consumers to listen to thousands  songs effortlessly without the hassle of downloading and syncing. It is fully compatible with the slotRadio and slotMusic cards as well as any microSD loaded music. Some other features include wearable clip for hands-free portability, large OLED screen, built-in microphone, and support for files such as MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Audible files (for audio books), in both unprotected and protected files. The Sansa Clip+ MP3 player will come in the colors blue, black, and red will retail for  $39.99 for a 2GB version,  4G for $49.99 , and 8GB for just $69.99.  It will be available at Best Buy on Aug 31st and other retailers on Sept 13th.

Philips

In the Box:
The packaging is actually pretty smart as it offers a perforated area on the packaging to simply take the device out of it without cutting your hands or breaking a pair of scissors. The GoGear Vibe comes with a USB adapter, matching black ear buds, a booklet, and software for easy installation.

Design:
The GoGear Vibe’s black glossy design itself is slick and easy on the eye.  Its body is small with curved edges so the ease of portability is there, but unfortunately the quality of the operational buttons are a bit stiff. You can also hear a bit of clicking noise when you press on the buttons. However for this price point, I guess you can’t complain too much since it is a MP3/Video player after all. Overall, the GoGear Vibe is a very portable device, fitting into the palm of my hand, it is great for running or using at the gym. I used it every morning for 1 hour in the gym and it lasted 7 days without having to recharge. The battery life is rated at 25 hours for audio and 4 hours for video.

Setup:

As soon as I plugged in the device it automatically was picked up in Windows Media player. This was great since I do use Windows Media Player already. I was able to make a playlist simply by clicking and dragging. The GoGear Vibe automatically took all the artists in my library and separated them by artist and then followed by album on the device.

 

Interface:
Like I said earlier, you can drop and drag songs to the device in seconds. The GoGear Vibe has your typical menu features where you can control the sound quality via equalizer settings, and of course see titles of the songs that are currently playing. The GoGear Vibe fits as much track information and album art as it can on its 1.5 inch size screen without looking too crowded. Overall, its interface is clean and simple. Playback options are shuffle mode or standard playback. There is no scroll wheel or snazzy touch features, but the crosspad if you will, is very easy to use. The ‘Play’’ button and a ‘Back’ button are simple to understand and operate. There is also a detailed guide  included which tells you how to upload, create playlists etc… should you get lost along the way. But for most people, including those that aren’t too tech savvy – the GoGear Vibe will be a cinch to operate.

Audio Quality:
The audio experience coming from the included earbuds doesn’t do the device justice even though they fit into my ear canal just fine. But when I switched them out, and listened to the GoGear Vibe with my own pair of headphones I was definitely impressed. The music didn’t sound tinny and the GoGear actually does a good job pumping tunes.

Additional Features:

Additionally, the GoGear Vibe comes with a built-in FM radio. And aside from support for MP3 and WMA files, it also supports DRM files and it can work with Rhapsody. Other relatively standard but welcome features include voice recording, and photo viewing.

Video Playback:
Video playback on the GoGear Vibe is more of a bonus novelty than a serious feature. The video clips that play back on the GoGear are low in resolution and quality, so video playback is best suited for the occasional quick clip but not for serious viewing. Obviously if you are looking for a dedicated video device, you wouldn’t go with the Philips GoGear Vibe.

Conclusion:
The GoGear is a great little player for those on a budget. It has got great audio quality – almost as good as my iPod when I switched up the headphones, so for the price alone and its good sound quality it is worth it. It also offers a decent amount of storage for the price. Overall, the Philips GoGear definitely offers more value for the money than the iPod shuffle. The Philips GoGear 4Gb MP3 retails for $49.99.

The Good: Priced well for a 4GB MP3 player that also supports video files. Great starter MP3 player or player for the gym

The Bad: Navigation buttons are stiff to operate. Video playback is low quality.

I’m responding to the enter to win thing that says to send y’all an email about why my dad needs to win one of these. Honestly, it would move him up from the 50’s. He’s seriously still stuck in about 1959. I’m married and don’t live at home anymore, but it was all we could do to get him to accept a DVD player for Christmas. He didn’t want one. Then, we had thos how him how to use one. We can’t get him an up to date cell phone. If it’s not brick style with just an answer and hangup button, he doesn’t do well with it. We still have an 8track player at my mom’s house, and a slew of LP’s. YES that’s what he listens to!! If he were to have something like this, it would take a while for him to get used to, but I think it would be the best thing that happened to my mom due to the fact she would be able to move the 8tracks and LP’s out of the floor and get her house cleaned up…. it’s greatly embarrassing!!! He’s 57 years old….too young for all that!!!

The clip-on GoGear Luxe MP3 player with Bluetooth headset is looking pretty slick. It lets you switch from music to calls with a single click. It also features a music shuffle mode, an amazing 100 hour battery life, an FM radio with 20 presets, and its display shows caller ID and numbers. It retails for $79.99.

The Philips GoGear Mix has a convenient push-out USB connector, a clip-on design, and at $44.99 with a 4GB capacity, it’s also focused on value. Other features include an FM radio with presets, WMA support, a full color display, and a 25 hour battery life.

 

These little DAPS have a similar form factor to the Luxe and are packing in 2GB, are available in several colors and retail for $39.99. They also feature the one click control for playing and pausing. Plus they have navigation controls on the side.

If you don’t have SiriusXM then most likely you are still enduring commercials on the radio. The one place they can be heard but not seen. The Commercial Eliminating Table Radio And MP3 Recorder lets you record music off the radio without the annoyance of commercials. Back in the day when I has a using a tape-deck to record my music, I would record the song and then pause when the commercials would come hence eliminating them. This device learns the pattens of a specific radio station you choose to listen too and then after two or three days the radio will automatically record songs and then upload them to the included MP3 player. Once the memory is full, the songs will be recorded over. The Commercial Eliminating Table and MP3 Recorder retails for $249.95. Don’t tell the RIAA.