The new iRiver B30 is a DAB+ MP3 and video player that is expected to prove extremely popular now that digital radio has had a widespread launch in Australia.

In fact, at this stage the iRiver B30 is the only player on the market that can display images that are broadcast digitally, giving it an automatic headstart over other DAB+ ready MP3 players.

In a nutshell, digital radio offers you improved sound and features, as well as more stations, and the B30 does a reasonable job of taking advantage of these benefits. It comes with a telescopic aerial to assist reception as well as a range of sound settings.

Aside from the digital radio functionality, the iRiver B30 also offers support for a range of audio and video formats, including MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, DivX, WMV… and lots more. Rounding out the package: a built-in speaker for sharing your music with friends, video subtitles and a microSD slot for expanding the on-board memory.

The iRiver B30’s Australian price is $299 for the 8GB version, with a 16GB version also on the way.

Buy a cheap iRiver MP3 player on sale

By Caroline Warnes

The iRiver T6 is a budget MP3 player that still manages to include some decent features in addition to audio playback for a basic MP3 player.

The iRiver T6 is a sleek and slim unit, featuring a glossy black finish, six touch-sensitive control buttons and a 1.8-inch LCD screen.

Its 4GB of flash memory is capable of storing around 1000 songs in either WMA or MP3 format (the only two audio formats supported) and iRiver rates the T6’s battery life at around 28 hours of continous music playback. It’s also capable of displaying photos, however the screen is not particularly bright so it doesn’t do a great job of this. Rounding out the feature set is FM playback and voice recording, both of which perform reasonably well for an MP3 player in this price range.

The iRiver T6’s audio quality is pretty good for a budget player, especially when you upgrade from the basic headphones included in the box. If you’re looking for a cheap MP3 player with good sound quality and a couple of extra features thrown in, the T6 is worthy of review.

The iRiver T6 MP3 player’s Australian price is $99.

Buy a cheap iRiver MP3 player on sale

By Caroline Warnes

There was some confusion in the Lasoo office this morning when we heard the details of Apple’s new iPod Shuffle.

Apparently the third-generation Shuffle can “speak” to you via the VoiceOver feature - song titles, artists and playlist names are spoken aloud to you.

The point of this function wasn’t exactly clear to any of us at first, but apparently it is useful when your Shuffle plays a song or artist you can’t remember - and with the press of a button you can find out.

Since the Shuffle can only hold around 1000 songs, the likelihood of having a song on there you don’t know that well is probably not that high.

The better selling point is the Shuffle’s size. It’s smaller than an AA battery yet holds up to 4GB - that’s double the size of the largest capacity second-generation Shuffle. It’s available now with an RRP of $129.

Click here to find offers on iPods from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Sony has announced it will release the X-Series MP3 players in April, intended to rival the Apple iTouch.

The X-Series will be the first line of MP3 players from Sony to feature a three-inch LCD touchscreen. YOu use the touchscreen to perform most operations - although buttons are included for volume, noise cancelling and there is also a hold switch.

The X-Series players also come with WI-Fi and a web browser, as well as streaming for YouTube. Each player ships with EX Monitor headphones.

This series of players is very slick to look at - complete with black and chrome finishes and glass surfaces. Size comes in at slightly smaller than the iPod Touch.

Two players will be released in the X-Series in April, with either a 16GB or 32GB capacity. Pricing will be available closer to the release date.

Click here to find offers on Sony MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

If you like your MP3 players small, then the Samsung U4 is bound to appeal to you.

Measuring in at 8.3cm x 2.7cm x 1.3cm, the U4 is not quite as miniscule as the iPod Shuffle, however it’s still one of the smallest around. Carrying a recommended retail price of $99, the Samsung U4 has a 4GB capacity, which is twice as much as the 2GB iPod Shuffle, which only retails for $10 less.

The U4 is a touch-sensitive player - everything is operated via the touchscreen on the left, with the exception of one mechanical button. However this one button performs a wide range of functions.

The U4 boasts a stunning design, with glossy surfaces and rounded corners. The choice of colours is to die for and includes Crystal Rose (pictured here), Navy Purple and Ocean Blue. It’s a USB-based player so you simply press a button to extend the USB plug, which can then be inserted into your PC to load the player up with songs.

Given that the Samsung U4 is a small player, it’s to be expected that the feature set is not as comprehensive as higher-end players. For your $99 you get an FM radio with recorder, a file browser and voice recorder.

Click here to find offers on Samsung MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Samsung released the YP-P2 late last year as a competitor to the Apple iPod Touch, with mixed success.

The comparisons between the two music players are obvious: they sport similar designs, capabilities and capacities, although the P2 is distinctly more affordable (and lighter!) than the new version of the Touch.

The P2 has some nice functionality, including stereo Bluetooth, video and a large 3-inch touchscreen. It only offers support for MP3 and WMA music files (not AAC), with MPEG-4 and WMV support taking care of video files. You can also view JPG photo files.

As well as being a very stylish-looking MP3 player, the Samsung P2 is also very easy to use and offers good quality sound. Although the lack of support for multiple files does hold it back somewhat, it does make a decent alternative to the iPod Touch.

Click here to find offers on Samsung MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Apple’s annual unveiling of its new iPods always creates some excitement, even when the changes were minimal.

Last year’s announcement saw the arrival of the iPod touch, however this year there are no new models - only updates to the existing iPods.

The new fourth generation nano is the most dramatically different of the bunch. First and foremost it has undergone a total redesign from the current generation model. Apple has abandoned the short, squat form factor and returned to the long, slim design of the second generation models. In fact, the fourth generation nano iPod is the slimmest iPod ever. Then there are the colours - nine of them in fact (silver, purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, pink, red and black).

The new nano now includes Cover Flow as well as Shuffle modes - you can switch between the two by lightly shaking the player. It also works with the brand new iTunes 8 Genius feature, allowing you to automatically create playlists on-the-go.

The iPod nano comes in either 8GB (RRP $199) or 16GB (RRP $279).

Also announced today was the second generation iPod touch. The new model comes with all the old functions plus built-in volume controls. The new version is slightly thicker than the old touch and will retail for $329 for the 8GB version.

Other updates to the iPod range were minimal: the shuffle comes in four new colours and retails for $65 and the classic is now available in one version only (120GB), which will retail for $339.

Click here to find offers on Apple iPod MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Samsung has released some pretty amazing looking MP3 players in recent times.

Just a few weeks ago came the Pebble S2, Samsung’s entry-level budget model that could actually pass as a piece of jewellery.

Now we have the S3, which price- and feature-wise is clearly setting itself as a competitor to the Apple iPod nano.

It really is a very stylish-looking player, with its sleek rounded edges and large control pad reminiscent of recent Samsung mobile phones including the U700 and the U900. It comes in four eye-catching colours: pink, white, blue and black.

The Samsung S3 doesn’t skimp on the features, either. It comes with a decent-sized LCD screen for video playback and we also like the supplied “drag and drop” software - it’s a much easier way to update your player than by loading up iTunes.

It comes in three different sizes: 2GB (RRP $129), 4GB (RRP $149) and 8GB (RRP $209).

Click here to find offers on Samsung MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

These days MP3 manufacturers are really pushing the envelope when it comes to gimmicks in order to compete with the iPod.

The Samsung Pebble (known officially as the S2) buys into this trend with its unusual looks - as the name suggests the player is literally shaped like a smooth pebble and comes in either metallic black (pictured here), red or blue.

The other attention grabber with this player is the price tag - its recommended retail price is just under $50 for a 2GB player, which is considerably less than the comparable 2GB iPod shuffle.

Also keep in mind that the Pebble is a brand new release to the market and we will likely see some reasonable discounts on it from retailers in the coming weeks.

Just like the shuffle, the Pebble S2 is screenless so you can’t view tracks as you’re skipping through. However unlike the shuffle (and all iPods) you can simply drag and drop your music onto the player, which is much easier than using iTunes.

Unfortunately, the Pebble does not have a clip so may not be as convenient for exercising. In this respect, the iPod shuffle wins out.

Click here to find offers on the Samsung Pebble S2 MP3 player near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The Samsung YP-U3 is a tiny, inexpensive MP3 player that also doubles as a USB stick to carry your files around.

Despite its tiny size (it weighs in at under 25 grams), it boasts a substantial 2GB capacity (which is twice the size of Apple’s smallest MP3 player, the Shuffle). It’s also comparable in price to the Shuffle, and can actually often be found for less in-store.

The U3 is so easy to use - because it’s actually a USB stick with music playback functionality, all you need to do is drag and drop your music files onto it when it’s connected to the computer. Also included is a very capable FM radio and voice recorder.

Last but not least, the Samsung U3 is an attractive MP3 player - it comes in a range of fun colours, including black, white, blue, pink and green.

Click here to find offers on Samsung MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes