The YP-T10 is a super-cute MP3 player that is Samsung’s latest attempt to rival the ever-popular Apple iPod nano.

At this stage, many of Apple’s competitors are simply copying what Apple is doing, particularly in terms of design (the latest iPods are sleek, cool-looking devices). However with the T10 Samsung has gone for a completely different vibe: cute.

The Samsung T10’s mascot, if you will, is an animated dog called Sammy - he dances around the screen in time to your music and is there to greet you when you start the player up. However if cute isn’t your thing, you can go into the settings and turn Sammy off. The animated menus are also really fun.

The T10 is operated using touch-sensitive keys that are only visible when the device is turned on - once again, a very cool look, but this may not be the most practical thing in the world. Features are also fairly comprehensive: there’s an on-board FM radio with recording, support for photo, video and text, a voice recorder and a controllable equaliser. Bluetooth is also built-in.

The Samsung T10 comes in three versions - 2GB, 4GB and 8GB, with prices set at $149, $199 and $289 respectively. There is also a wealth of colours to choose from.

Click here to find offers on the Samsung T10 MP3 player near you.

By Caroline Warnes

By now, we’ve all heard of the Apple iPod phenomenon: the much-hyped music (and sometimes video) players that have been featured everywhere from ads to movies to television as well as on every second person on the street.

But what are some alternatives when it comes to MP3 players? Well the iRiver music and video players - including the X20 - are a nice option, and they’re very affordable, too.

The X20 isn’t just a music player. It features a 2.2-inch screen so you can watch film clips as well as view photos you have saved on the device. It comes with 2GB, 4GB or 8GB of on-board memory. What’s more, the iRiver X20 also packs in an FM radio, microphone and line-in port so you can make recordings.

Performance is also very capable. The sound quality excels and the video looks good on the smallish screen.

If you’re not fussed on having the same player that everyone else is sporting, the iRiver X20 offers more than enough features to make up for it.

Click here to find offers on iRiver players near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The iPod touch proves for once and for all that Apple has all the marketing smarts we’ve long suspected it had.

At first glance, the latest top-of-the-line iPod boasts a design that is virtually identical to the much-hyped Apple iPhone (arriving in Australia this year), proving the old adage “when you’re onto a good thing, stick to it”.

But Apple hasn’t just jumped on the iPhone bandwagon. The iPod touch also incorporates a number of outstanding features which have quickly moved it to the top of many people’s wishlists. First and foremost, the touch has Wi-Fi built-in, and is the first iPod to have this feature.

You can surf the Web using the included Safari browser (though Wi-Fi connectivity is only 802.11b/g on the touch) and there’s also a a full version of the iTunes Music Store. This lets you buy songs when you’re out and about and load them straight onto your iPod.

I also love the YouTube application and the accelerometer, which moves the 3.5-inch widescreen from portrait to landscape, depending on what you’re viewing.

Click here to find offers on the iPod touch near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Upon first glancing at the SanDisk Sansa Shaker, you’d be hard-pressed to know that it’s actually an MP3 player.

In fact, this SanDisk player looks far more like a salt and pepper shaker (hence the name).

If the whole concept of an MP3 player that looks like it belongs in the kitchen seems like a bit of a gimmick to you, then you’d be right. Manufacturers do sometimes resort to some extreme tactics to get attention in the overcrowded portable audio market.

However, all things considered - including the Shaker’s fun shape, bright colours and dirt cheap price tag - it would make a perfect player for kids, seeing as it won’t be a major disaster to your finances if the player gets lost or broken.

It comes with a 512MB SD memory card in the box, on which you can store around 125 standard MP3 songs. The beauty of this system is that you can purchase extra cards and swap your music selection quickly and easily by slotting in the card - perfect if the player is going to be used by more than one person.

In terms of sharing music, two headphone jacks are included, as well as a loudspeaker. The sound from the loudspeaker isn’t the best, but for this price, what can you expect?

Click here to find offers on the SanDisk Sansa Shaker near you.

By Caroline Warnes

In the age of iPods and MP3 players, it’s a fair call to say that the humble radio has seen better days.

After all, if it’s continuous music play you’re after, the radio is sorely lacking, what with all the ads, chit-chat, not to mention poor music selection on many stations!

The Griffin iTrip is an excellent method of revamping your radio to play the music you want. It’s a wireless FM transmitter, which allows you to send the music from your iPod to the nearest radio or stereo and broadcast it to the world.

That means it can be used in your car, in your lounge room, even outside with a portable radio.

The wireless factor is a bonus too - there are other ways of connecting your iPod to a radio, however they often involve messy cables, which can be downright dangerous when you’re in the car.

Click here to find offers on the Griffin iTrip near you.

By Caroline Warnes

What’s in a name?

Well, for Apple it’s a very clever marketing exercise: the iPod classic is basically the fifth-generation iPod with a few small tweaks and a name that suggests it’s one for the ages.

The classic model comes in two sizes, 80GB and 160GB (the 30GB capacity of fifth-gen models is gone). Like its predecessor, each capacity comes in the two basic colours - black and silver - and the 80GB model is slightly slimmer than its big brother.

Aside from the capacity upgrade, other changes are minimal. Most obvious is the change from glossy to matte exterior, while in terms of features you’ll now find Cover Flow standard on all models, which allows you to “flick” through your record covers on-screen to select a track or album.

Apple also claims an upgraded battery life, rating it at 40 hours on the 160GB and 30 hours on the 80GB for audio playback.

Click here to find offers on Apple iPods near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Apple really picked up its game mid last-year when it introduced its latest series of iPods.

Its mid-range nano player had always been popular, however the downside was that unlike some other players in its price bracket, you couldn’t playback video or photos.

The latest version of the nano, however, does do both those things, so other manufacturers have had to come up with something special to compete.

I think Sony has come up with something that could be really competitive in the NWZ-S615F, an MP3 Video Walkman.

I’ve used a Sony MP3 player in the past and one of the major problems I found with it was that it was only compatible with Sony’s proprietary software, SonicStage. However this time around you don’t need the software - you can drag and drop files directly onto the player’s folders without any software required.

It comes loaded with Windows Media Player 11 to manage your music and is compatible with Windows Vista. Overall, it’s so much easier to use than previous Sony players.

Given the iconic Walkman brand, Sony has always excelled with sound quality, and this new player is no different. Video and photo quality is outstanding too.

The NWZ-S615F is available in three capacities (2GB, 4GB and 8GB) and six colours - black, white, silver, blue, red and pink.

Click here to find offers on MP3 players near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The Belkin TuneCast 3 is a clever device known as an FM audio transmitter that allows you to listen to your iPod or MP3 player through any stereo.

It’s primarily intended to be used in cars - each Belkin TuneCast comes with a power adaptor for your car’s cigarette lighter and a special dock so you can mount the TuneCast 3 on your dashboard.

It’s not a complex device - it simply transmits your iPod or MP3 player through a set FM frequency. You can define two preset FM channels for your audio sources using the buttons on the front of the device.

The transmission range of the TuneCast 3 has improved over its previous iterations - you won’t find your signal dropping out as often. Belkin claims it has up to 20 hours of battery life, though in reality the figure is slightly less than that.

If you already own an FM transmitter and want to upgrade or want to bring your iPod into your car with a minimum fuss, the Belkin TuneCast 3 is one of the better options on the market.

Click here to find offers on Belkin products near you.

By Caroline Warnes

SanDisk was the first manufacturer to seriously challenge the Apple iPod’s stranglehold on the portable music market.

The SanDisk e250 is the 2GB model in the series, and thus sets itself up as a replacement to the ever-popular 2GB iPod nano (the latest incarnation of the nano doesn’t come in 2GB, only 4GB and 8GB versions. However you can still find some older-style nanos in-store).

The e250 is cheaper than the last generation of 2GB iPod nanos, yet also boasts several functions that that version of nano doesn’t. For starters, the e250 can play video, unlike the old nano (although you will have to convert all video to a file that the Sansa can recognise, but the software for this is provided in the box).There is also voice recording and FM radio - two other features that are glaringly absent on the iPod nano.

However it’s obvious that SanDisk has taken its design cues from Apple with the e250. It even features a scrollwheel that is suspiciously reminiscent of the iPod, though it isn’t as touch-sensitive. The e250 isn’t quite as easy to use as the iPod, although you may be able to overlook this given the extra features you get for your money.

If you’re already an Apple and iTunes loyalist, you may need extra persuading to switch over, however if you’re new to portable music and want a quick (and cheap) fix, the features and performance of the SanDisk Sansa e250 MP3 player make it an option worth considering.

Click here to find offers on SanDisk MP3 players near you.

By Caroline Warnes

MP3 manufacturers have been chasing the Apple iPod for years now and the K3 from Samsung is another attempt to make up ground in the MP3 player market.

The Samsung K3 offers very similar features to the popular Apple iPod nano model at a similar recommended retail price, with one notable difference: unlike the iPod nano, the K3 also includes an FM tuner so you can listen to the radio.

The K3 is a simple and stylish player, boasting a shiny black case that will look great in your hand, in your bag or strapped onto your arm at the gym. It comes with Samsung’s Media Studio Software, which works just as well as Apple’s iTunes software.

Music playback on the Samsung K3 is excellent, although the range of supported music formats is a little limited - you can only play MP3 and WMA files (no AAC, unfortunately).

So if you’re looking for a stylish player that won’t overwhelm you with too many features that you don’t need, the Samsung K3 is well worth a look.

Click here to find offers on the Samsung K3 MP3 player near you.

By Caroline Warnes