Welcome to epiZENter. You are seeing this message because you are either not registered or not logged in. If you're new to this site, I'll tell you what we're all about. This is a Creative fansite that focuses on their various players such as the very popular Vision:M. We make it our duty here to provide you with all the latest news and information to help you with your player, and to aid in your buying decision if you don't own a player yet. epiZENter is part of the DAPreview webring.
Our Forums are very friendly and include a number of different guides and resources to help you with your player. If you are attempting to see pictures but seeing a message saying image disabled, this means you aren't registered or logged in.
Once registered, you'll get full access to everything this great place has to offer. Compare our site to other Creative forums and you'll see it gets updated more, is more friendly, and is better organized. If you want to take a look at the wealth of information available for your player check out the Vision:M Information Portal
Rumor: Are those Zii screens really for an updated Xdock HD?
Yesterday when I released those screens from a potential ZEN Zii, a lot of the commenters immediately pointed out that they were missing a battery indicator, a "Photos" options and other things that are usually found on Creative's players. I too had my doubts of their authenticity. Then the source of those screens replied back and stated that they didn't say they were for a DAP, but rather a "Creative device". He's right of course, it was me who automatically assumed they were for a ZEN player.
One of our members noticed that the interface is nearly the same as the one found on the Xdock HD. This was an all-in one docking device for iPods that Creative announced at last year's CES. It not only output music in X-Fi quality, but it also upconverted video from your player to 720P so you could watch it on your HD set. The product gained a lot of buzz and was even a Best of CES nominee. But for some reason Creative never released the device last year. Check out the video below to see a look at the Xdock HD's interface (courtesy of iLounge).
Pretty much the same as those Zii screens right? Now that in no way confirms that Creative is going to announce an updated version of the XDock HD, with a Zii chip inside. In fact, some here would say this confirms those screens are fake. To me, it makes them more likely to be real. I don't recall seeing any stock photos of the Xdock HD's interface, and these new screens certainly look like they were taken from a stock image. Second, why on earth would anyone go through the trouble of faking these? Why would that same person reply back to correct us that it wasn't for a Zen player, but another Creative device? Perhaps I'm being naive there but it seems like someone who got the publicity of their fakes being shown wouldn't really care about whether people knew what device it was really for. That would be one thorough faker!
Real or not, a new Xdock HD, (or ZiiDock HD) in no way means this is all the Zii chip is capable of. It is merely one consumer application of it. Keep that in mind before making judgments about the chip itself. And like always, we'll keep you updated on this rumor and others surrounding the all-changing Zii.
Exclusive: Are these the first screens of the ZEN Zii?
In just three days, CES 2009 will be upon us. Of all the things I'm looking forward to seeing, the Creative Zii is at the top of the list. Since the official release of the teaser last week, the buzz surrounding the Zii has been overwhelming. Being an editor at a Creative fansite, I am both excited and concerned over this new chip. I feel Creative may have turned up the "hype dial" a bit much and it'll be hard for them to live up to their claims.
From what I know, the Zii is some kind of silicon chip. Where the "stemcell" aspect comes in, I'm still not sure. Whatever it is, Creative believes it's a recession-proof solution, and they're hoping other businesses buy into it. Still, you have to wonder why Creative would debut the Zii at a Consumer electronics show, if their primary goal was to form new partnerships. I think it would make a lot of sense for Creative to show off consumer implementations of the Zii, and what better way to do that then putting it in their own MP3 players. That's the same strategy they took with their X-Fi sound chip. After patenting their X-Fi technology, Creative first put it in their sound cards, headphones, and DAP's. Now the chip is being used by other companies through OEM partnerships.
So with that said, let me get on to the actual topic of this article. A few days ago someone sent in these pictures to me:
They're supposedly the first screenshots of an upcoming ZEN Zii. The interface isn't too different from previous players in the ZEN series. The main menu is navigated horizontally, rather than vertically. The screens also appear to be from a widescreen display, rather than the typical 4:3 screens found on previous models. If these screens are to be believed, the player will also have built-in WiFi (like the ZEN X-Fi). That's about as much speculation as I can say right now. I have no idea whether these screens are authentic, or someone's lame idea of a joke. The lack of a "Photo" and "FM tuner" option on the main menu is one sign that these may not be real. So before you get all excited, take these screens with a grain of salt until we hear something more concrete. I think we'll inevitably see a ZEN Zii in our future, the big question is when.
Update: Okay so when I saw these screens I assumed they were for a possible ZEN Zii. Well the source that provided them has replied back and stated that they're for a Creative device, but not necessarily a Zen player. So now we can speculate even further as to what these screens are for. Netbook? Stereo? Navigation device? Your guess is as good as mine!
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Creative has sent out their first newsletter for those that signed up at Zii.com. It's as vague and mysterious as the actual site, but here's what it says:
Click to Enlarge
Zii is StemCell Computing
Thank you and congratulations on the early registration.
You are now part of a privileged group that will witness the life changing event of 2009. You will be invited to join a new movement that will experience revolutionary breakthroughs.
Everything you know is about to change.
Drawing our inspiration from the intelligence of Mother Nature – who through over a billion years of evolution has designed the basic building block of life: the stem cell – we have created a stem cell-like silicon that is able to grow and multiply into different solutions and ecosystems.
With an investment that spans over 10 years, over a billion dollars and over 10,000 man-years, the world is poised to experience a breakthrough that will better lives beyond our imagination.
Even in the midst of these turbulent times, you will discover incredible recession-friendly business opportunities that enable you to thrive and prosper.
To find out more about Zii and how it can change your life, visit our booth (booth #30651) at CES 2009, or go to Zii.com from 8 January 2009 for updates.
It looks like we'll get the big reveal in 6 days, at the start of CES 2009. The chip isn't being marketed towards consumers as you can see, but towards other businesses who Creative would like to get on board. Make sure to check back with us often as we will have more to reveal before then.
Just in time for the new year Creative has announced the Zen Moo in China. Well technically the Chinese New Year begins on January 26th in 2009 but close enough. As many of you know, the Zen Moo was made to pay tribute to the "Year of the Ox". According to the Zodiac (and Wikipedia), "The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work." Hopefully that rings true in these tough economic times. Okay enough with the school lesson, how about a little fun? While browsing Creative China I found this ad for the Zen Moo. It's cute, creepy, and everything in between. I've uploaded to youtube for your viewing pleasure:
Isn't that the best darn cow animation you've ever seen? I gave the Zen moo a hard time in my last article, but I've warmed up to it since. I think it's a cute little player and Creative really put the details into it. They even put large black splotches on the carrying case for that full bovine experience. The player is currently exclusive to China, but I'd sure like to see it here.
I want to wish everyone here all the best for 2009! We'll be back better than ever next year.
Attn: If you are having trouble logging in or using chatbox read this
Hey everyone, I've been doing some maintenance on the site to fix some errors we've been having (nothing serious, just google crawling errors). If you are having troubles logging in or typing in the chatbox. Try doing so from the forum page. It should definitely work.
I apologize for any inconvenience! I'm going to leave it like this for 24-48 hours but I promise I'll come back with a surprise when this is resolved
2008 is coming to an end, and Creative is finishing it with a bang. Their US store has a huge Year-end sale going on now, with savings up to 85% off the retail price. Some highlights include a 2GB Zen stone with built-in speaker for just $17.99, or the 4GB Muvo T100 for just $24.99. I find these small players make great gifts for just about anybody. Check out the list below to see some of the products on sale:
Players:
2GB ZEN - $44.99 (refurb) 8GB ZEN - $69.99 (refurb) 2GB Zen Stone w/ Speaker - $17.99 1GB Zen V Plus - $18.99 (refurb) 2GB Muvo V100 -$15.99 (refurb) 4GB Muvo T100 $24.99
Accessories and Misc.
Vision:M Leather case - $14.99 Xmod - $24.99 (refurb) Gigaworks T20 speakers - $59.99 (refurb) TravelSound ZEN Stone speakers - $11.99 Soundblaster X-Fi Platinum -$59.99 (refurb)
There are many other items on sale in their Savings center. Shipping is free when you spend $75 or more.
Christmas may have just finished, but we have another treat for you at epiZENter. We, along with the site NothingButCreative have known about this upcoming venture from Creative for a little while now, but we were waiting for a more appropriate time to release the info. But, our patience backfired on us this time as Creative has officially posted the teaser on their own site.
Creative will be unveiling a new processing chip at CES 2009. The chip will be called the "Zii", a name not unlike that of Nintendo's console. The chip might have a simplistic name, but according to their teaser site, it's going to change everything. The Zii will be using "Stemcell computing", whatever that means. That term has been trademarked by Creative just a couple of weeks ago, and it may raise a few eyebrows. We don't know exactly what Creative means by Stemcell computing, but we're definitely curious.
The chip has been top secret at Creative's headquarters for some time now, and it looks to be one of the biggest projects they've invested in. We can't reveal too much more about the chip right now, and we don't want to spoil it for Creative. Just know this is completely different from their X-Fi audio chip and it will be used in a variety of upcoming products.
This article was written through an agreement with NothingButCreative. We will be working in tandem in releasing this info and perhaps more in the future. Make sure to check out both sites in the future for more information.
On behalf of all the staff at epiZENter, I want to wish everyone here all the best for this Holiday Season. Below you'll find a nice little present for all of you. It's the first video I took with my new Creative Vado HD. It was a cold, and cloudy day in Brooklyn when I shot this, but the Vado HD did an excellent job nonetheless. The youtube embed should be HD quality, but it still doesn't compare to the original video file (which looks sharper and plays smoother).
Shot with the Vado HD in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (Japanese Pond shown)
It's nearly 3AM now, but I'll be up bright and early in the morning to open my presents. Let me know what you get, and I'll do the same in the comments section.
Today Only: Get the original Creative Vado for just $60 + 2-Day Shipping included! [SOLD OUT!]
Update: Well that was quick! It looks like the deal already sold out at Amazon
I recently got my Vado HD in the mail and I love it. It's a solid camera that takes excellent video and is very compact in size. It is a little pricey though so if you don't need HD quality, you can get the original Vado right now at Amazon for just $59.99. It's their Deal of the Day and I just ordered one. You also get a Free upgrade to 2-Day express shipping so it'll even come in time for Christmas! Specs:
Creative Vado HD Now shipping at Official US Store
Heads-up everyone, the Vado HD is now in stock at Creative's US store and they've started shipping them out. If you want to be among the first to get one, I suggest you order now!
I'm going to definitely try and get my hands on one and provide a full review of this hot HD pocket cam. Stay tuned
It looks like Gearlog are among the first to get their hands on the Vado HD. They've posted a few pics and some brief impressions. Here's a comparison shot of it with the flip mino HD:
Creative Vado HD Now shipping at Official US Store
