epiZENter.net: Fansite for Creative Products : News

Creative announces the ZEN X-Fi3 at IFA 2011

ssjmichael — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:17:28 -0500

It's been a long time since we've had anything to report here, put an emphasis on long. Creative has just announced a new player, the ZEN X-Fi3 at this year's IFA trade show. Unfortunately, the ZEN X-Fi3 doesn't quite live up to the namesake of its predecessors. The ZEN X-Fi and X-Fi2 were high-end looking devices (for Creative at least) with larger screens. The X-Fi3 on the other hand has a miniscule 2.0" low resolution display, and a very basic interface. In fact, it looks more like a colorized version of the ZEN Style than anything. It does pack in quite a lot of features for its size. Along with the built-in Bluetooth, it has Creative's X-Fi sound tech built-in, support for FLAC, Divx, and Xvid and can even output video to a TV. Check out the full feature-set below.

ZEN X-Fi3 Specs

Display: 2" TFT with 262K colors
Capacity: 8GB , 16GB with microSD expansion
Wireless: Bluetooth 2.1 (supports apt-X, AVRCP & A2DP)
Audio formats(2): FLAC, non-protected AAC (
.M4A) from iTunes Plus® , MP3, WMA (DRM9), WAV(IMA-ADPCM), Audible Format 4, Audible AAX
X-Fi™ Audio Enhancement : Adjustable Crystalizer / Expand effects
Video formats(3) : WMV9, MPEG4-SP, AVI (DivX4/5, XviD)
Video / Audio out : PAL or NTSC / Stereo (via A/V cable sold)
Photo formats: JPEG
Built-in Microphone for Voice Recording
Built-in FM Radio with 32 station presets
Built-in Speakers for sharing music out loud
Battery Playtime : Up to 20 hours of audio (mp3,128kbps), up to 5 hours of video (640x480, stereo(128kbps))
Dimensions: 65 x 45.5 x 12.5mm (est.)
Weight: 45g (est.)

Pricing isn't too bad either. The 8GB will set you back $99.99, while the 16GB rings up for $139.99. Unfortunately, the demand for dedicated MP3 players is all but dead right now. Even I've transitioned from using my dedicated DAP to using my tablet and mobile phone. In other words, Creative you need to make a new tablet and/or mobile phone. If Archos can be successful doing that, why can't you?

via engadget

ZiiLABS demos working JAGUAR protoypes - we are pleasantly surprised

kingone — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:25:31 -0500

When ZiiLABS announced the ZMS-20, ZMS-40 and the new JAGUAR platforms over the last few weeks, I was skeptical at how things would eventually turn out to be. But seeing is believing. Thanks to VR-Zone (a Singapore based technology website), what we are going to see below are photos of the actual JAGUAR prototypes running the Honeycomb OS. According to the website, the ZiiLABS team has been working hard over the weeks to make the Honeycomb OS play nice with the ZMS-20 processor and has achieved "pretty good success so far". The article also claims that the latest Angry Bird Game (Rio) and 1080p videos were playing flawlessly on the JAGUAR. One last pleasant surprise of the day was how thin and sleek the JAGUAR 10" is! Honestly it looks very un-creative and Apple-like but i am not complaining. With its dual-core processor, awesome good looks and Creative's traditionally low prices for tablet, this is something i would really like to have for Christmas!

The 10" Jaguar running Android 3.0

These JAGUAR tablets actually looks and feels pretty good and slim too. Much closer to competition than before so ZiiLABS might have a chance in the tablet market.

Angry Bird Rio and a 1080p video running "flawlessly" on the JAGUAR

Read the complete article:
ZiiLABS demos JAGUAR 7 and JAGUAR 10 Honeycomb Tablets

ZiiLabs new Jaguar tablet platform to feature ZMS-20 and ZMS-40 chips

ssjmichael — Sat, 28 May 2011 18:41:10 -0500

The 10" Jaguar Reference design shown above

After showcasing their powerful new processors, the ZMS-20 and ZMS-40, Ziilabs is poised to put those bad boys to work. They'll be featured in a new platform called Jaguar, capable of running Android 3.0 (aka Honeycomb). ZiiLabs have provided reference designs for a 7" and a 10" model, as well as their capabilities.

Advanced Feature Set

Powered by ZMS-20 StemCell processor
7" and 10" LCD options
Capacitive and resistive touch options
Up to 1GB LPDDR2 or DDR3
Rear and Front facing cameras
Wi-Fi b/g/n
3G/4G/WiMax modem options
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Tuned antenna design
GPS, accelerometer, compass and gyroscope
Stereo speakers
High-quality dual microphone array
Up to 64 GB internal storage
HDMI 1.4 output
USB 2.0 port
SD card support
Tuned antenna design
Stereo headphone and Mic input
Rechargeable battery and power management
Instantaneous On and extended Sleep function

That's quite an impressive list! This new platform certainly sounds promising, and will hopefully get Creative and co. back on track. We'll keep you posted as usual.

Jaguar Reference Tablets

ZiiLABS updates the Zii family of processors with the ZMS-20 and the ZMS-40

kingone — Tue, 10 May 2011 11:15:41 -0500

It has been 2 years since ZiiLABS announced its last media processor - the ZMS-08. The media-rich applications processor is now seen powering the Creative's ZiiO range of tablets. While we have yet to see the 1080p video playback or 720p video conferencing on these devices, we did see the ZiiO rendering decent 3D games and also 720p HDMI output.

Today, ZiiLABS (also known as the chip-making arm of Creative) announces 2 new processors targeting at the rapidly growing tablet market. The ZMS-20 is a dual-core (think 2 brains on a chip) 1.5GHz Cortex A9 processor which the company says is 4 times faster than the ZMS-08. The ZMS-40 on the other hand is a quad-core (now think 4 brains) processor which is able to deliver a clock speed of up to 6GHz. This all sounds amazing to us. What it simply means is that the ZMS-20 and ZMS-40 are micro-size media-powerhouse processors optimized for Android 3.0 high-definition tablets.

Along with the chips, ZiiLABS will provide a comprehensive Android Tablet Platform consisting of the ZMS-20 SDK for Android, customize or white label ID tablet designs and also certification and conformation.

ZiiLABS ZMS-20 & ZMS-40 Press Release
ZiiLABS ZMS-20
ZiiLABS Android Tablet Platform

Creative announces the Zen Style M300

ssjmichael — Mon, 09 May 2011 13:01:57 -0500

It's been quite a while, but Creative has finally announced a new player. The Zen Style M300 is a compact device that looks about the same size as the latest iPod nano. The M300 comes in a variety of colors, has touch-sensitive controls, and supports Bluetooth for wireless connectivity.

Creative ZEN Style M300 Portable Media Player

Display: 1.45" TFT (262K colours)
Capacity: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, plus a microSD slot
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 wireless technology (supports A2DP & AVRCP)
FM Radio function with 32 preset stations
Battery Life: Up to 20 hours (based on128kpbs, 4mins/song, MP3 file)
Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WMA (DRM9),WAV (IMA-ADPCM),
Audible Format 4, Audible AAX
Supported Picture Formats: JPEG
Supported Video Formats: Transcoded SMV (requires respective codec pre-installed on PC)
Built-in microphone for voice recording
Additional feature: Clock display

Creative also announced an "M100" model which is exactly like the M300 sans Bluetooth support. Both models go on sale in Mid June, with prices ranging from $39.99 to $89.99.

Press Release

Creative ZiiO 10" now shipping [Europe]

kingone — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:18:58 -0600

Creative has announced via its Twitter account that the ZiiO 10" will begin shipping in Europe today! The 8GB version will retail at Â£249.99 while the 16GB one will cost you Â£269.99. In case you have forgotten, below is a short summary of the ZiiO 10"'s features:

ZiiO 10"
- 10 inch 262k color TFT, Resistive Touch
- SD Card slot
- HDMI jack, X-Fi audio enhancement
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, apt-X
- ZMS-08, Android 2.1 (upgradable to 2.2)

We will keep you posted on when the ZiiO 10" will be available in Asia and the US. I am sure it won't be long!

Creative UK Store

Hands-on the Creative ZiiO at CES 2011

ssjmichael — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:39:28 -0600

CES 2011 is underway and Creative is in attendance, showing off their recently announced ZiiO Android tablet. Tech Digest got their hands on it and shot this preview video:

The interface looked fairly responsive with most applications, but certainly not as smooth as a capacitive screen would be. According to Tech Digest, the device is currently running Android 2.2, but will be upgraded to 2.3 later on.

Tech Digest Preview
GearLog Preview

Thanks davinp!

Creative ZiiO Android Tablet now Shipping in the US

ssjmichael — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:10:24 -0600

Good news everyone, the ZiiO 7" Android Tablet is now available in the US. The 8GB model is available at Amazon for $249.99, and the 16GB for $269.99. The ZiiO adds to a quickly growing list of Android tablets coming out, but separates itself from the bunch with support for apt-x, and X-Fi audio enhancements. It's also quite a bit less than most other tablets out there. The device is running a customized version of Android 2.1 currently, but I've heard that there are plans to update it to 2.2 (aka Froyo). Currently, only the 7-inch model is available, but the 10-inch model should arrive next year.

Specs for the ZiiO 7"

Capacity: 8 or 16GB Capacity w/ microSDHC expansion
Display: 7.0" resistive touchscreen (800 x 480 resolution, 16.8M colors)
OS: Android 2.1
Powered by ZMS-08 Processor
Built-in Camera and mic
Audio: MP3, WMA AAC, FLAC, Ogg, MIDI
X-Fi Audio Enhancements (X-Fi Crystalizer, X-Fi Expand)
Video: MPEG-4, H.264, WMV, AVI, MOV at resolutions up to 1280 x 720
Connectivity; HDMI-Out, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Battery Life: 25 hours for Audio, 5 for video

ZiiO 7" 8GB at AmazonZiiO 7" 16GB at Amazon.

30% off sale at Creative!

ssjmichael — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:02:56 -0600

It's that time of the year folks! If you can't figure out what to get someone for Christmas, then Creative has just the sale for you. They've taken off 30% off of everything in their store, except their line of ZEN MP3 players. Since items at Creative are fulfilled by Amazon, many can be ordered directly from Amazon.com (often cheaper than from Creative). Just use the code 30OFFNOW at Checkout

Here are some highlights:

EP-630 Earphones (any color) - $20.99
Sound Blaster World Of Warcraft USB Headset - $43.22
Creative Aurvana 2 In-Ear Headphones - $61.57
Creative Labs Live! Cam Sync Webcam - $14.57

Shipping is free with a $25 or higher purchase. The sale is good from Dec. 13th to 24th. Happy Holidays everyone!

Creative Store at Amazon
Official Creative Store