First off, this page should be directed at techinhiding.com instead of the .blogspot domain. That's way cool. Expect a real website coming up soon, and all the links previously used will either autoforward to their new home or stay where they are.

In Creative news, they launched the new Zen Mozaic (yeah with the Z), which is their update to the V series. As with the X-Fi, it looks better in a hand than in a promo shot. Here's its product page.

Here's what I have planned for upcoming articles:

1. Zen X-Fi Unboxing, Hands On, and Review (I'm not selling this baby!)
2. Link dump for a few videos I've mixed for my brother's baseball team (who are state champs, congrats)
3. If I ever get around to it, my two cents over The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. It's our summer reading, and I might as well post my thoughts on the book. My intellectual friend Josh already has his opinion over at his blog. Take a look.

Labels: Creative, Creative Zen, Creative Zen Mozaic, Creative Zen X-Fi, Power and the Glory, site

The X-Fi is officially shipping! Several sites, including Amazon, Buy.com, and others have the device in stock. Others, including Creative's official site, is already sold out of several of the models. It's apparently a very hot seller, as the $279 32GB is the #34 selling MP3 player on Amazon, passing the original Zen 32GB. My recommendation is through Newegg, since they have excellent customer service, they currently offer free 3-day shipping, and only NY residents are charged sales tax.
Also in Creative news, the Zen Krystal was leaked by the Creative HK site. It's basically an upgraded Zen Stone Plus with much better styling. It adds a few cool features, such as games, a pedometer, and other jogging goodies. Perhaps the bigger news about the player is its increased size- it's a 4GB player now. It's incredible at how smaller and cheaper memory is becoming every day. It's currently on sale for HK$698.00, or $89 US. Hit the link below for a full rundown of the Krystal.
Read

Image: epizenter.net

Labels: Creative, Creative Zen X-Fi, Zen, Zen Krystal

Over at the nothingbutcreative blog, kingone has some interesting information: the new player will be announced next week. In the first post, he says

We do know by now that the ZEN X-fi comes in 3 capacity (8,16,32GB), Wi-fi and non-Wi-fi and there seems to be something more than what it seem to be at the back of the player. We will find out eventually when the player is released next week!

Those sentences may seem poorly assumed for a person who has been reading Engadget and the news posts at epizenter, but kingone is a regular poster on the forums at epizenter. He has very strong connections with the company, as he shared some information on the never-released Zen Share. He followed up with a post today discussing the price drops in Singapore, Creative's home country.

In anticipation of the release of the ZEN X-Fi next week, Creative have slashed the prices of the ZEN.

That's the first line of the second post, which he follows with discussion over the substantial discounts in Singapore. (32GB Zen is now $379 U.P. down $120 U.P.) Both those lines as well as the substantial price drop point to his imminent release.
Kingone's Blog

Labels: Creative, Creative Zen, Creative Zen X-Fi

Jenn Lee over at Pocketables.net has unveiled some more information about the device via the FCC website. The only thing confirmed spec wise is that there will be a 32GB model. The device has passed FCC testing, and the documents were available June 23rd. This points to a very imminent release, as the FCC is the last hurdle for wireless devices before they are allowed to hit the American market. For the full writeup, as well as some device images, hit the read link below.
Also while searching the interwebs for more information on the player, I came across an interesting point on ITPortalPro (Read) and The Tech Hearld (Read) talking about the IM. Both articles, while citing Epizenter as their source, discuss "TChatter" as the IM service. That would allow for Google Talk as well as previously mentioned Yahoo! and Windows Live Messengers. I have not seen any information about TChatter on the player, but a quick Google search revealed little. The only thing that points to TChatter as an IM service is the first result, which is a generic 'about instant messenging' page.
Also, while browsing the web, I came across another tidbit- the 8GB will not have Wi-Fi. I saw it yesterday, but I cannot remember what source it was from. The report cited no sources, but as with the TChatter info, some of these people seem to know more than they tell. Perhaps they are insiders at Creative? Take both of the TChatter and 8GB rumors as such- rumors.
Read
UPDATE: That 8GB no wireless rumor came from EnzoTen (aka Grahm Skee) at AnythingButiPod.

Labels: Creative, Creative Zen, Creative Zen X-Fi, FCC, Wi-Fi

• Audio: MP3, WMA, AAC (unprotected), WAV, and Audible
• Video: WMA, MPEG4-SP, Divx 4/5, Xvid, and MJPEG
• Built-in X-Fi technology with two effects (Crystallizer and Expand)
• Built-in Wi-Fi for instant messaging (Yahoo! and Windows Live!) and wireless streaming
• FM Tuner and Voice Recorder
• Built-in Speaker
• Premium quality earphones included (ep-830)
• Battery Life: 36 hours for Audio, 5 hours for Video

Still no screen size or storage specs, but his source says 8,16, and 32GB (flash only). Not too bad in my opinion, but what else does Creative have up its sleeve?
Read

Labels: Creative, Creative Zen, Creative Zen X-Fi, Wi-Fi

I can personally confirm that the new Creative player has the following features:
Video Playback
Wi-Fi
X-Fi
SD Card
Wireless streaming connection (like Windows Media Extender)
Speaker
Wireless chat
FM Radio
Microphone
Audible Support
Connect to Creative's own media server
Power switch is on the BACK.
Same UI as the Zen.
Works with Windows Live and Yahoo Messenger

Here's the app hosted on a private server.

Here's some screenshots!
Playing from Creative's new media servers.
Play music from your PC, much like the Zune. Except this has full media streaming. I haven't seen anything about wireless sync. Yet. But that would be an easy add-on with a firmware update.
Interesting About the Player shot.
Avatar system for wireless chat.
Yup, I found them first! Creative's new X-Fi DOES have wireless in it! It appears chat is one of those features. Nice. What else is beyond my knowledge.

But now I'm doubting that Zune. Seriously.

Labels: Creative, Creative Zen, Creative Zen X-Fi, Wi-Fi

Is this the new X-Fi player that Creative and DAP fans have been waiting for? Michael over at DAPreview (and Epizenter) seems to think this is likely the new effort by Creative. He has nothing yet on specs, but if this is a photoshop, someone went to a lot of effort. The shadows seem nearly perfect, the branding is in the place where Creative traditionally puts their logos, and the font for 'The Sound of Perfection' is typical Creative. I'm very enthusiastic if the product really does have X-Fi sound, but only if the battery doesn't suffer horribly. In this day and age, it seems almost necessary for Creative to include a bit of Wi-Fi in it as well. The whole article is here at Epizenter.

Labels: Creative, Creative Zen, Creative Zen X-Fi, MP3, Wi-Fi, X-Fi, Zen Vision:M