Proof that podcasting is moving further into the mainstream comes with the news that MP3 players from mobiBLU will be shipping with preinstalled software designed to download podcasts with just one click,.
The itsy-bitsy mobiBLU B153 and mobiBLU Cube MP3 players will be supplied with Podcast Ready’s myPodder software which makes it easy to get download podcasts on to the devices.
Using the service, podcast-hungry mobiBLU MP3 owners can slap their players into any Internet-connected computer to access myPodder, where they can then update, subscribe to and manage their podcasts.
Available in English from today (with Japanese, Korean and German versions debuting in June), the Podcast Ready service also provides a podcast directory with one-click podcast subscription.
It’s not just about Apple
With a wagging finger and nodding head, Russell Holliman, founder and CEO at Podcast Ready sighed, “There is a huge perception that podcasts are for Apple users only, and if you’re not using an iPod it’s a difficult process.”
Holliman hopes that their new software will prove that anyone armed with an MP3 player can join the Podcast revolution – and the market is potentially huge.
Research firm In-Stat estimates that MP3 player unit sales will rocket to 286 million by 2010, way up from last year’s 140 million sales.
The Players
MobiBLU’s B153 is a neat little fella with enough juice onboard to let you listen to around 150 hours of battery life based on playback of 128kbps, 44.1 KHz, non-DRM MP3 files – long enough for even the most self-obsessed podcast.
Battery life slips down to a still-impressive 100 hours when using WMA DRM files.
The player includes an FM Tuner, voice recorder with built-in microphone and comes in 512MB, 1GB, 2GB storage capacities.
Suggested retail price for the 2-GB MP3s are $129.99 (£71, €103) and $159.99 (£87, €126), respectively.
The appropriately named mobiBLU Cube is, at 0.94″ square, one of the smallest in the world and comes with a large OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display.
The teensy-weensy square player comes in 256 MB to 1GB configurations, with all models managing to wedge in an FM tuner.
The 1GB model is currently retailing in the UK for around £130, but look out for a mobiBLU Cube2 coming soon!
When it comes to pixel-waving, Casio look set to kick sand in the face of their rivals with the announcement of their new EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z1000 camera, boasting a man-sized 10 megapixel sensor. 
For wobbly hands and low light shots, there’s Casio’s Anti Shake mode onboard backed by an ISO range extending all the way up to ISO 3200 (in BEST SHOT mode). 
Battery life looks set to last a vacation too, with a claimed 360 shots per charge. 
The EX-Z1000 is expected on the shelves in in mid-May, priced at around £380. 
With a triumphant beat of its kodachrome chest, Kodak has announced the world’s smallest 10x optical zoom camera, the 6-megapixel KODAK EASYSHARE V610 dual lens digital camera 
Naturally, this little fella shoots video – managing TV-quality (VGA) footage at 30 frames per second (fps) – saved out as MPEG-4 files with Kodak’s “video-specific image stabilisation technology” claiming to reduce that wobbly jelly camera effect. 
When it comes to auto modes, Kodak haven’t held back with no less than twenty-two scene modes, three colour modes and a custom mode, along with selectable exposure metering, exposure compensation, focus zones, ISO, and single/continuous auto-focus for precise control. 
Now, we like gadgets. And shiny things. And we like football (well some of us).
There’s also ample storage on board in the shape of a 80GB SATA HDD, with a set of built-in Harman & Kardon speakers for playing back the roar of thousands of tanked up Taffies as Wales slam in the winning World Cup goal (well, we can dream). 
The dome-headed boffins at Nokia have triumphantly put their multiple pens back in their white coat pockets as the new Nokia N73 and N93 phones roll out on the product slipway. 
Being Brits, we refuse to describe mobiles as having a ‘candybar’ form factor, so how about we call the N73, ‘Amazin’ Raisin Bar’ shaped? 
Rounding off the man-sized feature set is Bluetooth 2.0, a music player supporting MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA, video player with streaming support, FM radio with visual radio and a set of built-in pixie-sized 3D stereo speakers. 
Modestly billed by Nokia as the “ultimate mobile device for spontaneous video recording,” the N93 features a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, “DVD-like” video capture at 30 frames per second, and 3x optical zoom with video stabilisation. 
If, like the Temptations, you find yourself wishing it would rain or you just like to belt out tunes in the shower, Pioneer’s new waterproof headphones might be just the things for you. 
Of course, there’s no point having waterproof headphones if your player gets slippery when wet, so anyone looking to go surfin’ USA might be interested in checking out the range of waterproof iPod/iriver cases from h2o Audio. 
The Zicplay MiniKey is a tiny audio player. It comes in versions from 256MB to 1GB. There’s also a version with a built in FM tuner. The version we tested was the 512Mb model. 
We must have all suffered this nightmare scenario. 
Well, worry no more, because thanks to those clever folks at Brando, you can now own a USB mouse that packs both a thermometer and a laser pointer. 
Whip that puppy out at a corporate meeting and you’ll be the cock o’the walk! 
Their Website gives no indication as to the power of the pointer, but the illustration seems to suggest it can blast its mighty beam all of, err, a couple of feet, at best. 
Nikon has scooped up three prizes at the 2006 TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) awards, with Canon, Panasonic, Samsung, Ricoh, Epson, Lexar and Olympus all getting the opportunity to make tearful speeches on the podium. 
The D50 is a great stepping stone for amateurs looking to snap high quality pics without spending a fortune. 
With that kind of resolution, images can be blown up to enormo-size without fear of pesky artifacts appearing, and the full frame sensor means that the focal lengths of Canon EF lenses remain consistent. 
The world\\’s first digital compact camera to deliver ISO 3200 sensitivity at full resolution, the F30 can serve up sharp images in low light and comes with a slew of scene modes to get you started. 
Other category winners:
Dell has released a beast of a notebook, with its dual-core processor, groovy glowing lights and ramped-up video RAM aiming the XPS M1710 squarely at mobile gamers. 
The Metallic Black M1710 weighs in at a wallet-draining $2,600 and comes with Intel’s Core Duo T2400 processor, 1GB of DDR2 memory, 256MB GeForce Go 7900 GS graphics and a 60GB hard drive. 
Both notebooks feature Microsoft’s Windows Media Center Edition operating system, and system upgrades can expand storage to 120 of GB hard drive space and up to 4 GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory. 
There’s also built in Wi-Fi, high definition integrated stereo with two 2 watt per channel main speakers and a 5 watt, class D subwoofer with bass reflex port. 
The XPS M1710 is estimated to ship in the second week of May. EK/EU delivery and prices to be announced.