Sony Ericsson W508 Walkman phone
 The Sony Ericsson W508 is a Walkman phone in the vein of the Sony Ericsson W980, another Walkman clamshell phone with external music controls. The Sony Ericsson W508 is a bit more mid-range, so it lacks features like the 8GB of internal storage or the FM transmitter on the W980, but it still retains the Walkman DNA, and that's good, because the Walkman music player has always been one of our favorite mobile music apps. Full preview...
Sony Walkman X1000
 At their booth at CES 2009 in Las Vegas, Sony had the new Sony Walkman NWZ-X1000 on display, though unfortunately all of the available units were sealed under plastic domes. Sony says this is because the device is still few in number, and they want to keep a close eye on them, so we should still expect that the version we saw today was close to the release version. In any case, even behind the plastic bubble, it was easy to see how bright and clear the OLED screen was. This technology is making an appearance on a few spotlight products here at CES, including the new OQO Model II+ UMPC, and we've been impressed with the display tech every time we've laid eyes on it. It provides a nice contrast ratio, and also draws less power than other display types. We're curious to see if this makes a difference on a Wi-Fi device.
Samsung YP-P3 media player
 Samsung's high-end portable media players have always zigged where other have zagged. While other flagship all-touch players are focusing on Wi-Fi and internet capabilities, like the Sony Walkman NWZ-X1000 above, the Samsung YP-P3, like the YP-P2 before it, focuses more on some acrobatic feats of Bluetooth. The touch screen player can pair with your phone, and then the music will pause when you receive a call. Further, you can even take the phone call using your headphones and a built-in microphone on the Samsung YP-P3. Full preview...
Sony Walkman W202
 Like the Walkman X1000, the Sony Walkman NWZ-W202 was also bolted down, so we couldn't try on the wrap-around headphones that contain the entirety of this small music player. The design is clever, but a bit chunky in person, and the headphones will certainly be conspicuous, as much as they are convenient. We like the idea, though, and it certainly makes sense, especially as simple music players shrink smaller and smaller. We would have liked to try the Zappin music preview feature, which plays snippets of your library for fast browsing without a screen. It's about time someone came up with a solution to that problem. The player will be out in the spring, with a 2GB capacity and a price tag around $70.
Samsung MBP200 Pico Projector
 The Samsung MBP200 is a portable media player with a pico projector built in. The MBP200 can also display video from other sources, like cell phones and laptops, and Samsung says it can fill a 50-inch screen with its image. As a standalone player, though, the MBP200 will use a microSD slot to read media files as well as office documents, so you can use the device as a presentation projector for PowerPoint, Word or Excel documents. The Samsung MBP200 even comes equipped with a tiny arm that extends to hold a sheet of paper, and this can be used as the projection screen. The projector will be available later this year, but pricing and specific launch dates have yet to be determined. In Korea, however, buyers can now purchase a Samsung Anycall phone with a projector built in, so clearly the technology is ready for the mainstream.
iriver P7
 For the DivX-on-the-go enthusiasts, the iriver P7 might be an interesting choice when being released in the U.S. in the second half of 2009. It's no secret that iriver's video players tend to impress in the audio department, and the iriver P7 will feature SRS WOW HD technology and an equalizer with seven presets for audio management. The player will be sold in 4, 8 and 16GB variants, and will also come with a microSD memory slot. Sharp lines define the iriver P7 when it comes to both exterior and interface design. What makes this a really interesting player though, is its 4.3-inch LCD screen optimized for 480 x 272 handheld videos. As an added bonus, the screen is touch-sensitive, though not of the most finger-friendly, capacitive kind. We would have liked to see OLED screen technology here too, like a few other iriver P Series models offer, but the iriver P7 will still be an interesting player at around $200.
Eclipse AVN726E car multimedia system
 The new flagship Eclipse AVN726E is attacking the car multimedia market with gusto, offering up a 7-inch WQVGA, high-contrast, high-visibility TFT display. We'd be hard-pressed not to tell you that the Eclipse AVN726E was one sexy console dweller in person, thanks to its large screen and sleek strip of controls that could be customized to glow red or blue. We also thought it was cool that the Eclipse AVN726E could be linked to the headlights for an automatic power-on, and the day/night view modes based on the particular driving environment were great options to have. Eclipse explained that the color and contrast was improved on the Eclipse AVN726E, thanks to the digital image processing and we couldn't argue with that.
We love the built-in 2GB flash memory with a map/navigation database built-in, and users can update maps via the SD card slot. The Eclipse AVN726E also hosts a plethora of media, from DVDs to DivX to CDs and a USB terminal for MP3s and WMAs. Add in an iPod connection, XM, Serius and HD compatibility, iTunes tagging and Bluetooth, and the Eclipse AVN726E will open up a can of awesome in pretty much any car except Kit. Release: April 2009.
Eclipse AVN4430 car multimedia system
 If your cash flow is hurting after that rear seat subwoofer and cabinet binge buy, Eclipse offers the AVN4430, which sizes down the WQVGA screen to a modest 4.3-inch screen and adds a left-hand control panel complete with circular tuner. We still get the 2GB of built-in flash memory and SD card slot, but the Eclipse AVN4430 utilizes TomTom navigation with voice input. More runoff from the Eclipse AVN726E include DVD, CD and iPod compatibility, built-in Bluetooth, a USB connector and a rear camera to prevent plowing over an unsuspecting civilian. The Eclipse AVN4430 is super portable, so you can literally toss it into a pocket or purse to deter thieves. Price: $850. Release: January 2009.
Audiovox Advent VM9423 by Jensen
 If clunky buttons and controls are not your bag, Audiovox has the answer. The Advent VM9423 by Jensen features a fully touch-screen interface that resembles one of the first versions of the Winamp media player. Okay, so the touch-screen interface is not the sexiest, but we found its responsiveness to be on point. It was a bit difficult to intuitively wade through menu options, but we got the hang of it within 5 minutes. The Advent VM9423 features a 6.5" screen and has a built-in HD radio tuner, in addition to being XM/Serius, Bluetooth and GPS capable. On the downside, separate modules are required to accommodate each feature, but it also allows users to customize the Advent VM9423 to their exact liking. Similar to the Eclipse AVN726E, the Advent VM9423 features USB and SD inputs, iPod compatibility and plays CD/DVD optical, MP3, WMA and DivX format media. We strongly recommend taking the Audiovox Advent VM9423 and Eclipse AVN726E out for a little stroll before you settle on a console commando.
Mike Perlman and Philip Berne contributed to this CES 2009 story.
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