Make no mistake about it, we've no qualms with a single gizmo handling more than a few tasks, but something about Lipljan Digital Technology's YDPG69 just screams intrapsychic conflict. At first glance, the device resembles a knockoff gaming unit, but upon closer inspection, you see just how hard this little fellow is trying to be a grown-up UMPC. Unfortunately, it doesn't really excel at being either, so you're left with a questionably designed PMP that runs Windows CE 5.0 and supports JPEG, BMP, GIF, MP3, MP4, DivX, XviD, AVI, ASF, MPEG4 and WMV files. Also, you'll find a 3-inch QVGA display and twin D-pads, but we can't imagine the on-screen keyboard being all that useful unless this thing opens up even wider. Granted, it seems that this unit is still a concept, so hopefully things will shake themselves out in the final version.

[Via PMPToday]

RAmos has gone out of its way to make its PMPs and DAPs atypically noticeable in the past, and while the V150 is certainly not the most glamorous we've ever seen, it certainly doesn't look half bad. The sleek, Bluetooth 2.0-equipped device features a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a control lanyard, 2GB of storage, USB connectivity, and support for DivX / XviD formats. Additionally, you can opt for a set of Bluetooth plugs if you're frustrated with cords, and the built-in voice recorder / image viewer are nice touches, too. All in all, you're likely to be pretty pleased when you take the 699CNY ($92) price tag into account, and if you like what you see above, feel free to check out another glimpse after the jump.

[Via PMP Today]

Ok, we're gonna break this down, Microsoft really didn't do us any favors of simplicity this time. As you may remember, back in late 2004 Microsoft's hardware partners announced Windows Media Center Extenders, which were basically STBs that could replicate a cheesy version of Media Center's interface on your TV over your home network. Not surprisingly, people didn't want another box (let alone a box with a crappy UI that wasn't as good as a real Media Center) so those boxes never took off. But the best (and most frequently used) implementation came way later on with the Xbox 360, which was able to far better replicate the XP and Vista Media Center experience.

So today Microsoft is announcing a reinvigorated Media Center Extender effort called... wait for it... Extenders for Windows Media Center. Ok, the name totally sucks, but the important part is Microsoft upgraded its wayward Extender system with a new version that takes full advantage of Vista (including live HDTV streaming), supports 802.11n, and adds something that really blew our mind: codecs we actually care about, namely XviD and DivX. Niveus, Linksys, and D-Link will all be launching new devices based on this software platform, so watch out for those -- as well as DVD players, TVs, and all manner of other home theater devices Microsoft is apparently trying to get this new system built right into. Unfortunately this new Extender rev isn't being announced for the Xbox 360 (yet), so we'll all have to wait a while longer before playing XviD and DivX movies on that thing -- without transcoding, anyway.

SmartQ has another flash based portable media player for us from China with the release of the SmartQ T5. Coming in 2 and 4GB variations, the T5 plays a variety of file formats including 640x480, 30 fps XVID DivX, and features a 3.0-inch screen -- 320x240, a shame considering its VGA quality playback potential -- with a battery that can last up to 7 hours playing video, and 22 hours playing audio. No word on shipping dates or prices, but you know how it goes with these flash playing gadgets that never seem to make it stateside.

[Thanks, nick]

Those familiar with the Helios name probably haven't forgotten the uber-cheap H4000 that landed late last year, but the firm has outdone itself once again by slipping under that oh-so-magical $100 price point with the H2000. This slim multiformat player can not only upscale your standard DVDs to 1080i, but MPEG2/4, DivX, and even XviD files can also be upconverted for your viewing pleasure via component, HDMI, or VGA. Moreover, this device also outputs unprocessed 480i / 576i signals via the HDMI port if you're sending it to an external video scaler, and while we're sure you may be willing to give your first second born for all these niceties, Helios Labs will only be asking for $99 when it arrives next month.

Mmm, nothing like a sleek, glossy black PMP to get your juices flowin'. If you tend to agree with that sentiment, Memup's Orizon should suit your fancy quite well, as the 30GB unit comes in an ebony outfit, sports a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 resolution display, and even includes an SD / MMC card slot to watch media clips stored on your flash memory. You'll also find a text viewer and built-in FM tuner to complement the obligatory MP3, WMA, MPEG4, JPEG, BMP, and GIF file support, but the ability to play nice with Motion JPEG and XviD are welcome extras. Unfortunately, you're going to have to love the looks some kind of fierce in order to find value in the purported $378 pricetag. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Via AnythingButiPod]

UPDATE: Looks like this creature may actually be a straight up rip of another. Check out Coby's PMP4330 to see for yourself.

Newman's had a thing for kicking out low-cost, fairly well-spec'd portable media players over in China, and the M669 looks to uphold that reputation quite nicely. This pocket-friendly PMP reportedly includes a 3.6-inch LCD, 20GB internal hard drive, support for MP3, WMA, OGG, and MPEG1/2/4, video out, FM tuning abilities, e-book support, a photo viewer, voice recording, and USB 2.0 connectivity. Of course, the aesthetics leave something to be desired and the specifications are just barely above ho hum, but word on the street is that this here PMP is going for around $131 over in its homeland, which changes the complexion around real quick like.

[Via DAPreview]

IGS of Japan has released a hard drive-based media player that supports up to 1TB internal drives, and plays back various high-definition video and audio formats. Similar to the MediaGate line, the Rapsody N35 supports DivX and XviD, MPEG-1,2, and 4, and WMV HD at up to 1080 lines of resolution over DVI, component, or S-video outputs. The Rapsody also plays back OGG, MP3, and WMA audio over its digital coax and optical connectors. With the 10/100-speed Ethernet jack and included NDAS software, you can connect to remote computers on your network, and the local USB port allows for connecting devices directly. The N35 is available for 28,000 ¥, or $235 US.

Finally, some answers! Yes, Sony is killing the 20GB PS3. Yes, Xbox 360 will get a QWERTY keyboard device. Yes, Leopard is actually delayed. Yes, Palm is developing its own mobile Linux OS. And yes, we're definitely still holding the 2006 Engadget Awards. All this and more on Engadget Podcast 106, enjoy!

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Hosts: Peter Rojas and Ryan Block

Producer: Trent Wolbe

Music: Solvent - Instructograph (Ghostly International)

Program:
01:26 - 20GB PlayStation 3, RIP: 2006 - 2007
06:28 - Xbox 360 Spring 2007 Dashboard update
13:07 - How-To: play DivX and Xvid on your Apple TV
17:14 - Apple's Leopard delayed to October, iPhone blamed
24:16 - Apple sells 100 millionth iPod, deems experiment a success
27:45 - Palm prepping its own Linux-based OS
35:46 - Dell Axim, RIP: 2002 - 2007
40:12 - Hands-on with the SanDisk Sansa Connect
46:33 - The Engadget Mobile Interview: Sky Dayton, CEO of Helio
47:55 - The 2006 Engadget Awards - vote!

LISTEN (MP3)
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LISTEN (OGG)

Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

The two biggest Apple TV limitations are the lack of codec support (like XviD, DivX, etc.) and not even having the ability to do basic surround sound like Dolby Digital 5.1. These issues were resolved almost immediately after the Apple TV was released, although the hacks were somewhat less than practical. Something as simple as getting your Apple TV to, say, sync and recognize your XviD movies as playable was no simple feat. Thankfully, that's no longer the case, and we want to show you how to get the most out of your Apple TV. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it, too?

Hacks don't come much quicker than this. Just days after they started rolling out, one early recipient of an Apple TV has already cracked his open and claims to have gotten it to play nice with XviD files, although not without some wrangling. The first step -- and the one sure to stop the more warranty-aware folks among us in their tracks -- involves removing the Apple TV's hard drive, popping it into a USB enclosure, and mounting it on your computer. From there, you simply install the Perian video tool and the Dropbear SSH server in the appropriate locations, along with a script that disables the Apple TV's firewall and opens up the necessary ports -- then put it all back together. It's apparently not quite an ideal solution, however, also requiring the creation of reference QuickTime files for each XviD movie -- although, not surprisingly, they're already working on a tool to automate that process.

[Via Electronista, thanks Jonathan]

You won't color us surprised to find that another Asian company has knocked off one of Apple's products, and we certainly aren't shocked that this time around it's iOPS (again). The firm's X11 is crafted from white or graphite aluminum, comes in at just 9-millimeters thick, and boasts a very, very familiar click wheel mechanism. Regardless, this PMP offers up 1/2/4GB capacities, and features a 1.3-inch color LCD, rechargeable Li-ion battery, JPEG / text viewer, FM radio tuner, built-in equalizer, USB 2.0 connectivity, and upgradeable firmware. On the audio front, it supports MP3, WMA, and OGG music files, while it plays nice with AVI, MPEG4, DivX, XviD, and WMV video files, and although we aren't certain of how much coinage this thing will require (if it actually makes it to market, that is), this looks like a very functional alternative to Apple's rendition if you get the itch to import.

Teclast is keeping things fresh with its latest style-conscious DAP / PMP / gaming handheld, the C260. Joining the growing fray of Chinese all-in-one wonders, this sexy machine boasts a 3.15- x 1.85- x 0.39-inch enclosure, 2.4-inch QVGA touchscreen, landscape layout, built-in FM radio tuner, audio input for recording, headphone jack, USB 2.0 connectivity, and eight pre-loaded equalizer functions. Aside from playing nice with MP3 / WAV on the audio side, it also reportedly supports XviD, DivX, and AVI on the video front, while displaying JPEG slideshows and simple text files on the side. Additionally, it purportedly features some sort of "gaming" functionality in case the tunes loaded on your microSD card get stale. So if you've been craving a do-it-all device that remarkably resembles LG's Chocolate handset, the 1GB C260 should be hitting the Chinese streets soon for just 399 CNY, or about $51.

[Via AVing]

It seemed to start with all-in-one PMP / gaming handhelds, and now the conglomerate craze is apparently bleeding over to the GPS realm. While we've already seen the Guide Dog, which claims to handle more multitasking that we can even fathom in a portable GPS unit, 3Soft's Maxtombow isn't too far behind. Packing a bit more credibility that the aforementioned PDC gizmo, this 7-inch in-car / handheld device reportedly packs a 720 x 480 resolution LCD, built-in TV tuner, SD expansion slot, AV outputs, an FM tuner, and of course, the obligatory turn-by-turn tour guide to keep you on track. It also claims to function as an MP3 / WMA player, JPEG viewer, and even handles XviD, AVI, WMV, and MPEG1/4 on the video front. Purportedly coming in 1GB or 2GB flavors, this bad boy comes pre-packaged with a car-mounting kit to please your passengers. Recently released FCC approval documents all but confirm the prospect of an American Maxtombow, but we've heard nothing on the subject of how quickly this thing will make the trip from Korea to America, nor how much coinage it'll demand when it lands.