Sony Xplod in-car CD receivers with USB

Sony Xplod in-car CD receivers with USB

Sony has pulled the covers off two new Xplod in-car CD receivers, the CDX-GT920U and CDX-GT620U.  Support for CD and radio is a given, but they also have USB ports for playing music stored on memory sticks and Sony’s Quick BrowZer technology to speed tracklist navigation.  Both have fold-down, removable face-plates, which in the GT920U’s case is motorized.

Sony has fitted front mounted mini-jacks for plugging in other audio sources, and the GT920U is also compatible with iPods, HD and satellite radio (albeit with accessories required).  MP3, non-DRM AAC and non-DRM WMA files are supported, both on CD or memory stick.  Power output for both units rates at 52 watts x 4, with three additional pre-outs.

Personally they’re a bit too garish for my tastes - I like my stereo to look integrated with the rest of the dash, rather than resembling a button-encrusted barnacle clinging to it - but Sony do have a reputation for solid sound and build quality.  Both include a credit-card style remote.  The Xplod CDX-GT620U is available now, priced at around $160.  Meanwhile the Xplod CDX-GT920U will be available in June, priced at around $250.

(Via SlashGear.)

Sony makes the Microvault USM-L flash drive available in various candy colors

Sony makes the Microvault USM-L flash drive available in various candy colors

Sony has made available a slew of tiny USB flash drives in its Microvault product line, branding these babies as the USM-L. The drives measure in at 0.69 x 0.33 x 2.44-inches and weighing only around 0.32-ounces, who would think that the USM-L flash drives can store as much as 16GB of data? Well, that’s how flash drives are nowadays, the smaller they get, the larger their storage capacities are, and this is particularly true with the Sony USM-L flash drives.

As if the USM-L flash drives were not small enough, Sony even made use of the Click mechanism which makes it shorter when it is connected to your machines. This also enables Sony to do away with the common USB flash drive design that comes with a cap that you have to pull out to reveal the flash drive’s USB connector. With the USM-L, all you have to do is to slide out the flash drive’s body to reveal the USB connector.

The USM-L flash drive also sports a LED indicator that illuminates when the flash drive is in used. And like other Microvault flash drives, the USM-L supports Windows Vista ReadyBoost utility, Sony’s Virtual Expander for file compression, and Plug’n Play technology. Perhaps most important, the USM-L flash drives come in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB storage capacities.

(Via Gadgetell.)