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There have been some invitations flying around from the good guys at Archos, inviting websites to their press event on July 10 in London. On the invitation, it says that there will be an “exciting announcement.” Such a phrase has led to the reports of a new Archos 6th generation portable media player with 3G connectivity. Around this same time last year, Archos has announced the availability of its 5th generation of players.

If Archos does announce a new PMP with 3G connectivity, it will certainly give them an edge in the market, as they can compete with Apple and Microsoft for the top spot. UK’s managing director of Archos, Tony Limrick, is set to deliver the good news. Hopefully, Archos does announce new 3G capable PMP’s as that would also surely please many current Archos fans. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Read [DAPreview] Via [PMP Today]

Some of you might remember back when Disneyland had their “House of the Future”.  I’m guessing it was located in Tomorrowland, and it featured such futuristic advances like speakerphones, big screen TVs, and microwave ovens.  Most homes of the present have these devices now, but during the ten year period that the exhibit was open (1957-1967), this was the future. 

Disneyland has just recently opened their new house of the future, otherwise known as the Innovative Dream Home.  The 5,000-square-foot house has been built as a collaborated effort with HP, Microsoft, and LifeІware.  Visitors can watch the everyday adventures of the fictional Elias family with their more modern advancements. 

Some of Microsoft’s contributions include the ever-so-popular Surface, the Home Server, but it also has some advancements we are all familiar with, such as Vista, the Zune, and even the Xbox 360. 

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Gear4 has introduced its BlackBox micro, a portable USB-powered speaker system which is touted as the company’s smallest speaker system to date. The Blackbox micro utilizes SFX technology in delivering high quality sound which you wouldn’t expect a speaker of such size would be capable of giving out. Thanks to its two drivers that work together to product optimal audio output, the Blackbox micro is a must-have speaker system for laptops or music players.

The Blackbox micro can connect to any source devices through its 3.5mm audio cable jack and is powered by a USB cable, so users must make sure to connect the speakers on a computer for continuous power supply. The Blackbox micro is compatible with most iPod models.

This small speaker system will be available in the UK sometime in August and will retail for $40. It will ship with a 3.5mm audio cable, some manuals and two Mini USB to USB cables.

Product [Gear4] Via [electronista]

It looks like the Creative ZEN X-Fi that we brought you yesterday was indeed accurate. The same device has just shown up at the FCC, but sadly the diagram was just showing off the backside, but the good news is that it does match up with the details that we have previously (see below image).

Most of the details still remain under lock and key with a clear message that the photographs are “confidential” with a message to “refer to manufacturer for details.”

So what we do know is that the device will be available in at least a 32G storage capacity, with a possibility for other and that it will be Wi-Fi enabled. But perhaps more important this does prove that the ZEN X-Fi is real and will be headed to the US retail market sooner than later.

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Music lovers holding a Verizon subscription will better be able to say “I can hear you now” to their favorite musical artists, as Rhapsody and Verizon team up to offer users with certain V Cast phones DRM-free PC downloads. In obvious competition with iTunes, Rhapsody is still behind in the numbers game (about 5 million in their online library as opposed to iTunes 8 million), however, the bonus of not being stuck with DRM puts them ahead in many people’s minds. This way, you can play the music on any PC, MP3 player, or other digital device. Bonus.

So how much is it going to cost you? The songs are going at 99 cents each, and most albums will be $9.99. You’ll also find a Windows-only download utility that will import your music directly into iTunes, RealPlayer, or the Rhapsody client; Mac users will get their songs in a ZIP file. Select Verizon Wireless V Cast phones (including the upcoming Chocolate 3, the new Dare, the Samsung Glyde, the Juke, the RIZR Z6tv, and the RAZR V9m) can purchase tunes from Rhapsody over the air, and get an MP3 “master” PC download in the bargain.

If you jump on the ball, Verizon is running a special through July 4th: The first 100,000 people to sign up with the MP3 store will get their first album free.  And hey...free is always good.

Via [Yahoo! Tech]

Brando is back, and this time its with a new type of earbud/MP3 player, that at first glance seem pretty cool. The player offers an around the head style of headphones with the actual MP3 player built into the headphones. They offer 1GB of internal memory and have support for MP3, WMA and WAV file formats. The main point of earbuds like these is purely for exercise purposes. They allows you to not have to worry about carrying an MP3 player; just the earbuds. Also, they are lightweight, weighing only 20g, meaning it would fit in easily and wouldn’t cause any strain on the ears to hold it in place. Additionally, it comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which provides up to 8 hours of continuous playback.

It is already on sale for $22, and comes in two different colors, red and blue. This looks to be a good idea to those who exercise frequently and look to carry nothing with them other than earbuds.

Via [Brando]

Coming just a few months after the last software update for the Mylo COM-2, Sony has just released yet another update. This brings the version up to 1.201 and should be well worth the time it takes to update. The new version of software offers a few big items which include support for video recording and the ability to support Memory Stick Duo memory cards up to 16GB in size. In addition the update also includes some other notable items which include:

• Adds a new menu option for easier photo and video uploading
• Provides an “Optimize” option in Task Manager for system memory
• Adds a function to format Memory Stick Duo media
• Adds the ability to display thumbnail images in the Game menu
• Improves Flash playback of YouTube videos

Coming in at just about 60MB, the update is slightly large, but like I mentioned it seems to be a worthwhile update. Hit the update link below to find the download.

Update [Sony]

Still missing is the official announcement from Creative, however epiZENter is claiming the above picture of the Creative ZEN X-Fi is the real deal. Based on the image, all we can do is hope that it really is true, and wait for the official word to come from Creative.

The ZEN X-Fi will offer a lot more functionality thanks to the extra buttons off to the side of the display. The X-Fi is expected to feature built-in Wi-Fi, speaker, voice recorder, FM tuner and can handle additional storage via an SD card slot.

Although nothing official has come out, it is expected that the ZEN X-Fi will be announced within a “month or so.” As usual with early leaks, no mention was made of pricing.

Via [epiZENter]

AT&T has just added yet another color to the rainbow of Sony Ericsson W580 handsets already available. The W580 was previously available in black, white, gray, pink or green and it will now also be available in red.

Aside from the color addition, the features and pricing remain the same. The W580 is a music centric Walkman handset that has a slider style design. It features a 2.0-inch TFT display, a 2.0-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth support. It also has the exclusive Shake Control, which allows you to control the music playback such as skipping and playing tracks simply by flicking your wrist. The W580 remains priced at $99, which comes after a two-year agreement and along with a mail-in rebate.

Via [phoneArena]

As expected T-Mobile has officially unveiled the Motorola ROKR E8, which will be available beginning July 7. The ROKR E8 will feature a touchscreen keyboard with a vibration feedback that will change and offer different keys depending on the feature you are currently using. Otherwise the E8 will be a candybar style handset with a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, 2GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot that will allow for 8GB more and is myFaves compatible.

The ROKR E8 will set you back $199, which comes along with a two-year agreement. Overall a decent little handset, but for $199 one has to wonder why, compared to some other more full featured models that are currently available it sounds a little pricey.

Read [T-Mobile] Via [Engadget]