Rio Riot: New handheld juke?

Just stumbled upon the new Rio Riot in the e-store. Interesting... any involvement by the Rio Car folks?

Anyone knowledgeable care to compare against iPod? Didn't see any dimensions on the product page.

It is from a different team within SonicBlue.

Wish you could see the screen better in the pictures.

Is this the "mumble" that uses the same brick power supply we've been getting as the extras from the estore?

Zachary Volpicelli
Lost in Boston

Is this the "mumble" that uses the same brick power supply we've been getting as the extras from the estore?


Doesn't look like that. In the images on the page linked in the original post (also see attachment to this post), there's one of those small, slim-line switching powersupplys.

/Michael

hmm... good point.
So I guess the "mumble" is still under wraps.

Ah well...

Z~

heres the URL to the offical SB press release
SB Press Release on the Riot

I note the comments in the press release about price ($US399) and availability (pre-order now, available late Feb).

The software that comes with it makes it Mac compatible as they bundle iTunes [for the mac] and they also bundle RealJukebox for the PC crowd.

No mention of the weight or dimensions though or if the hard disk can be used as a file taxi [a logical application given its 20MB hard disk].

The battery life seems similar [using a rechargeable LiOn battery like the iPod] to a iPod and the Built-in FM radio should also make it a useful device (can't recall if iPod has a FM radio).

Software is upgradeable in the unit too.

The ipod doesnt have a radio, but it can be used as a file taxi.
So can the Archos 20GB. The creative labs Nomad Jukebox cannot.
Archos is also coming out soon with their 20GB jukebox studio, that will allow you to rip your cd's to mp3 right to the player. kind of a neat-o option.

Z~

Anyone else find the "Riot" name unfortunate?

Z~

but the iPod has Firewire!!

The upcoming Archos Jukebox Recorder 20GB will support USB 2. Isnt that kind-a like firewire?
Z~

I hear USB 2.0 is suppost to be somewhat faster then firewire. No idea if this is true or not.

-Greg

USB 2 is 480mbps, 1394 is 400mbps.

Then again, the next revision of 1394 is also ready to go, at speeds of 800, or I believe up to 1200mbps.

Plus 1394 still maintains the "PC free" type of connection options, where USB 2 still needs a USB host/slave setup. If only the consumer electronics companies would release all their equipment with 1394 ports. Sigh...

it looks like a sega nomad I hope it isn't as big

anyone find dimensions ?

I thought USB 2 supported peer-to-peer communication between 'slaves'.
Although its primary operating mode is still Master/Slave.

While USB 2 would be nice I doubt the Riot supports it so its back to USB 1 which is of course 12Mbits/sec - no where near Firewire.

I also like the iPod can be charged while 'docked' with the host via the FireWire connector - something which the Riot does not mention it supports [and probably won't due to the amperage limitations of USB because it would take too long to charge up if it used the USB cable to do so].

Heh... You're totally right! It does look like a Nomad! It looks f^(&in' HUGE, too! Dimensions would be nice... But then decription has never been SB's strong suit.

The Nomad Jukebox can be used as a file taxi. When it first came out it did not have that capability, but creative labs put it in, in one of the playcenter upgrades.

I read a review of the CL nomad Jukebox on Cnet I think, where one of the reviewers complained that you couldnt use it as a file taxi.
They may have been talking about an older model or something. Good to know that you can now.

Anyone else find the "Riot" name unfortunate?

Not when compared to future products in the Rio pipeline like..

The Rio Panic
The Rio Calamity
The Rio Anarchy

And the last I heard they were planning to open a Mexican center of operations and release a few new products:

The Rio Muerto
The Rio Mierda
The Rio Orina

What's so unfortunate about those names?

I think I personally would be more into a name like "The Rio Death-Pod" or ooh.. how about "The Rio Aural Pleasurizer"!
Too wordy?
Z~

Does anyone have any clue how large this thing is? If it is small, I'd love one. However, assuming that joypad is the smallest joypad I've ever seen (like Nintendo Gamecube small), the unit looks pretty big...

The screen is 240 by 160 pixels in sizeso this may give some idea as to the size.
Supposedly the screen size is the biggest in its class - whatever that means.

I guess what we need is someone at CES who has actually seen the Riot to post the details. I assume its using a laptop hard drive - if not it will be huge and heavy.

You made me laugh out loud in my office with this message. Thanks a lot!

:-)
Calvin

No charge...

Here you go, 2 shots I captured from the CES coverage on TechTV today.

Riot Front shot

Riot profile shot

And an interesting Sony screen on a bland AM/FM/CD (no XM, MP3 or anything to really make use of it...), a 32,000 color screen car stereo

thanks for the pictures it looks pretty large

yn0t_: What's so unfortunate about those names?

Nothing, compared to:

Le Rio Épidémie de tuberculose.

or

Un méchant Rio bout cela peut exploser à n'importe quel moment!

'Course, I'm not sure that SonicBLUE will ever manage to ship these. They're always listed as "out of stock".

Has anyone from empeg or any of the tester got thier hands on one yet it looks kind of cool

More comments and rampant speculation about the Riot at MetaFilter.

it looks like a sega nomad I hope it isn't as big

Haha, I was actually about to say it looked a lot like the Sega Game Gear, but they are similar units. I hope the Riot is smaller than the Game Gear though. I had one for like 4 years, and it was pretty big. Lots of fun, though.