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Zune MP3 Player Market Share Up to 4%; Creative Drops to 2%

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 12, 2008 - 11:12am.

Los Angeles - Microsoft's (NASD: MSFT) Zune digital media player gained a bit of the MP3 player market share in NPD Group's latest rankings, now accounting for 4% of the total market, up from 3% in the first quarter of 2007, Wired.com reported.

tags: Music | Reports | iPod | Apple | Microsoft | Retail | SanDisk | Creative | Zune | NPD Group |

Creative Ships 25-Millionth MP3 Player

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 14, 2007 - 1:50pm.

Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics maker Creative (NASD: CREAF) announced on Wednesday that it has now shipped a total of 25 million MP3 players, eight years after shipping its first Nomad MP3 payer in 1999. The company now markets players including the ZEN and MuVo product lines. "Shipment of 25 million MP3 players marks a major milestone in Creative history, as our player unit volume exceeds the combined unit sales from some of the biggest names in consumer electronics," said Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative.
tags: Music | MP3 | Retail | Creative |

Creative Debuts Credit Card-Sized ZEN Audio/Video Player

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 29, 2007 - 4:01pm.

Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics maker Creative on Wednesday introduced the Creative ZEN, a credit card-sized music and video player with a 2.5-inch color screen. The player supports MP3 and WMA formats, in addition to AAC and unprotected iTunes Plus tracks from the iTunes Store. The Creative ZEN will ship to retailers next month in 4GB ($149), 8GB ($199) and 16GB ($299) capacities.

tags: Video | Music | MP3 | Creative | iTunes Plus | Creative ZEN |

Creative Debuts Xmod PC-to-Speaker Wireless Music System

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 24, 2007 - 12:25pm.

Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics firm Creative has introduced a wireless music distribution system that connects to a PC via USB and beams hi-fidelity music to wireless receivers throughout the home. The $199 Xmod Wireless system, which works without the need of a wireless home network, includes one X-Fi Wireless Receiver; additional receivers will sell for $99 each.

tags: Tech | Music | Creative | Xmod Wireless |

Creative Introduces Tiny, Colorful ZEN Stone 1GB MP3 Player

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 3, 2007 - 2:49pm.

Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics firm Creative on Thursday introduced a new line of tiny, colorful MP3 players that aim to compete with Apple's iPod Shuffle. The $39 Creative ZEN Stone 1GB player, set for release on May 14, is available in black, white, red, blue, pink and green.

tags: Music | Creative | ZEN Stone |

Creative Sues Apple for Patent Infringement of iPod User Interface

Authored by robert on May 15, 2006 - 1:46pm.
Scotts Valley, Calif. - Creative Technology, a maker of portable MP3 players, announced on Monday that it has sued Apple for patent infringement of its MP3 player design. In addition, Creative has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, seeking a ruling on whether Apple's imported iPods and iPod Nanos infringe on the company's "Zen Patent" -- which covers the user interface on its music players. The complaint seeks an injunction against Apple importing iPods from its Asian manufacturers, or selling them once they arrive in the U.S.
tags: Law | Lawsuits | Tech | Music | iPod | Apple | MP3 | Patents | Creative |

Creative Introduces 30GB Zen Vision:M Video/MP3 Player

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 8, 2005 - 6:12am.
Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics firm Creative Technology on Thursday introduced the Zen Vision:M, a 30GB portable video player, photo viewer and MP3 player. The $329 device sports a 2.5-inch color LCD screen, and will be available in five colors when it goes on sale this month. In addition to storing personal media collections, the device also supports subscription services such as TiVoToGo, Yahoo Music Unlimited, Napster To Go and Rhapsody To Go.
tags: Music | Creative | Zen Vision:M | Video/MP3 Player |

Creative Releases Remote Control MP3 Player Speakers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:51am.
Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics firm Creative announced on Wednesday the release of its I-Trigue L3800, a set of speakers for desktop and notebook PCs, and MP3 players. The $149 speakers also come with a wireless remote that can control both the speakers and an attached Creative Zen MP3 player, from up to 20 feet away.
tags: Creative | Releases | Remote Control MP3 Player | Speakers |

Creative Ships Portable Speaker Line for Zen MP3 Players

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 14, 2005 - 3:28am.
Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics firm Creative on Friday introduced a line of portable speaker systems for its Zen line of MP3 players. The company said the $129 TravelDock Zen Micro, $79 TravelDock 900 and $69 TravelSound 400 are now on sale at its website.
tags: Music | Creative | Zen MP3 Players | Portable Speaker Line |

MP3 Player Maker Creative Wins Patent on User Interface

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 30, 2005 - 4:54am.
Scotts Valley, Calif. -- Consumer electronics firm Creative Technology announced on Tuesday that it has been granted a U.S. patent on its user interface technology for portable media players. The "Zen Patent" covers technology found both in Creative's own Zen and Nomad MP3 players, as well as in Apple's iPod. Creative said the technology covered by the patent describes "a method, performed by software executing on the processor of a portable music playback device, that automatically files tracks according to hierarchical structure of categories to organize tracks in a logical order. A user interface is utilized to change the hierarchy, view track names, and select tracks for playback or other operations."
tags: Creative | MP3 Player Maker | Patent on User Interface |

MP3 Player Maker Creative Lowers Outlook, Citing Soft Demand

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 27, 2005 - 7:50am.
Singapore -- Creative Technology, a manufacturer of MP3 players and other digital consumer electronics, announced on Monday that it has revised downward its fourth quarter sales outlook, based on softer-than-expected MP3 player market demand and lower-than-expected average selling prices. Creative had previously projected 65% to 80% year-over-year growth, or revenue of between $330-$360 million, but now expects to report just 50% growth and revenue of about $300 million. Singapore-based Creative, which markets the Zen and MuVo line of MP3 players, also said it now expects to report an operating loss for its fiscal fourth quarter, ending June 30.
tags: Creative | MP3 Player | Soft Demand | Outlook | Citing |

U.K. Launches Forum to Protect "Creative" Intellectual Property

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 28, 2004 - 4:18am.
London -- The U.K. government has launched the so-called Creative Industries Forum, an initiative designed to further protect intellectual property in the "creative industries." The group brings together the government, non-government organizations and representatives from the film, music, publishing, design and computer games industries. Representatives from Internet service providers (ISPs), telecommunications companies, hardware manufacturers and consumer groups will also participate in the forum, organizers said. The Creative Industries Forum, jointly chaired by U.K. Arts Minister Estelle Morris and Innovation Minister Lord Sainsbury, will look into how the U.K. should approach the "opportunities and threats" presented by rapid technological developments in the so-called the creative industries, which, according to forum officials, contribute more than $100 million annually to the U.K. economy.
tags: Creative | U.K | Forum | Intellectual Property |