SONICblue unveils new digital music players

SANTA CLARA, California: Consumer electronics maker SONICblue Inc. has unveiled several new portable digital music players, even as the company struggles to cut costs.

SONICblue said its S10 player, priced at $129, offers 64 megabytes of memory and holds up to two hours of music that is transferred to the device via a personal computer. It can run for up to 35 hours on the power of one battery and is small enough to be cupped in the palm of a hand.

The company also unveiled its S30S, a device aimed at the sports enthusiast, which offers 64 megabytes of memory, a clock and stopwatch. In addition, the S30S also has an radio tuner, and an adjustable armband.

Portable digital music devices have gained popularity due to their small size, ability to hold dozens of songs that can easily be changed. There are no moving parts, so the songs will not skip -- a plus for joggers and active listeners. The new products represent the start of SONICblue's build up to the peak holiday season, even as the company fights to stay afloat financially.

Earlier this month, SONICblue said it would cut 25 percent of its staff, including key executives, in an effort to cut costs. The company, whose shares closed on Monday at 31 cents a share, faces delisting from Nasdaq. Both of the players can use removable memory cards, and support MP3 and WMA digital music compression formats.

© Reuters