If you’ve been in some quiet anticipation of some pricing and release time frame for that new iAudio U5 MP3 player from Cowon your wait is over. Our buddies over Crave have caught wind that Cowon America has went ahead and already started shipping the U5.

The player is available in a black 4GB model and a white 8GB model for $119 and $159, respectively. Unlike most of Cowon’s stuff, this one lacks some of the frills you’ll find in many other competitors, but it does house a 1.8-inch TFT LCD (no video playback, audio only), an FM tuner that can be recorded, an equalizer, voice recorder and alarm clock.

If you want to get a better idea of the players functionality you can check out Cowon’s video after the jump:

D-Link has a new networking product that they are unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, boasting the ability to bring videos, movies and photos wirelessly from a PC to a television or projector, getting your online video content into your living room. The D-Link PC-on-TV (DPG-1200) receiver connects to your television through composite or component cable connections and streams content from your PC through WiFi.

The press release from D-Link talks about using the system to stream media content to your television which is the most likely use for many people, and says it is media player-independent, allowing viewing of just about any media player that plays on your PC like YouTube, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. You can also view an internet browser or play some online games through the system and navigate the display with an included remote control and trackball. Our interpretation of this is that the device really does what the name says: “PC-on-TV”. The ability to play media and view photos on your television is a big part but seems to be focused on for marketing purposes.

A company by the name of Ziova has unveiled what it is calling a new high definition network media player which can sport an internal hard drive. The ClearStream CS615 is expected to price at around $330.

The ClearStream CS615 from Ziova is powered by the Sigma Designs 8634 chipset. It is a home networked media player which brings your media files to your home theater system. You can get entertainment via the 10/100 Ethernet wired networking, an internal hard drive and a USB 2.0 hard drive connection. Video output options include HDMI and component video.

MobiBLU is no stranger to cube-shaped MP3 players or to small ones but this player brings a little something new, however we’re not exactly sure why. This cube-shaped player has controls on its side for playback of MP3 allowing play, pause, volume control and switching tracks. What’s unique is that it will flatten out into the shape of a cross and then fold back up into a cube.

Where this could be useful isn’t exactly clear. Maybe if you needed to slide the player under a door or through a narrow spot? Also I’m wondering how that headphone jack works when it’s flattened out, or when it’s folded up for that matter. The MP3 Nanum measures just 30mm cubed, connects via USB 2.0, has a 1GB storage capacity and supports MP3, WMA and WAV files. MobiBLUE also shows it being available in colors of red, white and green. No word yet on pricing or how we might get this in the states.

Olive, a maker of high end audiophile products, is getting stylish with a new artistic version of its Opus No5 digital media player. The new players, designed by Karim Rashid, are priced at around $4,000.

The four unique styles of this Opus No5 players are technologically focused as much as they look good. They have high end audio components built in for producing a sound which Olive feels is equal to the player’s price tag. These devices offer up to 750GB of hard drive storage so you can load and keep your favorite music files and associated information available for more easy enjoyment.

Twinbird has another splash-proof, portable music player available giving you more options to bring you tunes into the bathroom This one has an internal USB port to connect your thumb drive loaded with MP3 or WMA files to play in the bathroom or other damp areas that would otherwise brick a normal media player. One the drive is plugged in the case can be closed and the music can be selected from the outside.

In addition to playing digital music from a portable drive the Twinbird CD ZABADY AV-J189S also houses a CD player and an FM radio. It runs on internal batteries that can bring up to 7 hours of radio, 5.5 hours of MP3 playing or 4 hours of CD playback. It also has built-in speakers and a convenient handle on top to port it around. Internal picture of the player after the jump.

Environmental groups have been all over the iPod due to it’s eco-unfriendliness to the environment. The Eco Media player may not be an iPod killer, but it should make the environmentalists a bit happier. The device is a video player, music player, fm radio, LED torch, photo viewer, hi-fi recorder, memo recorder, data storage device and a mobile phone charger. So how is this eco-friendly with all of these functions? Simple. It has no need for replacement batteries.

You wind it via a fold-out handle on the rear. (Or if you don’t care about baby seals and Polar bears, you can charge it via a USB cable to your computer). 40 minutes of audio play requires only one minute of self powering.

This PMP player from Kinwei appears to have a very nice, clean design but how it’s used we’re just not sure. It sports a 2.4-inch TFT display and allows you to view E-books, JPG, GIF and BMP images, MP1, MP2, MP3 and WMA music files and the ever-obscure TV/AWV video formats. It also has a built-in FM tuner, seven preset EQ modes, a rechargeable battery and a capacity of 2GB. The product details list a touch pad for interaction but aside from that the player appears to have no buttons, dials, switches, cool blue lights and not even any branding. We still think it looks pretty cool, however. No price was readily available and it comes in the shown color of black or white.

Teenie-boppers aside, I don’t know anyone who would sacrifice utility for aesthetic gimmicks. I suppose there are people who want a wine bottle shaped thumbdrive, or a Darth Vader shaped flashlight but I don’t know these people and I’m very glad I don’t. But that won’t stop companies from coming out with cheap devices, the sole selling point of which is a gimmick like the following Lipstick shaped MP3 player I have to dub the most ridiculous item of the day.

Music players are evolving slowly but surely adding features here or there, miniturizing etc. This particularly small MP3 player has a good feature set for what it is. For musicians, this device would work perfectly as a scratch pad during the writing process with its built in voice recorder to name just one of the interesting features.

The 2 tone LCD is adequate for its purpose and the navigation screen is simple. The player includes a built in speaker for when you’d rather not be wearing headphones, and hosts a 7 mode EQ to adjust the output of your WMA or MP3 files and the WAV files recorded via the built in voice recorder.

San Francisco-based Olive Media Products is known for putting out high end, pricey audio gear. It’s no surprise than to find a $3,000 price tag on its new OPUS No5 networked audio system.

The Olive OPUS No5 is a hard drive based audio storage system which lets its owner store upwards of 2,200 CDs. It makes use of top-end digital and audio technologies to create what Olive feels is an “audiophile-quality sound” experience. This device features a minimalist design, streams Internet radio and offers audio features like a signal/noise ratio of 123dB.

This super-thin USB Flash Card MP3 player from Brando is about the size of a credit card or just slightly larger at 85.5 x 54 x 4.5 mm and can house 2GB of listening media. It can also work as mass storage (if you call 2GB mass storage anymore) by connecting via USB to your computer.

The device can play MP3 or WMA files and has buttons that are flush with the frame that control navigating the songs. It also has a red LED light that lets you know the internal battery is charged and the player is on. You can even make a special request to have your own graphics put on the player, making it a nice “business card” MP3 player to give away to clients and customers.

If you’re looking for something thin and …

MP4 Player is actually the model name for this media player with built in 2MP swivel camera. As ridiculously generic as the name is, at least it wasn’t called an iSomethingorother. The camera swivels 180 degrees and records 4MP interpolated video. Playback MPEG-4 files at 320×240 pixels and 30fps with the ability to convert your non compatible videos using software installed on the device. Load your MP3, WAV or WMA files up and start rockin’.

Illustrated right is a render of the Meizu M7 touch screen miniPlayer geared to compete directly with iPod Touch. The media player is targeted for a March 2008 release with a price tag that could draw business away from Apple for all but the most die-hard iPod users. The tentatively named M7 will sport a 2.8 inch touch screen with a 16:9 480×228 resolution and supports H.264 playback. At $100, $110 and $150 for 2GB, 4GB and 8GB models respectively, the M7 is likely to be a very popular iPod clone.

While a cheaper alternative to the Apple iPod MP3 player, its lower price likely indicates this Chinese manufactured Miezu clone will lack the quality and attention to detail that the Apple players have become known for. The design concept has only recently and hurriedly been announced so stay tuned for any updates.

When innovation is elusive try novelty, right? Available in an assortment of colors and certified “Made For iPod”, Mountain Network Solutions unleashes an iPod docking station that will call attention to itself.

Included are the necessary adapters to dock any iPod that is docking capable. The unit will synchronize with iTunes and is controllable via a small remote for navigating playlists and adjusting volume, bass and treble.