AOL and Haier's Linux-based "Smartscreen Media Device" flies in from left field

AOL has announced that it is taking part in the development of a portable media player with a Haier-manufactured player that looks like it was put together by the company's East German industrial design division, and then forged from plate iron in a Soviet-era smelting factory -- in fact, it appears as if this product has something to do with AOL's acquisition of the zany WildSeed guys a while back. Equally amusing as its fugly design is the fact that the only picture of the device at CES is of a model which has a broken button (check out the skip track button on the right.) That doesn't really say much about the Germanic design we were just joking about now does it? Fortunately for Engadget's parent company (disclosure: AOL is our parent company's parent), the device's internals aren't so dated -- which is good because otherwise we'd be completely panning the thing right about now. Apparently the player has a Linux-based text interface -- that has been developed by AOL's Tegic unit -- and is controlled by a touch pad, packs a 30GB hard drive, plays MPEG-4 and WMV videos, and has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for listening to internet radio stations and downloading songs from paid Windows Media music stores like Napster, Rhapsody, and Yahoo! In summary: AOL and Haier are planning to release a truly ugly player that counters its ugliness with a varied and genuinely intriguing feature set: maybe our -- non-corporate -- parents were right, beauty really is only skin deep! According to PC Magazine, we should expect to see a retail release of the Smartscreen Media Device sometime around the second or third quarter of 2007.

[Via Linux Devices]

[Chris Merchant @ Jan 9th 2007 8:41PM]

Anyone else feeling Deja-Vu from that screen?

Chris

[Evan @ Jan 9th 2007 8:53PM]

WTF is that?

[Alex Padilla @ Jan 9th 2007 8:56PM]

That's disgusting. I want to throw up at the sight of it, I'm not even joking. AOL needs to get kicked in the nuts for even thinking about doing that to the world. If anyone buys it, they need to be systematically removed from this earth.

[apeguero @ Jan 9th 2007 9:02PM]

oi vei!

[perfekted @ Jan 9th 2007 9:11PM]

I'm definitely feeling deja-vu from that screen...

[missed_again @ Jan 9th 2007 9:23PM]

Aaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha

[Motoi @ Jan 9th 2007 9:44PM]

April fool's date got changed to January 9th I presume? Nice one Engadget!

[Richard @ Jan 9th 2007 9:50PM]

Looks like an ipod spray painted with crome colored paint. And by the way, I didn't know people still used aol. Their so 6th grade.

[robotrock @ Jan 9th 2007 9:56PM]

Richard - are you serious? Reread what you wrote and then you can start making fun of AOL.


I hope this thing is just a prototype. The ability to add and remove features with a little programming is really what sets this thing apart...although I don't see it ever reaching broad public appeal.

[v_dogg @ Jan 9th 2007 9:57PM]

wow that looks like a 10 year old put that together in shop class

[Perk @ Jan 9th 2007 10:04PM]

I guess you have to plug the parent's parent, otherwise you would be trashing this joke of a player. "Luckily, the player's internals are not so dated [?], ... has a Linux-based text interface which is controlled by a touch pad, and it also packs a 30GB hard drive, plays MPEG-4 and WMV videos, and has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth"

Oh yeah, freaking revolutionary, cutting edge internals.

[Mike @ Jan 9th 2007 10:17PM]

This is what the iPod would look like if the Nazi's had won the war.

[mmongold @ Jan 9th 2007 10:35PM]

I think you're all on crack. I like the sparse industrial design. I believe it is a refreshing change from current stream of rounded apple-ish oriented hardware. Nothing against iRiver or iPod, etc. (I have plenty of Apple hardware setting around my house), it's just nice to see another direction for portable media devices. Ah, yea and Linux-based is sweet.

[JRA219psu @ Jan 10th 2007 12:49AM]

yes Linux is very sweet indeed but come on. That brushed metal look thing it has going on? WTF is that? and you can put Linux on an iPod with virtually no effort at all.

[erwerwer @ Jan 10th 2007 2:26AM]

Agreed. The phone probably sucks because it's from AOL, but the looks surely aren't its problem. It's actually quite beautiful.

[Don Wilson @ Jan 9th 2007 11:05PM]

Easily the stupidest looking phone ever.

[John @ Jan 10th 2007 12:24AM]

Ahhh, and so we meet the next target of Creative's (and Apple's) interface patent lawsuit.

[JRA219psu @ Jan 10th 2007 12:47AM]

Are you kidding me? Honestly what is this trash? I agree with every1 else who posted; only three words describe this...
WTF!?

[Gregory Pierce @ Jan 10th 2007 12:50AM]

That device has no chance of killing off the Zune much less the iPod. I can't believe AOL would, after all this time, come out with a device that looks like crap and doesn't really innovate in any way - almost guaranteeing that it will be ignored by the market.

[Rob Durante @ Jan 10th 2007 1:19AM]

It is decisions like these that put so many of AOL employees out of work. I would think that after all the lessons they would hire an executive team that has a pulse on the market. WTF is wrong with this company? The dream and work of a single mans vision Steve Case has been ridiculed enough over the years. His decision to leave should give us all insight on it's future wake up!!!!!!!!!!

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 10th 2007 1:39AM]

I have a feeling that these may become the Linksys WRT54G of media players. With a little linux software tweaking, any remains of aol would be wiped out and a feature packed custom linux installion will take over.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Jan 10th 2007 1:40AM]

I have a feeling that these may become the Linksys WRT54G of media players. With a little linux software tweaking, any remains of aol would be wiped out and a feature packed custom linux installion will take over. So with that in mind, please count me in as a buyer of this media player.

[Bruce @ Jan 10th 2007 8:43AM]

Can you say cheap sunglasses? When you're gonna likely lose it, break it, or have it get stolen, who wants to pay $300? My guess is that AOL wouldn't be retarded enough to put out something for 1st graders -- let's wait and see. As for the minimalist east-german design, I kind of like it. And if Linux=cheap+opensource (customizable) and lets me listen to Wifi radio stations, then I'd probably buy one. I say let's break the proprietary stranglehold on music platforms and FREE THE MUSIC! Fix the friggin' screenshot!

[Greg Blanchette @ Jan 10th 2007 10:00AM]

I have a wobbly coffee table at my house. This device looks to be perfect for jamming under the short leg...

[Stephen @ Jan 10th 2007 11:50AM]

AOL just merged "too little too late" with "worst timing ever [1 day after iPhone launch]". Gotta give em props for that, it must have been hard to fail so convincingly.

[Stephen @ Jan 10th 2007 12:02PM]

Regarding my previous comment:

"AOL just merged "too little too late" with "worst timing ever [1 day after iPhone launch]". Gotta give em props for that, it must have been hard to fail so convincingly."


I forgot to mention - this is what I would have expected, since AOL is so good at mergers.

Wink wink?

[Oye Bida @ Jan 10th 2007 1:45PM]

I can't believe that Engadget doesn't have people at CES taking better pictures and getting the real scoop on this thing. I want more real info and pics, not speculation and crap. Someone go investigate. AOL's gotta have a booth at CES. Take some pics, push for info, and post it.

[euro12 @ Jan 10th 2007 1:54PM]

uhh... dunno where you guys got that photo, but there are real ones up on their website.
http://www.smartscreensmobile.com/pressphotos.php
Looks pretty cool to me.

[jakep_82 @ Jan 10th 2007 2:00PM]

So many AOL haters on here! First off this isn't a phone as a few on here seem to think. Second this IS actually innovative. Last I checked no other currently available DAP has bluetooth and wifi. The iPhone will when it comes out, but only 8GB of memory. The Sansa Connect has the same problem, not enough memory. Who doesn't want 30GB of storage with bluetooth and wifi that's actually useful? And to those saying it's ugly, check this video and see if you still feel the same.

http://www.smartscreensmobile.com/overview.php

It's not going to win any beauty pageants, but it's not that bad either. The only question mark for me is cost. If it's $350 or less I'll buy one the day it's released.

[Chasehead @ Jan 10th 2007 3:11PM]

This thing actually looks so effing sweet. So cold and WW2ish. I would totally buy this because you could totally have so much fun modifying this. Just think of it as an ipod-like device that is completely custimizable, and looks totally hardcore to boot.

But nonetheless, somewhere in hell Hitler is looking for his lost ipod....

[Robert @ Jan 10th 2007 6:18PM]

Are they going to resort to sending millions of them free via US Mail and trying to get everyone of them to sign up for a service? ...hey now...there is a business model.

[THEKorean @ Jan 10th 2007 7:07PM]

LOL i like how the button is broken

[Ezra Glenn @ Jan 10th 2007 10:09PM]

who dropped that gameboy in a bucket of ugly?

[Le DRFactor @ Jan 11th 2007 7:43AM]

take a look at this : http://hightech.aol.fr/

[Richard @ Jan 11th 2007 8:44AM]

robotrock - No need to read. By the way, how long did it take you to post that comment with dial-up. What, do you work for aol or something? One more question. What's the point in a useless middle man? Lastly, I could give a crap less if this thing runs linux. People want shit that works. They don't want to read through endless and unorgainized forums to figure out how to make a button preform a basic task.

[jared.suttles @ Jan 11th 2007 8:10PM]

Is that a reception meter in the bottom left? What is it for? The WiFi? Or are they trying to make a phone out of this too?

[Rob Durante @ Jan 11th 2007 9:57PM]

It is decisions like these that put so many of AOL employees out of work. I would think that after all the lessons they would hire an executive team that has a pulse on the market. WTF is wrong with this company? The dream and work of a single mans vision Steve Case has been ridiculed enough over the years. His decision to leave should give us all insight on it's future wake up!!!!!!!!!!

[martian @ Jan 12th 2007 2:04AM]

http://www.smartscreensmobile.com/ not to shabby, wait till the open source community get their hands on this... basically it's a zune/ipod love child you can program... i can hear the geeky squeels of delight from here... pimp my mobile device!

[Mogrify @ Jan 12th 2007 2:54PM]

It's from Haier, eh? Can it microwave a burrito?

It has a certain gothic charm, but it obviously won't be everyone's cup of tea. I'm wondering how much AOL actually had to do with the looks of it, or if it popped out of a Chinese design house and factory already complete, and AOL bought the right to paste a logo on it.

I'm also wondering if Haier, known for manufacturing appliances at a Wal-Mart price point, can make it work.