In 2003 , SmartDisk innovate FlashTrax , a portable photo , video , and audio storage and playback gadget . While it could play videos and MP3 music files , it was primarily aim at photographer who wanted a way to quickly salt away and sentiment still images . The previous rendering , the FlashTrax XT , athletics enhanced audio - video capability , a vamp organic structure , and other improvements for anyone who wants to enamor and view multimedia system files on a handheld gadget . ( While the FlashTrax XT will finally put back the original FlashTrax , the latter is still uncommitted . )
The FlashTrax XT is much improved over the original model ( , April 2005 ) . While I ’m not especially fond of the new , dumpy body , the 3.6 - column inch , 320 - by-240 - pixel TFT LCD screen is big , brighter , and clearer than the previous model ’s . But the unit is also 27 percent larger and 3 ounces heavy than the pilot .
Recording and playing AV
FlashTrax ’s most exciting new feature is its ability to record both audio and telecasting and to permit you listen to and record FM radio to its hard drive . The FlashTrax can bet video encode with MPEG-4 simple visibility ( SP ) and Windows Media Version 9 SP ; DivX 3 , 4 , or 5 with MP3 audio ; XviD 1.0 ; and MPEG-4 , AAC - LC stereo . I viewed several XviD and various DivX filing cabinet , and they played flawlessly .
you’re able to well record telecasting to the FlashTrax XT from your VCR , TiVo , camcorder , like a shot from a tv set , or any whole that has composite parallel television - out port , using the included composite audio - video cable . Once the transmission line is correctly connect ( when you initiate visualise the video sign on the FlashTrax ’s screen ) , you just press the Record button to start recording . you’re able to also connect the same cable to your goggle box ’s picture - in port to catch the social unit ’s stored images and flick on your TV . However , the unit no longer comes with a removed control . As with the former mannikin , you transfer file cabinet to and from the FlashTrax to your Mac via a USB 2.0 connection .
Videos were coloured and easy to ascertain . The radio tuner and recorder work well , too . you could also bring forth customized playlist from your tunes . Unfortunately , while FlashTrax does play MP3 and Windows Media Audio ( WMA ) files , it does not play Apple ’s AAC data formatting , so no music direct from the iTunes music storehouse . All sound from the FlashTrax XT sounded intimately when using the included earbud headphones as defend to playing it through the speaker .
Fewer photo capabilities
With its new vehemence on transcription and playing multimedia system , SmartDisk has de - emphasized some of the original FlashTrax ’s photographic functionality . For good example , the FlashTrax XT no longer let you go around photo and it no longer displays TIFFs . But you could still soar and pan JPEGs , GIFs , and some raw file , and compile photos into album that you could regard as an automatonlike slideshow , over with music , if you bid .
Inexplicably , the new model no longer establish exposure ’ detailed EXIF metadata in Photo mode , and now shows only the dimension and size of a photo . As a theater of operations - photography tool , that is less than optimum . SmartDisk says it is weigh microcode rise that would fix those capabilities to the FlashTrax .
The FlashTrax XT come up in two hard drive sizes—40 GB and 80GB — and considering that the big one gang twice as much memory into the same sized dead body , it seems deserving the extra $ 100 . ( At 4 MB per MP3 , the FlashTrax can defend 10,000 or 20,000 songs , if you do not also store telecasting and photos on it . )
Performance
The FlashTrax XT ’s carrying out is much better than the original ’s . With the original , I sometimes had to wait three or four second for image to appear as I cycled through my pic in a manual chute show ; with the new model , I just clicked the Enter or Down button and they seem straight off . The transport of 1 GB of images from the FlashTrax to my Mac occupy a bite longer — a minute and a one-half as opposed to a minute and 7 seconds — but this is no cause for complaint . It took about 7 instant and 10 seconds to transfer 1 GB of files from a CompactFlash card to the whole ’s hard drive . The battery lasted just under five hours run a continuous photo slideway show ; more than twice as long as the original model .
Ease of use
I found navigation and filing cabinet direction through the FlashTrax XT a bit gawky . For example , FlashTrax prove hidden audio file generated by the Mac O that do not show up on your computer , and they can not be removed via the FlashTrax . It ’s much easier to deal files by connecting the whole to your Mac .
FlashTrax ’s inconvenient DOS appointment formula does n’t help with pilotage because it truncates some file and pamphlet names . you could rename individual file , exposure albums , and playlist , but you ca n’t rename folders .
Macworld’s Buying Advice
The FlashTrax XT is an extremely useful , multifaceted machine that has thrive its target audience to include multimedia user on the go . If you do n’t need to rotate or see photographic EXIF data , the FlashTrax XT stores and exhibit your still photos quite well . FlashTrax XT ’s recording capabilities , excellent audio and video playback , and improve LCD screen make it a very good mathematical product indeed .
[ Jackie Dove isMacworld ’s senior associate editor . ]
