OF ALL the iPod fighters, real or faux, that have come down the retail line recently, we finally may have found a contender for the MP3 throne.

This time it's Samsung, the Korean electronics giant, that's going where competitors such as Sony, Microsoft, Philips and a gaggle of others have gone before to tromp on Apple. And failed.

Samsung may not tromp Apple either, with the $200 P2 portable media player — the P2 mainly challenges the new Apple iPod touch, which holds 8 or 16 gigabytes, rather than the high-capacity classic iPod, with its 80 or 160 GB capacity. But it does trump Steve Jobs by adding an FM radio tuner and a Bluetooth module, which, in this case, allows (or will, as of December, with a firmware update) phone connectivity and wireless headphone and/or wireless speaker listening capability within a range of about 30 feet.

Zune 4GB: first impressions versus iPod

Electronista is preparing to compare the new Zune against the iPod and has just received a new 4GB model for testing. While a full review is stil some time away, we already have initial impressions of the device and its accompanying software, as well as how they compare to their most obvious rivals from Apple. Read ahead for this first take as well as an image gallery.

Microsoft has managed to streamline the initial setup experience for the Zune significantly. The multi-layered packaging draws more than a few elements from the boxes for Apple's iPods -- including the simply labeled compartments for the USB cable and earbuds -- but this is arguably a useful addition that is frequently absent from most non-Apple players. Setting up the device is equally easy, though it should be noted the device is 'locked' until attached to a PC running the Zune software, even though several songs and videos are already preloaded.

GPS devices growing more popular with runners, hikers

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — After a race through 15 miles of rock-laden, hilly trails in Wyandotte County Lake Park, Byron Rieper went online to discuss the competition with other runners.Many already were sharing their experiences online. Some blamed heat and humidity for their slow times, others recalled unforgiving hills. Rieper, a seasoned marathoner and cyclist who lives in Overland Park, used his watch to offer them a detailed look at the course.Millions of athletes are using watches like Rieper's Garmin Forerunner 305, which maps his path and records his distance, speed, pace and heart rate. Other devices that use the Global Positioning System are geared at athletes competing in long-distance events, including cyclists, triathletes and hikers.The popularity of these devices has spiked as more people discover the Web sites where all this information is being uploaded and compared, including SportsTrack, Garmin Ltd.'s MotionBased.com and Nike Inc.'s Nikeplus.com.Many companies, including Nike and Garmin, have organized running groups people can join to test the gadgets.“I just think all these free Web sites where people can upload their data has really contributed to their popularity and people are just more aware of GPS either on cars or on phones,'' said cyclist Jeff Englert, 48, of Shawnee, Kan., who has switched from a handheld GPS to his Garmin watch to compare elevation climbs during his training.Englert, who has ridden for 25 years, said he logs on the MotionBased Web site to find the best local routes when he travels.Other fitness monitoring systems include Nike and Apple Inc.'s Sports Kit, which enable iPod Nanos to measure distance without GPS, and Timex Corp.'s Bodylink system, made in partnership with Garmin, which uses a GPS transceiver to transmit data wirelessly.Timex plans to come out with a new series of GPS watches to compete with Garmin, said Heberto Calves, the company's vice president of marketing.“The trend of fitness measurement as a whole is growing,'' Calves said.

Cambridge debuts i765 combo iPod stereo system

Cambridge SoundWorks has released a new combination stereo system, the i765. The system is notable mainly for merging several major abilities into the same unit, including AM/FM radio, CD and DVD playback, and iPod docking, arguably the focus of the design. A wide variety of iPods are said to be supported, but the stereo more specifically supports Apple's new Touch, Nano and Classic models. Listeners can control their iPod through the bundled remote, and see track information displayed on the LCD.

Wattage ratings are unpublished, but the company says that a built-in subwoofer should provide more bass than many similar systems. The 765 is somewhat limited in terms of output options, however, as it uses a basic auxiliary sound connection, and composite or S-Video TV jacks. The stereo should be out now at Apple Stores and other locations for $500.

GameBoy Advance emulator for iPhone, Touch

Developer ZodTTD has released a new update to gbSPhone 0.0.5, a GameBoy Advance emulator for the iPod touch and iPhone. Although it is a small increment from 0.0.4, the developer said that it is a crucial update, introducing an improved graphical user interface and enhanced sound support � which the author credits to help from Nes.app creator NerveGas. Some performance fixes were implemented as well, through the default frameskip settings and some dynarec tweaks. The gpSPhone project is completely open source, and is available directly from ZodTTD's website.