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Interface & Features
As
I do with all these products, I take the time to feature a section solely on
the GUI and its features. After all, it is one of the areas most would
like to see before deciding on purchasing the product. Let me tell
you, due to its diminutive screen, it was quite difficult to take shots of
all the menus and features. All shots taken with a quality camera in
macro mode mounted on a tripod.
The
Cube 2 consists of six main menus...music, FM radio, voice, video, photo and
settings. In this section, I'll provide a detailed look at the GUI and
what it offers in terms of features.
Music
It
is a bit tricky, but the Cube 2 does allow you to browse your music by
Artist, Albums, Genres or Songs. On top of that, you have the option
of using its browser feature that will let you browse in an explorer-like
fashion. From the music menu, you also have the option to play all or
gain access to its playlist features as well. However, as I mentioned
in the install portion of this review, you will not be able to take
advantage of its category feature unless you connect and sync via WMP 10.
I can confirm it will not currently work properly with WMP 11.
Browsing via any of the these will load a submenu that will allow you to
find a particular track quite easily. However, for those who still
prefer explorer-like browsing, you can also gain access to its root
directory and browse via folders rather than categories. What I
particularly liked is that it does give you the option of both.
The main now playing screen will scroll the
current track, as well as the track number and play time. You will
also have a visual of its battery life meter at all times, as well as the
current time.
FM Radio
The mobiBLU Cube 2, like their first gen
product, does feature an FM tuner built-in. This is quite amazing
considering its overall size. With the Cube 2, there are a number of
options available, including region setting, recording quality and preset
options.
Yes, on top of voice recording, the Cube 2
does allow you to record directly from an FM station. It will record
any station directly in MP3 format.
Voice Recording
The Voice recording menu basically allows easy
access to any voice recordings you have made, as well as activate it by
simply pressing the lock button on the player. Like the FM recordings,
they are recorded in MP3 format.
Video
From the Video menu, you can select any of the
loaded video files and it will instantly launch them in full screen.
You can pause, skip and seek through all your videos.
Photo
Photos can be browsed by file name and they are will display in full screen.
The player supports its own MSJ format, converted via included software, but
also supports JPG files.
Settings
Finally, I give you a look at its most important, the settings menu.
This is where you'll discover what features it is capable of as well as what
playback and sound options are available to you.
The
main settings menu consists of the following five submenus: Sound,
Display, Time Set, Play and "Etc". Let's have a look at some of the
key options available.
The
Sound menu gives you access to its SRS settings that also allows you to
define its "Trubass" level. From here, you also have access to its
built-in EQ, which has many standard presents such as Rock, Dance, Classic,
Pop, Live and more.
The
Display menu has many options. From here, you can adjust its contrast,
backlight time-out, scroll-speed, slide show timing, language setting, and
even the option to pivot the display for those lefty's who prefer the main
controls to be on there left hand.
The
Play menu allows you to set both the play option and play mode. You
have playback options such as normal, repeat and random.
Finally, we look at the "Etc" menu, one that many will want to access.
From here, you can set your recording quality, play speed and most
importantly, the USB Interface preference. You have "Auto" and "MSC"
as your options. This is important depending on how you will connect
and use the device. Setting it to Auto will allow you to use it with
WMP and take advantage of its category features. When connecting to
your PC using the MSC option, the system will identify it as a mass storage
device, allowing you to use it in the same fashion as a hard drive on your
system. This is best for those who will be connecting to multiple PC's
for data transfers.
Well, there you have it. As you can see, this tiny player is loaded
with options and has a very robust GUI for its size and functionality.
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