It sounds so long ago already (and it is). The time when I ran with an iPod instead of an iPhone. So back then there was no Spotify and you had to download all the songs yourself and put them on your device. Tangara now comes with the music player that brings back the nostalgia.
For me, the iPod does belong to my list of most favorite gadgets I’ve had in my life. No more lugging around a Discman or Walkman and all the loose CDs. No, on your iPod you just had all your favorite songs on one device and you could scroll wonderfully too.
Tangara wants to give you that feeling again. It comes out with a music player that looks suspiciously like the iPod. OK, it may be clunkier and not look as styled as Apple’s, but it’s a delightful gadget.
The Apple iPod but different
But if you don’t, the device also has quite a bit to offer. It can play FLAC, Opus and Ogg Vorbis in addition to MP3. Although the gadget does resemble an Apple iPod, it does not support AAC files. So songs from iTunes will have to be converted first. The sound quality is slightly better than that of a CD. Although you have to use wired earphones for this. The device also supports wireless headphones, but the quality is a bit less.
The screen of this modern version of the iPod is not what you need. It has a resolution of 160 x 128 pixels. So really expect to see only the necessary information on it.
(Image: Crowd Supply)
Still, that distinct look compared to the Apple iPod also has its advantages. It makes it very easy to take apart and even allows you to make adjustments, should you be really tech-savvy. It is also simple to repair.
In fact you can even opt for a build-your-own-own. You then get an assembled version that you can screw together yourself. By modifying the software you can even create new interfaces.
Still waiting
At the moment, this alternative to the Apple iPod is not yet on the market. In fact, a crowdfunding campaign has yet to be launched. However, it is already possible to download the open-source software and hardware details so you can get started.
The Tangara music player will have a price tag of $249. This compares it to refurbished iPods currently being sold. You can find progress on the project here.
