Haier America Partners with Rhapsody and AOL Video to Introduce the ibiza Rhapsody Wi-Fi Portable Media Player

Haier America Partners with Rhapsody and AOL Video to Introduce the ibiza Rhapsody Wi-Fi Portable Media Player

New ibiza Rhapsody Delivers a Truly Integrated, On-Demand Multimedia Experience Over any Wi-Fi Network

NEW YORK, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Haier America, a leading provider of electronics and home appliances, today announced the ibiza(TM) Rhapsody(R), a new class of Wi-Fi portable media players that combine an advanced music experience with Wi-Fi enabled access to unlimited digital entertainment possibilities. With the ibiza Rhapsody, consumers can now enjoy the Rhapsody digital music service, AOL Video and other digital content from just about anywhere there's an available Wi-Fi hotspot.

(Photo:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071120/NYTU014 )

"The ibiza Rhapsody will present consumers with an exciting alternative to the existing media players on the market," said Michael Jemal, President and CEO of Haier America. "Wi-Fi compatibility and a comprehensive feature set provide users with a truly unique experience. Freedom from the PC is what will drive this market in the months to come and the ibiza Rhapsody is poised to deliver music and other content at a level no other device can offer. We're excited to partner with Rhapsody and AOL to bring this innovative offering to mobile music lovers across the country."

The new ibiza Rhapsody gives consumers instant portable access to the full Rhapsody music experience, including millions of songs, professionally programmed music channels and exclusive performances from top artists in every genre. And in a first for Rhapsody, the ibiza lets consumers instantly refresh their Rhapsody music anywhere there's Wi-Fi available -at home, at the airport or at a favorite coffee shop- and take it on the go without stopping by a PC.

"Rhapsody satisfies even the most hardcore music fan by having all the music they could ever want at their fingertips," said Michael Bloom, head of Rhapsody. "The ibiza Rhapsody extends that instant gratification experience even farther to deliver music wherever and whenever you want it."

Through a partnership with AOL Video, the ibiza Rhapsody delivers free access to tens of thousands of streaming on-demand user generated videos giving consumers hours of digital video entertainment at their finger tips.

With one of the most robust feature sets of any portable media player on the market, the ibiza Rhapsody also boasts stereo Bluetooth compatibility (30GB model), automatic downloads, dynamic menus, and customizable skins, FM radio, podcasts and pictures, and Airskins(TM) personalized content themes.

The ibiza Rhapsody is the first connected portable media player that allows users to directly subscribe to a myriad of podcasts. This free feature gives users access to 1000's of podcasts, which are automatically updated via Wi-Fi, without having to connect to your PC.

The ibiza Rhapsody is immediately available in a 30 Gigabyte model, and is soon to be available in 4 or 8 Gigabyte Flash models, on Amazon.com, the official launch partner of the ibiza Rhapsody, for this holiday season (MSRPs of $329, $229, and $249 respectively).

The ibiza Rhapsody ships with a 30 day free trial for Rhapsody. Following the free trial, consumers can enjoy select Rhapsody radio channels and 25 free plays a month from Rhapsody or subscribe to Rhapsody To Go ($14.95 a month) for unlimited access.

Additional features of the ibiza Rhapsody include:
-- Video Playback
-- FM Radio Tuner for Local Programming
-- Hundreds of Popular Podcasts Refreshed and Delivered Automatically
-- User-created Videos and Pictures
-- 2.5" QVGA LCD
-- 802.11 b/g wireless connection with support for WEP/WPA
-- (30 GB) Supports Bluetooth 2.0 Specification (A2DP, AVRCP)
-- USB 2.0 mini-B Universal Data Connection and Charging
-- 1 Year Limited Manufacturer's Warranty, Including Parts and Labor

The ibiza Rhapsody will be on display for members of the media and the public during the Haier 2008 product exhibition showcase. This event will take place on November 20th and 21st, in the Haier America building located at 1356 Broadway, in New York City. For additional information or to attend please send an email to pr@haieramerica.com.

About Haier America

Haier America, founded in 1999, is the U.S. Sales and Marketing division of the Haier Group. Headquartered in the Haier Building at 1356 Broadway in New York, Haier America is committed to expanding the company into the North, South, and Latin American markets. Haier is a leader in America for room air conditioner, compact refrigerator, and wine cellar sales, as well as a leading force in compact laundry and compact freezer sales. Haier America is an Official Marketing Partner and the Official High Definition Television of the NBA. www.haieramerica.com.

About Rhapsody

Rhapsody offers an integrated and immersive digital music experience accessible to consumers via their computer, portable music device and soon their mobile phone. Rhapsody is the exclusive digital music service in the United States for the music and pop culture brands of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom and RealNetworks(R).

Photo: NewsCom:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071120/NYTU014
AP Archive:

http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN2
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Haier America

CONTACT: Ian Davis, Haier America Public Relations Manager,
+1-212-594-3330, pr@haieramerica.com; or Ronda Scott, RealNetworks-Rhapsody,
+1-415-934-2016, rscott@real.com

Web site:

http://www.haieramerica.com/

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