Digital Mind on Wednesday announced the release of its DMC 8280, a digital music player compatible with Macs and PCs. The USB 2.0-based device features a 30GB hard disk drive and built-in FM transmitter, enabling its music to be heard on a car stereo without requiring an external adapter. It costs US$299. A 20GB version is also available for US$249.

The DMC 8280 also features a built-in FM tuner with direct recording capability, and it supports voice recording and direct encoding of audio files into MP3 without requiring the use of a computer. It's compatible with MP3, WMA and Ogg Vorbis files. The DMC 8280 can also be used as a USB-based hard disk drive.

The DMC 8280 measures 3.9 x 2.6 x 0.7 inches and weighs 6.3 ounces. The player sports a 2.5-inch LCD display. Digital Mind claims the new music player has a battery life of about 15 hours of continuous playtime. The Lithium Ion battery is user-replaceable.

Digital Mind 's device is compatible with Microsoft Windows Media Digital Rights Management-based music services, although it's incompatible with music downloaded through Apple's Computer's iTunes Music Store. Windows users can also use the DMC 8280 as a personal information manager, synchronising their address book and calendar content with Microsoft Outlook.