Apple announces new iPod touch, nano and shuffle

Apple hosted their first web stream today in years, and introduced a variety of new products and software updates.

Apple showed off their entire line up of refreshed iPod products, including the iPod touch and iPod Nano. First on Apple's release list is the iPod touch 4th generation. The new iPod touch will feature a similar body to that of the iPhone 4. The iPod touch 4G will come with a 5MP camera, front facing camera and will feature a Retina display. The Touch includes the A4 chip that powers the iPhone, 3-axis Gyro, FaceTime and up to 40 hours of music playback. Users can FaceTime between other iPod touch's and iPhones.

The IPod touch will retail for $229 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 32GB, and $399 for the 64GB model. They are all available for pre-order today, and will ship next week.

The new iPod Nano will have a multi-touch screen and run a similar, more compact operating system. The small device will feature 4 icons on the device, per screen, with a full iPod, Fitness, Clock, Voicenotes, built-in FM radio, photos and many more. With a swipe of your finger, you can rotate the screen and flip it any direction you want, so the screen is always oriented correctly. The iPod Nano will be available in a variety of colours.

The iPod Nano will have a standard 3.5mm headphone jack and volume up and down buttons, similar to the iPhone 4. The iPod Nano will sell for $149 for the 8GB model, and $179 for the 16GB model.


The iPod Shuffle was also refreshed. The updated model includes a smaller frame, with easier to touch buttons. The Shuffle will not feature a screen, but you can easily navigate through songs with a click of the wheel. The iPod Shuffle will retail for $49.99.

The iPod touch, Nano and Shuffle will all ship next week and are available for pre-order today.

Apple introduces iPod touch

Apple introduces iPod touch



Apple has unveiled its next-generation iPod touch, with many of the features that make the Apple iPhone 4 stand out. The new model is thinner than the previous iPod touch, which is saying something. It also includes the new Apple A4 chip, a high resolution Retina display, and a 3-axis gyroscope.

The iPod touch will also features a front-facing camera with support for Apple FaceTime, allowing you to make video calls to other iPhone and iPod touch uses.

There will be 3 different models, with 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB of storage respectively, with prices ranging from $229 to $399. All three models will ship with iOS 4.1, which isn’t due out until next week. And that’s when the new iPod touch will ship as well.

Specs

* CPU: Apple A4 processor
* Display: 3.5 inch 960 x 640 pixel Retina display (multitouch)
* Storage: 8GB, 32GB, or 64GB
* Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1
* Sensors: 3-axis Gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light sensor
* Cameras: Rear-facing camera with 720p HD video recording, front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime
* Battery: Up to 40 hours, audio playback, 7 hours video

The new iPod touch can handle H.264, MPEG-4, and J-MPEG video with resolutions up to 720p. There’s also an optional dock connector to VGA adapter for pumping out 576p and 480p video to an external display.

Apple introduces the new Apple TV

Apple introduces the new Apple TV



Apple has introduced a new version of the Apple TV. CEO Steve Jobs admits that the first generation never really took off, but after talking to some of happy customers who did pick up Apple TV units, the company thinks it’s come up with a better product in its second generation Apple TV.

The new box is 1/4th the size of the original, which is pretty cool. It’s designed to stream TV shows and movies from itunes, and supports Netflix Watch Instantly. Also pretty cool. The box supports 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and Ethernet connections and has an HDMI port for pumping out audio and video to an HDTV.

But here’s what I’m a bit less sold on: It has no local storage to speak of, and doesn’t support video purchases. You can only rent movies and TV shows. New release movies will run $4.99 with back catalog titles going for less. TV episodes will be available in HD for rental for $0.99. That’s 1/3rd the price of purchasing an HD episode right now, but if you plan to watch your episodes more than 3 times, the rental model breaks down a bit.

The Apple TV does let you stream audio and video content from a PC or from an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch using the new AirPlay function, though. And that means that if you’re not sold on the rental model you can still purchase content from iTunes and stream it to your TV wirelessly from another device. You just can’t store content on the Apple TV.

The new Apple TV will sell for $99 starting later this month. It will be available for pre-order today.

The Apple TV measure 3.93″ x 3.9″ 0.9″ and weighs 0.6 pounds. It has the same A4 processor found in the iPad, iPhone 4, and upcoming iPod touch. The box can handle H.264 HD video at 720p resolution, as well as standard definition MP4 video, and 720p M-JPEG videos. It supports AAC, MP3, AIFF, and WAV audio and JPG, GIF, and TIFF photos.

iTunes 10 available today; new social network Ping

iTunes 10 available today; new social network Ping

iTunes 10 is available later today, sporting several new features that change how you browse and discover content. This update also comes with a brand new icon, as Apple felt that the CD was outdated and that we as a whole are moving to digital downloads.



Apple has looked more at how screen real estate will be used, and how it can be optimized. With that in mind, the company has decided is that in list view, if there are five or more songs in a row with the same album, then the album art will be shown instead of the repeated text of the album title.



Coming with the new update is Apple's new social network, Ping. Ping is designed to help users find new music, concerts, and connect with friends. This will work much like a hybrid of Facebook and Twitter. You will be able to follow your friends and artists, and they will be able to post images, videos, posts, and show recent activity. Naturally, you will have to setup up a profile associated with your iTunes account to use this feature.

On an artist's page you will be able to see their favorite songs, posts they have made, as well as their next concerts. There will also be a "Follow" button so you can get all of their updates right on your main page.



For your friends, Ping will show their recent songs, posts, concerts they are going to, and people they are following. Privacy however has not been overlooked as you have the option to make all content available to everyone, or you can keep it in a close circle of friends. When viewing profiles and feeds, videos and photos, or photo galleries are able to be accessed right from that page.

Ping will has over 17,000 concert listings, you will get custom song and album charts based on your friends, and you can post your thoughts and opinions. Ping will also be available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. In the iTunes store on the mobile devices, there will be a "Ping" button.

iTunes 10 is available today, right here, to 160 million iTunes users in 23 countries.

ipod nano looks great...i already have a touch...no real point of getting a one with camera...but nano looks awesome

thanks for sharing