Tech Blog

[#1]

Earlier today Apple unveiled the new look of the iPod product line, starting with the tiny Shuffle and ending with a slimmer and more powerful iPod Touch. New form factors, new hardware and new capabilities were evident across the product line, and a few of the iPredictions turned out to be pretty close to accurate

Here’s what you can expect to see on retail shelves (yes in Future Shop and Future Shop Online) in the coming weeks:

Updated iPod Shuffle:

• People loved the size -- wanted buttons. They’re back.
• Clip on and go.
• Playlists.
• VoiceOver --It speaks the playlists, song, artist, mixes, etc.
• Genius Playlists.
• 15 hrs of battery.

Updated iPod Nano:

• Smaller & lighter
• Touch-screen -- no clickwheel
• Screen can rotate (change orientation)
• Multitouch (like a tiny iPod Touch)
• Clip on and go.
• FM Radio, Nike+, Pedometer
• 24 hrs of battery.

Updated iPod Touch:

• Retina display (same as iPhone 4 - 4x pixels, 326ppi, 24-bit colour, LED backlight)
• Apple A4 chip (same as iPhone)
• 3-axis Gyro (positional awareness)
• Front facing camera (for FaceTime)
• Rear facing HD camera
• iOS 4.1 with Game Centre (Apple’s online gaming network)
• Battery (40 hrs music, 7 hrs video)

And to tie it all together, a new iTunes:

• Improved layout
• Improved music discovery
• Ping - iTunes Social Media network (Social music discovery, following, friends, posting opinions, charts concerts, etc)

My thoughts?
The iPod Touch is overdue. These are the features that should have been in the last update. That being said, this is a great little portable device. More than an iPad mini -- more like an iPhone with out the phone part. Worth investigationg.

The iPod Shuffle and Nano are pretty close in functionality and size to cause a bit of confusion in the marketplace these days. If I was going to buy a music player, I’d go for the Nano. It just offers so much more.

Ping. This is disruptive for online music social media sites like blip.fm, GrooveShark, Last.fm, and Pandora. I wonder how this will work out.

Your thoughts? what was missing, what did you expect from Apple this time around? Considering jumping into iTunes to check out Ping? Comments welcome in the Usual Place.

[#2]

So how long will it take FS to start the pre-orders on these new iPods?

[#3]

stayed tuned. you'll see it very soon....

[#4]

Looks to me like the 6th gen nano is a non-starter.  No video capabilities at all... not worth the trade off to ge tthe touch capbilities on it.

I will be looking for a fifth gen nano for my son!

[#5]

Is there any differences between the iPod Touch 8gb and the 32/64gb like last years?

[#6]

@panda_warrior (anon)

Yeah, there's no processor, and it has no camera, no touch screen, just clickability buttons and has no volume rockers and has no screen, and no music or video. Just clicking it for fun is available on it =__=. Jeez! NO THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE THIS TIME

[#7]

i just bought a 3g

[#8]

WHHOOOOPPP SHIELD MY HOUSE MY SCHOOL! NEW IPOD RULES

[#9]

Hi.

When are the iPod Touches coming out in Canada?

[#10]

@Axel(anon)

Current launch is planned for September 7th.

[#11]

I should camp out at futureshop