World of Apple

Owners of the latest iPod released in September this year are at the receiving end of a minor update that fixes and enhances numerous features on the fifth generation iPod nano which features video recording.

The update which is available upon plugging an iPod nano into iTunes offers the following fixes, normal/slower/faster audio podcast playback, allows Genius Mixes to now work with Nike+iPod, and fixes an issue with Voice Over and the headphone controls.

Following last weeks surprise revelation that the newest iPod touch does not feature a built-in camera like its iPod nano counterpart, AppleInsider reported that Apple intended and still intends to add a camera to the iPod touch.

iFixit has subsequently posted photos of the internals of the iPod touch which reveal that Apple was most likely planning to include a camera in the iPod touch and will do in the future. A space in the centre of the circuit board in which a camera would fit matches the positioning of images revealed earlier in August.

Additionally iFixit notes that the iPod touch includes the Broadcom BCM4329 combination Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip which is capable of the new 802.11n standard.

Apple today introduced the new iPod nano, adding a video camera, mic and speaker to the world’s most popular music player. Music lovers can now shoot video wherever they are, view it on their iPod nano and use their computers to easily transfer their videos to YouTube. The new iPod nano features an ultra-thin and sleek design with a larger 2.2-inch color display and gorgeous polished aluminum and glass enclosure. iPod nano also features a built-in FM radio with live pause and iTunes Tagging, as well as a built-in pedometer. The new iPod nano is available today in an 8GB model for $149 and a 16GB model for $179, and comes in nine brilliant colors including silver, black, purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, (PRODUCT) RED and pink.

“iPod nano is the world’s most popular music player with over 100 million sold,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “And now we’ve added a video camera to its incredibly thin design, without any additional cost to the user.”

iPod nano features a larger 2.2-inch display for easier navigating, enjoying album art, or shooting and viewing video clips. iPod nano is ultra-portable so users can shoot video wherever they are, in either portrait or landscape. iPod nano customers can share videos instantly with friends using its display and speaker, or sync with a Mac or PC and share them on YouTube, MobileMe, Facebook or via email. iPod nano can even shoot videos with fun real-time effects such as Thermal, Film Grain, Kaleido and X-Ray.

Pod nano now has a built-in FM radio with live pause and iTunes Tagging. Live pause lets iPod nano users pause and resume playing their favorite FM radio shows. iTunes Tagging is great when users hear a song they like, they can simply tag it, and then preview and purchase that song when they sync to iTunes. iPod nano also features Genius Mixes, which automatically creates up to 12 endless mixes of songs from your iTunes library that go great together.

iPod nano is also now an even better workout companion with the new built-in pedometer. iPod nano can keep track of your steps taken and calories burned, helping you meet your short and long-term fitness goals.

Apple today announced the new iPod touch lineup starting at the breakthrough price of just $199, giving users a great iPod, a great pocket computer, a great game player and access to Apple’s revolutionary App Store with over 75,000 applications. iPod touch features Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface, a gorgeous 3.5-inch widescreen glass display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a built-in accelerometer and speaker – all in an amazingly thin metal design that slips easily into your pocket. The 8GB iPod touch is now available for just $199, along with new models which deliver twice the capacity for the same price, with the iPod touch 32GB model for $299 and 64GB model for $399.

“At just $199 the iPod touch is the most affordable gateway to Apple’s revolutionary App Store with more than 75,000 applications that you can wirelessly download right into your iPod touch,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “You get a great iPod, a great pocket computer with the industry’s best mobile web browser and a great game player, all in this super-thin beautiful enclosure.”

iPod touch features up to 30 hours of music playback or six hours of video playback on a single charge. The 8GB model holds up to 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos and 10 hours of video; the 32GB model holds up to 7,000 songs, 40,000 photos or 40 hours of video; and the 64GB model holds up to 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos or 80 hours of video. The 32GB and 64GB models also include up to 50 percent faster performance and support for even better graphics with Open GL ES 2.0.

As pointed out by TUAW, Apple has begun cutting the prices of iPods on many of the world’s online stores.

On the US online store the price of the 8GB iPod nano is now $129 and $149 for 16GB. The only iPod classic model is now $229. The iPod touch has also received price cuts, $189 for 8GB, $249 for 16GB and $279 for 32GB.

The iPod price cuts come ahead of Apple’s media event later today.

Reports of a South Korean iPod nano recall are untrue according to The Loop, in a statement provided to the blog fully clarifies the situation.

“Since last August, Apple has offered to repair or replace any customer’s first generation iPod nano if its battery overheats,” Apple’s statement reads. “We have received very few reports of such incidents (about .001 percent of first generation iPod nano units worldwide), which have been traced back to a single battery supplier.”

Apple has previously published a support document on its website dated August 25, 2008 stating that “in very rare cases, batteries in the iPod nano (1st generation) sold between September 2005 and December 2006, may overheat and prevent the iPod nano from working and deform it.”

Anybody concerned with their iPod nano should contact AppleCare says Apple.

One of the biggest complaints about the new iPod shuffle is that Apple’s removal of buttons from the unit itself onto the earphone cable forcing users to use the included earphones. Over the weekend it also became apparent that Apple was including some kind of authentication chip in the earphones, this would make it impossible for third parties to develop earphones for the iPod shuffle.

Today the story has developed further with Apple and manufacturing partners downplaying rumours of an authentication chip but manufacturers wishing to develop headphones for the iPod shuffle will have to have a license from Apple to be part of the “Made for iPod” program.

Apple has been using the “Made for iPod” program for several years to help protect consumers from buying products that weren’t designed to work solely for the iPod. This is the first time Apple has required manufacturers to be part of the program to create headphones.

Apple has released a new iPod touch advert called “More Fun” which continues to advertise the iPod touch as a gaming device.

The advert cycles through over a dozen games available on the app store to the tune of Franz Ferdinand’s No You Girls.

Apple has agreed to a settlement in a class action lawsuit which alleged that Apple knew the glossy front of the first generation iPod nano was easily susceptible to scratches but failed to disclose the information.

As part of the settlement Apple has agreed to set aside $22 million which means iPod nano owners who apply for a refund could receive up to $25 reports CNBC.

According to a notice sent out to nano owners this week, “Apple has agreed to provide a cash settlement fund of $22.5 million,” and for those consumers who did not receive a “slip case from Apple when you purchased your iPod nano, you may be entitled to a cash payment of $25. If you received a slip case, you may be entitled to a cash payment of $15.”

Apple has agreed to these terms but a judge is required to sign them off on April 28th.

Apple has today released a software update for the fourth generation iPod nano. The update which weighs in at 58MB and is labelled as version 1.0.3 contains the following:

• Support for Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic
• Support for Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
• Fixed instability issues when using Nike + iPod Sport Kit
• Added a setting to turn off Cover Flow when rotating iPod nano and a Cover Flow menu item under the Music menu
• When Shuffle setting is set to Songs, pressing play on a song in a saved Genius playlist will now follow the Shuffle setting
• After playing a slideshow with TV out, Cover Flow album art is no longer distorted
• Waking iPod nano after hibernating no longer distorts photos
• Other minor bug fixes

The update can be obtained through iTunes for owners of the iPod nano 4G.