New iPods - that's what most were expecting, and that's what we got. New iPods with more space, teeny-tiny iPod nanos with video cameras and more.

But it was a bit of a shock that the iPod touch (which now has faster graphics and a bit more speed all round) didn't get a camera. There's a rumour that the touch was due to get one, but Apple had some indefinable problem making it work, so it didn't make production. But who knows? It does seem likely the touch will graduate to a camera, some day. I mean crikey, if they can fit one into a nano ....

The new iPod touch now starts at NZ$349. Perhaps because there was no Apple tablet launched today (and perhaps it will remain forever mythical), Apple has started calling the touch "a great pocket computer". The new iPod touch costs $519 for the 32GB, and a massive (for flash storage) new 64GB model costs $699.

The most exciting product revealed was the new nano, have to say, complete with video camera. In a choice of nine colours, even. You can use your computers to transfer videos you shoot straight to YouTube.

There are real-time effects built-in too, like Thermal, Film Grain, Kaleido and X-Ray. The new iPod nano is super-slim, yet sports a larger 2.2-inch colour display. It even has a built-in FM radio - it's starting to sound a bit Zune-like. (Except it looks heaps better. And shoots video. And it's available in New Zealand.)

No one's said how many megapixels the nano captures. But I guess that's kinda irrelevant. It fits in your purse, and it plays music and videos too.

I predict that in years to come, there'll be nostalgia pieces about how cool all those iPod nano videos were. I predict nanoclips will be springing up for decades to come, as embarrassing footage at 21st birthday bashes and the like, and on period piece theme evenings. Kids will shoot millions of metres of footage, I bet.

The nano radio has live pause, so it must buffer the signal into the onboard storage. There's a built-in pedometer to keep you on your toes. The 8GB model costs $259 NZ dollars. The 16GB model will set you back another $59 (it's $318). Not bad for double the space, I reckon.

Apple also announced a price reduction for the clip-on iPod shuffle, the world's smallest music player and the first music player to talk to you. It's now available starting at just $99 in silver, black, pink, blue or green. The 4GB model costs $129.

But - there's always a but, isn't there? - I was hoping against hope (it seems) for new iMacs. I pretty much knew they weren't coming. All the rumours pointed at iPods, but I think we're well overdue for a new iMac. Let's just hope that when it comes, it really will be sensational, to really demonstrate Snow Leopard's chops.

iLounge has a ‘hands-on' about the new 'Pods, if you're interested, complete with videos.

The camera which is fixed right at the back can capture 640 x 480 standard definition video at 30 frames per second. Seven special effects can be used if the user wants to touch his videos. These are thermal, mirror, x ray, motion blur, sepia, and cyborg. Any video captured will automatically sync with iPhoto when the Nano is connected to the PC. This feature is the best one I like about the new iPod Nano. But, the goodies don’t end there!

iPod nano now has a built-in video camera with mic. It comes with fifteen video effects that let you add a little twist to your video. Just scroll through, choose the effect you want - such as film grain or motion blur - and start recording. When you're done, sync iPod nano to your computer and or any of your favorite photo software and then email your creation or post on YouTube!

http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/



Steve Jobs talks iPod nano with camera, iPod touch without

By Katie Marsal


This interview talks about Steve health status, the growth of apple in the market and the breakthroughs of the new itouch and Ipod Nano.

In a new interview, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs discusses a number of issues, including the new lineup of iPods, the Amazon Kindle, and his own health and weight.

Jobs spoke with David Pogue of The New York Times, and explained that the iPod touch, unlike the iPod nano, was not given a camera because the company wanted to focus on portraying the device as a gaming machine. Jobs said that the company's main goal was to lower the price of the iPod touch as much as possible, and he believes it achieved that with a 8GB model for $199.

"What customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine," Jobs said. "We started to market it that way, and it just took off. And now what we really see is it’s the lowest-cost way to the App Store, and that’s the big draw. So what we were focused on is just reducing the price to $199. We don’t need to add new stuff. We need to get the price down where everyone can afford it."

Third-party cases with camera holes and even photos and video of an alleged prototype of a third-generation iPod touch with camera existed well before Wednesday's event, leading many to assume such a product would be announced. While Jobs said the reason was intentional, AppleInsider received word earlier this week that the camera was removed due to bad hardware.

The chief executive went on to explain that the iPod nano can record video, but cannot take still pictures, because the sensors required for pictures are too thick to fit into the .02-inch thick device.

He also vaguely hinted at products coming in the future. He said his absence from the company for several months did not prevent them from working on new products, and that Apple has "some really good stuff coming up." Among those products is expected to be Apple's long-rumored 10-inch touchscreen tablet device, expected to debut in early 2010.

Jobs also discussed his health, as Wednesday's appearance was his first official in public since receiving a liver transplant earlier this year. The executive told Pogue that he's eating "a lot of ice cream" to put on weight, and he probably needs to gain about 30 pounds.

The Apple co-founder also took a jab at Amazon's Kindle e-book reader. He said "dedicated devices" like the Kindle will always remain niche products, while multi-purpose devices "will win the day." Jobs noted that Amazon doesn't announce how many Kindles it has sold, suggesting the market for e-books is very small.

"Usually, if they sell a lot of something, you want to tell everybody," he said.

Jobs' return to the stage at Wednesday's keynote was a welcome surprise for Apple fans. He had returned to work at Apple full-time in June, following his liver transplant. In his introduction at the iPod event, he thanked members of the Apple community for their concern, and also expressed gratitude toward co-workers who filled in, in his absence.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/10/steve_jobs_talks_ipod_nano_with_camera_ipod_touch_without.html