On September 9, 2009 at the "It's Only Rock and Roll" media event, Apple announced the new iPod line. It's not so much new than it is refreshed. The highlight of this event was the iPod nano. Although it didn't change its design, the hardware specifications have been changed while the list of specs was grown. Therefore the new iPod nano plays the same role that iPod Classic played about four years ago. This device is now the most important iPod on sale because Steve Jobs decided to market the ex flagship iPod touch as a game console (big mistake because the touch can't compete with the Nintendo DS or even play station PSP). It does however has a better brand name and better campaign marketing.

When asked about the sudden change, Steve Jobs replayed that they can sale more iPod touch's as a game console rather than a high line iPod model; by doing so Jobs finally separated the iPhone line with the iPod touch line, at least until next September. Also Jobs offered some vital details: "there are some things I'm focusing a lot of attention on right now - to polish" this means the new products are close. Also Jobs added: "we have some really good stuff coming up". Wow, something as ground breaking as the iPods in 2001 or iPhone in 2007 perhaps? Focusing our attention to the new iPod nano we couldn't wonder what puts the "new" in the new iPod nano. Before getting into the full list of new features let's see what the nano has under the case.



The iPod nanos 5th generation teardown revealed a very similar construction to the previous model. New hardware is the camera module, but also the speakers' assembly, which directs the audio out the bottom of the device. The digital camera is much thinner than the one from the iPhone 3GS. The new iPod touch uses an Apple branded ARM processor rather than the Samsung processor from the 4th nano generation. The memory storage chip is from Toshiba. Because the most important feature on the iPod nano is the built in video camera, Apple used it to market the new nano, "Rock music. Roll camera".



The new iPod nano has a better quality case made out of polished anodized aluminum finish in nine beautiful colors (gray, black, blue, purple, pink, green, yellow, orange and pink). The red product label is available for the new iPod nano. It also boosts a wider 2.2" color display. A wider display was a must featured in order for people to actually watch what they record with the video camera. The old nano had a 2.0" display. The current 2.2" display has a 376 x 240 pixels resolution. As for the camera it takes videos in VGA quality 640 x 480 pixels H.264, with up to 30 frames per second and AAC audio.

There are other special features like real time special effects including black and white, sepia, x-Ray film grain, thermal, security cam, cyborg, bulge, kaleido and others. As for the dimensions of the new iPod nano, they remain unchanged from the older model. It has a height of 3.6 inches, wide of 1.5 inches and deep of only 0.24 inches. The weight is now even smaller (like that is even possible - maybe from the Apple branded CPU) from 1.3 to 1.28 ounces. What new excellent features does the iPod nano 5th generation pack? New Genius Mixes, which is the ultimate way to get a customized playlist for your nano; all these by just syncing your iPod to iTunes. Genius mixes actually mixes the songs from your library and creates playlists by its taste. Impressive but will the mixes made by Genius mixes be liked by their users? Only time will tell. Now we already have this function for some time but it seems Apple still likes to consider it new, the shake to shuffle application. Just turn on shake to shuffle and shake your iPod nano and it will shuffle to a different song from your playlist.



We finally get a FM radio on an iPod, better late than never. You don't need from now on a radio alarm clock speakers you will need just some quality stereo speakers. A luxury feature is that you can rewind as far back as 15 minutes in order to listen a song again. For all of us that workout on a daily base this feature is great. iPod nano now doubles as a pedometer. It uses a built in accelerometer to keep track of your steps. You can create a daily step goal. The iPod nano can also count all the steps you take in one day with the Always On feature. It's a real fitness coach, constantly reminding you to work out more. However apple still insists with the Nike + iPod sport kit. This is the worst iPod accessory ever made.

Basically the iPod and shoe sensor never establish a secure connection. Therefore you are just throwing your money out the window. Other excellent feature is Voice Over. This is a functional feature if you use Genius Mixes and if you have a big music library. Basically, this feature will allow you to find out what song you are listening to (or the title or the artist). To use this feature just use the Click Wheel or controls from the optional Apple Earphones with remote and microphone.



The battery life was not changed. It still offers 24 hours music playback, while the video playback will empty the battery in 5 hours. The iPod nano charges up to 80% of its battery in just 1.5 hours, while a full charge will take about 3 hours. Beside the new iTunes 9 you will need Mac OS v10.4.11 or later in order to connect your iPod nano. However if you use a PC you should know that the iPod nano will connect with your computer only if the operating system is Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later. The sales package stays the same. It contains the iPod nano, earphones, USB 2.0 cable, dock adapter and a quick start guide.

Overall the new iPod nano is a great product. If you are not interested in games and you already have a touch screen device like the iPhone, the nano is the iPod for you. The iPod nano is already on the market. The 8 GB model has a price of $149 while the 16 Gb model has a listing price of $179.

Yesterday on September 9, 2009, at the "It's Only Rock and Roll" event Apple indulged everyone with a refreshed iPod line and some upgrades to existing software. The event started at exactly 10 AM Pacific time. For Apple this was a special media event because of the return of Steve Jobs after nearly 5 months of medical leave. Steve came out at 10:01 and shared to the audience the gratitude he has for the people who are generous enough to be organ donors. Himself was saved, for the second time, by a mid-20's person who died in a car crash, Jobs receiving the donor liver.

Steve Jobs talked about the 30 million iPhones sold an a little over two years and also about the success of the App Store. By today the App Store has over 75000 applications available for download. Also it seems that users have downloaded almost 1.8 billion applications. First thing on the list to be presented was the new iPhone OS 3.1. There are a few new highlights compared to the old OS 3.0.

The new firmware will be able to take full advantage of the Genius function. Genius can now make recommendations based on what you own. Also this feature will help users to find new applications based on their past searches and purchases. Apple is now planning to release ringtones for the iPhone (over 30000 ringtones). A bad feature is the price of $1.29. Basically the song costs less than that. You can preview them for free (at least!). A nice touch is that the iPhone OS 3.1 will be available for download free for the iPhone and iPod touch users with the 3.0 operating system.



For the iPod Touch users with the operating system 2.x the upgrade costs $4.95 (affordable). Other excellent features provided by the new 3.1 operating system are: improved syncing for movies, TV shows, music, podcasts and photos, improved iTunes U content organization, you can save video from Mail and MMS into Camera Roll, the option to "save a new clip" when trimming a video on iPhone 3GS, better iPhone 3G WiFi performance when Bluetooth is turned on. Other features like paste phone numbers into the keypad, using voice control with Bluetooth headsets, improved exchange calendar syncing and invitation handling offer the user an excellent quality while using their iPhone 3GS or iPhone 3G. It's nice that Apple is interested to offer its clients better usability on their iPhone OS.

Next software update presents at the media event was the new iTunes 9. iTunes is the best music retailer in the world. The iTunes 9 brings multiple new features, including iPhone application organization, new Genius software, media syncing options and other interesting features. Apple calls the new Genius, Genius Mixes. The Genius database has gotten smarter and smarter because of the 27 million libraries submitted by iTunes users. The new Genius plays endless mixes of songs from your library that go great together. It can be compared with a great radio station. iTunes 9 will automatically generate 12 of these mixes by default. Others can be created by the users.



The syncing was also improved in the iTunes 9. You can now choose what you want to synchronize: genres, artists, play lists. Home sharing is a great feature in the new iTunes. You can now copy songs, TV shows, and music on up to 5 computers in your house. All authorized computers are visible in iTunes in the Shared category from the Source list. The new iTunes 9 comes with a redesigned Store. You can also use the iTunes 9 to organize the home screen of your iPhone or iPod touch. It is really easy and some much fun than doing it manually on your actual device. What are iTunes LPs? Basically iTunes LPs are album with additional content. You get besides the music and artwork, the lyrics, photos, liner notes and more. Although this is a music event Apple is also focusing on games. Phil Schiller, from Apple, compared the iPod touch to other devices, such as DS from Nintendo and PSP from Sony. At "It's Only Rock and Roll" event a few developers some new games never seen before.

The producer of Assassin's Creed, Ben Mattes, explained that Apple successfully created a world class gaming experience. Other games presented an this media event, Riddim Ribbon, Nova and Madden NFL 10. You can now listen to your iPod music while playing the game.The game will have multiplayer thanks to peer to peer technology via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The "new" iPod touch is more like a refreshed one. You will not find any other specs the 2nd generation already has (bummer). At least Apple equipped the 2009-2010 iPod touch with a faster processor and improved 3D hardware (also featured on iPhone 3GS), making it more competitive. Basically the iPod touch got only a hardware upgrade (ONLY for the 32 GB and 64 GB models) and a price cut. Therefore Apple presented a new positioning to its touch line.



The future will bring separately paths for iPhone and iPod Touch. iPhone 3GS is a great touch screen multimedia phone, while the iPod touch becomes a gaming console. The 32 GB and 64 GB new iPod touch are 50% faster tanks to the new Open GL ES 2.0. The iPod classic is well left in a classic feature list, specs and design. The only felt difference is the bigger memory capacity, from 120 GB to 160 GB. The iPod shuffle got some interesting upgrades wrapped under either plastic (more colors) or stainless steel edition.



So what iPod was the happy winner of a serious upgrade at this event? Well, iPod Nano, was the happy winner. It got all the rumored upgrades while the touch flunked this September. Since the release of iPod touch, this version (3.0) is the dullest one, ever. Apple made a big mistake for not bringing digital camera to iPod touch. A special review of the 2009 iPod line will come soon.

The OtterBox iPod cases are well known for the high protection level offered. The best sellers are by far the iPod Classic Defender Series and the iPod Classic Armor Series. OtterBox was created in 1996 and is characterized by hard work, creativity and perseverance. The founder and CEO of OtterBox, Curt Richardson, have created the waterproof boxes line. Combining the extremely good sales of the iPod Classic and iPod touch with waterproof cases, Richardson achieved excellent sales.



The iPod Classic Defender Series is a case destined to the owners that carry all over the place their iPods. Therefore the case insures a great protection to shocks and also against unwanted liquid drops. But this case is not waterproof. It's quite simple to put together if you are using the instruction sheet. A unique feature case is the three layers of protection offered. The first (and most important layer) is a polycarbonate sheet. This sheet is perfectly created to fit the iPod. After the iPod is fitted in the first layer the top locks in with four tabs on both sides and the top tab as well. You can use your player in any moment since it has in the front of it a transparent plastic (very thin). Therefore you can use very easily the ClickWheel.



The case itself is a polycarbonate skeleton. Usually the polycarbonate is used for the bulletproof windows. The upper layer is made out of silicone. The Defender Series allows you to easily use the dock port, the 3.5 mm jack and the on / off switch. If you thought the iPod Touch case from Defender Series is more complex then you thought wrong. It basically works in the same fashion. So what is the difference between the Defender Series from OtterBox and any other silicon case on the market? The Defender case has just the upper layer made out of silicon skin and it's not the cheap kind you find on the cases from the market. Also the Defender case will not allow any kind of fine grit to get between your iPod and skin, therefore no internal scratching. Sure, it's not the most fashionable case but it will keep you precious iPod safe. Although OtterBox is well known for its waterproof boxes this case will not protect any other fluid touch than light rain and precipitation.

The second case, from the iPod Classic Armor Series is created for the buyers who use their iPods in extreme situations. This case is huge. It doubles, at least, the size of your iPod. Once your iPod is in (it takes a while so don't hurry) you can submerge it under water (but not more than 1 meter). It is waterproof and keeps away dust and sand. You can even drop it because it will not break (neither your case nor iPod). Furthermore it has an internal jack which connects to the 3.5 mm iPod jack and ensures a proper connection with headsets. Therefore the iPod has no outside contact. Locking the case is flawless.



Because of its dimensions you should hook it up to your belt (it will be easily to carry around). You still have ClickWheel access just like in the Defender Series. Let's talk about prices. The iPod Classic Defender case price starts from $29.95 while the Armor case starts from $49.95. So these iPod skins are not cheap but it is a good investment in order to keep your iPod intact and its value high.

Every year Apple upgrades its MacBook line. Sometimes the upgrades are important and sometimes it just look like it is. This is the case of the former / actual 13" aluminum MacBook / MacBook Pro. Are you confused already? You should be. Apple ported the 13" aluminum MacBook in the MacBook Pro line. So we now have 3 types of MacBook Pro, 13", 15" and 17", all with aluminum unibody.

Regarding the 13" model, it's offered with two basic configurations. The first one, 13", 2.26 GHz CPU Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 SDRAM (2 x 1 GB), 160 GB serial ATA Drive, SD Card Slot, built in 7 hour battery, NVIDIA GeForce 9400 M graphics chip, is the entry level model in the MacBook Pro line. The second configuration is what customers should buy, 13", 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 SDRAM (2 x 2 GB), SD Card Slot, the same built in 7 hour battery and NVIDIA GeForce 9400 M graphics chip.The prices start from $1199 (a relatively good price) and can go up to $3350 (scary, I know) if you choose optional 8 GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 SDRAM, 2 x 4 GB - $1100 and a 256 GB solid state drive - at a shocking list price of $850).

The new aluminum MacBook Pro design follows the design of both 15" and 17" MacBook Pro. Apple successfully delivers new quality design to its small notebook / entry level MacBook Pros. The full aluminum case appears to be of top quality. The 13" aluminum MacBook Pro utilizes the same excellent closing mechanism from the MacBook Air. The magnetic lock works perfect and secure the display when closed. All the MacBook Pro models are clearly improved from the old ones through the new design and the new production process (using one aluminum block for the case). In the new design Apple locates all the ports on the left side of the case. On the front side we have the MacRemote Irda, indicator LED. On the left side, MagSafe, Gigabit LAN, 2 x USB 2.0, Line in, headphones and Line out, battery indicator LEDs, Mini Display port, Kensington lock while on the right side we find DVD RW Drive.



The display is relatively new with LED background lighting which offers excellent brightness. Also thanks to the new technology the screen is immediately bright after the MacBook is switched on. A luxury feature is the scratch proof glass pane in front of the display. The maximum brightness offered by the new 13" aluminum MacBook Pro is in the center of the display 300 cd/m2. Apple provides for both 13" plastic MacBook and 13" aluminum MacBook Pro a new NVIDIA video chip, GeForce 9400M. But don't be fooled this is a shared memory graphics chip. The video chip uses 256 MB from the 2 GB or 4 GB DDR 3 RAM 1066 MHz. At the launch, Apple announced that the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M has a five time better performance than the old X3100.



The built in battery is not such a great feature in the long run. According to Apple the battery life is up to five hours. Overall the 13" aluminum MacBook Pro is a must have model which offers great design and good features for only $200 more than the MacBook.

On June 8, at the WWDC 2009 keynote, Apple delivered what iPhone fans were waiting for, the third - generation model of Apple's revolutionary device. The iPhone 3GS is the successor of the 2007 iPhone and the 2008 iPhone 3G. But the jump from the iPhone 3G to the 3GS is not that big as the jump from the first model to the 3G iPhone. Either way Apple promises that the iPhone 3GS is faster than the previous one. It also has an extended battery life, more memory and a few other features to make it a compelling upgrade for 3G users. Some of these new features are part of the new iPhone OS 3.0. The letter S from the iPhone 3GS stands for speed. In just three days, from the launch, 1 million iPhone 3GS were sold.

The 3GS looks just like an iPhone 3G. The same design and quality materials as the 3G model, gives a premium look to the iPhone 3GS. The 3GS model is available in white or black. The dimensions are identical to the 3G; the only difference is that the 3GS weights more than the 3G with 2g, making a total of 135 g. Its length is 115.5 mm, while the width is 62.1 mm and the height 12.3 mm.



On the front of the 3GS we have the home screen button located under the 3.5" display. On the left side there are the volume control buttons and the silent mode button. The 3.5 mm jack and the on / off button are on the top of the phone, while on the bottom we have the dock connector, the speaker and microphone. The back of the iPhone 3GS is optical identical to the 3G model, the only difference is that instead of a 2 MP digital camera the 3GS has a 3.2 MP camera (no flash). The battery is better than the previous one (20% more power). The autonomy has grown from 10 hours to 12 hours in the 2G Network and from 24 hours to 30 hours for music. The video playback time has also grown from 7 hours to 10 hours, while the stand by values remains identical to the values from the 3G.

The iPhone 3GS comes with the new iPhone OS 3.0. The 3.0 brought to the iPhone and iPod Touch a lot of new features like the highly anticipated "copy & paste". Unfortunately the 3GS still lack the possibility of multitasking (hopefully the 4.0 will fix this problem). Other excellent feature from the 3.0 is the search engine, Spotlight. You can use this engine to find contacts, music, applications, emails, calendar events, notes, videos and even podcasts. The search speed is really good (beats the search speed of Nokia phones with S60). Other features are exclusively for the 3GS model such as Voice Control (not just for voice dialing and basic commands, you can use voice to identify a song by name and you can ask to play related tracks), Interface Zoom and White - on - Black color combo.



The 3GS has the same display from the iPhone 3G. It's a 3.5" touch screen with 320 x 480 resolution and 16 million colors. The sound quality on calls is excellent. Even in places where the network coverage is not that good the quality sound on calls is flawless. You can add so many details to any contact from the phonebook (many phone numbers, addresses, email, birthday and other). Thanks to the 3.0 you can now send multimedia messages (but you have to configure it manually). Multimedia is very important for the iPhone line. Apple's experience in iPod production really pays off. The lack of stereo speakers is a disadvantage, but keep in mind that this is just a policy, so that the iPhone user would buy additional speakers. The iPod feature from the iPhone is genius. The sound is loud and clear, the bass is incredible. With the 3GS you can listen to music using Bluetooth stereo handset. The video player is the same; the only difference is the improved speed when you open a movie or a music video. If you are choosing your 3GS by the storage capacity, then you should know that there is a 16 GB model and a 32 GB model. The iPhone 3GS doesn't have radio. If you want to listen to the radio from your 3GS you have to use the internet. The new 3.2 MP digital camera is still not enough for a high - end phone. Apple should have included a 5 MP digital camera rather than a 3.2 MP camera. Most of the smartphones on the market have 5 to 8 MP cameras with flash or xenon. The video recording is made at VGA resolution (640 x 480) with 30 frames per second.



The movie clips are saved in the .mov format. In the connectivity department you get GPRS, EDGE, 3G or HSDPA and WiFi. The email client syncs with Mobile Me or Microsoft Exchange 2007. The new iPhone generation comes not just with better software features, but also with a faster processor and a larger random access memory. If you don't mind the lack of multitasking, the iPhone 3GS will not let you down.

Specifications

Network:
-2G GSM 850 / 900/ 1800 / 1900
-3G HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100

Size:
-Dimensions: 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm
-Weight : 135 g

Display:
-Type TFT capacitive touch screen, 16 million colors
-Size: 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5"
-Multi-touch input method, accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate, proximity sensor for auto turn-off, scratch-resistant surface



Memory:
-Internal: 16 GB/ 32 GB storage, 256 MB RAM
-Card slot: No

Data:
-GPRS, EDGE, 3g HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps, WLAN, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, USB v2.0

Camera:
-3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus
-Touch focus, geo-tagging
-VGA@30fps, video geo-tagging

OS:
-iPhone OS (based on Mac OS)

CPU:
-ARM Cortex A8 600 MHz, PowerVR SGX graphics

Battery:
-Stand by: up to 300 hours
-Talk time: up to 12 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)
-Music play: up to 30 h