Archive

Posts Tagged ‘Touch’

Apple’s new iPod gives us a Touch more of FaceTime

September 1st, 2010
No comments

By Jon Cohen

Like every September we can be sure of a few things. School is back in session, hurricanes will be a big part of the nightly news coverage, and Apple will release new hardware and software. In what can be called a predictable fashion Apple has used the September event to launch new products for a number of  years, and this year is no different.

During today’s media event Apple has released a number of new products that will be sure to help drive sales of Apple products for months to come. With all these new iPods, Apple has secured themselves a place in the “Want” list for 2010 holiday season. Looking at some of the updated products, my eye was quickly caught by the new touch screen iPod Nano and the new iPod Touch.

With this being the first Nano with a touch screen display, it features a simple way to look at photos, album art, and the clock while still being able to enjoy music. The lack of the video playback and the missing built-in camera is a notable loss. Oh, don’t let me forget to mention that it does have a built in clip, to make the device wearable right out of the box!

As for the jewel of this media event, the new iPod touch does not disappoint. Featuring a gorgeous display, and  front facing camera with FaceTime technology. This allows the iPod Touch to become just like the iPhone 4 but without the phone . FaceTime as a technology,  will allow Apple to change the way people communicate. I know that FaceTime seems like a gimmick but after using it myself I can see the appeal for it. It is fast and the quality is fantastic. (As long as you have a Wifi hotspot)

I am sure that Apple is going to land in the winners circle again with all these new iPods. Apple creates demand for products, then they offer these products at a price point that is affordable for most people. Thus at the holiday season, no matter what age you are, their will be an iPod that is right for you.

Of Note: Apple did also release an updated version of iTunes feat. Ping, an updated AppleTV, and  a new iPod Shuffle.

This post has been sponsored by :

iPod Touch Hardware upgrade on the way?

June 17th, 2009
1 comment

By Jon M. Cohen

As you might be aware of already, the new iPhone is set to launch on June 19th. 2009. With the release of this new hardware device we see a lot of new added features. But what about the little iPod Touch? Yes it does get the great 3.0 software upgrade that allows for many improvements, but does it really matter on the same outdated hardware? The answer is maybe. The real interesting thing to note is that Apple has posted on its website that the new 3.0 software upgrade for the iPod Touch with allow for stereo bluetooth connectivity a feature that has been long asked for by iPhone users. You may say big deal, the iPhone and the iPod Touch now with OS 3.0 have many great new features, but the real big deal is that the current iPod Touch does not have any bluetooth built in and thus a claim of bluetooth connectivity can only suggest that new hardware will be coming out soon.

With this expected hardware upgrade it would be wise of Apple to also include a camera. Only time will tell and if my guess is correct we will not need to wait very long to see this new iPod Touch.

Picture 5

Apple iPod Touch – 8GB/16GB/32GB

January 15th, 2008
No comments

Maybe the most fun I have had with an iPod yet. After testing the Apple iPhone for a few months I was sold on Apple’s new “touch” interface. The first thing that caught my eye was the fact that this iPod was about 60% slimmer then the iPhone (its closest cousin) and still had most of the same features. One feature that I really liked was the built in web browser (Safari). This feature combined with the built in WiFi (802.11G), gave a real web viewing experience similar to using a full size computer. Some other applications that were very handy were the picture viewer and the calendar. Although the screen was not as sharp as the iPhone, the iPod Touch was better then any other PDA, MP3 Player or even digital camera display that I have seen. As for the Calendar application, it was easy to use and was able to sync up with my iCal, Outlook and my Gmail Calendar applications. The newly released mail application was a snap to set up and was quickly syncing with my desktop mail application. It is a great feeling when convergence works right!

 

iPod Touch Mail App.

By now you have probably seen a lot of commercials for this iPod Touch and are aware of how the touch screen works. I will not go into detail about the touch operation, as I feel it is mainstream enough. (If you have not seen how it works yet, please click here) One aspect that a lot of people have been asking me about is the Touch’s keyboard. Since there is no tactile keyboard, users are forced to use the built in touch screen keyboard that pops up as needed. I found the keyboard to be a bit clumsy at first, but as I used it more, the keyboard became less and less of an issue. Some other points of interest about the iPod Touch are; the battery life is better then average (with the WiFi off); the iTunes built in download feature makes it easy to get new music on the iPod; the ability to add-on new applications from the Apple.com website allows for this iPod Touch to be a very versatile product; in addition, it plays movies with a beautiful quality.

 

As with all good consumer products, there is always room for improvement. Some things I would have liked to see are the following: a built in speaker and microphone, a wall charger in the box, an open OS (operating system) to add and change applications on the “Touch” and a built in camera. As a side note, I did hack the OS on the demo unit to see what other add-ons are out there and I was very impressed by the level and quality of what has been developed (by 3rd parties) to date. I do not recommend that you hack your iPod’s OS, as it may have a negative effect on your warranty status. My final thoughts are that unlike any other iPod Apple has created, this one has unlimited potential. I cannot see myself using it at the gym or while jogging, and if all you really want is a replacement for you mid-80’s “Walkman” then this is not the product for you. Alternatively, if you want to have a sexy, fun filled multi functional device that can also play music, then go out and spend the $299.00 (8GB) or $399.00 (16GB) or $499.00 (32GB) on the iPod Touch from Apple and you will not be disappointed.