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The iPod Nano: Stupid Or Awesome

The new iPod Nano is out and will be shipping soon. In my previous post about Apple's Music Event I said I didn't like the iPod Nano. While that is still true, I am now seeing why other people will LOVE the new iPod Nano.

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Courtesy of Apple

From the moment of the announcement, people have been calling this the iPod Touch Mini, which is a fairly accurate description. So while people like me are complaining about how it should have some apps if it is going to have the same touchscreen and how it has no more video support (both playback and recording), I think in the end it is not something the common user will care for. When people buy the Nano they are not looking for apps. If they wanted apps they will just buy the iPod Touch. Also when it comes to video, the iPod Nano was never the best video player. It wasn't widescreen so you either had a cropped video or the famous black bars, and even then you would probably have to choose between having a movie or having all your music on it. While some people did use the video recording, it wasn't that much of a deal-breaker for anybody considering how bad the quality was.

The new Nano I believe will be very popular among teens this holiday season. Let's look at what it has. It has a touch screen, which is all the rage these days, and it has enough space to store the average person's music library. The screen itself I think is a huge factor. To just have your album artwork show up on the screen and you can control it just by tapping on it, is pretty cool. When you clip it onto stuff you can also just glance down at it, and no matter what position it is in you can just tap to select and change songs. With the click wheel you generally needed a grip to operate it. Also it is kind of cool that if you have it clipped it shows what you are listening to. Some people may consider this not that important or kind of snobbish, but I personally always find myself asking my friends what they are listening to. It does all of this while retaining a very thin form factor and 8/16 GB of storage. Apple has also included 2 volume buttons on top for those of you who like putting your iPod in your pocket.

The iPod Nano will be the ultimate holiday gift in my opinion. If you're an adult trying to find a kid a present, what better option is there? All kids love music and let's face it, iPods have always been "cool". For $150 for the 8 GB model, grandmas will have a field day this holiday season.

Meet The New iPod Family

Today Steve Jobs took the stage in San Francisco and unleashed Apple's new lineup of iPods. An iPod Touch with cameras, a touch screen iPod Nano, and an iPod Shuffle rocking buttons again.

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Courtesy of Apple 

Let's start small with the iPod Shuffle. Departing from the buttonless design the previous iPod Shuffle had, the new iPod shuffle returns to to the clickable control pad. It still has the clip, voiceover, and playlists (along with Genius). Nothing that big. The iPod Shuffle will sell with 4GB for $49. 

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Courtesy of Apple 

Next up is the iPod Nano. The iPod Nano has left the click wheel, and moved onto a multi-touch interface. Having icons fro Music, Playlists, Artists, etc., allows users to navigate very easily. It also contains all the features the iPod Touch is known for, such as Genius, FM Radio, and Nike+.The size of the iPod Nano is also remarkable. It is practically half the size of the previous iPod Nano and almost half of its weight. It has a clip so that you can clip it onto you instead of buying a armband. It has a 24 hour battery life, so you really shouldn't have to worry about it getting you through the day. There is a 8 GB model for $150 and a 16 GB model for $180. Now despite all this, I think this is probably the worst iPod Nano ever. It eliminates two key features the previous generation had. The ability to play video and the ability to record video (it has no camera). So really the only big difference between this and the iPod Shuffle is the fact that this is touch screen, has more storage, and is slightly bigger.

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Courtesy of Apple

Lastly is the iPod Touch. The iPod Nano announcement really annoyed me, but the iPod Touch made up for most of it. To begin with the iPod Touch now has Facetime, with a front facing camera and rear camera. You can Facetime with friends on other new iPod Touches and iPhone 4's. The iPod Touch also now uses the rear camera to capture 720p HD video at 30 fps and also for basic (REALLY basic) still shots. You will also be able to install the iMovie app to edit your videos on the go. This is huge as the previous iPod Touch had no cameras, and now it has two, with Facetime and HD recording. The iPod Touch also introduces Game Center. Game Center is practically Apple's Xbox Live. You can play with your friends online, unlock achievements, and compare scores. More games will start to incorporate these features overtime, but there are already plenty that are ready to go. The iPod Touch also has Apple's LED-backlit Retina Display, which runs at 960x640 (326 pixels per inch) and uses Apple's new A4 processor. There are three tiers. An 8 GB model for $229, a 32 GB model for $299, and a 64 GB model for $399. I personally love the new iPod Touch, and seeing as the previous generation was just a small step up from the 2nd generation, it is great to see Apple introduce tons of new features.

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Courtesy of Apple 

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WE'RE ALIVE! And So Are New iPods From Apple

So DailyDownload kind of died due to all of the writers being busy with life. But now I'm back and what better way to reignite the love/hate by writing about some Apple news?!?

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Picture courtesy of Engadget.

So Apple is having an event on September 1st. A music related event. So what do we expect? New iPods, possibly new Apple TV (being called iTV), and some other stuff. Let me just run you guys through the rumors:
  • New iPod Touch - An iPod Touch with a Retina Display, and a front-facing camera for Facetime by using email addresses instead of phone numbers. Some people are also saying there will also be a regular camera at the back for Facetime use and also just for a regular camera app. There is also a rumor that there is a chance for 3G connectivity, but I personally can't see Apple doing that.
  • New iPod Nano - A new iPod Nano with a square design (kind of like the 3rd generation iPod Nano) but instead of a click wheel it will have an full touch-screen. I don't know how true this is, but I have always preferred the fact that the iPod Nano was a viable option for those people who don't like touch screen devices and don't need/want all the storage space of the iPod classic.
  • iTV - A revamped Apple TV that will be supposedly the size of the iPhone and run iOS. There are rumors of it having video streaming capabilities and that it will run some apps from the App store. The real deal is that the rumored price is $99.

Apple has also been known to update iTunes around this time of year so we may see new features such as wireless syncing and streaming, but don't get any hopes up. September 1st is when this will all go down, so we'll let you guys know how it all goes down after the event.

Windows Phone 7: Bringing Xbox Live To Your Phone

That's right. Gamers rejoice. Windows Phone 7 is bringing Xbox Live integration to smartphones. You will be able to check all your stats, and all games you play on the device will add points and achievements to your account. Today Microsoft released a list of games that they will be releasing for Windows Phone 7, and demoed some really awesome games that are almost ready. Check out the videos and list of games from Engadget below.

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Samsung Epic 4G: The Phone For Those WIth A Need For Speed

Being yet another device to add to Android's fleet of high class devices, the Samsung Epic 4G truly matches the level of power Galaxy S devices are known for. Everything from a full QWERTY keyboard to being on Sprint's super fast 4G network screams speed. 

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Courtesy of Sprint

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Net Neutrality? Wha?

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Net Neutrality: a principle proposed for user access networks participating in the Internet that advocates no restrictions by Internet Service Providers and governments on content, sites, platforms, on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and no restrictions on the modes of communication allowed.

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Motorola Droid 2: This Is The $199 Droid You've Been Looking For (R2-D2 VERSION!)

The new Motorola Droid 2 is finally coming to Verizon for the standard price tag of $199. Pre-orders start tomorrow August 11th, and it will be available in stores on August 12th.  Building upon the Droid, the Droid 2 (D2) provides customers a bounty of new features while retaining the ones we all loved from the original. I'm telling you right now, my favorite feature is that there is an R2-D2 version of the D2 (see why the short form works?) but unfortunately we will have to wait till September for it.

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Courtesy of Verizon Wireless

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Dell Streak: The 5-Inch Tablet/Smartphone You Secretly Wanted

Another addition to the AT&T family is the new Dell Streak. The 5" tablet from Dell is more of an Android tablet ability to make phone calls. But hey, there has to be SOME advantage to wearing cargo pants, right?

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Courtesy of Dell Inc.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia 10: Coming To AT&T For $129 (Kinda)

So the Xperia 10 (X10) is finally landing. The X10 is an Android device from Sony Ericsson coming to the AT&T network on August 15th for the price tag of.... well it depends where you look, but more on that later. Right now, just marvel at it's awesome design.

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Courtesy of Sony Ericsson

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