K&B SPECIALS | 09/03/10 – 09/10/10

Of all the new products showcased at Wednesday’s keynote event, the redesigned iPod nano is by far the most radical. Featuring an entirely new design, the nano becomes the first click wheel enabled iPod to evolve to a multi-touch interface.

Essentially a cut-in-half version of the the 5th generation device, the new nano is almost comparable in size to the shuffle. Sporting a 240 x 240 resolution display, the nano’s interface borrows largely from Apple’s iOS. Though its feature set is consistent with previously established models in the line, the reduced size and built-in clip are sure to make it an even bigger hit among fitness enthusiasts.

The navigation of the device is basically an abridged version of the Multi-Touch interface available on the iPhone and iPod touch. Users can swipe and use other gestures to navigate the nano’s menu system and media content. The included FM radio, pedometer, and Nike + support round out the feature set, which also includes music and photos.

Incorporating the VoiceOver commands and genius playlists, the new nano is surprisingly feature-packed despite its small form factor. Offered in a host of different colors, the new iPod nano is available in either 8GB or 16GB for $149.99 and $179.99 respectively.

Click “*here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=ipod+nano+2010 to pre-order the new iPod nano.

Combining elements from the 2nd and 3rd generations of Apple’s most diminutive iPod, the new iPod shuffle is the best of both worlds.

During Wednesday’s presentation, Jobs admitted that the physical buttons on the 1st and 2nd generations were significantly more popular than the buttonless design of the 3rd. Though the 4th generation shuffle features identical face controls to that of its older relative, they are joined by the VoiceOver options introduced in the previous generation.

The new square design of the device preserves the look and feel of the line while having the smallest footprint of any iPod ever. The new shuffle is available in a 2GB capacity for just $49.99.

Click “*here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=ipod+shuffle+2010 to pre-order the new iPod shuffle.

To compliment their freshly updated line of iPods, Apple has released iTunes 10 software. Replacing the tried-and-true CD based icon with a new aqua orb, the icon change only hints at the new features that lie within the program. Aside from a slightly re-skinned UI, the standout feature of iTunes 10 is Ping.

Ping is a new music-orientated social network which resides within iTunes. Users can easily join the network from within the software and create a profile focused around their musical tastes. Ping users can follow their favorite artists, stay up on industry news, and share what they’re listening to with friends.

Ping includes numerous personalized features that provide users with up-to-date concert listings as well as customized Ping Charts. Both of these features update depending on what artists a user is following, and what their friends are listening to.

iTunes 10 is available now. It can either be obtained “*here*”:http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ or through Software Update. Please note that *Mac OS X 10.5.8* Leopard is required to install.

…in a good way. Wednesday’s Apple Music Event yielded some pretty cool things, one of which was a welcome update to the Apple TV.

Here’s what’s new:

* new matte black color
* 1/4 of the size (it’s been compared to a hockey puck!)
* added HDMI (YES!) and digital audio outputs
* NO internal storage–only rentals from the iTunes Store
* day-of-release HD movies rent for $4.99; HD TV shows rent for $.99
* $99 price tag
* includes a remote

On the lack of storage–one of the major changes that surprised me–Jobs noted that people “don’t want to manage storage… they just want to watch movies and TV shows.” And of course, that whatever hardware we have has to be “silent, cool and small.”

Subscribers to Netflix’s streaming service (at $8.99/mo. or more) will have access to streaming content on the new Apple TV for no additional charge. In addition, Apple TV users will also be able to stream content from MobileMe, YouTube and Flickr.

Also new in this announcement is AirPlay, which replaces AirTunes (more about this coming up in the iOS4 update article). AirPlay allows streaming from one device to an Apple TV–say, from your iPhone or iPad to your new Apple TV. Jobs demonstrated this by streaming a movie from his iPad to an Apple TV using the venue’s Wi-Fi.

Notable tidbits: At launch, only ABC and Fox will offer their HD shows for rental at the $.99 price. The Apple TV will be available in roughly four weeks–the beginning of October–and it’s “available for pre-order now.”:http://www.smalldog.com/product/76960/apple-tv-2010/at_kb

Dear Friends,

We have had a heat wave here in Vermont with unseasonably hot and muggy weather. We are also seeing the first tinges of color in the leaves as the days grow shorter and it seems that the Canada geese are already looking for their southern route as they stop by in the farmer’s field and fly in formation down the valley. Sweet corn season is about done and apple picking has started early. Schools have started and my ride to work now includes kids waiting for the bus and school buses driving on my normally nearly vacant route. I like to say that I see more cows than cars on my commute.

Apple held their annual Music Event this week and we will talk about the new iPods and the new Apple TV later in this issue of Kibbles & Bytes. There were three major changes in the products that really show that Apple is “in tune” with their customers. The iPod shuffle returns to the slightly larger version with navigation buttons. This shuffle design was the most popular and when we had them in stock, they easily out-sold the last shuffle design.

The second big change was the iPod nano. The new smaller nano no longer has the video camera or playback capabilities of the now discontinued version. Again, I think that most folks that bought an iPod nano bought it for the music and not for video. I know I put a nano on my Victory for music and thought that it would be convenient to have the video camera just in case I happened onto “alien first contact” but I never used it. (Since I carry an iPhone 4, I am all set for my encounter with ET.)

The third area where Apple demonstrated that they were “in touch” was the Apple TV. The new Apple TV is a rental-only model and that fits the vast majority of uses for this device. It was funny when Steve put up the list of what people wanted in the Apple TV and one of the criteria was that it should be “cool”–and he was truly speaking of temperature because the old Apple TV was one hot running device! Rentals are where the action is; most people do not want to buy a movie, they just want to watch it. I have a couple of bookcases full of DVD movies that I seldom watch.

Small Dog Electronics is very proud to announce that we are now an AT&T dealer and, in our Waitsfield and South Burlington stores, we now have the iPhone in stock and ready for sale! We can get you set up with the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 3GS and an AT&T voice and data plan to suit your needs. We are very excited at this new development that we have been working on with AT&T and Apple for almost two years. You can now come to Small Dog Electronics for ALL of you Apple product needs! We hope to have our new store in Manchester, NH set up for the iPhone soon after we open.

We have chiseled our *GRAND OPENING* date for our Manchester store in digital stone. We will have our gala grand opening beginning on October 9th. We have a lot of work to do to get ready, employees to hire and train and shelves to stock, but we have an awesome team to get this done. I could not be more excited about this new store.

The weather has been great so I’ve been able to do the slightly over two hour drive on my motorcycle a few times. I’ve found that I can carry about a dozen MacBooks at a time on the bike. We will be putting out a more formal announcement of the grand opening and of course, all of our loyal Kibbles & Bytes readers are welcome to attend!

Steve Jobs wowed keynote attendees and those streaming at home with updates to the iPod touch Wednesday afternoon. Featuring an even thinner body design than before, the new touch is only 7.2mm thin! Replacing the concave back of the 2nd and 3rd generation devices with a flat stainless steel back, the new touch hearkens back to the original device’s design.

More exciting than the physical redesign of the product is the inclusion of both a front and rear facing camera. The front facing camera is fully FaceTime compatible, supporting video calling between other 4th generation touches and the iPhone 4. This exciting addition will undoubtably boost the population of users making video calls to one another and is a logical addition given Apple’s support of this new type of communication. The rear camera supports high definition 720p video and still photos up to 960 x 720.

iPod touch users will also be able to enjoy on-board video editing functionality using Apple’s iMovie app. Though a camera was perhaps the most requested/anticipated feature of the device, the new touch is also home to many additional exciting features.

The touch borrows several of its other new features from the iPhone 4. The amazingly crisp Retina display makes an appearance as well as Apple’s in-house developed A4 processor. This advanced chip means the iPod touch will be much more than just pretty looks. Judging from the performance leap seen between the iPhone 3Gs to iPhone 4, iPod touch users will be in for quite the speed boost upon updating their device.

During the keynote, Steve shared that the iPod touch has surpassed the competition at both Nintendo and Sony as the world’s most popular portable gaming device. In an attempt to lock in this position, Jobs demoed Apple’s Game Center app. This app features online matchmaking, achievements, and leader boards akin to Microsoft’s Xbox Live service.

The collective updates to Apple’s flagship iPod all serve to make it a tempting upgrade. Though the lack of mobile data support still differentiates it from the 3G compliant iPhone 4, the touch is steadily edging in as Apple’s premier mobile offering. Offering a tremendous (and contract free) value, the touch retains its previous capacities and pricing at the 32GB and 64GB marks. The 8GB model is now priced $30 more at $229.

Click “*here*”:http://www.smalldog.com/search/?find=ipod+touch+2010 to pre-order the new iPod touch.