New iPhone 4G / iPod Touch and 2010 Apple A4 CPU

When Apple announced that they were to use their new ARM Cortex A8 CPUs in the 3GS and new iPod Touch, we are all amazed at how much faster it was. However, we were even more shocked when Apple introduced to us their new A4 chip in the iPad tablet device.

This has all got us exited about what is to come on the iPhone 4G and if Apple will make the new CPU available to the smartphone in 2010. It is no secret that Apple wanted to shy away from third-party suppliers and offer their own custom chips; well they have finally done it.

According to The iPhone Blog, they say that the reason for the 10-hour battery life on the new iPad is mostly due to the new A4 custom chip, just imagine what that would do for the battery life in the new iPhone and iPod Touch?

Little is known about the hardware of the iPad, but it does make you think of what the iPhone 4G will have. We are hoping that we will get at least 512MB of RAM, hopefully that new custom-built chip, up to 64GB of storage and the latest PowerVR SGX GPU.

We do wonder if we will actually see a 4th-generation iPhone in 2010, July would be the date of release but would Apple launch it so close to the launch of the iPad?

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iPad's 140,000 apps at your fingertips. From day one.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

iPad will run almost 140,000 apps from the App Store. So you can use all those incredibly fun and useful apps — including everything from games to productivity apps — right out of the box.

140,000 apps. And counting.
The iPad will run almost all of the apps designed for the iPhone. You just download them from the App Store. Or, if you already have apps for your iPhone or iPod touch, you can sync them to iPad from your Mac or PC. Then you can run any of those apps in either their original size, or you can expand them to fill the screen. And developers are working on new apps designed specifically for this amazing new device and all the things it can do.

App Store
If you tap on the App Store icon, it’ll take you to a special section of the Store that has apps specifically designed for iPad. You can also browse through iPhone and iPod touch apps, including entertainment apps, productivity apps, social networking apps, games, and more. And you can buy and download them wirelessly, right from the iPad. No matter what you need, there’s bound to be an app for it.

iWork. Completely reimagined for iPad.
The iWork productivity applications that people know and love on the Mac — Keynote, Pages, and Numbers — have been completely redesigned for iPad. So you can create incredible presentations, word processing documents, and spreadsheets by directly touching the words and images on the large, Multi-Touch screen. And each of these apps has been designed specially for iPad, with completely new features. So while they’re simple and easy to use, they’re also the most powerful productivity apps ever built for a mobile device. They even import iWork ’09 and Microsoft Office documents and allow you to send in iWork ’09 and PDF formats. And because Keynote, Pages, and Numbers will be sold individually on the App Store, you can purchase them all at once, or add them to your iPad over time.

Keynote
With custom graphic styles, elegantly-designed themes, stunning animations and effects, and powerful, new features designed just for iPad, Keynote makes it easy to put the show in slideshow.

Pages
Pages has everything you need to create beautiful documents. Including Apple-designed templates and easy-to-use formatting tools. So putting your words into a stunning layout has never been simpler.

Numbers
Numbers lets you create compelling, attractive, spreadsheets in minutes. With over 250 easy-to-use formulas, an intelligent keyboard, flexible tables, and great-looking charts, the answers will literally be right at your fingertips.

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Living in a materialistic world

I bought myself a brand new 64 gigabyte (GB) iPod Touch for Christmas. The 64GB iPod holds approximately fifteen thousand songs.

That’s about forty to fifty days of music.

It can connect to the Internet and browse Facebook. There exist about one hundred thousand downloadable applications.

Now, I bought myself this paragon of technological magnificence to replace my ageing 32GB iPod Video.

I was attached to my Video, with it’s archaic click wheel technology and heavily scratched stainless steel backplate, which at this point more resembles brushed aluminum.

I’ve had it for almost four years now; it’s been returned under warranty twice, it’s been stolen out of my car and looted from my jacket.

I did all I could to return it to my music deprived grasp.

We’ve been through a lot together, and it hasn’t exactly aged well. It’s in two pieces, held together only by its internal components, and there is a lot of damage to the LCD screen – long story short it still works and is still the brain and DJ to my car’s sound system.

Now, this reads kind of like an obituary but in all reality its just as functional as the day I bought it.

I’ve moved on to bigger and better things I guess, the thinner, sleeker, touch-screen iPod won me over but I can’t help feeling a strange tinge of guilt.

Why should I feel guilty? After all, it’s just stuff. I contributed to the movement of merchandise through the economy in a recession, I deserve a pat on the back if anything, right?

Really, I think what we have here is a classic case of an inanimate object becoming something greater than the sum of its parts.

After all, think of all the stuff that the iPod can bring. No more tapes and disks, the iPod is the hive-mind of your musical delights.

Think about what you can tell about a person from looking at their music library and playlists – probably more than you could from palm reading.

When my iPod was gone, either by malfunction or thievery, I felt like listening to that song “Ain’t no Sunshine” by Bill Withers but couldn’t. I had no iPod.

I think it’s the same feeling people get with their first car. The most valuable things we own act like extensions of our personality.

Things make us feel good and are what we miss when we are without them.

However, because it’s just stuff, chances are we toss it aside when the next best thing comes along.

We might even trade it in for chump change so we can get it sooner, or cheaper. We throw it away for the 2010 model with chrome accents and heated leather seats or the touch-screen high capacity iPod.

Source: click here

Apple iPod Touch 64GB

The iPod Touch is now in its third generation and we're happy to say that Apple's latest boasts numerous improvements over its predecessor.

For starters the new Touch uses version 3.1 of Apple's iPhone OS and sports the same microprocessor, graphics engine and memory as the 3GS iPhone. Thanks to this combination of hardware and software the Touch proved very responsive in day-to-day use. Launching apps, switching from one content type to another and even browsing the web proved quick and trouble-free.

The supplied earphones boast an integrated microphone and both work well in terms of playback and audio capture. Thankfully, if you already own an expensive set of cans, you can hook them up to the Touch, as it uses a standard 3.5mm mini-jack connector.

The third generation Touch isn't perfect however. The 3.5-inch LCD display while ultra-responsive in terms of its touch sensing suffers from limited viewing angles. Viewing the screen from anywhere off-axis results in brightness and contrast loss. The fact that you have to use Apple's own iTunes content management software to transfer content onto the Touch is also an annoyance because we noticed a few issues with synchronisation from time-to-time.

We'd prefer if you could just use the Touch as a USB stick, where you can simply drag and drop what you want and don't want.

Source: click here

Apple goods that blossom as gifts

Image via Wikipedia

With the advent of large amounts of false snow and polystyrene reindeers in central Bangkok, we are aware that the Christmas and New Year season is in full swing. That means present-buying for others and ourselves. Corporate buyers may also be looking for gifts, or for their organisations: budgets open at the stroke of midnight on January 1.

Since I wrote the first part of this new year review, Rescuecom has published findings that show Apple was equal top with Lenova in computer reliability ratings for the third quarter of 2009.

While consumer desktop computers have their adherents, many prefer notebooks. Apple has the MacBook Pro in three sizes, and the MacBook Air for those who need lightness (http://www.apple.com/asia/mac/whichmacbook/compare.html)

There is also a white polycarbonate 13" MacBook at 36,900 baht which still finds considerable favour with students.

With a 2.26Ghz processor, 2GB RAM and a 250GB hard disk, WiFi, two USB ports and Ethernet, plus the glass trackpad which supports gestures, this has better specifications than my current Mac.

The aluminium MacBook Pro goes even better. With 13", 15" and 17" versions, there are options for processors and hard disk configurations. All have the MagSafe power port, Gigabit Ethernet port and a FireWire 800 port. The 17" has three USB 2.0 ports (the others have two). The 13" has 2.36Ghz or 2.53Ghz processors and 2GB or 4GB RAM respectively (46,900 or 57,900 baht). There are hard disk options up to 500GB, or solid state drives up to 256GB.

The 15" comes with 2.53Ghz, 2.66Ghz or 2.8Ghz processors. All have 4GB RAM as standard, while the 17" (94,900 baht) has a 2.8Ghz processor with a 3.06Ghz option (also an option for the 15" 2.8Ghz MacBook Pro). All may be ordered online or at the iStudio outlets (store.apple.com/th).

The MacBook Air is intended for those who travel often or who make presentations. I think of this as a second computer for the professional. Its two versions have 1.83Ghz or 2.13 GHz processors (57,900, 69,900 baht) and 2GB RAM. The first has a 120GB hard drive, while the faster version has a 128GB solid state drive.

The iPod has changed the way we use music and video. There are three basic iPods, plus the wide-screen iPod touch and the iPhone.

The smallest iPod is the shuffle, in five colours with capacities of 2GB and 4GB (2,800 and 3,600 baht). A special aluminium version is sold online. There is no screen for this small player of just over 10 grammes which clips on to your lapel or jeans. This is available in a special gift box for the season.

The iPod nano was recently updated and can now record video. There is also a built-in FM radio. This comes in seven colours in the shops. The Product Red version and a yellow nano are also available online. The 8GB nano (6,200 baht) holds 2,000 songs or 8 hours of video. The 16GB nano costs 7,400 baht. The weight is around 36 grams.

The original iPod is now the iPod Classic, with 160GB capacity. This should be good for 200 hours of video (40,000 songs) and costs 10,200 baht. My early 15GB version was around 15,000 baht in June 2004: such is progress.

The iPod touch is one of my favourite devices. I have been running my 16GB version since January 2007. Being able to use most iPhone apps has transformed the device from a music and video player with some PDA functions into a useful iPod that acts as organiser, game player and communications device with WiFi capabilities. There are three versions: 8GB, 32GB and 64GB (7,400, 10,900 and 14,800 baht, respectively).

The touch arrived in Apple's lineup after the iPhone and uses some of its design work and technology. The iPhone is available in Thailand from True or from the iStudio outlets, who will activate the phone. There are three options: the 3G (8GB) and the 3Gs (16GB and 32GB). From iStudio these are priced in line with True's tariffs and can be supplied with a True Sim card. The iStudio staff make the same recommendation as me: if another carrier is used, the buyer should go for an unlimited data plan. Many of the apps will access networks and, when there is no WiFi, this could be costly.

I must admit, I got in early for Christmas and acquired an iPhone 3Gs for a friend using True's 2-year plan. The 3Gs has a better (self-focus) camera, which also has a video feature. The faster processor speeds and increased memory also make this one of the best new year presents you could buy yourself.

(By Graham K. Rogers)
Source: click here

Today’s High-tech Gear Benefits a Generation on the Go

Societal trends point to a generation of professionals who are increasingly doing business away from traditional offices, and the tools they use — not just for work, but leisure time, too — reflect the need to stay connected with colleagues, clients, and friends when on the road. From lightweight notebook computers to cameras that upload quickly to the Internet; from GPS navigators to smartphones and MP3 players, there’s something for everyone — and, in many cases, at more affordable prices than ever.

Technology moves fast. Which is good, because today’s business professional is on the move, too.

So it’s not surprising that a look at this year’s top-rated high-tech offerings is also a crash course in how to work — and play — while on the go. From laptop computers to GPS systems; flash drives to iPods and e-readers, Americans are increasingly bringing their work and leisure activities with them wherever they go — and those devices are constantly improving in terms of power, storage capabilities, and (importantly) price.

Take, for example, the Toshiba Mini NB205, one of PC magazine’s most highly touted ‘netbook’ computers for 2009. At just $400, it weighs a little under three pounds — average by laptop standards, but still pretty lightweight — and boasts a roster of features including three USB ports, a webcam, fast 1.67GHz processor, 1GB of memory upgradable to 2GB, and battery life that ranks among the longest available.

Yes, its 10-inch screen is smaller than the 12-inch screen of some pricier notebooks, but it compensates with a full-size keyboard, large mouse buttons, and spacious touchpad. The NB205 also meets established standards of energy conservation and recyclability, another plus in todaqy’s ‘green’ business world.

For those with a slightly higher budget, but still in the affordable range, PC magazine gives high marks to the Acer Aspire 3935 ($900), which boasts a sleek, metallic cover, 1-inch-thick chassis, and 4.3-pound weight, all while supporting a 13.3-inch screen and good-sized, comfortable keyboard buttons. The system could be even thinner if not for one of its most desirable features, its built-in, dual-layer DVD burner. Its other features — the webcam, a 5-in-1 card reader, and a 250GB hard drive — are standard on ultraportables. With a 2GHz processor speed and decent batter life, the 3935 also meets standards of energy efficiency and recyclability.

On the go means more than carrying around notebooks, however; it also means actually driving between destinations, and professionals are increasingly relying on global positioning systems (GPS) to get them where they want to go.

According to cargpsreviews.net, the Garmin Nuvi 780 GPS navigator ($599) goes above and beyond what’s usually expected from a GPS, offering an easy-to-use interface, a Qwerty keyboard, and a wide array of features including spoken directions in real street names, integrated traffic receivers, an MP3 player and photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play voice prompts, MP3s, and audio books directly through the vehicle’s stereo system. In addition, its bright, 4.3-inch, widescreen display is readable even in harsh daylight from any angle, thanks to the integrated white backlight.

For less money, PC World gives high marks to the TomTom XL 340 ($299), whose 4.3-inch screen is larger than that of its predecessor, the TomTom ONE 140, and also features the company’s new IQ Routes technology, which is based on real-life user data rather than the traditional maximum speed method. It considers all possible routes and then selects the one that takes the least time, with the technology often trying to avoid main roads. The unit also boasts advanced lane guidance, by which an icon in the corner of the map screen highlights which lane the vehicle should be in, depending on the destination.

Point and Click

What better device to take on any journey — business or pleasure — than a camera? Digital cameras are being used increasingly for both work and play, as the rise of blogging, social media, and other Internet 2.0 applications has individuals and businesses uploading images online like never before. Fortunately, the top-rated models for 2009 come in a variety of price points, with a wide range of features, making it easy to find a camera to match one’s photographic needs.

PC World gives very high marks to the Nikon D3000 ($600), which is an evolution from its popular D40x, increasing its megapixel count from 6 to 10, and boasting a wider range of ISO settings, a larger LCD screen, an 11-point autofocus system, and a 3-frames-per-second burst mode. The redesigned menu makes it easy to maneuver through the menu options and to understand settings. The camera also features an array of scene modes and in-camera editing features, including scene recognition, Active D-Lighting, face detection, and a retouch menu.

For those on a budget, PC World recommends the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS point-and-shoot camera ($350), with a 12X optical-zoom lens. The camera represents a growing trend among point-and-shoot digital cameras: high-zoom models that are just a bit bigger than typical compact cameras but still stowable in a bag, purse, or large pocket. The body is still big enough to accommodate a 3-inch LCD screen on the back, and the display is sufficiently bright for composing shots in sunlight.

For many people, cameras are sheer leisure tools, and the same can be said for e-readers and MP3 players. In the former category, the Barnes & Noble Nook is making serious strides on the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader. The Nook ($259) competes with design and usability features such as e-book loaning, dual displays, and touchscreen navigation.

According to SlashGear, while the Nook is comparable in size and display to the Kindle, it employs a 3.5-inch color-capacitive touchscreen instead of the Kindle’s Qwerty keyboard, allowing for faster navigation. The reading experience is similar to other e-readers on the market; text is crisp and sharp-edged, with two to three font styles and different sizes supported, and since there’s no backlighting it’s an easier read than attempting to do the same with an LCD screen.

As far as MP3 players go, the iPod Touch, now on its third generation at 8GB ($199), 32GB ($299), or a whopping 64GB ($399), is still the product of choice, according to PC magazine. There’s no built-in video camera, as had been rumored, keeping the focus on music and portable gaming. With 480 x 320 resolution, the display is the best in the business, and Apple claims that the 32GB and 64GB versions are 50% faster than the previous generation.

Also, the higher-capacity Touch models support games and apps with better graphics. The existing Genius feature in iTunes lets users develop a playlist around a single song and suggest music they might like based on what they already listen to. Genius can also create custom playlists and organize music into ‘mixes’ based on genre. Apple rates the battery life for the iPod Touch at 30 hours for audio playback and 6 hours for video.

In Touch and Logged On

For staying in touch with work, friends, and family, smartphones continue to impress, adding new features each year. The Apple iPhone 3GS ($299) improves upon the original third-generation model by adding common cell-phone features like multimedia messaging, video recording, and voice dialing, according to a review on cnet.com. It also runs faster, its promised battery life is longer, and the multimedia quality continues to shine, although call quality and signal reception remain uneven.

Stuff magazine has some positive things to say about the BlackBerry Bold 9700 ($200), including praise for its compact design, user-friendly push E-mail service, tactile Qwerty keyboard, vivid display, and much-improved multimedia performance over previous models. The camera still has issues, the magazine notes — 3.2 megapixels is substandard by today’s smartphone standards — but it’s an improvement over the previous 2MP model and delivers average-quality photos for uploading to Facebook and Twitter directly from the camera interface.

Speaking of staying in touch, internet access is crucial on the road, and the Verizon Wireless USB760 allows anyone to stay connected, whether on a weekend getaway or on a business trip. The device provides high-speed Internet access on a laptop computer; just plug in and get online. The modem ($99.99) comes with a built-in, high-performance internal antenna to ensure the ability to log on whenever and wherever needed.

With business professionals zipping back and forth between homes, offices, and vehicles, flash drives have become an essential tool, carrying data and multi-media files in a small — sometimes very small — package. Take, for example, the Tuff-‘N’-Tiny family of portable USB drives ($30 to $40), toting 4GB or 8GB of data while measuring 1 inch long, a half-inch wide, and the thickness of a penny.

Eventually, however, most people find themselves working at a desk in an actual office — and perhaps eating quickly while working. Are you one of countless people who have spilled coffee or soda on a computer keyboard, or been frustrated at the difficulty of cleaning food crumbs from the cracks? Check out the Unotron Washable Keyboard and Mouse ($45.99), which are completely submergible and washable, which not only allows users to eat and drink safely at their desks, but also contribute to a reduction in germs and bacteria, a real plus with flu still a threat in homes and offices. If a spill occurs — or the equipment just gets a little dirty — just run it under the faucet, and it’s clean without incurring any water damage.

And considering how much time you’re spending there, get that car washed, too. You know how New England winters are.

(By Joseph Bednar)
Source: click here

All They Want

Kids gift guide
Some kids make holiday shopping easy, with detailed, indexed lists of gift ideas.

Others make it harder, leaving parents struggling to explain why, exactly, Santa Claus will not be leaving a pony under the Christmas tree this year.

We've pulled together a few suggestions for shoppers looking for ideas this holiday season — no stables required.

• iPod Touch
  

Cost: $199-$399

Available: Connecting Point on Franklin Avenue in Bend and Apple.com

Teens want iPhones (OK, not just teens. A lot of us want iPhones), but a rep for AT&T said their required service will be available in Central Oregon in the first half of 2010, too late for Christmas.

But there's plenty to like about the iPod Touch 3G. You might still have to carry a separate cell phone, but you'll have a lot of fun. These multimedia devices are loaded with features, including gaming, music, video and podcast functions (though no camera) plus what Cnet.com calls a “first-class mobile Web browser.”

Available in 8 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB models; several online reviews warn that the 8 GB model lacks the processing punch of the 32 GB and 64 GB models.

• Neon accessories

Cost: $3.50 to $5.50, some styles and colors are marked at 50 percent off

Available : Claire's in the Old Mill District and at the Bend Factory Stores

It's true: Nearly everything '80s is back in.

If your young teen or 'tween girl insists that all she wants is gift cards so she can shop for herself, listen to her. There's no point in trying to find her the right pair of skinny jeans. What you can do instead of just handing out an envelope is tuck the card in with some low-cost accessories like this neon jewelry.

Other accessory options: jelly bracelets, leg warmers, colorful fingerless gloves, metallic leggings and purses and punk-inspired belts.

• Hexbugs Micro Robotic Creatures

Cost: $9.99-$14.99

Available: Kids World in Bend, located next to Shopko at 100 N.E. Bend River Mall Ave.

After a two-week campaign including near-daily phone calls and a frantic sprint to Bend's Target, we were unable to get our hands on this year's “it” robotic pet, a toy hamster called a Zhu Zhu pet (we weren't desperate enough to pay jacked-up prices online).

What we did find were Hexbugs, and we think they may actually be cooler. Kids World carries both hand-size Crab Hexbugs and thumb-size Nanos. They include batteries and are programmed with buggy behavior like hiding out in dark areas until loud noises or lights chase them out. The Nano (which looks something akin to a Transformer crossbred with a cockroach) will even flip itself over like a bug. The see-through design of the Crab allows kids to see the circuitry of the robots, and an online component of Hexbug Nanos includes games and, according to the Hexbug Web site, education about “real science.”

• Bento System 2.0 by Laptop Lunches

Cost: $39.99

Available: Stone Soup in Bend

What could possibly make a home-packed lunch fun?

How about an insulated carrier with a kicky print plus compartments for cute portions of fruits, veggies, wee salads and even dip. Staff at Stone Soup said kids love the Bento Systems; it's just a bonus if they help parents get their kids to eat vegetables.

The kit also includes silverware, a drink bottle and a users guide with information on “making wholesome, earth-friendly lunches your kids will love.”

• ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society' series by Trenton Lee Stewart

Cost: $16.99 hardback, $6.99 paperback

Available: Camalli Book Co. in Bend

“Highly recommended” for boys or girls by Tina Davis, mother of two and owner of Camalli Book Co. “The Mysterious Benedict Society” books follow four children who use their special skills to solve mysteries. The books are for readers ages 9 through 12 or younger for family read-aloud books.

The latest book in the series, “The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner's Dilemma,” is available only in hardback, but the first two are now out in paperback.

(By Eleanor Pierce)
Source: click here

Learn more about iPod touch Technology

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Pioneering hardware technology built into iPod touch is how you’re able to flick, tap, and pinch. It’s what makes that racing game feel so real. It’s why you’re able to tweet what you just overheard in the cafe. And it’s the reason iPod touch is the most amazing iPod you’ll ever own.

Multi-Touch

The Multi-Touch display layers a protective shield over a capacitive panel that senses your touch using electrical fields. It then transmits that information to the LCD screen below it. So you can glide through albums with Cover Flow, flick through photos and enlarge them with a pinch, zoom in and out on a section of a web page, and control game elements precisely.

Accelerometer

The accelerometer inside iPod touch allows it to detect when you rotate iPod touch from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display. The accelerometer really shines when you play games, because it immerses you in the action. It’s perfect for racing games, where your entire iPod touch acts as a steering wheel, and for tap-and-tilt games such as Rolando, in which your movements control the action.

Wireless

iPod touch has built-in support for 802.11b/g wireless technology. That means you can get online anywhere there’s Wi-Fi. Send email from a coffee shop. Surf the web at the airport. Shop for games from your couch. Browse, buy, and download music and more from the iTunes Store. iPod touch locates nearby wireless hotspots, including protected networks. If you’ve never used a particular network, Wireless Icon it asks you to enter a password the first time, and it remembers the password from then on. So the next time you’re within range, it connects automatically.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a form of wireless technology that lets you use devices without the hassle of cables or wires. What does that mean for iPod touch? It means you can use iPod touch with Bluetooth headphones and listen to your music no matter where in the room your iPod touch is. So lounge on your bed, while your iPod touch charges on your desk. Bluetooth on iPod touch is also great for peer-to-peer gaming.

Design

iPod touch is as remarkable outside as it is inside. Holding one is all the proof you need. With its curved design, iPod touch is a mere 8.5 mm thin. Its optical glass front and polished stainless steel back feel sleek and smooth in your hand. Turn it on, and instantly you’re impressed by the brilliant 3.5-inch display. iPod touch is the perfect combination of stunning design and revolutionary technology — the total, beautiful package.

Source: click here

iPod touch Features Guide

You might need an iPod touch Features Guide. Click here

Here's a summary of what's inside:

• Contents
• Getting Started
• Basics
• Music and Video
• Photos
• iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
• Applications
• Settings
• Tips and Troubleshooting
• Learning More, Service and Support
• Index
  

Learn more about mail on iPod touch

Mail

Email on iPod touch looks and works just like email on your computer. And it works with the email accounts you already have.

View Messages and Attachments

iPod touch supports rich HTML email, so images and photos appear alongside text. And you see email attachments in their original formats, not stripped-down versions. Rotate, zoom, and pan in more than a dozen standard file and image formats, including PDF; Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and iWork.

Access All Your Accounts

Access your email from popular providers — including MobileMe, Google Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL — and most industry-standard IMAP and POP mail systems.

Compose Instantly

iPod touch recognizes email addresses in different applications. If you run across an email address on a web page or a map listing, for example, just tap it and iPod touch opens a new message and addresses it for you.

Type Smart

With its built-in dictionary,* the intelligent iPod touch keyboard predicts and corrects words as you type, making it fast and easy to write email. And when you rotate iPod touch on its side, the keyboard instantly switches from portrait to landscape for larger keys and more room to type.

Search Your Inbox

No need to scroll through message after message in your inbox looking for the right one. A quick downward flick brings up a search field that lets you find email by sender, recipient, subject, or all headers.

Source: click here

iPod Touch Paves Way for Pocket PCs

Take Apple’s iPod Touch, give it a little more innovative juice, and you get the next big thing in handhelds, blurring the line between consumer electronics and computers, writes Arik Hesseldahl in BusinessWeek. The Touch, now considered the “flagship” iPod, can already run the major media formats—music, movies, etc.—and access Wi-Fi. With a few changes, it could become a full-fledged computer in your pocket.

The Touch can already read documents, though a bigger screen would be nice, notes Hesseldahl. If the Touch’s screen were expanded to make it a reader, why stop there? Apple could add an existing feature allowing users to access documents on their home computers. And if you can grab them, you should be able to edit them. Add Bluetooth for peripherals, and you’ve got a wireless “micro-Mac.”

(by Matt Cantor)
Source: click here

Apple Positioning iPhone and iPod touch… as Pocket Computers

Apple is finally using the PC word (no not that one) when referring to the iPod touch. Turns out even they think it, and the iPhone, are great pocket computer.

We’ve discussed before how, depending on needs, some folks here (and everywhere) are leaving their laptops and netbooks at home some days and getting by just fine triaging emails, reading docs, searching the webs, and using whatever percentage of those 75,000 apps are useful on-the-go tools.

Apple, for all their talk of gaming, isn’t ignoring that segment either anymore. Right up on Apple.com, they’re promoting the pocket computing process of their mobile platform.

Of course, things won’t get really interesting until we get built-in Bluetooth keyboard support, right Apple?

(by Rene Ritchie)
Source: click here

Steve Jobs on Amazon and Ice Cream

Image via CrunchBase

Apple’s chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, discussed his health and Apple’s new product line in an interview Wednesday with David Pogue, the personal technology columnist for The New York Times. Context has been added to the original quotes posted here.

Wednesday in San Francisco, I attended Apple’s annual iPod Show, its holiday-season kickoff of new iPods and iTunes Store developments.

I’ll have a look at what’s new in a post on Pogue’s Posts on Thursday. But Wednesday, I had the chance to chat with Steve Jobs after the event.

I asked him, first of all, what the blogosphere’s been buzzing about: why Apple put a video camera into the tiny iPod Nano—and not the iPod Touch.

Mr. Jobs reiterated what Phil Schiller, the marketing vice president, had said earlier in the onstage presentation: that Apple is really pitching the iPod Touch as a game machine these days. And to do that, you have to make it as inexpensive as possible.

“Originally, we weren’t exactly sure how to market the Touch. Was it an iPhone without the phone? Was it a pocket computer? What happened was, what customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine,” he 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.”

I also asked him why the Nano can record video, but can’t snap still photos. That reason, he said, is technical: the sensors you need to record video are extremely thin these days—thin enough to fit into the wafer-thin Nano. But the ones with enough resolution for stills, especially with autofocus (like the sensor in the iPhone), are much too thick to cram into a player that’s only 0.2 inches thick.

A couple of years ago, pre-Kindle, Mr. Jobs expressed his doubts that e-readers were ready for prime time. So today, I asked if his opinions have changed.

“I’m sure there will always be dedicated devices, and they may have a few advantages in doing just one thing,” he said. “But I think the general-purpose devices will win the day. Because I think people just probably aren’t willing to pay for a dedicated device.”

He said that Apple doesn’t see e-books as a big market at this point, and pointed out that Amazon.com, for example, doesn’t ever say how many Kindles it sells. “Usually, if they sell a lot of something, you want to tell everybody.”

The products that Apple revealed today have been in the works for a while—since before Mr. Jobs’s health-related hiatus from running Apple. I wondered: since he was gone for several months, will we see a several-month gap in the new products coming out of Apple? “There are some things that I’m focusing a lot of attention on right now—to polish,” he said. “No, I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat. We have some really good stuff coming up.”

Finally, as I left, I asked him how he’s feeling these days—another question on everybody’s mind. “I probably need to gain about 30 pounds, but I feel really good. I’m eating like crazy. A lot of ice cream,” he said with a chuckle.

(By David Pogue)
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What makes iPod touch a great iPod?

See, hear, touch everything that entertains you on one really great iPod.

iPod touch lets you enjoy everything you love about an iPod, and then some. Watch your movies and TV shows on a brilliant 3.5-inch display. Use the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface to flick through your music in Cover Flow. And anytime you’re itching for more entertainment, just tap iTunes to browse and buy on the fly.

Features:

Music
Genius Mixes
Genius Playlists
Voice Control
Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
Movies + TV Shows
iTunes

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What makes iPod touch a great game player?

Get your game on with friends across the room or across the globe.

Games for iPod touch are made to take advantage of its built-in technologies such as the accelerometer, Multi-Touch, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The result is truly immersive gameplay — whether you’re playing alone or with others in multiplayer mode. And with an App Store that offers thousands of games ready to download and play, the fun of iPod touch never ends.

Learn more on games and apps: click here

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Apple unveils 64GB iPod touch with faster processor for $399

Image by Geopelia via Flickr

With a huge library of titles, Apple pushed the iPod touch and iPhone as the definitive mobile gaming platform Wednesday as it announced a new 64GB iPod touch priced at $399.

In addition, a 32GB offering will be available for $299, and an 8GB option for $199. Apple executive Phil Schiller noted that the $199 is a "magic price point," so the 8GB option with lower component costs was used to hit that pricing sweet spot.

"At just $199 the iPod touch is the most affordable gateway to Apple's revolutionary App Store with more than 75,000 applications that you can wirelessly download right into your iPod touch," said Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "You get a great iPod, a great pocket computer with the industry's best mobile web browser and a great game player, all in this super-thin beautiful enclosure."

The 32GB and 64GB models will have the ability to run Open GL ES 2.0, and have up to 50 percent faster performance. Reusing last year's tagline, the iPod touch is dubbed "The funnest iPod ever."

Apple highlighted a number of high-profile upcoming releases, including Aassassin's Creed 2 (a sidescroller from Ubisoft), Riddim Ribbon (a rhythm game from Tapulous), Nova (a first-person shooter from Gameloft), and one of gaming's largest franchises: Madden NFL 2010 from Electronic Arts.

In its presentation, Apple boasted that the iPhone OS has 21,178 game and entertainment titles available, while the Nintendo DS offers 3,680 and the Sony PSP only 607. In addition, Schiller noted that titles on competing platforms cost between $25 and $40, compared with many budget-priced titles available on the iPod touch and iPhone.

Schiller noted that the iPhone OS is the only mobile gaming platform to offer a multi-touch interface, the ease of purchase via the App Store, and the inclusion of iPod multimedia functionality.

The presentation also pushed the iPod touch as a "pocket computer." Touting the device's ability to surf the Web, check e-mail, manage calendars, organize contacts, and access popular Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, Apple also unveiled iPhone OS 3.1 for the device, bringing App Store recommendations.

The lack of a camera on the new iPod touch is surprising, as third-party cases for months have shown a camera hole on the device. But as reported by AppleInsider days ago, it is believed that hardware issues with the camera caused the capability to be scrapped.

(By AppleInsider Staff)
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