iHome just rolled out their iPod alarm clock. The iP88 has three independent alarms to wake up to the iPhone, iPod, playlist, AM/FM radio or buzzer.
The iHome contains a sync button that provides syncing to users the unit with iPhone time. The audio system presents bass, treble, 3D sound and balance controls along with eight AM/FM presets. The size of the device are 9.05” x 4.25” x 3.54”. The iP88 is inclusive of a DST switch for quick daylight-savings time adjustment. It is equipped with backlit buttons and line in jack to play MP3/CDs. The iHome device packages high-fidelity stereo drivers in Reson8 speaker chambers that offer amazing clarity, depth, and power. Apart from the docking station, the package comes with remote control, and AC power adapter. It’s price is about $150.00.
Steve Jobs introduced the new fifth generation Apple iPod nano at their event today. The new 5G nano now has a VGA video camera shooting 640 by 480 pixels, at 30 frames per second. No still picture taking though.
FM radio also (…funny, we always thought Steve disliked radios in iPods …), with pause and rewind. There’s also a built-in pedometer with Nike+ integration. Same general form factor as before, but with an improved 2.2 inch 240×276 display at 204 pixels per inch. The nano has become somewhat PMP-like. 16GB for $179.
During the presentation, Steve showed the following video called Threesie on Threesie, taken with the new nano 5G. While there do seem to be color issues and some compression artifacts in the video, the overall quality is not bad, considering the target market…it helps to shoot on a bright sunny day with its 100,000 ambient lumens:
iLounge reviews the new fourth-generation Apple iPod nano, and gives it a score of A-.
The reviewer liked the sound quality, calling it the best ever for a nano, attributing it to a change in the audio chip. On the downside, the battery life is down at least when playing games. For those interested in a teardown of the 4G, see iFixit.
Here’s how the iPod nano has evolved since it was first introduced in September 2005…
Sirius XM Radio’s new receiver called XMP3 is made by Pioneer, and will be available soon. Receives XMs 170 channels and can record 100 hours. Can record 5 channels simultaneously. Also plays MP3 and WMA songs from SD cards.
Not bad, but you might want to wait for the fabled unified receiver (gets programming from both Sirius + XM). Also, shares in Sirius, the merged entity closed today at an all-time low of 85 cents, so you might wait to see whether or not they emulate the superannuated Lehman Brothers. The company’s got some Sirius debt issues … there’s a pun there somewhere.
The second generation of the iPod touch was introduced today at Apple’s Let’s Rock event.
The new iPod touch 2G is lighter (by 4%) but a bit thicker (by 6%) than before, & now comes with integrated volume control buttons, a new internal speaker (low-res for casual listening) and a built-in receiver for Nike+. Estimated battery life is 36/6 hours for audio/video, up from 22/5 hours for the first-gen touch.
Also, EA has deigned to create a few games for the touch/iPhone including Spore Origins and Need for Speed/Undercover. While the graphics on the 2 games looked nice, gameplay via tilting the device seemed a bit dicey, altho Steve said the touch is the “best portable device for playing games”.
And in the there’s-always-room-for-improvement department, Popular Mechanics has agreed to share their Top 5 iPod Features Apple Won’t Unveil (Even Though It Could) wish list of features they would like to see included in the iPod touch, such as: Wi-Fi VoIP, Bluetooth, Camera and FM Radio. Their conclusion: it’s not going to happen.
Reaction to the event/launch/products was somewhat muted, see here and here, and curiously, there was neither reaction nor review from Walt Mossberg, who is usually provided access to pre-release products weeks in advance.
[Metrics are 4.3x2.4x0.33in and 4.05oz -or- 110x61.8x8.5mm and 115gr] 32GB capacity = $399
The big event today was the Apple Special Event, September 2008, aka “Let’s Rock”, occasioned at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. At ASE, Steve Jobs unveiled some new and improved products, including the fourth-generation of the iPod nano.
The new iPod nano features a curved aluminum design, curved glass over the display, thin (at 3.6×1.5×0.24 in, or 90.7×38.7×6.2mm + 1.3oz or 36.8gr), a music recommendation system called Genius and an accelerometer.
Microsoft adds 2 new models to their Zune family of MP3 players. The new Zune 120 GB player sells for $249.99, and the 16 GB model for $199.00.
Also MSFT has tweaked the device’s software to allow users to download songs from wireless hot spots, buy music heard on FM radio stations, as well as a music recommendation service, with a few new games thrown in.
Samsung has started selling their YP-S2 washed-river-pebble-esque MP3 player. $58 gets you 2GB. Light-weight at 13.6 grams. Feature comparison to iPod Shuffle, iriver Mplayer and the Zen Stone at this link. Samsung Electronics’ design stone that ‘MP3 player market – News release, 2008 6 4
PC World ranks the top 10 flash based MP3 players:
1. Creative ZEN (score: 83)
2. Creative Zen V Plus (80)
3. Apple iPod Nano (79)
4. Apple iPod Touch (79)
5. iRiver Clix Gen 2 (78)
6. SanDisk Sansa Connect (77)
7. Samsung YP-P2 (75)
8. Microsoft Zune 8GB Red (75)
9. SanDisk Sansa View (75)
10. SanDisk Sansa e280 (74)
The PCW evaluation consisted of 4 components: Pricing, Performance, Features and Design. While the Creative Zen lost out to the Apple Touch in the Design category, it handily beat out the 2 Apples in the significant Features category.
…the above is quite a different list from that out of CNet … guess the quest for the best goes on.
News site CNMO.com has posted some photos of what they say is an updated second-generation M8 User Interface showing better EQ, song lyrics, album art and audio player controls. Others such as posters at fansite MeizuMe claim CNMO Spreads False Rumors Again, and assert the pics are old fakes.
…who knows, but we’re leaning towards faux because lyrics are difficult to do.
The specs for the real M8 phone continue to be GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900MHz, 802.11b/g, 3.4-inch 720×480 touch screen, Bluetooth 2.0, 3 megapixel auto-focus camera, 107×59x11.9 mm and 8GB/16GB. The main features are touted as: Phone, Music, Video, Camera, Internet Browser, TV Out, Auto Adjustment of Backlight Brightness and Display Direction.
