Maybe I was not really feeling it anymore or maybe I was just expecting too much but the event really didn’t excite me as much as previous Apple events. However it wasn’t bad. It was ok, just not kickass.

Steve talked about several things during the event. First was iTunes 8. The next major version of iTunes. It’s available for download here. What new things does iTunes offer? Here are some of them, Genius playlists, availability of HD content and a new visualizer are just some of the new things that iTunes 8 brings. Browsing has also been significantly altered. Offering an experience similar to iPhoto, complete with scrubbing. You can view album art to access your music.

Updated iPod Nano’s were also introduced. Apple said that it’s the thinnest iPod ever built. It is damn thin. I definitely like this shape better than the fat nano. The inclusion of the accelerometer makes it easier to watch videos while retaining this form factor. The addition of the ability to create genius playlists is also great. A great thing is also the fact that Apple has made Nano’s more environmentally friendly. Seeing that Apple sells a ton of iPods, it’s just right that they do whatever they can to save the environment.

In my opinion the star of the event was the iPod Touch or in Apple’s words, “the funnest iPod ever”. I love the new form factor. The iPod Touch is what the iPhone 3G should have looked like. I know that there’s a reason for the plastic back of the iPhone 3G but I really wish the iPhone 3G looked more like the iPod Touch.

The 2G Touch features a built-in speaker, physical volume controls and the Nike+ receiver plus all the other great stuff the previous iPod Touch had.

The iPod Classic got a mention as well. Apple ditched the “fatter” version and it keeping the Classic in one size. The iPod Shuffle will also get a color refresh to follow the iPod Nano’s new color scheme.

All in all it was an ok event. Even their musician was just ok. I like Jack Johnson, don’t get me wrong but he didn’t blow me out of my seat. He’s like the dependable car that you own. Good, reliable but not terribly exciting.

So “Let’s Rock” was rockin’ but only a little bit.

Check out the links below.

Apple Let’s Rock Keynote
Download iTunes 8
Apple Introduces the new iPod Nano
Apple Introduces the new iPod Touch
Apple Announces iTunes 8

Post from: EveryJoe

Let’s Rock.. Sorta

Latest rumors:

- Revamp of entire iPod line.
- Small cosmetic changes to Touch, Nano to see significant redesign (see pic below).
- iPods to see fairly large price drops to distance itself from the $199 iPhone.
- iPod touch 2.1 software, iPhone to get update very soon after.
- iTunes 8.0 (”it’s a big update w/new features”).
- All of this coming in the next 2-3 weeks.

I’m not so convinced this is entirely true. Kevin got the iPhone rumors wrong, at least some of it.

I don’t see the iPod prices going down too much. The $199 iPhone only looks cheap but it’s not. When you factor in the lock-in period then the costs start to pile up. As opposed to the “what you see is what you get” price of iPods. There’s no hidden costs.

I think the iPods are priced ok, they might see a price drop but not by much. At least nothing drastic.

As for the other things, it’s bound to happen. iTunes 8 will come and new iPod software also.

Check out Kevin’s post here. The video is also below.

Post from: EveryJoe

New iPods Soon?

If money is no object, you love music and you have an iPod then the B&W Zeppelin is the speakers for you. It looks good, sounds good and costs a bundle.

This $600 (Amazon price) iPod speaker system, while pricey delivers sound that very few iPod docks can match.

B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) have been renowned speaker makers for leading audio production houses/studios all over the world. Some of it’s notable long time clients include Abbey Road Studios. They carried over their expertise in producing studio quality sound into speakers for use with the iPod at home.

The Zeppelin delivers HiFi quality sound in a relatively small package. It’s not that compact but it’s small enough that you won’t have trouble carrying it around.

The design will fit well in any modern home. While it does remind me of a football (American Football), there’s something about it that’s elegant. It’s almost a conversation piece by itself. Even when it’s not emitting sound. The arm that holds the iPod is design in such a way that it still gives you access to the iPod as if you were still holding it in your hand.

If I had a ton of money to spare, I wouldn’t think twice of getting this for our place. It’s a great speaker system for your iPod.

[image courtesy of B&W web site]

Post from: EveryJoe

iPod Speakers For People With Loads of Money

If you were to buy an iPod there are things you need to ask yourself. First is, what do I want to do with my iPod or how will I use it? How much storage to I really need? Which iPod will fit my budget?

Anyone asking me for advice as to what iPod to get, I always answer back, what do you want the iPod for? Will it be primarily for listening to music? Watching videos? Or some other things.

Get the iPod Touch if you’re into listening to music, watching videos. I don’t agree with Lia when she said that the iPod Touch is a wannabe iPhone. It has similar features but it’s really for people who want the features of the iPhone sans the phone. Why? because they like separating their communication device and their entertainment device. You don’t want to find yourself suddenly out of juice when you need to make that important call. Also, the iPod Touch is for the rest of the people in the world where the iPhone is not available yet. Sure, there’s unlocking for the iPhone but there are still people (me included) that would rather wait till the iPhone is officially supported in our country before getting one.

So the iPod Touch does really serve a need. Buy it if you watch a lot of videos. The screen is amazing and it’s perfectly suited for watching movies, tv shows, video podcasts on the go.

The iPod Touch also has Wifi so you can browse, email and chat wherever there’s a connection. The software platform is similar to the iPhone so it’s really extensible, you can add apps to it and add to its features.

The downside is that it’s limited to 32GB at the moment. Not bad really, the original iPod started with 5GB and it was fine back then. The 32GB should be fine just as long as you don’t carry your entire library with you. But really, why would you need the entire library anyway? It’s like bringing all the books in your library when all you’ll really read today is a single novel.

The iPod Classic is for people who looooveee music. They have to carry all their music with them at all times simply because they want to be able to play whatever, whenever. With this much space you can listen to music for days, weeks even without repeating. It can also play videos but really, it’s not at par with the iPod Touch.

It can be used as an external hard drive but I really wouldn’t make it my primary external drive. You bring it around with you all the time and it would be a shame to lose all your data if your iPod gets stolen. Not to mention a security risk. So use it for transporting files to and from but not really as a primary external drive. Plus the iPod hard drives aren’t as durable as laptop or desktop based external hard drives.

The iPod Nano is for people who love sports and who want to exercise to the beat of their favorite tunes. It’s flashed based so the jarring won’t affect it’s memory. It’s small and light. It’s really perfect for the active person. It can play videos but really forget it lest you want to develop eye problems.

It has enough storage so you can store a lot of music or podcasts and it should be fine for most people really.

The iPod Shuffle on the other hand is really meant for people who don’t really listen to a lot of music, don’t need video, don’t need photos. All they really want is a music player. That’s it. Plain and simple. It’s also cheap, sturdy and stylish. You won’t cry if you lose it. The downside sometimes it takes a bit of guesswork to find the right song you want.

This is also perfect for people who just want to try portable music players before taking the plunge to bigger and better things.

Each iPod really has its market. There’s no one iPod for all. That’s why they made the entire line. It’s really up to you to assess your needs and choose the right one that fits you.

As for me? Well I think I’m an iPod Touch user. I just lost my old 5th Gen iPod and so, I’m in the market for a new one. That’s if I can get through all my other expenses first.

Post from: EveryJoe

If You Were To Buy An iPod Then Buy The…

Apple has posted the iPod 5Rs troubleshooting page. If you’re having trouble with your iPods, don’t panic just yet try the 5Rs. Reset, Retry, Restart, Reinstall and Restore.

Follow the simple steps outlined in the section and stop when the problem is fixed. Apple has 5Rs for the recent generations of the iPods starting with the 4th gen. Simply choose the model of your iPod and follow the steps.

View the 5Rs here.

Post from: EveryJoe

iPod’s 5Rs of Troubleshooting

GelaSkins are thin protective covers for your Mac laptops, iPods, iPhones, etc. I’ve heard about them before but saw them again on Dave Cross’ blog.

I’ve been wary of actually using protective cases for my MacBook Pro, except for sleeves and bags but to put something that will be more or less on it for the duration of it’s life is something that I wasn’t sure I’d like to do. The main reason being that it actually destroys the aesthetics of the MacBook Pro. I like the design very much and as much as possible to not want to add to it.

However GelaSkins caught my eye. It’s not as obtrusive as other cases and has the element of art. So if you want your Mac to stand out this is a good way of doing so. One of the problems I see with this is that it will protect against scratches but nothing more drastic than that. Then again, that’s where the sleeve and padded bag come in.

I love the designs of GelaSkins, they’re very artsy. It’s a good way of being unique. If you’re tired with it, you can simply peel it off and they say it won’t leave any residue.

Check out GelaSkins on their web site. They also have a blog here.

Post from: EveryJoe

GelaSkins: Protect Your Macs With Art

I wrote a blog entry asking if the iPod has affected your hearing and in my case I think it has to a certain extent. By coincidence I was reading the article of David Pogue and he mentioned iHearSafe. This is a set of earphones that will automatically regulate the volume of the music you’re listening to. No matter how high you crank up the volume.

iHearSafe can be used on any audio device. This device is especially beneficial to kids. Since they still have relatively healthy hearing, they will benefit the most from this.

At $20 a pop, this is a good investment. I’m pretty sure it won’t give you studio quality audio but for regular use I think these will sound ok. Besides, what good is a great studio quality earphones if you can’t hear right?

Check iHearSafe out here.

Post from: EveryJoe

Prevent Hearing Loss With iHearSafe

The article is saying that Apple has a patent on technology that will automatically lower the volume depending on how long you’ve been listening to loud music. It will then allow you to put the volume back up after a short rest.

That seems to be a cool solution to a very real problem. Like what was written, just because you can crank up the volume doesn’t mean you should right?

Has listening to too much music on your iPod affected your hearing? Do you like the proposed solution that Apple reportedly has for it? Or is it too intrusive? Let me know what you think..

Post from: EveryJoe

Has Listening To Too Much Music From Your iPod Affected Your Hearing?

My friend showed me this product. He’s actually selling this locally. His shipment just got in a few days ago. The Denon ASD-3w seems to be a great concept and product except for the hefty price tag.

What does the ASD-3W do? Well the ASD-3W is an iPod dock as well as a gadget that will allow you to pull music from your computer (Mac or PC) and output it through your home audio system.

If you got a great home theater/audio system in place and you want to play music from your iPod or computer but don’t want all the hassle, the ASD-3W is perfect for you.

The ASD-3W accepts most docking iPods. Some models might need the universal dock adapter. When the iPod is docked, you can use the included remote to control your music. Hooking it up to your TV will also show a graphical user interface to help navigate through the functions.

The ASD-3W can access your music library and allow it to stream to your home audio system. This makes it a great product because you don’t need to shift music around just to be able to play it on your premium sound system.

The Denon costs $229.99. A bit pricey but then again Denon is a premium audio company. I was hoping to test this myself but… a few days ago, I lost my iPod. That sucks!

For more info check the product page here.

Post from: EveryJoe

Denon ASD-3W: Free The Music

Tis’ the season to be generous… For those people generous enough and are looking for gifts for their favorite iPod loving loved one, the Griffin Evolve is a perfect stocking stuffer.

I’m a wireless lover. I love wireless gadgets. I wish all gadgets are wireless. That’s how much I love it. So when I saw the Evolve wireless speakers I knew I’d like it too. I’m not so much of an audiophile in the sense that my ears aren’t that discerning. However I know that a lot of wireless speakers aren’t up to par. However from what I’ve read it seems that the Evolve works well enough that someone like me won’t be able to distinguish the quality of this from a decent pair of wired speakers.

The Evolve’s system is composed of two wireless cube speakers and a charging dock. Each cube speaker can be placed up to a maximum of 150 feet, depending on walls and barriers of course. Lithium-ion batteries inside of the cube speakers allow for up to 10 hours of playback in between charging. When the juice runs out just place the speakers on the dock and it charges. No cables to attach. The dock will also tell the speaker if it’s the left or right when you place it on the dock. No need to remember which goes where. Nifty!

The Evolve is made for the iPod and is compatible with most docking iPods. It can also accommodate most other music sources.

This is one set of speakers I would have gotten myself this Christmas. There’s only one problem… I lost my iPod.

But for those of you who have iPods or have loved ones that do, this is a great set of speakers. Check out the specs on Evolve’s web site.

Post from: EveryJoe

Evolve The Perfect Wireless Stocking Stuffer