Apple's announcement today was, as usual, pretty amazing. The big news was the changes in the iPod nano design. Here's the highlights of the new 5th gen:
- video camera with live special effects
- FM Radio with pause, fast forward & rewind
- voice/audio recorder
- pedometer & fitness app
- talking menu & player navigation
- shiny, anodized aluminum finish
There's other stuff too, but these are the big ones.
The live image processing effects for the video camera are amazing: color replacement, mirror, cyborg...100% fun. I am a bit mystified that there's no still photo option but, since we now have cameras in every gadget but our shoes, I guess VGA snaps on the iPod won't be sorely missed.
FM radio is obviously a welcome feature but the time-shift options (a la Radio Shark) make it super slick. Some recording would be nice though (and it's obviously possible since recording facilitates the pause, fast forward and rewind functionality).
Recording audio through the built-in mic is a long awaited and much appreciated feature as well. Judging by the audio quality in the sample video recordings, posted on Apple's website, this should prove to be very handy, even if it is mono.
The Fitness pedometer is a great for folks who don't want to buy Nike's special electronic shoes, providing the missing link between Wii Fit and the rest of your workout, outside in the real world. Tracking your steps is fun for hiking trips and walking tours, on vacation too.
The talking menus, handy for most people, since you can navigate songs while driving or walking without looking down at the screen, must be a godsend for those who don't have the ability to see or see well enough to read text on the tiny nano screen.
Other announcements include special features for iTunes movies and liner notes for Albums (like the lyrics and photos on records album covers). Also, the price of the iPod touch has dropped to $199, but who wants one of those without a video camera, pedometer or FM radio? Smart buyers will obviously wait to get a touch, when upgrades are announced (or get a new nano now). iTouch and iPhone users alike will welcome the app organization tools, while Home Sharing will make it easy to transfer content between computers and devices.
Labels: 5G, Apple, ipod, iPod nano, iPod Touch, iTunes
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