The Price: $450 as tested ($350 60GB model with optional $100 DVR station add-on).

The Verdict: The Archos 5—actually the company's sixth-generation handheld—is nice, but it's not the iPod touch killer I was hoping for after the initial demo.

On one hand, the touchscreen interface is a fantastic upgrade over their last gen. The UI is more modern looking and the touch controls are responsive and more intuitive than their button counterparts. The 4.8-inch screen—a slight upgrade over the previous model's 4.3-incher—is a great size for watching videos without straining your eyes. (The iPhone and slimmer iPod touch have 3.5-inch screens.)

But despite its better look, the menu system is a pain to navigate. Certain options are lumped in categories where they don't fit, and there's an entire menu devoted to selling accessories and software function add-ons. Archos is known to sell barebones players that you have to amp up with software and hardware add-ons. But this one already has a web browser and a capable media player, so it's pretty annoying when the unit begs you to buy it upgrades. Worst of all, there's no way to turn the ads off.

Web browsing is as much of a pain. It only runs in landscape, and code-heavy sites such as Giz and ESPN never seem to fully load. The e-mail program is not clean or simple enough to be useful as a true on-the-go replacement.

While the DVR station streamed video from Archos to TV over HDMI—and did it in good detail—it uses an S-Video input to record shows onto the unit, so they look garbled, with the wrong aspect ratio and out-of-sync sound. The TV guide itself is serviceable, though slow and unattractive when compared to a TiVo or a standard cable box guide.

The Archos 5 is an improvement and brings Apple-like features to an otherwise standard PMP. However, beyond size and capacity, there is a distinct difference between the Archos 5 and the iPod touch. When it comes to quickly hitting the web, checking e-mail or listening to music, the iPod touch is smooth, and looks good, begging to be held. The Archos is far more clunky in its execution. Despite being the hands-down winner when it comes to watching video, it simply isn't as touchable. [Archos]

Sad news, US. we looked into it- by the time we could bring Touch HD to the States, it would be old news. We do have other cool stuff coming.

The G1 is admittedly more exciting, but this thing is set to be one of the best Windows Mobile phones available. Import options will be available sans 3G support, which nobody will want anyway. [Twitter via WMExperts]

The folks at Area Mobile, in proclaiming said iPhone-killer status, were most impressed with the browsing experience, noting that the HD's spacious 800 pixels of landscape resolution allows for surfing without zooming in and out on a lot of sites. They also note that the TouchFlo 3D is as snappy as ever, and does a fantastic job of hiding Windows Mobile's inherent nastiness. Check out more in the video below, should you sprechen sie Deutsche:

[Area Mobile via wmpoweruser]

The Bluetooth presenter is apparently the first Mac-specific one you can buy, and is compatible with both Keynote and PowerPoint. It's also got a laser pointer, mouse-control mode and two programmable buttons in addition to its slide control/volume control buttons. It's out now for $80, and is pictured next to the two wireless mice below.

ANAHEIM, Calif., – September 30, 2008 - Targus Inc., maker of the world’s top-selling laptop computer cases and accessories, announced today it is launching its first line of notebook accessories specifically designed for Mac notebook users. The new family of products is designed from the ground up to deliver a complete suite of Mac-exclusive solutions and includes a Wireless Mouse, Bluetooth® Laser Mouse, Bluetooth Presenter, USB Hub, Chill Mat™, File Share Cable and Privacy Screen. Each product is developed with materials, ergonomic attributes, technology innovations, functionality and aesthetics designed specifically to meet Mac users’ wants and needs. Drawing on the popularity of the iPod® Touch, the mice and presenter feature the most current touch scroll technology, delivering unprecedented ease of navigation.

With its first line of Mac accessories, Targus offers Mac enthusiasts cutting-edge products with feature-rich functionality and Mac-focused designs. The new line complements the Apple® style with clean, sleek and trendy form factors that exude simplicity and sophistication. In addition, continuing with Targus’ Eco-Smart™ campaign, all the packaging includes eco-friendly materials featuring up to 70% post-consumer paper materials and highly recyclable PET.

“The new Targus for Mac line was created with Mac user input throughout the design and development process, and while it has a distinct Mac aesthetic in terms of look and feel, it offers much more than that,” said Bob Shortt, sr. vice president of sales and marketing at Targus. “We designed the functionality required to deliver what Mac users want in their products, like the intuitive interface on the presenter, the smooth-moving touch scroll and the dual programmable buttons that let users personalize their experience.”

Wireless Mouse for Mac (Model # AMW43US) and Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac (Model # AMB08US)
Both new mice are equipped with the latest in touch technology, our 4-way touch scroll provides smooth, rapid scrolling, move up/down and left/right with just the tip of a finger. Additionally, the mice allow Mac users to personalize their mouse functions with two programmable buttons that instantly give users access to the functions or applications they use most. The ergonomic size and shape of the mice create a comfortable and supportive experience that cradles the hand during use. Equipped with a Power Indicator Light, both mice inform users of low battery power.

The Wireless Mouse for Mac features a RF 2.4 GHz Micro USB receiver, which plugs into a USB port, allowing unencumbered free range of motion; the micro receiver stows conveniently into the Wireless Mouse for travel or storage. 1200 dpi optical sensor technology ensures accurate movement on the screen. The Wireless Mouse for Mac measures 4.64” x 2.51” x 1.45”, weighs 4.7 oz and has an MSRP of $49.99.

With top-of-the-line Bluetooth technology, the Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac offers the ultimate ease in wireless connectivity and eliminates the need for a receiver, preserving a USB port for other devices. Whether used with or without a mouse pad, the Bluetooth Laser Mouse delivers precise cursor movements with quality 1200 dpi laser technology. The Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac measures 4.64” x 2.51” x 1.45”, weighs 4.4 oz and has an MSRP of $69.99.

Bluetooth Presenter for Mac (Model # AMP11US)
The first Mac-specific presenter on the market, Targus’ innovative Bluetooth Presenter for Mac includes numerous features designed to improve the presentation experience. The intuitive button configuration provides ease of use and prevents accidental button presses, with primary presentation controls such as previous slide, next slide and laser pointer easily identifiable from tactile cues; secondary functions like blank screen and slide show are recessed and out of the way. Versatile functionality switches easily from Presentation Mode to Cursor Mode, for use like a mouse, with touch scroll technology delivering smooth, effortless navigation through lengthy spreadsheets, PDF documents and other projected applications.

Compatible with both Keynote® and PowerPoint®, the Bluetooth presenter for Mac includes remote control for adjustment of volume and other functions plus two programmable buttons that give users quick access to applications or functions of their choice. Additionally, the Bluetooth Presenter for Mac includes a laser pointer, allowing users to call attention to important information within their presentation. Bluetooth technology delivers wireless control of presentations from a distance of up to 33 feet and the Presenter’s comfort-conscious design reduces strain due to the ergonomic placement of its buttons. The Bluetooth Presenter for Mac measures 5.1” x 1.65” x .98”, weighs 3.7 oz and has an MSRP of $79.99.

[Targus]

And it actually looks good below all that shattered glass. It will probably cut your fingertips though, which is good for your criminal record but bad for your iPod touch's blood tolerance. [iPod touch Fans—Thanks DoctorOctagon]

Don't get too excited about VZWMap redesign—it's likely not talking about revamping their craptastic VZ Navigator, but their coverage maps. Anyways, our tipster also points out that Get It Now phones will be able to back up ringtones and games OTA to the Verizon Vault, so you can carry them from phone to phone and not have to re-purchase. Way to be not be a dick, Verizon. [Thanks tipster!]

The Touch HD has a 3.8-inch, 480x800 screen, plus other fancy pantsy specs like a 5-megapixel camera, 288MB RAM and a Quallcomm MSM7201a 528MHz processor. All this hardware comes together to bring a REALLY smooth feel to TouchFLO that's faster than the Touch Diamond, Touch Pro and even the Touch 3G. No glitches or holdups when scrolling horizontally through the menus here; it's the best TouchFLO interface we've seen yet. Typing with the onscreen keyboard wasn't as good as the iPhone's, but was doable with your fingertips because of the huge screen.

That 3.8-inch screen is gorgeous, and should be pretty amazing to watch movies on (we didn't have the chance to). It's also not too heavy and not too wide in terms of weight and size, but will most likely be pretty heavy on the price side. The HD will be a pretty good competitor to full screen touchscreen phones like the Instinct and Sony Ericsson Experia.

HTC's Touch 3G, on the other hand, doesn't look to revolutionize the lineup like the Touch HD, but works at improving the original Touch in every way. The form factor is almost exactly the same, but feels taller and thinner. The TouchFLO present on this device is also fairly fast—though not as fast as on the HD—and works well. If you enjoyed the original last year and just want a 3G upgrade, this is the phone for you.

The Touch Viva, which is for developing markets, is also pretty cool. The guts are exactly the same as on the Touch last year, but they've changed stuff like the screen (no longer hard glass, but the standard plastic film you see on other HTC phones) in order to make the price more affordable. It runs a 2D version of TouchFLO that's super fast, but keeps all the functionality intact. You most likely won't be buying or seeing this unless you live in a developing market, but it is a pretty neat smartphone that hasn't been gimped for the lower end. [HTC]

So it turns out it is a pretty decent upgrade/remake of the original Touch: it's mentioned in the following official HTC press release, which also mentions the HTC Viva. That's a new name, but you should recognize it: actually the HTC Opal we mentioned before, and it's targeted at developing markets.

Taoyuan, Taiwan — September 16th, 2008 — HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today introduced the HTC Touch 3G and HTC Touch Viva.
Continuing HTC’s touch-phone tradition, the Touch 3G and Touch Viva utilize TouchFLO, HTC’s finger-touch optimized navigation experience enabling quick, one-touch access to the people, messages and information people want.

“The HTC Touch 3G and Touch Viva embody our commitment to build a family of touch phones that are powerful and stylish but also offer something to everyone,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corporation. “Whether you’re a professional or a student you can now get an HTC touch phone with a beautiful touch user experience.”

HTC Touch 3G
The Touch 3G offers an uncompromising touch phone experience with powerful Internet capabilities including wireless download speeds up to 18 times faster than standard 3G. As part of this browsing experience users can zoom and pan Websites with one-hand. This true mobile broadband experience allows users to navigate more easily, leveraging the mobile Internet in a variety of ways. With the Touch 3G, customers can search for and watch streaming video from YouTube, get directions and mapping using Google Maps for mobile and stay updated on the latest news with the integrated RSS reader.

HTC Touch Viva
The Touch Viva blends an affordable touch phone with the benefits of HTC’s TouchFLO, an easy to use phone and an optimized mobile Internet experience. In addition, with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, users can easily synchronize their calendar, contacts, emails and more with their personal computer.

Availability
Both devices will be available in early October 2008 in a variety of markets. The Touch 3G will be available in four colors: sophisticated black, noble gold, sparkle blue and modern brown while the HTC Touch Viva will be available in Storm Gray.

Product Specifications
HTC Touch 3G
• Size: 102 x 53.6 x 14.5 mm
• Weight: 96g
• Connectivity: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz & WCDMA / HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Software/Operating system: HTC TouchFLO with Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8 inch QVGA screen
• Camera: 3.2 megapixel
• Internal memory: 256 MB flash; 192 MB RAM
• Memory card: microSD™
• Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB™ (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1100 mAh
• Talk time: WCDMA: Up to 360 minutes*** / GSM: Up to 400 minutes***
• Standby time: WCDMA: Up to 450 hours*** / GSM: Up to 365 hours***
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7225™ 528 MHz
HTC Touch Viva
• Size: 104.5 x 59 x 15.75 mm
• Weight: 110g
• Connectivity: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Software/Operating system: HTC TouchFLO with Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8 inch QVGA screen
• Camera: 2 megapixel
• Internal memory: 256 MB flash; 128 MB RAM
• Memory card: microSD™
• WLAN: 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB™ (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1100 mAh
• Talk time: GSM: Up to 480 minutes***
• Standby time: GSM: Up to 270 hours***
• Chipset: TI OMAP 850, 201 MHz

[HTC via Engadget

Taoyuan, Taiwan — September 16th, 2008 — HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today unveiled its latest handset, the HTC Touch HD, an entertainment focused mobile handset that will transform how people experience multimedia on the move. Integrating a large 3.8 inch wide-screen VGA display (WVGA), a standard 3.5mm audio jack and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, the HTC Touch HD is the perfect device for multimedia fans.

Shifting the boundaries of design and innovation
The HTC Touch HD combines high performance capabilities with a stylish, sleek design that has made HTC a global leader in mobile phone design and innovation. Its large 3.8 inch WVGA touchscreen offers users stunning clarity and vibrant colours, providing an unrivalled experience when watching movies, browsing the Internet or even scanning through photos taken with the 5 megapixel auto focus camera.
The stylish new device also features HTC’s beautiful TouchFLO™ 3D user interface to provide quick and intuitive access to the people, messages and content that are most important. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack has also been designed-in, allowing consumers to use high-performance headphones with the device for the best possible sound quality.

“Today, Widescreen TV, Internet and video have become the standard so there is no reason to compromise when you leave the house, the Touch HD delivers that uncompromising multimedia and Internet experience,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO HTC Corporation. “We are living in a time where the concept of entertainment has radically changed. The internet is so much more than just email and our customers expect to be able to access the Internet and high quality multimedia content no matter where they are in the world.”

Getting the most out of the Internet
The large high resolution, widescreen display combined with download speeds up to 18 times faster than standard 3G, enables the HTC Touch HD to render websites quickly and in full-page width. This provides a comparable Internet experience to that of home broadband in terms of both speed and page layout. This true mobile broadband experience allows users to navigate more easily, leveraging the mobile internet in a variety of ways. For example, browsing to favourite websites, using Google Maps to find a restaurant for lunch, searching for and streaming video from YouTube or even catching up to the minute news, blog posts and video podcasts with the integrated RSS reader, will be more intuitive for consumers familiar with desktop browsing.

No compromise
The HTC Touch HD has been conceived for both business and consumer users alike, who demand style and performance and do not think the two are mutually exclusive. The HTC Touch HD is the ideal handset for people who are embracing the mobile multimedia shift but who do not wish to forgo quality, simply by being on the move.

Availability
The HTC Touch HD will be available across major European carriers in Q4 2008 and be introduced in other global markets shortly following.

Key Touch HD product specifications:
• Size: 115 x 62.8 x 12 mm
• Weight: 146.4 grams/5.164 oz with battery
• Connectivity: Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHzWCDMA / HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Software/Operating system: HTC TouchFLO 3D with Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 3.8 inch Wide Screen VGA screen (480 x 800 WVGA)
• Camera: 5.0 megapixel with auto focus – Second Camera: VGA
• Internal memory: 512 MB flash; 288 MB RAM
• Memory card: microSD™ memory card (SDHC™ capable)
• WLAN: 802.11b/g
• Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB™ (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1350 mAh
• Talk time: WCDMA: Up to 390 minutes*** / GSM: Up to 310 minutes***
• Standby time: WCDMA: Up to 450 hours*** / GSM: Up to 390 hours***
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7201a™ 528 MHz

[HTC]

The app itself works perfectly. As a longtime sporadic Nike+ iPod user on the old iPod nano, we can say that all those features we expect to be there are ported over with the right amount of care for the larger screen. But there's nothing really all that revolutionary. Custom workouts, where you can pre-set options for time, distance or playlist are a nice addition, and it's nice to look at your workout history in a clearer fashion, but how come we couldn't get charts and graphs like on the Nike site? Something like the chart below, fetched from our own online history, would have been an easy addition to the feature set. And where, my fit readers, is the communication between your iPod touch and your online Nike account?

Our other complaint is that you're forced to buy the 2nd generation iPod touch in order to take advantage of the app. Plugging in the dongle to your iPhone, iPhone 3G or 1st generation touch isn't even an option. Even with firmware 2.1, you still get the "This accessory is not supported by iPhone" error. Why? The dongle solution works fine on iPod nanos, why couldn't Apple copy over the Nike+ app and make use of the transmitter?

Despite our gripes about the lack of device support and lack of new features, we still love the app. It's much prettier and readable when running than the version on even the iPod nano 4G (which have the equivalent red and white larger icons), and if you're already a serious Nike+ iPod user, the touch is a slightly better way to do what you're already doing. It's not quite good enough for you to upgrade from your current device, but think of it as an added bonus if you were thinking about getting an iPod touch for yourself so you can pass off your old iPod nano to your spouse so he or she can get into shape too. [Amazon]

The nice thing about iTunes decisions is that we can provide you with patches to counter them. We have one such patch already for Mac iTunes 8 for iPod touch. We’ll be working out the full suite of patches for all the combinations over the next week.

Begun the Apple-Hackers iTunes Wars have. [iPhone Dev Team Blog]

Sprint just officially announced that the HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro will be joining Sprint’s product portfolio in time for the holiday season. HTC is excited to continue the long tradition of working together with Sprint to bring cutting edge products like the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro to market.

Stylishly sleek, these devices set a new benchmark for mobile sophistication by introducing TouchFLO™ 3D, an unparalleled touch experience that puts live television, weather, email, photos, contacts, music and more at your fingertips.

The HTC Touch Diamond and The HTC Touch Pro leverage the broad functionality of Windows Mobile 6.1 and use a new customized Web browser that enables easy viewing and effortless navigation of Web sites in the way they were designed. As part of this browsing experience, users can zoom and pan Web sites with one-hand and automatically view mobile-optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. Using gravity-sensor technology, turning the device sideways automatically rotates the Web page view from a portrait to landscape view.

With 2.8 inch high-resolution VGA displays, the HTC Touch Diamond and the HTC Touch Pro deliver a full package of features and functionality, including the above-mentioned Opera-powered browser with Wi-Fi capability; a customized, HTC-developed YouTube application for watching user-generated video content; and quick access to Sprint TVSM with an extensive selection of live and on demand video. It boasts a 3.2 MP camera/camcorder with auto focus and access to Sprint Picture MailSM to easily share images. The HTC Touch Pro’s built-in camera also features a flash.

The HTC Touch Pro brings a similarly sophisticated style and feature set to that found on the HTC Touch Diamond and also adds a variety of business-focused enhancements that make getting work done on the go quick and easy – including a five-row, slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy data entry, expandable storage capabilities with a microSD card slot (1 GB card included) and a business card scanner application.

The HTC Touch Diamond will be available in September and will cost $249.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. The HTC Touch Pro will be available in all Sprint retail channels beginning Oct. 19 for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

According to the vice president of HTC America, Jason Mackenzie, “Combining Sprint’s mobile broadband connectivity with HTC’s deep desire to blend innovative design with intuitive simplicity sets the HTC Touch Diamond and the HTC Touch Pro apart from other touch-screen phones. HTC Touch Diamond gives users one-touch access to every aspect of their life and transcends texting and dialing to provide a rich mobile Internet experience unlike anything available on the market today. The HTC Touch Pro combines business with pleasure by offering one-handed operation of simple tasks and a full keyboard input for serious work.”

The new, thinner and smaller iPod nano really is smaller, thinner, and feels much better in your hand. Brian, our hand model, has small hands, so you can see how relatively small the unit is. The aluminum is slick, but the clickwheel might be slightly too slick, and not as grippy as previous models. The UI though, is fast and responsive—maybe even more so than the previous fat nano generation. The scrolling album art on the main menu is at the bottom, and not on the sides like before.

The accelerometer is as good as on the iPhone or iTouch. Landscape pulls up right away. The album art is gorgeous on the curved screen. Genius is good, and is easily pulled up by holding the middle clickwheel button. Scrolling through music is fast, and pretty much retains all the iPod clickwheel functionality you're used to from previous generations. It does have slight improvements as we noted in the liveblog—holding the middle clickwheel button gets you shortcuts to many functions—but all in all, it's what you'd expect from an iPod nano.

Comparisons vs. previous gen:
The screens are almost exactly the same size if you turn the fat nano sideways. The new nano is as thick at the thickest point as the fat nano, but tapers off to either side to give an overall "more thin" feel. The back is aluminum so MUCH less scratchy (think 2nd gen nanos).

An interview with Apple brought up these facts to the table:
-It's the thinnest iPod ever, and the smallest nano by volume
-Black, a new matte color that is slightly slate-ish, and Silver, get black clickwheels.
-The Pink is BACK and the Red is project RED.
-First iPod nano that uses USB charging only, so older firewire chargers from docks a few years old will not charge the new nano.
-Shake shake to shuffle will not activate unless screen is active and hold is off.
-Clickwheel orientation does not shift when you use the accelerometer to switch to landscape mode. Joz says that the menu button is always in the same position, and that's not a problem because in landscape, you're usually scrolling.

[Apple]

The new iPod touch is out. It has a new design: chrome rim, with a tapered back similar to the iPhone, but thinner. It now includes external volume controls as well. It also has Nike+ integrated with no transmitter needed (you still need the in-shoe transmitter, but it has an RFID receiver built-in) as well as on-the-fly genius playlist creation, all included in the new iPhone 2.1 software. It also comes with new prices, available today: $229 for the 8GB, $299 for the 16GB, and $399 for the 32GB. That's $100 cheaper than before. Here are all the features:

• 3.5-inch display.
• Volume controls.
• Accelerometer.
• 802.11 b/g wireless.
• Built-in speaker.

But the most important things are:

• The Nike+ is now built-in, with a matching application and without the need of transmitter with the in-shoe RF transmitter on sale separately (as it always has been) for $19. It doesn't require a receiver however, as it comes with it built-in. Looks like the leaked shots.

• The Genius playlist. There's an atom icon up, below the play/pause icon on the Now Playing screen. If you click it, it will create a Genius Playlist of songs that you may like based on the currently playing song.

Apple Introduces New iPod touch

The Funnest iPod Ever - Perfect for Music, Movies & Games

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today introduced the second generation iPod(R) touch featuring an amazingly thin contoured metal design, a gorgeous 3.5-inch widescreen glass display, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi wireless networking, integrated volume control buttons, a built-in speaker for casual listening, a built-in accelerometer and other advanced sensors, and Apple's revolutionary Multi-Touch(TM) user interface. iPod touch, now available for just $229 for the 8GB model, is perfect for playing music, movies and games, with millions of songs, thousands of Hollywood movies and hundreds of games available on the iTunes(R) Store.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080909/AQTU545)

"iPod touch is the funnest iPod we've ever created," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Users can listen to millions of songs, watch thousands of Hollywood movies and now, thanks to the App Store, download and play hundreds of great games on their iPod touch."

The new iPod touch is smaller and lighter than the original, with a sleek new design that features a contoured metal enclosure with integrated volume control buttons and a brilliant 3.5-inch widescreen glass display. With its rounded edges, flush display and curved, more compact design, the new iPod touch is more comfortable to hold and more portable than ever.

iPod touch users can choose from hundreds of exciting game titles such as "Spore Origins" and "Scrabble" from Electronic Arts, and "Real Football 2009" from Gameloft available on iTunes or directly through the App Store application on the iPod touch. The revolutionary App Store works over Wi-Fi, enabling users to browse, purchase and wirelessly download applications directly onto their iPod touch and start using them instantly. The App Store features an incredible array of applications in a wide variety of categories, including games, travel, entertainment, social networking, sports and much more.

iPod touch works seamlessly with iTunes so you can import, manage, and then easily auto-sync your favorite content. With up to 36 hours of music playback or six hours of video playback on a single charge, the new iPod touch is the ultra-portable way to enjoy your favorite music, TV shows, movies and games on the go. The 32GB model holds up to 7,000 songs, 25,000 photos or 40 hours of video; the 16GB model holds up to 3,500 songs, 20,000 photos or 20 hours of video, and the 8GB model holds up to 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos and 10 hours of video.*

The new iPod touch works with the new iTunes 8 Genius feature, allowing customers to automatically create playlists while on the go. Users can preview the playlist Genius creates, refresh the list to choose different songs and save Genius playlists to enjoy again later.

The new iPod touch also features built-in Nike + iPod support making it an incredible workout companion. Users simply place the optional Nike + iPod sensor ($19 US) in their Nike + shoe to seamlessly connect with the new iPod touch to track miles run or sync with the latest generation gym equipment.

The iPod is the world's most popular family of digital music players with over 160 million sold. Apple's incredible new lineup includes the iPod shuffle in four vivid new colors starting at just $49; the iPod classic in one slimline model with 50 percent more capacity for the same great price — 120GB of storage for just $249; the fourth generation iPod nano featuring a gorgeous curved metal and curved glass enclosure, in nine vibrant colors starting at $149; and the second generation iPod touch now starting at just $229. iPod owners can choose from a vast ecosystem of accessories with over 5,000 products made specifically for the iPod including speaker systems, fitness accessories, fashionable cases and iPod connectivity available in over 90 percent of new car models sold in the US.

Pricing & Availability

The new iPod touch is available immediately for a suggested price of $229 (US) for the 8GB model, $299 (US) for the 16GB and $399 (US) for the 32 GB model through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod touch requires a Mac(R) with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS(R) X v10.4.10 or later and iTunes 8; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) or later and iTunes 8. Existing iPod touch users can update to the latest 2.1 software for just $9.95 to add the new Genius feature. iPod touch owners who already have the 2.0 software get the 2.1 software update for free. Simply download the latest version of iTunes onto your Mac or PC, and purchase the 2.1 software update via iTunes.

*Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See http://www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes; and video capacity is based on H.264 1.5-Mbps video at 640-by-480 resolution.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its
award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

The iPod classic looks like it's getting the runt's end of the "Let's Rock" magic wand today—with boosted storage to 120GB for $250, up from 80GB for the same price. And it's death for the 160GB thickie, matching the Zune's lineup to a tee. Same form factor and colors as last time. Now, the largest iPod money can buy has been downgraded by 40GB—seem like a strange move to backtrack like this to anyone else?

We're here at the Yerba Buena Center. Our liveblog's is starting at live.gizmodo.com. That's where you should be, either sitting back and letting the auto-refresh do its thing, or hitting that button like a mad man. The music is stopping, the lights are dimming, and Phil Schiller is being jovial. It's an Apple event. [Live.Gizmodo.com]

Shaking the player activates Shuffle Mode and tilting allows scanning of Cover Flow when the nano is held in landscape. The nano's storage will jump to 8GB and 16GB.

Not a lot of information on the iPod classic and iPod shuffle. The classic is said to come in two colors (probably white silver and black) with the shuffle available in five colors.

The iPod touch will have no color choices and retain the same storage options of 8, 16 and 32GB.

Oh, and the last juicy tidbit from the rumors: The new iPods are supposed to be available at Apple stores today. [AppleInsider]

We have received these two images of the iPod nano showing a new interface. They look like Apple's own product illustrations and the iPod itself looks like the unconfirmed leaked picture, but of course we don't know if they are real or not. They are so polished and we like them so much that we hope they are real, but for now, they are just a couple of images out of nowhere. Check the playback screen after the jump and tell us what you think.

We will see what happens in a few hours. Remember our first rules about rumors and leaks: never trust them, even when they seem like the real McCoy. UPDATE: The first screen was way off, second screen close, and overall rendering spot-on. Check out our hands-on with the real thing. [Thanks tipster!]

The Apple Store is still up. Maybe there are going to be no new products today. I can already hear Steve:

Welcome to our Let's Rock event... SUCKAS! Hahahaha. You wanted to rock? Well, big news today! Phil, John and myself are going to form a band with John Mayer! And we are going to call ourselves: THE BEATLES! SUE MY ASS PAUL MCCARTNEY! Hit me on three, Phil!

Too bad that won't happen, because that would have been the best event in Apple history. Ever.

Like someone pointed out before, the life of a fridge is very long, so the iPod dock would probably become obsolete down the line. I also don't see the point of having your fridge acting as your amplifier: as you can see in the video, you can connect extra speakers to it. The Wi-Fi connection and iGorenje program makes a lot more sense, as it can be expanded in the future to accommodate new appliances and functionality. Plus, it is device independent. Although you can use any device, however, the interface has clearly been optimized for the iPod touch and the iPhone, which is the handheld they were using for their demos. According to them, they have some kind of collaboration contract with Apple, so Steve or someone else in Cupertino must be a fan of the brand.

The iGorenje system works quite well. It uses the Wi-Fi network in your home to connect your web-browsing device to your oven and washing machine, and when it's released later this year you will be able to control all Gorenje appliances.

iGorenje's interface is very easy to work out. Just touch the function, select the options you want and click Start. The appliance will get the parameters, start working and give you feedback in realtime, back to your iPod. For the oven, you can start from a recipe, a wizard that allows you to set the oven according to the kind of food and weight, and a custom program, which can be easily created in iGorenje and then stored. The process is fully automatic, so if you have something that needs to be cooked first slowly, then a really high heat in the last minutes, it will handle it for you.

For the washing machine, it's exactly the same thing. This time you have different programs according to the clothes you put in, making it very easy to operate. At last, because washing machine user interface seem to be developed by sadists.

But while the whole thing seems polished and works well, do we really need this kind of sophistication in our kitchens? I may be too old school, but I like too cook in the kitchen, not by remote control. I like the idea of programming the oven in an easy way, although I will still be controlling it myself. What do you think? Is this the kind of evolution everyday home tasks need? [More IFA 2008 Coverage]

You can download the new WinPwn at this direct link, and pick up a torrent for QuicPwn Tool for Mac here.
[WinPwn and Dev Team - Thanks, Estevan and Jason]

For historical comparison, the original iPhone is "iPhone1,1" while the iPhone 3G is "iPhone1,2" as we found out during the 2.0 update madness, so there's definitely a case to be made. And late summer is new iPod season. What new whiz-bang features do you think would be in a whole new iPod touch? [iPhone Atlas via Mac Rumors]