iPod Touch app downloads higher than iPhone

Christmas purchases of iPod Touch have really affected the App Store statistics, as Flurry Analytics has reported.  The mobile analytic firm recorded a considerable surge in app downloads coming from iPod Touch users with 172% difference on iPhone app downloads during the Christmas holidays.

Flurry merged with Pinch Media December 23, creating what both companies called the leading and iPhone monetization and analytics service that covers 80 percent of iPhone, iPod touch, and Android devices. The deal came a month and a half after Google snapped AdMob for $750 million, providing Google with access to the network of 15,000 AdMob-powered mobile sites and apps, thousands of advertisers, and – most importantly, important App Store metrics.

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Best iPod Touch Deals

Apple — iPod lovers, Rejoice. Now you can accessorize you iPod Touch, iPhones, and Apple Macs as Apple is offering great savings on all online stores this Cyber Monday.
Not just this, Amazon.com is offering the best iPod Touch deal at amazingly reduced prices this Monday. It is probably one of the hottest deals offered by any retailers to its online buyers. The 8 GBiPod Touch which is otherwise sold at $199 will be available at $154 on Amazon.
Apart from Amazon deals, Apple is offering great deals on all its items available on online stores. The saving offerings which started on Thanksgiving will be wrapped up by Apple onCyber Monday. The 16 GB iPod Touch will be available at an amazing price of $199 while other editions of iPod are also being sold at discounted prices. All Apple products will be shipped for free. Since the holiday season is going on, Apple is offering personalized engravings too. The buyer can request for a personalized engravings on theiPod Touch, iPod nano, and IPod Classics.
Apple is also offering signature gift wrappings on all purchases. In addition to the savings on products, Apple Inc. is offering discounts on accessories too. All the sales and discounts will end at midnight Monday November, 30.
In case you miss the Apple’s Cyber Monday deals, you can always visit other websites to get advantage of these offerings. Many websites e.g. Wal-Mart are offering savings and discounts till Christmas. Happy Online Shopping!

How to view your iTunes account from your iPod Touch or iPhone

1. Click on the Settings icon


2. Scroll to the very bottom of the Settings menu and select “Store”

3. Click “View Account” to see your account from the current device.









Source: modmyi.com

Gameloft’s Black Friday Deals

IPhone, IPod Touch, and mobile game developer and publisher Gameloft is cutting the price of 7 of its iPhone games. The special deal will run until Sunday November 29th.

Games getting a price cut in honor of Black Friday include Terminator Salvation, Shrek Kart, Blades of Fury, Real Tennis 2009, Brothers in Arms: Hour of Heroes, Castle of Magic, and Hero of Sparta.

All of these titles are available for a limited time, for the low price of $0.99 cents each. Gameloft games for iPhone and iPod Touch are available on the App Store now.

For more information on these and other Gameloft games, visit www.gameloft.com

iPod Touch with camera in 2010

Apple’s iPod Touch may still be in line for a camera, according to renewed rumours online. We heard rumours of Apple working on a camera-toting iPod Touch in September but now the whispers are back…

According to an “inside source”, who spoke to the LA Gadgets Examiner, Apple did plan to launch an iPod Touch with a camera in September. However, quality control issues allegedly nixed its arrival.

iPod Touch teardown shots have already shown that the device has space for a camera in amongst its digital guts so this speculation sounds convincing. But, of course, it’s easy to claim an “inside source” as Apple never comments on speculation.

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Rumor or not this is something that many iPod Touch fans are clamouring.  The next generation iPod Touch should include the same camera as that of iPod Nano.  But should this happen, will Apple restrict video recording in iPod Touch as it has done with iPod Nano?

JonQBX

New Ipod Nano Rates Well with Young Radio Listeners

A survey from Vision Critical Communications shows that the interactive features of the FM tuner in Apple's new Ipod Nano show potential to energize interest among younger demographics who are the heaviest users of MP3 players. The online survey of 1,185 American parallels results of the same survey conducted among Canadian and British adults.

Key findings
The interactive features of the FM tuner generate considerable interest-particularly among 18-34 year-olds. When presented with the specific features of the FM tuner, 47 percent of Americans aged 18 and older say they are "very interested" in the ability to pause and rewind songs they hear on the radio. This rises to 66 percent among 18-34 year-olds.

Seeing the name of the song using the Nano's RBDS display also has strong appeal. In all, 41 percent of Americans and 55 percent of 18-34 year-olds express an active interest in this feature.

Consumers show somewhat less interest in the ability to tag songs for future purchase. 28 percent of Americans aged 18 and older are "very interested" in this feature, but this increases to 45 percent of 18-34 year olds.

Of the five features from the new Ipod Nano that were presented in the survey, American adults rank an FM tuner #3 in terms of overall interest. American adults in general show greater active interest in the Nano's larger display screen (with 46 percent indicating they are "very" interested) and the new video camera (45 percent "very" interested) than in an FM tuner (34 percent) when the tuner is presented on its own prior to mentioning its specific features. Interest in an FM tuner is however well above the active interest expressed in the voice recorder (21 percent) and the pedometer (17 percent).

Interest in and usage of MP3 players and the Ipod Nano are highest among 18-34 year-olds. 32 percent of 18-34 year-olds report listening "daily" to MP3s. This compares to only 14 percent of all Americans aged 18 and older. 15 percent of 18-34 year-olds say they currently use an Ipod Nano vs. 8 percent of American adults in general.

From Sept. 10 - 13, 2009, Vision Critical Communications conducted an online survey among a representative sample of 2,768 adults in the United States, the UK and Canada. The three-country studies were conducted with representative national samples selected from the Angus Reid Forum (Canada), Springboard America and Springboard UK. The three panels are made of respondents recruited in each country exclusively by Vision Critical.

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Just about when I think that the mp3 players have doomed the FM radio broadcasting industry, comes this interesting survey.  This age bracket has been the trendsetter in this era. 

JonQBX

JonQBX

FM in iPod Touch?

Apple-oriented website 9to5mac: Apple Intelligence reports that it's received a tip that a radio application is being developed in-house by Apple for the iPhone and iPod touch. The site says, "From what we know, the app will be allowed to operate in the background .. and will offer the same functionality as the FM radio in the new iPod nanos."

The site's sources say the holdup is that Apple is trying to integrate iTunes purchases into the program, allowing listeners to get information and purchase songs as they play. That would be an extension of the iTunes-integrated song-tagging feature that works with HD Radio receivers.

9to5Mac points out that iPods and iPhones can already receive FM signals, but the ability has only used in the iPod + Nike functions so far.

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This should come handy since iPhone 3GS and the new nano have already this feature. Microsoft has already this in their Zune. In the Philippines, the first commercial HD radio broadcast was in 2006 by Radio Mindanao Network's FM station 93.9 DWKC.

JonQBX

Rock Band launches iPhone and iPod Touch app

Foo Fighters, Pixies, Beastie Boys are already confirmed for the mobile game

* October 9, 2009 | 0 Comments
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Rock Band has announced it is to launch an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Details of the deal were announced by game developer EA Mobile on its Facebook page. According to the post, the app is to be released later this month. Users can play guitar, drums, bass or sing vocals, and also to launch multiplayer games with up to four people taking part simultaneously.

20 tracks have been confirmed for the app, including the likes of Pixies, Foo Fighters, Motorhead, Blondie and Smashing Pumpkins.

The full tracklisting for Rock Band on the iPhone and iPod Touch is:

30 Seconds To Mars – 'Attack'
AFI – 'Girls Not Grey'
All American Rejects – 'Move Along'
Beastie Boys – 'Sabotage'
Blink-182 – 'All The Small Things'
Blondie – 'Hanging on the Telephone'
Foo Fighters – 'Learn To Fly'
Foo Fighters – 'Everlong'
George Thorogood & the Destroyers – 'Bad to The Bone'
Jethro Tull – 'Hymn 43'
Joan Jett – 'Bad Reputation'
Lynyrd Skynyrd – 'Simple Man'
Motorhead – 'Ace of Spades '08'
Pixies – 'Debaser'
Presidents of The United States of America – 'Ladybug'
Rise Against – 'Give It All'
Silversun Pickups – 'Lazy Eye'
Smashing Pumpkins – 'Cherub Rock'
Steve Miller Band – 'Take The Money and Run'
The Go Gos – 'We Got The Beat'

OS 3.1.2 released

It has been over a month since the last iPhone OS update was released from our favorite fruit-themed toymaker. (Your favorite maybe. sub.ed.) Nevertheless, the software engineers are back on the job with a fresh update for both iPod and iPhone consisting of several anticipated bug fixes from an assortment of problems users have been faced with.

Most notably, the 3.1.2 update resolves a sporadic issue with the iPhone that may cause the device not to wake from sleep. We have personally experienced this unpleasant bug and it was a fatal misfortune to have dealt with while networking with friendly new business contacts, only to find the device in “coma mode” and unresponsive until synchronized again.

The second critical OS code correction resolves an intermittent issue that may interrupt cellular services until the device is restarted. While we are not confident that this might also resolve random signal drops when idle for long periods of time, it will definitely be wort hour time to investigate.

Finally, the 3.1.2 update addresses a bug that can cause occasional application crashing or OS lock-ups during video streaming. This issue has been reported consistently in the past, but some further issues with AT&T’s network may still persist.

On another note, jail breaking for this update is currently in development and iPod or iPhone users with jailbroken devices are not advised to apply the vanilla 3.1.2 update until official word has been posted by the internet famous dev teams.

Photoshop App for iPod

Adobe have officially announced the availability of its new Photoshop app, known as Photoshop.com Mobile, for both the iPhone and iPod Touch which, apart from being billed as offering a convenient way to edit photos, apply effects and share images instantly with friends — all with the flick of a finger.

The new iPhone/iPod Touch Photoshop App, brings a wide variety of tools to your fingertips encompassing basic functions such as image cropping, resizing and rotating as well as more complex image editing functions such taking in image fine tuning (exposure, tint and vibrancy, for example) as well as providing an array of special effects that are sure to assist you in making your imagery ‘pop’ such as blurring and sketch (renders your image as though it have been drawn – obviously).

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This expands the functionality of iPhone/iPod Touch...or is it Photoshop expanding it's way to the mobile arena? What do you think?

JonQBX

iTunes on your TV?

With the enormous success of Apple selling 8.5 billion music online through iTunes, technology designers are on the rat-race in finding ways to ride the digital wave. Statistics show that 2.5 TV shows and 0.33 movie are downloaded on an average by each App Store customer. Compared to 85 downloads for music. It's apparent that videos are not the "turf" of iPods. So why not put iTunes on your TV?

Businessweek's Arik Hesseldahl blogs:

Apple should consider making iTunes an ingredient brand by embedding it as an application on smart TVs from other manufacturers. Yes I understand this is a heresy, but hear me out.

Imagine the possibilities: TV sets will be marketed with "iTunes inside" and boast a remote control that itself includes an iTunes button. Pushing the button triggers something very similar to the AppleTV experience, and contain links to the iTunes Store, allowing movies, TV shows, and music to be downloaded directly to the TV set and even shared with the nearest PC, iPod, and iPhone. AppleTV could be a feature on TVs from Samsung, Vizio, and—dare I suggest it?—even Sony (SNE), among others.

How might it happen? Apple could build and design an iTunes module using a microprocessor designed by PA Semi, the chip company it acquired in 2008, and the other chips necessary to embed iTunes software directly into the TV. Throw in some flash memory for storage, a network interface for wireless and wired connections, and offer the whole package as an add-on to TV manufacturers.

At this point you're probably thinking Apple is giving away more than it should. The margins on this iTunes module would be lower than if Apple made its own TVs—a low-margin business if there ever was one. But Apple would likely sell fewer units of the Apple TV set than many companies could sell of TV sets with "iTunes inside."

And yes, I realize this would be a fundamental departure from Apple's typical business model. ITunes, after all, exists primarily not to sell content but to give people who buy iPhones and iPods something to do with those devices. But imagine how many new iTunes accounts might be created. And if you've never owned an iPod before, and happen to buy a TV with "iTunes inside," you may be motivated to buy one. The universe of potential iPod and iPhone buyers will grow.
Ironing Out the Details

The trick of course will be in convincing content owners, especially TV networks and their affiliates, to allow iTunes video to be seen on the big screen. If you can pay $2.99 for that episode of Glee and watch it on the main TV set in your house, there's a smaller chance you'll tune in on Thursdays at 9, and thus see the ads that Fox (NWS) has sold against it. Why do you think online TV site Hulu has had such a hard time keeping its programming out of Boxee, an open-source video entertainment application that's all the rage among the early-adopter set (and installed by technically adept AppleTV owners).

And granted, this plan has some fundamental technical questions that I can't fully answer. For one: Won't the storage boost the cost to build the TV, thus boosting the retail price? Moreover, how do you easily get the Internet connection to the TV? And, of course, Apple's consumer strategy is all about selling hardware that runs great software and about controlling the entire experience from beginning to end. It's not selling chips to third-party hardware vendors à la Intel (INTC).

Doing this would require a wide-ranging philosophical shift in the mind of Steve Jobs and his executive team.

Next month will mark eight years since Apple unveiled the first iPod and thus set out on its quest to remake the music industry. Video is proving more difficult for all concerned. The way things stand now, Apple stands a chance of losing the unfolding battle for control of the digital living room. To borrow a phrase from its history, to turn the tide it will need to think different.

Palm Pre backs away from Apple iTunes

The long-running feud over the Palm Pre's ability to sync with Apple's iTunes may have come to an end. Or not.

On Monday, Palm announced its latest update to the Pre's webOS operating system. Conspicuously absent from the announcement was any mention of what the company calls "media sync" - the ability for Palm's smartphone to mimic an iPod when connected to iTunes.

On Tuesday, a Palm spokeswoman confirmed to The Reg that "webOS 1.2 did not reestablish media sync with iTunes."

Palm and Apple have been playing hide the salami with iTunes syncing since the Pre shipped in June. First syncing was in, then it was out. Then in. Then out.

Palm tried to get the USB Implementers Forum, guardian of all things Universal Serial Bus, to rule that Apple was unfairly locking the Pre out of iTunes, but that effort came to naught last week when the USB-IF took Apple's side in the syncing spat.

And now with the introduction of a webOS update that leaves iTunes syncing unsynced, Palm appears to have thrown in the towel.

But Palm won't admit that its media sync days are over. As the company spokeswoman told us, "We never comment on what might or might not be on our product roadmap."

source: TheRegister.co.uk

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Will a rival app for iTunes is on the way?  This will be interesting.

JonQBX

iTunes 9 update fixes podcast syncing, app sorting, and more

Last week, Apple released iTunes 9.0.1, which addresses a number of iPhone syncing issues as well as making some performance and stability improvements.

During our first hands-on look of iTunes 9, we noted two problems with podcast episodes being listed in random order and being unable to arrange certain apps based on their being checkmarked and therefore set to sync to the iPhone or iPod Touch in question.

Later, we discovered more problems with syncing in general, including wrong episodes being synced to playlists containing podcasts, podcasts failing to sync, etc. Smart Playlists, according to users, were generally messed up and did not behave as expected.

iTunes 9.0.1 has addressed all of these issues with the exception of the Smart Playlist problem. Podcasts are now properly synced, podcast episodes display in the correct order, and you can arrange apps regardless of their sync status.

The temporary workaround for new or existing Smart Playlists that no longer work as they used to is to uncheck "Live updating" in the settings.

iTunes 9.0.1 also addresses other issues, including performance issues that can lead to iTunes freezing or unexpectedly quitting, problems browsing the iTunes Store, and improved app syncing for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The update is available from Software Update or via direct download from Apple's downloads page for both Mac or PC.

source: CNet.com

The top 10 singles and albums on iTunes

 iTunes' top 10 selling singles and albums of the week ending Sept. 21, 2009:

Singles:

1. "Party In the U.S.A.," Miley Cyrus

2. "Whatcha Say," Jason DeRulo

3. "I Gotta Feeling," Black Eyed Peas

4. "Paparazzi," Lady GaGa

5. "Down," Jay Sean

6. "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)," Jay-Z

7. "Run This Town (feat. Rihanna & Kanye West)," Jay-Z

8. "Cowboy Casanova," Carrie Underwood

9. "Forever," Drake, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West

10. "Use Somebody," Kings of Leon

Albums:

1. "Backspacer," Pearl Jam

2. "The Blueprint 3," Jay-Z

3. "Life Starts Now," Three Days Grace

4. "Church Music," David Crowder Band

5. "The Boy Who Knew Too Much," MIKA

6. "Draw the Line," David Gray

7. "Daisy," Brand New

8. "Monsters of Folk," Monsters of Folk

9. "The Resistance," Muse

10. "War is the Answer," Five Finger Death Punch

source: The Associated Press

'New Moon' Soundtrack: iTunes Launches Preorder, Four Bonus Tracks

 Posted 11 hrs ago by Amy Wilkinson in Movie News, Movies, Music News, Twilight Forever!

No doubt you were already super psyched about the October 20 release of the hotly anticipated "New Moon" soundtrack, but now you have four new reasons to be excited: four just-announced bonus tracks!

Pre-ordering for the soundtrack launched today on iTunes and when you purchase the album, you'll also receive four extra songs: Lupe Fiasco's "Solar Midnite," The Magic Numbers And Amadou & Mariam's "All I Believe In," APM Orchestra's-Die Fledermaus's "Duettino: Ach, ich darf nicht hin zu dir" and Ulf Bastlein's "Wandrers Nachtlied II, Op. 96, No. 3, D.768," in addition to the music video for Death Cab for Cutie's "Meet Me On The Equinox". Along with your iTunes order, you'll receive an immediate download of Anya Marina's track "Satellite Heart."

Anya debuted her melancholy ditty yesterday on her MySpace page, and we're digging it. Our first impressions of the soundtrack's sixth song? To be honest, we giggled! The opening lines—So pretty/so smart/what a waste of a young heart/What a pity/what a sham/what's the matter with your man?—sound like they came straight from the wolf's mouth, no? In my opinion, this is a "Jacob song" for sure. Anya's whispery vocals and plucky guitar playing make this quiet song the perfect backdrop for a tender Bella- Jacob moment, methinks.

The track is nestled snugly between The Killers' "A White Demon Love Song" and Muse's "I Belong To You ('New Moon' Remix)," and though we have yet to hear either track (you can listen to an un-remixed version of "I Belong To You" here), we bet Anya's sweet song will be a bit of a palate cleanser between the two (likely) more rousing numbers.

"New Moon" is not the first soundtrack to feature Anya's name in the liner notes. If you're a fan of the soapy medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," you've likely heard her song "Miss Halfway" off of the second volume of the series' Grammy-nominated soundtrack. It's no coincidence Anya's appeared on both albums, since they share the same musical supervisor—Alexandra Patsavas—who's also known for her work on "The O.C." and "Gossip Girl."

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Let me know if you'll be among the first to download these bonus tracks.

JonQBX

iTunes App Store hits 2 billion "apps" download

IPhone and iPod touch owners have downloaded 2 billion "apps" from Apple's iTunes App Store, the Cupertino company reported today.

More than 85,000 software applications, or apps, are available for downloading, Apple said in a statement. Some of the apps can be downloaded for free, and others for a fee.

"The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering 2 billion apps in just over a year, including more than half a billion apps this quarter alone," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in the statement.

According to a Bloomberg News report today quoting Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, Apple pulls in $60 million to $110 million in revenue a quarter from its App Store.

Apple launched the App Store in July 2008. Since then, makers of rival smart-phones including Palm, which makes the Pre, and Research In Motion, which makes BlackBerry phones, have started their own app stores.

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iPod has not only  revolutionized the music industry but even the way portable apps exponentially boomed. The market is really going-gaga on this small technology.

JonQBX

Can You Hear Me Now? iPod Volume Restrictions On The Way

Have you heard? iPods in Europe are about to get a lot more quiet. Regulators have released a new set of standards governing how loud portable music players can go, and that means the default max volume is going take a big dip from where it currently sits.

The EU's New MP3 Player Policy

The European Commission's new policy will require iPods and other MP3 players to have a default maximum volume of 80 decibels. That's considered a "very loud" level by most sound rankings; anything above that mark can be potentially dangerous. Presently, most MP3 players go as loud as 115 to 125 decibels.

For some fun comparisons, we turn to the U.S. National Institute On Deafness And Other Communications Disorders (apparently, every shorter agency name was already taken). According to the, er, USNIODAOCD:

• 80 decibels is equivalent to the level of noise you'd hear on a busy city street;

• 90 decibels is lawnmower-like loudness;

• 110 is as ear-shattering as a loud rock concert;

• 120 to 130 matches the level of an airliner taking off -- or, in less technical terms, "GET USED TO PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVING TO SHOUT AT YOU!"

Some Volume Limit Limitations

Now, the new European MP3 volume policy won't make it impossible to pump up the jam (even if you do make dated references to subpar dance tunes) -- it'll just make it more difficult.

With the new restrictions, MP3 player-makers will only have to preset their devices' default max volumes. They will, however, have the option of allowing users to disable that default and venture into deafening territory, albeit with some sort of warning about the eardrum-puncturing delights that may occur.

So what would this warning actually entail? Per the EU statement:

"A dequate warnings for consumers on the risks involved, and on ways to avoid them, including the situation when the original set of earphones is replaced with another type and this causes higher unsafe sound levels. The mandate is not prescriptive in terms of how this is done. Industry solutions could include, for example, labels or digital information on the screen."

(I'm pretty sure they meant "adequate," not "a dequate." Because, I'll be honest, I have no idea what "a dequate warning" would be.)



source:  PCworld
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Frankly, I think this is just gonna be ending to deaf ears (no pun intended).  There's no clear cut restrictions on harming oneself.  Just take smoking for example, nobody is jailed for over-smoking, but maybe from smoking on non-smoking zone. 

But the warning is legit.  One could really harm his auditory sensors with misuse, especially when used by children.  In any case, you can always use an amplifier to soothe your raging ear-shattering craving for music. You hear that?

JonQBX

Ferrari 430 Spider in Fuji Speedway shot with iPod Nano video taped on front bumper

Courtesy of Hideki Francis Onda comes the best demo of the iPod's camera that I've seen to date. The iPod was taped to the front bumper of a Ferrari, and the resulting video (taken at Fuji Speedway) is below. Keep an eye out for the spinning Porsche at the 2:45 mark.

New iPod Nano With Camera Banned From Many Gyms

Ah, the humble iPod Nano. Choosen by many athletes because of the ability to carry tons of songs anywhere without having to carry a heavy and bulky device. Two of the new features that are appealing to many athletes and everyone for that matter is the pedometer and the built-in video camera. Alas, the latter feature is causing somewhat of a controversy in gyms. Due to the Nano’s subtle way [it's a small device] of capturing video, it has been banned from many gyms. It’s reasonable, gyms are just trying to respect the privacy of all those naked people walking around. They’re probably making a big deal out it though. How are all these athletes going to work out without their precious music?

Has your gym asked you to stop bringing your iPod Nano with camera?

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Hmmm... I gotta be a little bit careful in the gym now.  I don't want to be a YouTube sensation. LOL.

JonQBX

Bug fixes for the new iTunes 9 -- version 9.0.1 released

ITunes 9 released 2 weeks ago, has a number of new features and improvements such as Home Sharing support, allowed iPhone and iPod Touch users to organize their iPhone home screens directly in iTunes and lots more.. However, the version has encountered some minor setbacks which Apples has promptly addressed in their new bug fix version.

Today Apple released a minor update to iTunes. The new version is iTunes 9.0.1 and is available now for download.

The update brings some minor enhancements listed below:

Resolves issues browsing the iTunes Store.
Addresses a performance issue where iTunes may become unresponsive.
Fixes a problem where iTunes may unexpectedly quit.
Fixes a problem syncing Podcasts in playlists to iPod or iPhone.
Fixes a problem sorting albums with multiple discs.
Addresses an issue with the Zoom button not switching to Mini Player.
Improves application syncing for iPod touch and iPhone.
Genius is now automatically updated to show Genius Mixes.
The update is available on Apple’s website, the Apple Software Update tool or through Mac System Update.

Jailbreakers and Unlockers should avoid the update to iTunes 9.0.1 until further notice.

iTunes 9 works with Jailbroken iPods

Apple has released iPhone OS 3.1 and iTunes 9 on their Mega event. With the release of each new iPhone firmware, the most frequently asked question by the users who have jailbroken and/or unlocked their iPhone is whether it?s safe to update to the latest firmware or not? Will the new iTune play well with the new iPhone OS?

MuscleNerd from the Dev-Team says that it is safe to update iTunes to iTunes 9 even if your iPhone or iPod Touch is jailbroke and/or unlocked. So, if you have a jailbroke/unlocked device? go ahead and updated iTunes.

However, do not update to firmware 3.1 via iTunes. We haven?t heard anything official on the 3.1 firmware update and how it affects jailbreaking and unlocking yet. We will keep an eye on the Dev-Team for more info.

The iPhone OS 3.1 updates the iPhone Baseband (modem firmware) from 04.26.08 in iPhone OS 3.0 to 05.11.07. So iPhone you want to jailbreak and unlock your iPhone and yet update to OS 3.1 then wait for iPhone Dev team to release their updated version PwnageTool that let you update to the latest firmware without updating the Baseband.

MuscleNerd has confirmed that the Dev Team will release PwnageTool for iPhone OS 3.1, "PwnageTool lets you make custom-made mix+match IPSWs, so we?ll be updating that for 3.1".

iPod nano's pedometer

Apple announced a new iPod nano that has a video camera, FM radio and a for the sport enthusiasts -- a pedometer.


A pedometer or step counter is a device, usually portable and electronic or electromechanical, that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person's hips. Because the distance of each person's step varies, an informal calibration performed by the user is required if a standardized distance (such as in kilometres or miles) is desired.  Used originally by sports and physical fitness enthusiasts, pedometers are now becoming popular as an everyday exercise measurer and motivator. Often worn on the belt and kept on all day, it can record how many steps the wearer has walked that day, and thus the kilometres or miles (distance = number of steps × step length). Some pedometers will also erroneously record movements other than walking, such as bending to tie one's shoes, or road bumps incurred while riding a vehicle, though the most advanced devices record fewer of these 'false steps'. Step counters can give encouragement to compete with oneself in getting fit and losing weight. A total of 10,000 steps per day, equivalent to 5 miles (8.0 km), is recommended by some to be the benchmark for an active lifestyle, although this point is debated among experts. Step counters are being integrated into an increasing number of portable consumer electronic devices such as music players and mobile phones.


Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that the step counts and estimated calories burned data collected by the iPod nano can be sent to the user’s Nike+ iPod account for tracking.

“iPod nano is the world’s most popular music player with over 100 million sold,” Jobs stated in a company release. Despite the additional features added to the new iPod nano, it will still cost between $149 and $179.

“iPod nano is also now an even better workout companion with the new built-in pedometer,” the company’s release explains. “iPod nano can keep track of your steps taken and calories burned, helping you meet your short and long-term fitness goals.”

Introducing the new iPod nano

Among the iPod models that Apple has launched this week, iPod nano got the most upgrade and feature-packed.  The new version of the iPod Nano crams into the little player a video camera, FM radio, microphone, speaker and even a pedometer.

Wow! If it's doesn't make your head turn, I've listed below the details of the new iPod nano




Capacity

    * 8GB or 16GB flash drive
    * Holds up to 2,000 or 4,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format
    * Holds up to 7,000 or 14,000 iPod-viewable photos
    * Holds up to 8 hours or 16 hours of video
    * Stores data via USB flash drive
 

Accessibility

    * Spoken menus allow listeners to hear many of the names of menus, song titles, and artists without viewing the screen.
    * An alternative large font can make menus easier to read.
    * A high-resolution LCD display with adjustable contrast and backlight settings makes it easier to read in low light.
    * Captions in video are displayed when they are present using a legible, high-contrast white-on-black font.

Environmental requirements

    * Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F
      (0° to 35° C)
    * Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F
      (-20° to 45° C)
    * Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
    * Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet
      (3000 m)

Environmental Status Report

iPod nano embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

    * Arsenic-free glass
    * BFR-free
    * Mercury-free
    * PVC-free
    * Highly recyclable

Display

    * 2.2-inch (diagonal) TFT display
    * 240-by-376-pixel resolution at 204 pixels per inch

VoiceOver Kit

    * Chinese (Cantonese)
    * Chinese (Mandarin)
    * Czech
    * Danish
    * Dutch
    * English
    * Finnish
    * French
    * German
    * Greek
    * Italian
    * Japanese
    * Korean
    * Norwegian
    * Polish
    * Portuguese
    * Russian
    * Spanish
    * Swedish
    * Turkish

VoiceOver icon.

Audio

    * Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
    * Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
    * User-configurable maximum volume limit

Headphones

    * Earphones
    * Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
    * Impedance: 32 ohms

Languages

    * Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese (Traditional Chinese), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, and UK English
    * Additional language support for display of song, album, and artist information: Bulgarian, Serbian, Slovenian, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese
    * iPod nano supports 20 VoiceOver languages:
      Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (U.S.), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish; other languages are available with the purchase of a supported third-party text-to-speech engine
    * iPod nano supports 20 spoken menu languages:
      Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (U.S.), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish; other languages are available with the purchase of a supported third-party text-to-speech engine

Video Capture

    * H.264 VGA video, 640 by 480 pixels, up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio
    * 15 real-time special effects: Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch, and Twirl

External buttons and controls

    * Hold switch
    * Click Wheel

Input and output

    * Dock connector
    * 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack

Battery and power

    * Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
    * Playback time
          o Music playback time: Up to 24 hours when fully charged
          o Video playback time: Up to 5 hours when fully charged
      Audio: 24 hours. Video: 5 hours. Recording Video 1.5 hours.
    * Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter (sold separately)
          o Fast-charge time: about 1.5 hours (charges up to 80% of battery capacity)
          o Full-charge time: about 3 hours

Mac system requirements

    * Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
    * Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later
    * iTunes 9 or later7
    * iPhoto 6.0.6 or later recommended for use with Mac OS X Tiger8
    * iPhoto ’09 recommended for use with Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard8

Windows system requirements

    * PC with USB 2.0 port
    * Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
    * iTunes 9 or later (should there be upcoming updates)

What's inside the box

    * iPod nano
    * Earphones
    * USB 2.0 cable
    * Dock adapter
    * Quick Start guide

...and now the price of iPod nano and iPod Classic

iPod Nano

The latest fourth generation iPod Nano is really skinny as rumoured before, with a curved aluminum design, curved glass. It is much durable than before with enhanced UI and new features. now supporting 8GB for $150 and 16GB for $199.

New features in iPod Nano inlcludes a voice-recorder, integrated accelerometer for music shuffle and new headphones that also now have a micro remote and microphone. Battery life doesn’t seem to have improved: 24 hours of music, 4 hours of video.

You will also be albe to create Genius playlist creation right from the Nano, even when not created in iTunes.
iPod Classic

For all the storage junkies, iPod Classic has been bumped from 80GB to 120GB storage space for the same price we all know of $250.

The new iPod Classic will be offered in two models, one of them is the 120GB which will be sold for $249 in two colours, black and silver. This new iPod is much thinner than its predecessors and you will be able to hold 30,000 songs in your pocket.

Look and Feel of the new iPod nano

Greg Kumparak reports in CrunchGear.com that he was able to get hold of the new iPod nano.  Let's hear it from him:

We just got our hands on the new iPod nano.

As you can probably tell from the shots, it’s a nearly inch-for-inch match with the last generation. That said, the new colors are absolutely gorgeous. Even in the fairly dim demo room, the colors popped.

We didn’t get to spend very much time with the camera, but the camera quality seemed on par with that of the iPhone and significantly better than what we would have expected.

The FM radio interface was great. While it initially couldn’t pick up a signal, all was well once they sunk a pair of headphones into the jack. The Shuffle uses the headphones as an antenna, and the radio started ticking away.

There are a few things within the FM player that weren’t mentioned during the presentation but that are quite neat. For one, you can scrub back up to 15 minutes. Additionally, you can tag songs that are playing over the radio, reminding you to purchase them next time you drop into iTunes.

We didn’t put the pedometer to the test as we weren’t about to sprint around the packed demo room, but the Nike+/Pedometer interface was in place and jampacked full off gradients. It’s about as flashy as it comes – but it looks great.

Apple's iPod Event - Launches iPod Nano with FM Tuner and Camera

iPod Nano which sold 100 million units, now comes with an FM tuner --- how's that!  But there's more.  It also has a built-in camera, 2.2 in display.  The two models, 8GB for $149, 16GB for $179.


Need more space? Apple launches it's first 64GB iPod Touch for only $399.  Still can't get enough... try the iPod Classic with 160GB for $249!

Apple's iPod Event - Let the games begin!

Steve Jobs is discussing the high prices and bad experience of buying standard console games... and that leads into some props on the App Store. Rightfully so, it is revolutionary for this kind of content. "There are 21,178 entertainment titles in the App Store."

"And people are starting to see what a great gaming device this is. When you think about the companies that came before us... when you played those other systems, they seemed so cool, but now when you look at them, they don't stack up against the iPod touch."

"We're going to ask some devs to come on stage and show you some things. First off, we're going to bring up Ubisoft." as Steve introduces Ben Mattes, Assassin's Creed producer.  Mattes announces "Apple has created a world class gaming experience on this platform." He showed off the sequel to AC.

The crowd cheered when games are demoed with some rock and roll .....

 Then EA's Travis Boatman took the center stage and announced  "We're excited to be back to talk about one of the largest franchises. It's coming to the App Store... Madden NFL 2010."

Phil says, "The touch is the most affordable gateway to the App Store. And there's something for everyone there. For anything you want. It's affordable at $229, and there are no monthly fees." 

"We learned something a few years back in the iPod business. We asked engineering to get the costs down -- when we did that, the sales doubled. We learned that $199 is a magic price point... so that's what we're going to do with the iPod touch.", he added.

Apple's iPod Event - unveils iTunes 9

Steve Jobs unveils iTunes 9, "I want to cover a few features of 9. First off, we're applying Genius to another area. People have submitted over 27m libraries. Over 54b songs. The Genius database has gotten smarter and smarter. They've enabled us to make Genius playlists. Well, we're applying that same tech to something new called Genius Mixes."


"Imagine a genius DJ that plays endless mixes of songs from your library that go great together. You just click on one of the mixes, and start playing it -- and it will go on and on and on. It's like a great radio station."

Steve mentioned the improved syncing of the new iTunes 9, "When you want to sync, we can make it better. When you sync music now, you can say I want to sync a particular playlist, but you can also sync everything by Dylan, or everything in the rock genre."

Apple's iPod Event - Announces iPhone OS 3.1 is FREE!

Apple's iPod event started around 10AM today, with Steve Jobs opening, "I'm very happy to be here today with you all. As some of you know about 5 months ago I had a liver transplant, so I now have the liver of a mid-20's person who died in a car crash. I wouldn't be here without such generosity. I hope all of us can be as generous and become organ donors."

Steve reported that iPhone sold reached 30 million in just as little as 2 years.  He added, "During the last year, one of the reasons has been the App Store. We have over 75000 apps in the store. Users have downloaded 1.8bil apps. Isn't that incredible?"

Here are the other news:

• there are 30,000 ringtones, sold for $1.29 each.
• iPhone OS 3.1 is free!
• they sold over 8.5 billion songs
• iTunes9 is introduced
• 100,000,000 account with credit cards
• 54 billion songs submitted

Apple just announced iPhone OS 3.1, which includes Genius recommendations for the App Store. The update also brings a ringtone store, with over 30,000 ringtones at $1.29 a pop. 3.1 is available today for free to iPhone users and iPod touch users with 3.0.