Pocket-lint has teamed up with SanDisk to bring you the chance of winning one of five SanDisk 4GB MP3 players, this is the? successor to the SanDisk Sansa Clip with that "+" coming in the form of a microSD memory card slot.

As the name might suggest, the player gets a clip on the back for trouble free listening whilst out and about, a 1-inch OLED display, an FM tuner with 40 presets, voice recorder, equaliser, and up to 15 hours of rechargeable battery life.

The player is certified to work with Windows 7 while file support comes in MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Audible files with support for Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and others.

To be in with a chance of winning one of five 4GB Clip+, courtesy of SanDisk, just click through on the link below, where you'll be whisked away to the competition page and asked to answer one simple question.

Related links:

• Competition - SanDisk Sansa Clip+

Tags: Audio MP3 players SanDisk SanDisk Sansa Clip+ Competitions

Win a SanDisk Sansa Clip+ MP3 player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:05:29 +0000

After a mixed start at CES 2009, it's been an excellent year for music gadgets. Slowly the world is getting over its lust for hording mp3 downloads in favour of streaming and digital music, possibly a sign that it's maturing. Sound quality has become important once more rather than just access to one's collection on the move, and the natural pace of technology has meant better bit rates to back it up. At the same time, the high end audio has become more affordable under the pressure of a world recession, while the cheap tat at the other end that doesn't deliver is gradually disappearing. So, in light of such promise, just how were we taken from A to B and who best reflected the consumer's desire in audio gadget function and form?

Dock/Radios

It's hard to believe that the dock/radio market has expanded after what already seemed like saturated times in 2008. The usual suspects like Gear4, Altec Lansing, Pure, Roberts and Logitech are still churning them out both large and small at a steady rate but what we've seen is an increasing move of the high end brands in their embrace of the mp3 and that now ubiquitous 30-pin dock connector. Naturally, the audiophile-friendly manufacturers have admitted defeat in their own way and it's generally been a huge boost to the sector in both design and sound engineering.

Arcam's second foray into the field with the irDock cleans up RF interference, Yamaha has joined the fray with the company's first iPod products, even LEGO got involved as part of the range of 2009 tech products. On the design side, Bowers and Wilkens helped up the ante and many have followed producing almost a new branch of the market into style-led devices many of which have a distinctly 70s, 80s, futurist or retro feel. Revo, YBA and Grove Neo are all good examples, not forgetting an appearance from Phillippe Starck and some completely out the box styles from Bang & Olufsen that we probably should have all expected.

While style and audio quality marched on, so has the technology being driven by the theme of connectivity which has been the strongest throughout all gadgets this year. The dock/radio masters have been the ones pushing boundaries of functionality furthest with touchscreen interfaces and some even with their own app stores, widgets and native support for both Twitter and Facebook. Internet radio has been the add-on for most and with over a third of the world listening to it, it's small wonder. Between that, DAB, SD card slots, mp3 support and USB drives, this sector is fast catching up with the mini-systems and separates above them.

Mini-Systems & Hi-Fi

These gadgets have remained very much the preserve of the serious music fan and probably more so with the lower end of the market doing well in 2009. At the same time, the acceptance of the dock has meant most now have attachments, as well as USB ports and support for digital music as well. The likes of Marantz and Denon are still offering up the goods with perhaps more focus on aesthetics than ever before, but none typifies more the situation than the rare appearance of the NaimUniti system - the very first from this high end manufacturer in the new era.

Headphones

Quality has been the theme oozing from the headphones market in 2009. It all started rather frighteningly at CES with it seeming like we'd have to rob a bank in order to satisfy our aural delights. Denon and Sennheiser both came out with classy on-ear phones at around the ?1000 mark but with Sony's launch of the XB, we knew that on-ear style was making a comeback and that we could afford it as well. Sennheiser followed suit, as did many others in the field, but soon we were to find out where the real trend lay - the in-ear design.

Noise cancelling and isolating has been the story for headhones in 2009. Both technologies have, of course, been around for many years now but never before have we seen them come in such a large price range. Sony and Denon were the first to bring noise-cancelling to the small form, while many such as Logitech, with their purchase of Ultimate Ears, Klipsch and Shure chose to find ways to isolate the interference from the outside world. Etymotics went one stage further by offering custom ear-moulds with their range, including the service from ACS. And finally, Radiopaq took the altogether different approach of both specially tuning headphones for digital music and even creating an adaptor to do the same almost at source.

MP3 players/PMPs

One of the most exciting areas of gadgetry in 2009 has been PMPs. With the addition of HD screens, the support of all sorts of video codecs and the commonplace occurrence of touch technology, it's been one of the main focuses of convergence throughout the industry.

It was another mixed start in the field at CES with the Android-sporting GiiNii Movit proving one of the highlights of the show and yet it's failed to appear on our shelves. Sansa came up with a new approach with SlotRadio, which was later improved, and Samsung surprised us all with the challenger to the iPod touch in the shape of the P3. Since then, we've seen an entire new range from the Korean giant in Beat, and Sony has been working hard with the X, B and W series showing off both functionality and innovation of lifestyle design.

Philips, Creative and iRiver have all put in the time and just about everyone has made sure that they include Wi-Fi, DivX support and as much streaming capability as they can muster. Whether your PMP is big or small, just about all of them can play video now and even some can record it as we saw in the refresh of the iPod range with the 5th generation nano and notably not in the iPod touch, which now suffers even stronger competition from the Zune HD amongst others. Last, littlest but certainly not least, do spare a thought for the 3rd generation, lozenge of an iPod shuffle which thankfully has its own voice to help shout about it too.

Fortunately, all the PMPs have more memory stacked in them than ever before else they'd not be much use for storing video and the larger screen devices such as the Archos 5 are now almost indistinguishable from actual computers. Doubtless a flurry of internet tablets in the coming 12 months will permanently blur the divide. As for the likes of INQ's upcoming Spotify phone and the increase in the mobility service, we can save that confusion for next year's awards.

What do you think?

But these are just some of the fantastic choices our ears have had in 2009. What would you like to see held aloft as the winner of Pocket-lint Best Music Gadget 2009? Who have we missed out? Which are your unsung heroes and of those we've already mentioned, which would get your vote? Let us know in the comments below and you can help our panel decide which make the shortlist of nominees to be announced here on Pocket-lint on 16 November. We'll have all out coverage of the Vodafone Pocket-lint awards 2009 right here. Don't miss a minute of it.

?

Related links:

• News - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 announced
• News - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards date confirmed and tickets on sale

Tags: Audio Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards MP3 players PMPs Headphones iPod docks Radios

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 - music gadgets originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:38:56 +0000

While the first Zune was just another MP3 player to many, the same can't be said about the Zune HD, the follow-up player from Microsoft. Could the Windows maker finally have a device that will give a new impetuous to the MP3 player market? We've been living with one for the last month to work it whether the hype is justified.

Coming in two sizes - 16GB and 32GB - the Zune HD is sleek, solid, and well-made, with plenty of wow factor. It is light years ahead of the original model: it's Schwarzenegger to Danny DeVito in Twins. It really is that different.

Now you get a thin player, dominated by the 3.3-inch OLED screen with a single button underneath. The screen, which is capacitive, multi-touch and gesture-enabled is crisp, bright and clean in its performance. It will make your video and images come alive to an extent that we haven't seen on a PMP before. It's impressive.

The rest of the design is equally minimalist. The single button is rectangular as not to be confused with another more popular MP3 player on the market, while the power button can be found at the top. A 3.5mm headphone jack can be found next to the dock connector at the bottom, which is used for charging and plugging into accessories. Placing it at the bottom means its ready to use when you pull it out of your pocket - a nice touch. For those who like buttons there is a further side button that gives you direct access to the player controls.

The metal casing, which is held down by four mean looking screws is tough and all in all this is one good looking device.

Power it up and you'll quickly find that it's made by Microsoft. Why do we say that? Well because before you go anywhere you have to sync it with your PC. Once synced, you've then got to update it with the latest firmware version and that's after you've downloaded the Zune software to get the thing working in the first place. It's not the end of the world, but you expect gadgets these days to just work, not to have to be updated from day one.

Mac users with the urge to sign up, take heed: the Zune software isn't Mac compatible and therefore you'll either have to find a friend to install the software or invest in virtualisation software to run on your Mac. If you don't it's a charming looking paperweight. Microsoft has teased with the promise of Mac software, but don't hold your breath.

So you've updated the software and you're up and running. The Zune's interface is stunning: graphically luscious and very fast thanks to the Nvidia Tegra chip inside. That means rather than a 2D menu interface that sees you scrolling from left to right, things pop, slide, shizzle and generally pazzam their way around the screen.

The touch interface only helps in the day-to-day control of the player and we found it incredibly responsive to use, Apple responsive to use.

The Zune HD offers two menu systems to get to your music, pictures, videos and apps quickly. The main menu gives you an overview of what is happening now with a "Now Playing" box starting proceedings. Then there is something Microsoft has called "Pins" that allow you to Pin something to the menu.

The idea, and it's one that works, is if you have a favourite album or video you can "pin" it to the menu for quick access. After "Pins" comes "History" so you can see what you've been listening or watching and then "New" which lists the latest tracks you added to the player - handy if you are wanting to go straight to that new funky track you just bought.

While the system works incredibly well it does look complicated if you don't have all the album art in place - you just get placeholders.

A more traditional menu system, and the one you are more likely to use on a day-to-day basis is the list menu that lists the core functions and features of the player. Here you get access to music, video, pictures, radio, Marketplace to buy apps, social aspects of the player, the Internet browser, apps, and settings.

The main focus here is the music, although it's not the only focus. Pressing the music button whizzes you into the your music collection and you can, as you would expect, list songs as Playlists, Songs, Genres, Albums, and Artists.?

If you don't have your own music collection, or are just bored with it, then you can sign up to get a Zune Pass. Think Napster or Spotify for your MP3 player. For $14.99 you can access thousands of songs to download them on to your Zune HD and swap them out when you are bored. It's not a new idea, but it is a great way to get unlimited music with minimum of fuss, if you are happy to pay the price of two new albums a month. Within the deal you also get to keep 10 tracks a month, so when you exit the programme you at least have something to show for it.

With your Zune Pass sorted (you get a 14 day free trial in the box) you can then go about creating Smart DJ lists. Basically they are like Genius lists from Apple, created in the accompanying PC software rather than on the player itself.

When you think you're just about done on the music front, the player then smacks you with what Microsoft call HD radio. In reality it's a standard FM radio, but the reception is excellent (we tested it in New York). If the radio station provides track details then you get that information on the screen, and the player allows you to seamlessly pause the radio so you don't miss the best bit, be it a song or documentary.?

Better still if you really like the song, and it is recognised, you can add it to your "cart" to buy the track from Marketplace. Clever.

Marketplace is where you spend your money. With a music and apps store, the offering isn't massive at the moment from the player itself. It's more of a "glance" rather than a compressive offering on the go, and you get access to top songs, top albums, new releases.

Apps are a combination of games, productivity tools and bits and bobs. So far there are just 10 available, eight of which are games. The other two are a weather app and a calculator app.

Of course this will grow in size and scope as Marketplace gains momentum. At the moment you can only search via New, Update and All. If you had 85,000 apps in there it would get very complicated to find relevant apps.

With a multi-touch gesture-based screen and a Tegra graphics chip, this should, if the Marketplace can get momentum, have huge potential. But for now it is a bit of a damp squib. Why Microsoft didn't allow developers to port games from Windows Mobile is beyond us. Apps is definitely one to watch, but for the moment not something you would base your purchase on.

Something else you shouldn't base your purchase on is the browser. It might say internet browser on the box, but it is very basic experience. Utilising the on-board wireless connectivity you get a very simple browser based on Internet Explorer. On the plus side it's quick and you can zip around the Internet checking out your favourite websites like Pocket-lint.

There is an on-screen keyboard (portrait and landscape) so you can enter the URL, there is a favourite button so you can access your favourite sites, and finally a Bing search button so you can search the web. There isn’t multiple tab browsing, history, and any navigation elements apart from refresh and back. There is no Flash support for watching video, YouTube or not.

As for the software, the interactive interface is easy to use allowing you to manage your syncing options, and follows the same flow based interface found on the device. It owes more to Microsoft's work with the Xbox 360 rather than PowerPoint.

Verdict:

As a music player this is a pretty compelling offer. The player is small, well priced, and sexy enough to impress. The music, HD Radio, video and image playback on that OLED screen is very cool, and the Zune Pass if that's what you want, is great. However that's where it stops. The Internet browser is pretty worthless for anything other than checking the odd web page and the app's offering at the moment is heavily unrepresentative of what it could be.

So where does that leave you? If you are anti-Apple and just want a decent MP3 player that will grow over time then this is a great choice. If Microsoft had released this as the first Zune it's market share would be very different. Compared to the competition, other than Apple, we would put this in second place.

However just as Microsoft catches up with Apple and it's iPod touch, Apple moves the focus towards gaming and being a device that's more than just music. If you are looking for something more than just a music player and more along the lines of a games console, come internet browser, come app device, come music player, then while the Zune tries, it falls drastically short.

It's a shame, because combined with the Zune Pass, the Tegra 3D chip, and OLED screen the Zune HD has the potential to be so much more than it currently is. The good news for Microsoft is that its a lack of software that's the problem, not something lacking with the device itself.

Lots of potential, but at the moment very much a wait and see unless that Zune Pass really is what you are after.

Sadly, it's only available in the US, starting at $219.99 for the 16GB version.

?

?

?

Tags: Audio MP3 players Microsoft Zune HD Microsoft Zune HD

Microsoft Zune HD MP3 player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:05:43 +0100

Apple is expected to launch a radio app for its iPhone and iPod touch, allowing users to tune into their favourite radio stations on the Internet.

The rumour, which this time comes from sources talking to 9to5mac.com, will be a radio app that "will be allowed to operate in the background like iPod.app and will offer the same functionality as the FM radio in the new Apple iPod nano (5th Gen)".

The article goes on to suggest that the application would also allow you to by music from the mobile iTunes store once you hear it, no doubt massively increasing sales in iTunes.

Apple has so far shied away from offering a radio on its iPod line, however with Microsoft's Zune HD offering the feature, some believe that Apple is making the move as to not play second fiddle to the OLED packing MP3 player.

It is also expected that the radio app would offer the same Live Pause functionality that the Nanos currently enjoy.

We will keep you posted.

?

Read

Tags: Audio MP3 players Apple iPod Radios Internet radios iPod nano iPod Touch iPhone Phones Mobile phones

Apple rumoured to be working on radio app originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:56:47 +0100

Advanced MP3 Players has announced the launch of the Mintpass Mintpad, describing the tiny device as an "all-in-one pocket wonder".

Angled as much more than simply a digital audio player, the 2.8-inch touchscreen Mintpad gets a full-featured web-browser and an integrated video-capable 1.2-megapixel camera.

Running Windows CE there's support for some Microsoft programs, such as Word, while features include Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Mintpad supports Flash, boasts MSN Messenger, 4GB built-in memory (expandable up to 16GB via microSD) and boasts a battery life of 30 hours for audio and 6 hours video.

The Mintpad is available now for ?139, while a 20GB model is also available for ?169.

Related links:

• Shop - Advanced MP3 Players

Tags: Audio PMPs Mintpad Advanced MP3 players Mintpass MP3 players Tablet PCs

Mintpad launches in the UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:53:05 +0100

When we clapped eyes on this Hannah Montana special edition of the Sony Walkman E-series Walkman, we knew it was something we had to get our grubby hands on.

Sony has partnered with Disney to bring out this limited edition Hannah Montana MP3 player in an unmistakable bright pink colour, with its laser engraved Hannah Montana signature and motif.

It comes in a presentation case that doubles as a jewellery box, with a mirror inside the lid. There are three drawers for all your stuff, with the Hannah Montana Walkman sitting in one, and the funky padded case residing in the other.

The E-series Walkman features a 2-inch QVGA colour screen, FM radio and comes in a 4GB capacity and will give you about 30 hours of music playback.

Available exclusively from Argos, Sony.co.uk and Sony Centres, it will be on sale from 15 October, and will set you back ?99.99.

Related links:

• Buy it! - Argos.co.uk

Tags: Audio Sony Walkman Hannah Montana MP3 players Photos

PHOTOS: Hannah Montana E-series Sony Walkman originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:22:47 +0100

Olympus has introduced the WS-560M digital voice recorder and mass storage device with the bold claims that it's "the sleekest and most eye-catching product on the market".
?
With six recording modes including Windows Media Audio and three stereo options, the WS-560M also gets playback of MP3 and WAV and advanced noise cancellation technologies.

Offering 4GB of memory, the WS-560M boasts 1000 hours of recording in long-play mode. There's USB connectivity to hook it up to your PC, and the device also charges via USB boasting "long" battery life.
?
Measuring 94.8 x 38 x 11mm, the WS-560M gets an LCD display and integrated speaker, comes in brown and is available from ?129.99.

Tags: Gadgets Olympus Olympus WS-560M Digital voice recorders USB gadgets Audio MP3 players Flash drives

Olympus WS-560M digital voice recorder launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:58:29 +0100

SanDisk has announced the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player in the UK, the successor to the SanDisk Sansa Clip with that "+" coming in the form of a microSD memory card slot.

As the name might suggest, the player gets a clip on the back for wearability, a 1-inch OLED display, an FM tuner with 40 presets, voice recorder, equaliser, and up to 15 hours of rechargable battery life.

The player is certified to play nice with Windows 7 while file support comes in with MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Audible files with support for Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and others.

Available in red, blue or black, the Clip+ comes in three capacities with the 2GB model around ?38, the 4GBer at ?46 and the 8GB device priced at ?63.

Related links:

• PHOTOS - SanDisk Sansa Clip+

Tags: Audio MP3 players SanDisk SanDisk Sansa Clip+

SanDisk Sansa Clip+ launches in UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:19:00 +0100

The iRiver B30 is now on sale in the UK through Digital Audio Distribution, the exclusive distributor of iRiver goodies on our fair isle.

The B30 offers DAB radio on the go plus all the features of a portable media player.

Boasting "crystal clear digital audio" the device offers SRS WOW sound enhancement and SRS Circle Surround Headphone with the boasts of 5.1 sound with standard headphones.

On the DAB side, the B30 offers an RPG, the ability to record programmes and support for DAB+ for a tidy bit of future-proofing.

The B30 gets a G-Sensor that auto-adjusts to watch videos in landscape mode and the ability to shake the player to change tracks.

With the claim of a user-friendly interface, the B30 has a touch-sensitive control surface with haptic feedback.

Battery life claims come in at 40 hours for music and 6 hours for video. Storage-wise the B30 is available in 8GB and 16GB models that are expandable via microSD card.

The iRiver B30 is available from ?139 from www.dadaudio.co.uk.

Related links:

• Shop - DADAudio

Tags: Audio iRiver DAB Radios PMPs Digital Audio Distribution MP3 players

iRiver B30 DAB radio and PMP on sale in UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:08:10 +0100

The European Union has demanded that MP3 player and mobile phone manufacturers decrease the volume on their output, in a concession to the risk of deafness. The consumer protection unit said that the new rules are aimed at teenagers, reports the AFP.

"It can take years for the hearing damage to show, and then it is simply too late," said the head of the unit, Meglena Kuneva. "These standards make small technical changes to players so that by default, normal use is safe".

That default limit is 80 decibels - about the same as a vacuum cleaner or alarm clock. It's possible to override those settings, but users would be then given a warning about the risks they're taking. "If consumers choose to over-ride the default settings they can", said Kuneva.

The proposals have a two-year timeframe for comment from the industry, before they're brought into force. Malcolm Harbour, chairman of the European parliament's consumer protection committee and Tory MP, commented: "Hopefully it will reduce the number of times we have to listen to the din of someone else's personal stereo on the bus or the tube".

The EU is also looking into the exploding iPhone phenomenon, with Kuneva saying: "If goods are dangerous, then we will order a recall".

Read

Related links:

• News - Apple adds volume limiting to iPods
• News - Man sues Apple over iPod volume

Tags: Audio MP3 players EU Mobile phones

EU imposes music player volume limit originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:53:19 +0100

Sony Japan has unveiled an update to its A-Series line of Walkman MP3 players - the NW-A840. It joins the B-, E- X- and S-series players, but offers storage capacities of up to 64GB and a 2.8-inch WQVGA OLED display.

It has a thickness of 7.2mm, and - in a first for Sony's Walkman players - offers a TV-out slot that can pump out 720 x 480 video to an external display. It also has an S-Master digital amp, FM radio, digital noise cancelling and comes as standard with some rather nice MDR-EX300SL earphones.

Sony hasn't included the Wi-Fi or touchscreen that are present on the X-series in this model, but it does have niceties like drag-and-drop auto-converting video transfer, DSEE, and lyric display on the player. It appears to support MP3, WMA, AAC, HE-AAC, ATRAC, ATRAC AL, and PCM/WAV formats for audio, and AVC (H2.64), MPEG-4 and WMV video.

Battery life looks to be 29 hours of audio and 9 hours of video, but there's no indication yet of a release outside of Japan for this player. When we hear more, we'll be sure to let you know.

Read

Related links:

• News - Sony Ericsson offers Ed Hardy-themed W595 Walkman
• Link - Sony Japan

Tags: Audio MP3 players Sony Walkman PMPs Sony NW-A840 Walkman OLED Video

VIDEO: Sony unveils NW-A840 Walkman originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:49:09 +0100

The next iteration of the Sansa Clip will shortly be landing on these shores, expected to be officially announced at the end of September.

The new dinky player might not be as small as the iPod shuffle, but it packs in a fair number of features, as well as the namesake clip on the back.

It has a small OLED display so you can actually see what you are listening to and navigate the basic menus available, whilst it can also boast Windows 7 certification out of the box.

Available in 2, 4 and 8GB sizes, we managed to get our hands on the inbound player. Stay tuned for more info on prices and the exact date it will be hitting shelves.

Related links:

• News - SanDisk Clip+ MP3 player announced

Tags: Audio MP3 players SanDisk SanDisk Sansa Clip+ Photos

PHOTOS: SanDisk Sansa Clip+ originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:36:59 +0100

The Microsoft Zune HD is now available in the States, while an update for the Zune PC software has also now been released.

For the first time, both standard and high-def movies can be purchased or rented through the Zune Marketplace online store, while a new streaming music service on Zune.net lets Zune Pass subscribers listen to music from a web browser.

As many readers will know, the Zune HD gets an OLED multi-touch screen, an NvidiaTegra HD processor, gaming functions, a web browser - oh - and music and video playback.

Later this year, the Zune will get applications such as Twitter for Zune and Facebook for Zune, in addition to 3D games.

The Zune HD is available now in a black 16GB version for $219.99 and a platinum 32GB version for $289.99.

Although there's no confirmed plans for a hardware launch in the UK or Europe, Microsoft's Zune video service will be rolled out later this autumn to Xbox LIVE users.

Read

Related links:

• PHOTOS - Zune HD

Tags: Audio MP3 players Zune PMPs Microsoft Zune HD Software updates Gaming Home Cinema Xbox Live OLED

Zune HD goes on sale in the US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:17:16 +0100

With no Beatles, no camera in the touch and no axing of the classic, the biggest announcement of Apple's 09.09.09 press conference was the 5th generation iPod nano, and even that was nearly overshadowed by the return of Steve Jobs.

Very little has changed for the second smallest of the pods on the outside. The dimensions of the oval cross-section, almost flat rectangular device are identical to the previous generation with the only real differences a slightly larger 2.2-inch screen (up 0.2" on the 4th gen) and more mini control wheel. It's also gained just 6g more in weight to bring the nano up to a still teeny-tiny 36g. Even the colour range is identical aside a tweak in the green and a change to a polished aluminium finish which, as it happens, is very becoming indeed.

Let's cut to the chase though. We can talk FM radios and pedometers in a bit, but it's the video camera we all want to know about. The first thing to note is that it's in a really bad position - on the back, at the bottom and essentially right where you normally hold it. You cannot grip it like you would any other pocket camcorder and mobile phone unless you just want a stream of dark footage of your index finger.

You can get around that by holding it the other way up but then that means you can only grip the edges because you don't want to cover up the screen and spoil your view. Thankfully, the accelerometer allows you to record either in landscape or portrait position - do note that you can't switch once you've started filming though - but there's still a bit of a dance of the fingers to make sure you're blocking neither the lens nor your view of the action.

The trouble is that there was simply no room for Apple to put the camera behind the screen. The thing's just too damn thick, so all the engineers could do was tuck it away in the corner. You get used to it eventually but you'll still get fingers in the shot every now and then.

The lens itself is very well protected and, in fact, you're not going to have many issues with scratching up any part of the device from the lovely clear screen to the finish itself - except, perhaps, for the matte Apple logo on the back.

The tiny dot next to the lens is the mono microphone which actually tested a lot better than most pocket camcorders. It picked up very quiet sounds indeed. Very useful for stealth vids and the dictaphone function.

The quality of the footage is pretty good too - not stunning but perfectly decent. The resolution is only at 640 x 480 VGA level which automatically drops it down below just about any modern pocket camcorder and mobile phone. That would have been ok 2 years ago, but you just can't say it's really good enough for YouTube with with the site's HD options.

On the other hand, the colour palate is remarkably good compared to the Flip Mino HD which was used in our tests as a typical pocket camcorder competitor. The colours were very much washed out with the Flip compared to a very impressive vibrancy you could capture with the nano.

Sadly, the advantage was lost in low light conditions where the iPod nano really seemed to break down completely. The Apple camcorder could barely pick up the colours at all and there was horrible pixelation where the internal gubbins was doing its best to approximate an image.

It's was a similar story at the macro level. In very good light, the nano performed well but even at just normal indoor lighting levels you can see pixelation of the close up subjects making for a very unreal looking image. In fairness, the Flip doesn't do so wonderfully itself, but at least the picture's good as soon as the focus kicks in.

On the plus side, the iPod nano manges a decent 30fps frame rate allowing for fairly smooth shots with reasonably fast action for a camera of its size - possibly made slightly more forgiving by its lower resolution. There also seems to be a wide-angle to the lens as well, which is preferable on these on-the-fly party type devices. After all you don't want to have to stand 5 metres from your mates to get them all in and end up recording the conversations of other people off-camera rather than what your friends are talking about.

The 15 effects filters also add a bit of fun to the proceedings. There's mock-thermal imaging, Cyborg mode, grainy film, motion blur and x-ray (negative) all of which you can see in our test footage here as well as some of the other conditions we put both the nano and the Flip through. Other effects also include twist, light tunnel and other usual suspects that Mac users will be familiar with. You can't change them once the camera is rolling but you can overlay them live to choose which one is going to look best.

Lastly, and most criminally of all, is that, as announced, it is indeed not possible to take stills shots with the new nano. There's a bag full of explantions why Apple didn't feel it was necessary but, at the end of the day, an AF system alone would probably have just been far too much for the little nano to take on board. So, you'll have to settle for taking stills from your video editing software. You do have video editing software, right? Oh.

The files are recorded as H.264 and, surprisingly enough, the video camera function doesn't seem to eat into the 24 hours audio/5 hours video battery life too badly.

The FM radio is probably the next most significant addition to the 5th generation and, joy of joys, it's actually very good indeed - excellent, you might even say. The reception is clear and steady, once you've stuck in your headphones as the antenna; the song tagging would work fine if it supported the service in the UK and the presets feature is obvious with a typically Apple user-friendly and attractive interface. The best part of all is that you can pause the radio for up to 15 minutes while you take a call that you just can't ignore. All good stuff.

A pedometer has been added to the nano with much of the Nike+ functionality from the touch and iPhone. It skips the odd step at the beginning and end of your walk/jog and any little hops you might make but otherwise the accuracy is as good as you need and the calorie counter is as depressingly obvious as ever.

Apple has also thrown in the VoiceOver feature from the shuffle which means that your PMP can tell you what it's playing without having to actually look at the screen. This is all very well in theory but seeing as the iPod nano only comes with the basic Apple earphones with no remote, it rather makes the whole thing pointless until you choose to splash out on the next ones up.

The Genius playlists feature is doing just fine and, of course, since the addition of iTunes 9, there's also the Genius Mixes. It's much harder to find out what the songs on these mixes are than on iTunes itself and even the 3rd generation iPod touch, but as long as you entrust your ears to the nano, the feature still works fine.

The only other major problem with this device is that now that the control wheel has shrunk even further, it makes the thing even more fiddly to use. It's not quite critical but it does take a little extra care which, like the positioning of the video camera, is a most non-Apple piece of design. Worse still, is that on the particular model we tested, the centre select button was quite intermittent. You'll notice on one or two of the short clips above the difficulties we had pressing it to stop recording.

Verdict:

To judge the 5th generation iPod nano as an MP3 player alone would be easy enough. It's still an excellent little machine. It's strong, beautifully crafted and just a real pleasure to own. The sound quality is as good as we've come to expect from the iPod family and the screen, although too much to watch an entire film on, is fantastic given its size. Unfortunately, apart from the FM transmitter, you could have said much the same about the 4th generation model and, as it happens, we did.

Since Apple added a video camera, clearly positioning it as a competitor to a pocket camcorder, then we have to judge it on those lines too. The new functionality is very reasonable given the small frame on the device but it's not a patch on a dedicated video recorder. It offers something better than most phones but isn't even top dog there. At the end of the day, you still have to take a camcorder out with you and a stills device as well. Nice bit of fun but it just doesn't solve any problems.

The tricky part is that, regardless, iPod nano is still more of a pleasure than the rest of its class and, until there's a camcorder that plays music as well as this unit can, then does it really matter how impressive the camera is or isn't in this case?

Related links:

• Buy - Apple iPod nano at John Lewis

Tags: Audio MP3 players Apple iPod iPod nano Apple iPod nano

Apple iPod nano (5th Gen) originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:59:38 +0100

It's not an easy task to review something ostensibly identical to another you've looked at before but that's pretty much what we're faced with by the 3rd generation AppleiPod touch. The first thing you'll notice when you break through the wrappings, the sellotape and the box and finally get the device into your hands is that it's true. It doesn't have a camera. There's even a blank space on the otherwise perfect mirrored back where the one on the iPhone would normally be, and that pretty much sets the standard. You just have to trust that all the technological advancements are on the inside.

The iPod touch still measures an iPhone but slimmer 110 ? 61.8 ? 8.5 mm. It still weighs the same 115g. It still has a beautifully crisp and pixel dense 3.5-inch 380 x 320 colour screen in a 3:2 aspect and it still skates on the edge of not supporting enough file types with just AAC, AIFF, Apple Lossless, Audible, MP3, WAV, Protected AAC in its audio arsenal; BMP, JPEG, TIFF, GIF for images and just MPEG on the video front. In fact, the only difference you'll notice on the outside is that now, you can get one with the legend "64GB" etched into it. After every other disappointment it nearly makes your day.

That said, the iPod touch is still a heartbreakingly beautiful thing to hold, arguably more so than the iPhone with its even more svelte form and simply delicious weight. It's just the right size to slip into your jeans pocket and almost forget that it's there; a breathtaking feat of engineering.

So, how about the stuff you don't see? Well, the biggest bump for the third generation is at the heart of the device - the CPU and the RAM. Both have been raised to match the iPhone 3GS, so it's now packed with a 833MHz ARM-Cortex 8 processor that's been underclocked to 600MHz most likely to protect the battery life. As it goes, the battery has dropped a little on the last incarnation going down from 36 hours for audio to 30 - either the result of a more realistic estimate than the first time or quite possibly because of having more power-hungry insides.

The performance is indeed far smoother as Apple has said. The approximation given is 50% faster and, although in practice it's a tricky thing to measure, the experience isnoticeably better. Scolling about from screen to screen on the device has even an edge on the 3GS but the boost is at its most obvious when running the faster game apps now able to render high speed action all the smoother.

The second nice advance is the doubling of the flash memory to a now far more substantial 64GB touted as enough to hold 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video depending on your quality options. It comes at quite the high price of ?299 and begins to make one wonder if it isn't worth splashing out the extra to get an iPhone. If you're happier with a 32GB model, you'll be pleased to see it costing fractionally more than the now ceased 16GB at ?229 and suddenly the 8GB version looks very cheap indeed at just ?149. Probably best hold back on the videos with that one though.

One strange pleasure of all iPods is that they arrive charged and ready to go. There's nothing quite like the agony of having to wait eight hours for something to fully power up before you're allowed to turn it on, particularly after all the excitement of getting it home in the first place. Of course, the other bonus with the 3rd gen touch is that not only is it charged but it also comes loaded with the iPhone OS 3.1 software. It's not quite the jump for joy moment it could be seeing as the price has just been reduced to ?2.99 but you learn to be grateful for small mercies.

The software brings Voice Control as directed from the microphone of the legendarily bland headphones. The range of phrasing understood by the device is initially impressive but drops slightly below company track record after being told that it doesn't recognise the phrase "U2" for the fourth time. Novelty-ware aside, the addition of the Genius Mixes feature from iTunes 9 along with the Genius Playlists from the version before is a welcome bonus to the handheld. Doubtless the LP software will follow soon.

Verdict:
All Apple could really have done to make the 3rd generation iPod touch significantly better was to add a camera or something else impossible like the ability to make your dinner. There's a temptation to slate the device for not being different enough but, at the end of the day, it's a decision that needs to stand on its own. The question is should you buy it and the answer is whole-heatedly - yes. Those with a second gen model need not apply but if you're looking for a top endPMP, then this is it, certainly until we get a good look at the Zune HD . It's quite expensive but then that's to be expected and, for the time being, it's still the best gadget in its class and, for the record, none of its other competitors have a camera either.

As a gaming device, it's still a long way behind the PSP and DSi but that's got as much to do with the games as anything else. So, if you're looking for purely that purpose, then it's not the one for you. As a PMP, though, look no further - especially with the launch of the Spotify app for iPhone.

Related links:

• Feature - Spotify App: iPhone versus Android

Tags: Audio MP3 players Apple iPod iPod Touch Apple iPod touch

Apple iPod touch (3rd Gen) originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:55:03 +0100

Want to see what the inside of the new iPod nano looks like? Of course you do and it turns out so do the guys at iFixit.com who have spent the day ripping one apart literally.

The outcome? Seems that Apple really has packed in the technology as much as they can with no room, as CEO Steve Jobs confirmed to put in a still camera alongside a video one.

Choice findings from Kyle and his team include gems like:

"This iPod employs copious amounts of glue and adhesive to hold everything together. That makes it easy for Apple to put together, but hard to take apart. We had to remove the camera bezel before we could start the disassembly."

And

"Including the mount, the iPhone camera is thicker than the ENTIRE new iPod nano!"

Looks like when this one breaks you'll be buying a new one rather than trying to repair it.

Read

Tags: Audio MP3 players Apple iPod iPod nano iFixit

iPod nano 5th Gen gets torn apart originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:59:56 +0100

Philips has announced the launch of the GoGear Muse, a new PMP that comes complete with noise-cancelling headphones.

It also offers Philips FullSound tech which claims to enhance dynamic, bass, treble and stereo imaging of compressed MP3 files, restoring them closer to the levels found on the original recording as well as "balance" soft and loud tracks.

Available in 16GB and 32GB memory sizes and measuring 110 x 55 x 8.9mm, the player offers a 3-inch screen, supports MP3, WMA, AAC, APE, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Real Audio and WAV, as well as MPEG4, WMV9 and RMVB.

Philips says the noise cancelling headphones feature inbuilt microphones on the ear buds to detect and measure the background noise while a digital signal processor then creates an equal noise but in opposite phase to cancel out the unwanted sound.

Finally, the player's battery life is said to be good for 30 hours of music playback or six hours of video.

The GoGear Muse is available now in 16GB and 32GB memory sizes with estimated pricing of ?159 and ?179.

Tags: Audio MP3 players Philips Phlips GoGear Muse PMPs Headphones

Philips GoGear Muse media player launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:40:21 +0100

Steve Jobs has answered criticism over the lack of camera on the new iPod touch by saying that the move was based on getting the device to be as cheap as possible rather than feature rich.

In a Q and A session with the New York Times, the Apple CEO has said that although Apple weren't "exactly sure how to market the Touch" at first it soon became apparent that games was the way forward:

"We started to market it that way, and it just took off. And now what we really see is it's the lowest-cost way to the App Store, and that's the big draw. So what we were focused on is just reducing the price to $199. We don't need to add new stuff ? we need to get the price down where everyone can afford it."

Criticising Amazon, Jobs questions whether or not the Kindle is actually the success the company makes out to be:

"I think the general-purpose devices will win the day because I think people just probably aren't willing to pay for a dedicated device. You notice Amazon never says how much they sell; usually if they sell a lot of something, you want to tell everybody."

Steve Jobs also said that the reason the new iPod nano isn't able to snap still shots is down to the a size issue:

"The sensors for doing video are fairly thin. The sensors for doing a still camera, at much higher pixel resolution ? and we'd really like to have autofocus ? they are just way too thick to ever fit inside the Nano."

Read

Tags: Audio Apple iPod MP3 players Amazon Kindle

Steve Jobs explains lack of camera in iPod touch, questions Kindle success originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:44:19 +0100

The clues were all there, but as always the Apple faithful wished for more than the company could deliver.

In the end the one-hour keynote presentation presented Apple fans with a faster iPod touch, a nano with digital camera and an update to the iTunes store.

There was no Beatles announcement, no iPod touch with camera, no iPod classic with camera and certainly no iTablet so how did the rumour mill fair?

iPod touch with camera

Reality?

No

iPod nano with camera

Reality?

Yes

iPod classic with camera

Reality?

No

iPod classic to be discontinued

Reality?

No

New iPod shuffle

Reality?

Kinda

Beatles coming to iTunes

Reality?

No

iTunes 9

Reality?

Yes

Apple TV

Reality?

No

Apple iTablet

Reality?

No

The return of Jobs

Reality?

Yes

Cause for more rumours

Reality?

Yes

Related links:

• News - The Beatles heading to iTunes says Yoko Ono

Tags: Audio iPod Apple Beatles iTunes MP3 players Rumours iPhone

Beatles and iPod touch camera no show, what happened? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:44:01 +0100

Apple has refreshed its entire iPod range in an event in San Francisco, but the model which saw the most new features was the iPod nano. It's been given both hardware and software overhaul in an attempt to make it appeal to a wider market beyond just music. But can the new updates achieve those goals? Pocket-lint was hands-on at the event to find out.

Cutting to the chase, the headline addition is the video camera. Megapixel details aren't being dished out, but what we do know is that the nano will sport a 640 x 480 resolution, which the company is touting as having incredibly clarity.

In our very brief testing, we found the quality good enough - though a 640 x 480 video isn't going to look great pumped through an 40-inch HD TV. The nano is about sharing, not making that indie film.

One puzzling problem we've discovered is that the camera can't take still photos - only video. Apple representatives at the London event told us that it's easy to grab stills from the device when you upload the videos to iMovie, but it seems like a bizarre omission from the device.

The slightly bigger screen didn't make too much of an impact on us it has to be said - it's as competent as its predecessor. Video still looks good when you've not got light shinning on the screen, but it picks up reflections very easily thanks to the gloss finish - something that might cause issues in the light of day.

It's not just about video. There's a number of other additions, too. An FM radio brings the nano up to the standards of other players on the market, but the addition of Genius playlists is more welcome. If you're not sure what you want to listen to, then you can pick a preset playlist automatically compiled from your MP3 collection by the software. No more random German techno amongst your classical collection...

There's a voice recording app, which will probably be most useful for students wanting to record lectures, and a pedometer for fitness enthusiasts to hook up to the Nike+ system. Lastly, there's also the text-to-voice functionality of the shuffle - so you don't have to take your nano out of your pocket to find out what song is playing.

Verdict:
As with any Apple product, the nano commands a price premium - in this case, it's ?115 for 8GB and ?125 for 16GB. You can get an alternative product, like the Sansa Clip, for half that, although the Apple faithful will claim that you don't get the same eco system and support around it.

But when you're buying something from Apple, you know you're getting something good, and the nano, certainly as a music player, won't disappoint. It's packed full of useful functionality and "why didn't the other manufacturers think of that?" features.

Only the omission of a stills setting left us scratching our heads, but that doesn't detract much from what seems, from our brief play, to us to be an excellent, if overpriced, MP3 player and mini video recorder.

Tags: Audio MP3 players iPod Apple iPod nano

Apple iPod nano 5th gen - First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:17:10 +0100

Apple's just finished its Rock n Roll event in San Francisco, but what was launched and what do we think?

We sat down with Randall Bennett from TechVi to discuss what went down, what was launched, and what was exciting?

Was the iPod nano worth waiting for? What about iTunes 9? And did the Beatles make a show? Watch the video to find out.

Enjoy.

Read

Tags: Audio iPod Apple iPod nano TechVi Video MP3 players

VIDEO: We talk with TechVi about Apple Rock n Roll event originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:51:05 +0100

Apple has released a promotional video for the new iPod nano, which sports a video recorder and an FM radio on board.

As you can see from the video above, Apple will allow you to add a number of effects to the footage however, the company disappointingly confirmed to Pocket-lint that the new device won't let you take still pictures out and about. Instead users will be force to record video and then manually grab still shots from the footage once connected to their PC or Mac.

The camera records in 640 x 480 resolution, so any snaps you take out won't be suitable for photo printing. They should, however, be fine for using on the web or on social media sites.

It can record video in portrait or landscape, and has a built-in mic and speaker that lets you capture and play back audio. Recording time isn't limited, either - it'll take as much video as you've got space for on the device.

Related links:

• News - PHOTOS: iPod nano colour options
• Reviewed - ipod nano 5th Gen with video

Tags: Audio iPod Apple iPod nano Video Cameras Camcorders Radios MP3 players

VIDEO: New Apple nano won't take stills, says video good enough originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:26:07 +0100

Here's a few quick snaps of the colour options now available when you pick up one of the new iPod nanos.

There are nine to choose from, including a "Product Red" option. They comprise of white, black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and pink. All are options for the same price point - ?115 for 8GB and ?135 for 16GB.

Five colours have also been made available for the shuffle - grey, black, blue, green and pink - they cost ?45 for 2GB and ?60 for 4GB. There's a stainless steel "premium" option too, which costs ?75.

Related links:

• News - iPod touch, classic, shuffle and nano overhauled
• Reviewed - iPod nano 5th Gen with video

Tags: Audio iPod Apple Cameras Photos iPod nano Product Red MP3 players

PHOTOS: iPod nano colour options originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:18:43 +0100

Apple has just announced the new iPod nano and we were on hand to get a close look and grab a handful of pictures for you.

Apple told us, as expected, that the iPod nano will be getting a video camera and speaker. The screen has been lengthened to 2.2-inch diagonally.

However we've already spotted that you won't be able to take still pictures or download any apps for the device.

The nano is also getting "Genius Mixes", text-to-speech functionality from the iPod shuffle, and an FM radio device - something other manufacturers have provided for some time. There's also a pedometer and a voice recording application.

The 8GB model will be $149 in the US and ?115 in the UK, and the 16GB will be $179 in the US and ?135 in the UK. Both are available today.

Related links:

• News - Next-gen iPod nano to get a built-in camera
• Reviewed - iPod Nano 5th Gen with video

Tags: Audio iPod Apple Cameras Photos iPod nano MP3 players

PHOTOS: iPod nano 5th gen originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:05:08 +0100

It doesn't have the camera that the rumour mill was promising, however it does pack a whopping 64GB of storage space for all those movies and music you've now got somewhere.

Focusing on games, games and more games, the iPod touch gets a slight refresh in size and speed, however fails to expand much further - many were expecting the addition of a camera.

"It's an entry-level app store experience - it has a fantastic set of apps, it's a fantastic movie player, a fantastic music player," an Apple dude told us at the London event, to which we replied:

"But not a fantastic camera?"

The response we got was that "You'll need the iPhone for that."

The iPod touch features up to 30 hours of music playback or six hours of video playback on a single charge. The 8GB model holds up to 1,750 songs, 10,000 photos and 10 hours of video; the 32GB model holds up to 7,000 songs, 40,000 photos or 40 hours of video; and the 64GB model holds up to 14,000 songs, 90,000 photos or 80 hours of video.

The 32GB and 64GB models also include up to 50% faster performance and support for even better graphics with Open GL ES 2.0.

The 8GB iPod touch is now available for ?149, along with the iPod touch 32GB model for ?229 and 64GB model for ?299.

Related links:

• News - Apple iPod Touch 3rd generation model snapped

Tags: Audio iPod Apple iPod Touch Photos MP3 players

PHOTOS: iPod touch 64GB originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:54:26 +0100

Dell has snuck out a teaser for a new laptop model within its thin Adamo range on Wednesday.

"9/9/09 comes only once and today Dell is offering a glimpse of its highly stylized, thin 9.99-mm Adamo By Dell concept that's as beautiful as today's date is unique," says the company in an email to Pocket-lint.

All the company offers up thereafter though is a picture of a thin laptop and the url www.dell.com/AdamoXPS, suggesting it reflects the

"the concept's unique, super-slim profile."

The XPS range is normally reserved for gaming machines implying that the company could be about to launch a stylish ultra-thin machine aimed at First Person Shooters.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

We will keep you posted.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Dell Dell Adamo XPS MP3 players

Dell teases with 9.99m thick Dell Adamo XPS laptop originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:14:24 +0100

Apple has announced, as expected, that the iPod nano will be getting a video camera and speaker. The screen has been lengthened to 2.2-inch diagonally.

In a move that had been predicted for some time thanks to cases leaked by Chinese manufacturers. Jobs talked up the thinness and capacity of the nano, as well as the quality of the camera that's getting integrated into the device.

However - one drawback is that the camera can't take still photos - only video. Apple told us that it records in 640 x 480, so any still you want to take out will have to be done in iMovie on your computer. It doesn't, however, have any maximum record time - it's only limited by however much storage you have left.

The nano is also getting genius mixes, text-to-speech functionality from the iPod shuffle, and an FM radio device - something other manufacturers have provided for some time. There's also a pedometer and a voice recording application.

The 8GB model will be $149 in the US and ?115 in the UK, and the 16GB will be $179 in the US and ?135 in the UK. Both are available today.

Related links:

• Reviewed - iPod nano 5th Gen

Tags: Audio Cameras Camcorders Apple iPod MP3 players

Apple iPod nano 5th Gen gets video camera originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:06:41 +0100

Apple has confirmed the rumours and announced a 3rd generation iPod touch, a new iPod classic, iPod nano and an update to the iPod shuffle in a full refresh of the company's music player range.

The basic stats are that the touch is getting a price cut, as previously detailed by Pocket-lint, along with a 50% faster processor and a more powerful graphics chip that can handle OpenGL 2.0, however no camera.

The 8GB iPod touch is now available for ?149, along with the iPod touch 32GB model for ?229 and 64GB model for ?299.

The iPod classic is also getting a refresh - a capacity upgrade to 160GB at the same $249 price in the US and ?189 in the UK. Apple says that should fit 40,000 songs on.

The iPod shuffle is getting an adaptor that allows you to use any headset with the device following a barrage of complaints over the previous version, and there'll also be a whole bundle of "made for iPod" headphones complete with inline remote controls.

It can now support multiple playlists, too. It's getting black, silver, pink, green and blue colours, and a $59 2GB model in the US and ?45 in the UK will be offered in those colours, too.

There'll be a special edition offered, which costs $99 for a 4GB model made of stainless steel.

Finally the iPod nano will get a camera, as per rumours, and allow users to snap and video their life.

If that wasn't enough, perhaps conforming to every other MP3 player on the market, the nano will also get an FM radio.

It will cost ?149 in the UK and $199 in the US.

Related links:

• News - Apple slashes iPod prices ahead of media event

Tags: Audio iPod Apple iPod Touch iPod nano iPod shuffle iPod classic MP3 players

iPod touch, classic, shuffle and nano overhauled originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:06:01 +0100