Apple Fall Event Announcement: iPods, iTunes and Apple TV
On September 1st, Apple gathers journalists in San Francisco to announce its fall product line-up, and the crowd was not disappointed with what they see. Apple offers live streaming over the Internet, but only viewable on its devices. The stream disrupted after about 45 minutes and resumed from the beginning for unknown reason to me.
After the usual brag about new retail store opening and sale performance, Steve Jobs, Apple CEO start introducing the company new and refreshed products
- First in the line-up is IOS 4.1, which will be available during the week starting Sept 6th for iPhone and iPod Touch. The new version brings known fixes including Bluetooth, Approximate sensor , etc.. along with fixes are 2 more major features:
- High Dynamic Range photos: (HDR). With HDR, the camera automatically takes 3 copies for each photo taking with a normal, under and over exposed shot. The app then combines and produce an HDR optimal photo. User will be presented with the HDR and the normal exposed photos to choose.
- New Game Center that brings in multi-player game capability and new game discovery
- High Dynamic Range photos: (HDR). With HDR, the camera automatically takes 3 copies for each photo taking with a normal, under and over exposed shot. The app then combines and produce an HDR optimal photo. User will be presented with the HDR and the normal exposed photos to choose.
- A preview of iOS 4.2, available in November timeframe. The 4.2 version will finally unify iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad from OS version standpoint. Currently the iPad is still running on iOS 3.2.2
- iPad will inherits Multi-tasking, Folder and all the features that iPhone has (except Facetime, Phone,..)
- iPad will get Printing feature
- iPad will get AirPlay to stream its contents to the new Apple TV
- iPods. The current iPod Snuffle, Nano and Touch will get replaced with new models.
- iPod Shuffle goes back to its previous form factor and earned back physical click wheel; palylists, Genius mixes and VoiceOver are added to the feature list. 5 colors available and will be priced at $49 for the 2GB capacity
- iPod Nano gets a small square (3 cm) touch-screen; 46% smaller and 42% lighter; the new clip to replace the armband ; FM radio, 24 hrs battery life, 6 colors $149 for 8GB and $179 for the 16GB version. Beside the Nike app, there were no words on App capability. the camera seems to be gone.
- iPod Touch will be thinner, inherits the Retina display increasing 4x the pixels at 326 ppi, 24 bit color; The player will be powered by the Apple A4 Chip; 3-axis Gyro, iOS 4.1 with Game Center, Facetime Front/ rear Camera, HD video recording and 40 Hours of music playback. Three models based on capacity priced at $229 (8GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB). Available next week.
- iTunes 10, a new version of iTunes software will be available sometime today. Apple has drop the CD image in iTunes logo. The new iTunes uses simpler view and adds new feature called Ping, which brings the popular social networking feature to iTunes. You can find friends, people, artists and follow them to see their music activities, participate in conversation, comments, opinion. Your circle of friends can be set as private or public.
Ping feature is also available for iPhone and iPod Touch
- Apple TV: A smaller Apple TV was introduced with much more features than the model it replaces. The diminutive set-top device sports HDMI, USB, Optical Audio Out, WiFi (801.11n), Ethernet. All the contents are HD when available. Movies and TV shows (ABC, Fox) are on rental basis and stream over the Internet from Apple servers or from the desktop. No sync’ing is required. The rental fees will be $5 for first run HD movies (when it comes out on DVD) and $.99 per commercial-free HD TV shows (ABC and Fox). 30 days to start watching and 48 hrs to watch after you start.
Netflix subscribers can stream Netflix movies. YouTube videos and , Flickr photo streaming is available as well.
Contents from the Apple iPad can stream to Apple TV over WiFi using AirPlay feature in the upcoming iOS 4.2.
Apple TV will be available in 4 weeks starting today, Pre-order is opened.
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