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With Apple, it’s all about enigma, spiced with some mystery and tidbits that show up in the wild from time to time, make you wondering if it’s fake or real, specially when unofficial images emerge to the cybernetic medium, introducing new ipod Nano and ipod Touch players with a refreshing design and mint dimensions.

This time, these are the guys from iLounge who break the news with sketchy pictures of the presumable future devices, that will probably make it official at the Apple event on Thursday the 9th this month. From those pictures, we learn that Apple plans to release a 4th generation iPod nano and a 2nd generation iPod touch, while the new Nano measures at 90.75mm x 38.75mm x 6.08mm (compared to 90mm x 40mm x 6.5mm 2nd Gen nano), and the new iPod touch looks like the iPhone 3G, with a curved back and tapered edges, sized at 111mm x 61.8mm x 8.4mm (against 110mm x 61.8mm x 8mm at the first ipod touch version) with the same headphone jack and dock ports. Mind you, these are unofficial images, so you’d better hold your breath for the real thing next week.

[via iLounge]

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Apple has just released firmware version 2.0.1 for iphone and ipod touch devices, available for downloading through your iTunes, 3 weeks after introducing the 2.0 buggy edition. The new update weights 250MB(!) and presumabley, blocks your jailbroken handsets, but not for long, we’re still waiting for Dev-Team to officialy release their ultimate software solution. Meanwhile, if you like your unlocked applications, you should patiently wait, otherwise, in-plan users can update their phone without any problems. Stay tuned for more bug fixing updates and other related news.

Update1: it seems the 3G network browsing works much faster than previous version. Checkout the video after the break.

Update2: several iPhone 3G users are reporting carrier error on both Windows and Mac OS X versions. In this case, restore to the previous 2.0 firmware.

[via slashgear]

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Macally announces the release of the iVoicePro, a voice and audio recorder for your iPod, which supports iPod (5th Gen), iPod nano (2nd and 3rd Gen), and iPod classic devices.  The new iVoicePro is equipped with a built-in microphone, an external speaker, LED status indicator, input mode switch, 3.5mm output jack and even a USB port to charge your players while recording stuff. Unfortunately, there’s no info concerning price or availability at the moment, but you can expect this one to go out soon.

[via gmp3]

I guess that should have happened long time ago but it’s better late than never, as The Simpsons arrive to the iPod in a few different styles that are engraved onto different iPod devices, including iPod Classic 80/160GB ($329 and $439), Nano 4/8GB ($219 and $269), Shuffle 1/2GB ($89 and $109), and iPod Touch 8/16/32GB ($389, $499 and $599). Naturally, they cost a little more but you will be able to add your name or other caption at your choice. Mind you, there are only 2000 pieces of each, so if you consider yourself a real Homer junky, you should hurry up.

[via chipchick]

We all face the difficulties in controlling our iPod player as we drive our car or do some sport activities. To solve this problem DirectVoxx has developed the Muso, a voice recognition dongle that jams into the bottom of the player and allows to access your music libraries with natural voice commands. Mind you, no training required so you can start commanding your iPod from the moment the Muso is plugged in, by simply offering requests such as “play me Madonna”, or “play me something like the last song.” Having said that, the Muso is not a cheap solution and if you look for this kind of accessory, it is expected to make a debut on Xmas time for $159, which is probably more expensive than your very own nano. Meanwhile, checkout the video after the break.

[via techvibes]

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iPhone and iPod Touch owners, this is your moment, as Apple has officially released the latest firmware 2.0 version, available for download via iTunes. Mind you, there’s a load on the servers and it might be slow, but if you’re determined to get one, in order to access the new App Store, i guess nothing will stop you from upgrading your devices. Don’t forget, ipod touch users have to pay $9.95 to get firmware 2.0 update.

iPhone firmware 2.0 update is available in here.

ipod touch firmware 2.0 update is available via iTunes Store, in here.

As you probably know, Apple has launched its new App Store with over 500 applications for your iphone and ipod touch devices, some are free some are priced. We’ve already posted a preliminary list of cool applications to download and i guess you’d like to see some new available games, so here’s a quick look at some of them, just hit the jump for more:

Aqua Forest

Fantastic game that uses both touchscreen and accelerometer capabilities to play with realistic water via ‘OctaveEngine’, a new generation physics simulation software that controls the five categories, including Tilting, Touch, Drawing, Warm and Cold in 50 different puzzles (reminds “Physics”).

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Today, After tons of rumors, speculations and some unsuccessful mockups, Apple is finally releasing the new iPhone second generation – known as the iPhone 3G, across 22 countries, on 8:00 AM local time. The new iPhone 2 will have a 3G HSDPA connection which will allow users to surf the web, download emails, get directions, and watch videos 2.4 x times faster than previous model and 36% faster than the Nokia N95 and Palm Treo 750 devices in pageloads (according to Apple).

The second biggest thing, other than moving to 3G network, is the built-in GPS navigation system that was added to the new iPhone 3G. GPS technology and iPhone software come together to bring users mobile phone mapping, enabling fast fix on your location, track your progress as you go, help you get from point A to point B, by using GPS-based iPhone maps and A-GPS technology, which assists getting the signals from GPS satellites, Wi-Fi hot spots, and cellular towers. Once you get the signal, a GPS blue indicator will turn on, so you will be able to start using the relevant applications. However, GPS on iPhone is active only when you need it. iPhone powers the GPS unit on and off quickly and automatically, so it won’t adversely affect the battery life. With the new technology, assimilated inside the handset, you will be able to get from the App store some cool applications that will let you take a photo with the camera, for example, and iPhone will geotag it with GPS location information. Another neat application is the Loopt, that will let you use location feeds to help you find friends on the go, within your range, wherever you are. Moreover, you will be able to receive live traffic information, indicating traffic speed along your route in easy-to-read green, red, and yellow highlights.

As for look and specifications, the new iPhone 3G has a nice rounded sleeky design with a curved glossy back, coming in black or white flavors. It has the same good old 3.5-inch multi-touchscreen, identical 2 megapixel camera at the back (no front camera for video chats) and a flush 3.5mm headphone jack. Battery life presents substantial improvement, with 300 hours of standby, 5 hours of 3G talk, 8-10 hours of 2G talk, 7 hours of video and 24 hours of audio. Dimensions pretty much stay the same, although the new iPhone 3G is a little bit thicker, with 12.3 mm or 0.48 inches. However, we hear that it is hard to feel this extra inch difference and the sleeky arched design makes it much more comfortable in your hands.

You can find the complete keynote video here.

To learn more about the 22 countries to launch the new iPhone 3G and to see full specs and tips, just hit the jump and move forward, after the break.

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The lack of recording capabilities in iPod players brings companies to look for useful solutions. One of them is Alesis, who’ve created the ProTrack device that turns your iPod into a handheld digital stereo recorder, thanks to the two built-in condenser microphones and a pair of XLR – 1/4-inch inputs that enable external mics and line connection. Mind you, it can only work with iPod classic, iPod 5G, or iPod nano 2G/3G devices, so if capturing sound effects, recitals, jam sessions, speeches, interviews, rehearsals, performances, meetings, lectures, notes-to-self, or any other audio material directly to iPod is essential for you, and i bet it is, look for this one sometime in Q3, for undisclosed price. Check the specs after the break.

 [Alesis via Gizmodo]

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Japanese company, named RockRidgeSound, has announced the release of the iClooly, a nice iMac-inspired aluminum stand for your iPod Touch player, that serves as a 90° pivot with the ability to swivel it Horizontally or Vertically in a tilt of a finger. In addition, it can hook up to a dock-connector and a set of headphones, so you can watch your favorite movies hands-free. This nice accessory is expected to be released on June 7th for $47. More pictures after the break.

[via gmp3]

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iSlsk is a Soulseek P2P client that enables jailbroken iPhone or iPod Touch owners to download MP3 songs directly from their own devices. To do so, just connect to the Soulseek network with the iSlsk application and start importing your favorite music via your wifi connection. The application lets you manage your downloads and allows more than one song to be downloaded  at the same time. Mind you, there’s one glitch that hopefully will be fixed, if you sync your device with the iTunes library, your iSlsk songs will be erased, but it’s still worth a try. To install the application, just goto the Installer.App and find the iSlsk in the BigBoss repo at the Community Sources package. Checkout the video after the break.

[via lifehacker]

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There are many speakers that offer a direct connection to your mp3 player, but Mytunes looks like a great on-the-go choice, if you want to hook up your ipod and listen to your favorite music loudly. This mini amp connects to your player or your PC and provides clear tunes, powered by the USB connection or 3 AAA batteries. It is set to be released around mid-June but already available for pre-order, so you can buy yours for $40 in here.

[via slashgear]

Headstrong rumors claiming that Microsoft considers the opening of unique retail stores that will conspicuously market its own products. There is no doubt that Microsoft managers jealously squint at Apple’s success, thinking they can do the same, if not better. The only problem is that Apple has more hardware products to sell rather than Microsoft’s dominant software-based assortment. I mean, it’s not that Microsoft doesn’t have tangible things to offer, after all it does sell some great products like the Xbox 360 console, the Zune player, or complementary goods like video games and the accessories involved, not to mention the other peripherals such as webcam, keyboard or mouse. In addition, Microsoft sell retail software like Windows Vista and Microsoft Office, via affiliate partners and retailers. However, I’m not so sure it is the same variety as Apple’s products, including Mac, iPod and iPhone, with all the assorted accessories. Still, these are just rumors and I haven’t seen some major steps, coming from Microsoft direction, to carry out this project, but I am more than sure it crossed some Redmond minds. True or false, great or wrong, only time would tell.

[via macobserver]

It seems LG wants to have its own iPod Touch killer device, but we’re not so sure it’s going to work for them. The company introduces the new T80 PMP in Europe, coming with a 3-inch 260k colors touchscreen (429 x 240) and 4GB storage capacity. This player packs a DMB-TV tuner (TNT) , a built-in microphone, an FM tuner, and USB 2.0 interface. It is compatible with formats like MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, ASF, JPEG, TXT, MPEG and equipped with battery that plays 40 hours of audio, 5.5 hours of video and 2hours of TV. If you wish to have one, it will cost you quite a few – 299 euros ($470). Check out the video in here.

[via PMP Today]

This is a very funny video of a popular Singaporean blogger, named Wendy Cheng, who’ve been tricked to review an iPhone device, turned to be a fake clone. Seems she preferred the counterfeit piece that has a stylus support rather than the real deal, but she has a point stating the male designers should consider female needs. As for the results – real iphone gets only mediocre grade and a “fucking shitty” touchscreen, while the fake device gets a “not bad for a shitass China phone”.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.

[Clicknetwork.TV via gizmodo]

After many rumors floating around, the Nike+ SportBand device is coming up on April 10, for $59. This cool device provides (for those who’d prefer not to have an iPod player when they run) a real-time performance feedback during a run, including distance, pace, time and calories burned, in order to assist improving the training results by providing a simple link to the world’s largest running club on nikeplus.com. Furthermore, runners can get access to their own personal online trainer with Nike+ Coach, to build their own training programs and empower their levels. I just hope this new Nike product will make you all, couch potatoes, get  on your feet and start training.

[via gizmodo]

Creative wants to extend its audio lineup, introducing the X30, an X-Fi dock, designed for the iPod players. The new device sports a remote control, an S-video or an AV-output to connect your player directly to the tele, an audio output to plug a pair of speakers, and a USB hub. Unfortunately, there are no further details, but one thing is sure, the X30 won’t support any bluetooth or wireless streaming. The dock is set to be released in Europe around April for €79 ($125).

[via gmp3]

Hey boys… hey girls, iPod Shuffle gets inlaid. This 18 Karat diamond encrusted was created by jeweler artist, Thomas Heyerdahl, in purpose to be auctioned for charity in London. If you care for a lavish 1GB mp3 player, made of white and pink gold, just open your wallets and count $40,000 – it’s for a good cause, so don’t be stingy.

[via gmp3]

Fifth generation 30GB iPod Video owners, who wish to add a Bluetooth connectivity to their players, can easily do so with ipodhackers step-by step tutorial. First thing you have to do is to disassemble the device, then integrate a Bluetooth module into it, remove the hard disk and replace it with a Compact Flash card. The last is needed since the 30GB model is tight to house both the Bluetooth module and the original hard drive. If you are not tech geeks, don’t try to get into this advemture !

[via ipodhackers]

It’s super Tuesday, and Apple has a new announcement to make. This time the company slashes the iPod Shuffle 1GB price to merely 49$ and introducing a new 2GB model for 69$. No other changes concerning specs or colors. The new Shuffle 2GB will be available at the end of this month.

[via Apple]