Apple’s most ironically named event, ever
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Cynicism, That's Weird..., Updates, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle
Well, Apple’s “It’s only Rock ‘n Roll, but I like it” event has come to a close, and it had virtually nothing to do with Rock ‘n Roll, or even music in general. Sure, just about every announcement made today had something to do with the iPod, iPhone, or iTunes, yet it was all about apps, video cameras, price drops, and pedometers.
So, what did Apple announce? Well, new iPod touches with more capacity, faster processors (presumably matching the iPhone 3G S) and bigger storage (even bigger than the iPhone). New iPod nanos – also with video cameras – as well as a built-in pedometer for workouts and an FM radio (what? No AM!?!?!) The shuffle got no love, but did receive a price drop, so maybe someone will buy it now.
But the big news is iTunes 9, which got a major revamp to accommodate music apps. Yes, new Genius features for recommending apps you might like based on your buying preferences, new iPhone/iPod touch application managing from within iTunes, and new application ranking charts to make developers happier. Top it all off with the new iPhone/iPod touch OS 3.1, and you have a music-less announcement rivaling a Mac Pro unveiling. Even the much rumored Beatles announcement was a no-show. Sure, Apple announced they would now offer LP bundles for some albums which will tack on music videos and photos to Album purchases, but since iTunes pretty much single-handedly killed the album format, this two-minute announcement hardly warranted taking over the event poster.
All in all it was a pretty decent (albeit expected) series of nice hardware updates, and a nice update to iTunes (that should have come 2 years ago).
One more thing
But of course to any true Apple fan, the fact that we got to see Steve Jobs back on stage and standing on his own power was the biggest thrill of the afternoon (although I would have personally preferred to see him walk through some sort of hoop or something to prove there were no wires controlling him).
Not a good sign?
The new iPod shuffle has been one of the most polarizing products Apple has ever released. And whether you hate it, or are just pretending to love it because of an over developed sense of brand loyalty, one thing is for sure, it was a risky move on Apple’s part to simplify its most simplified iPod to the point of making it complicated.
Well, it looks like even Apple may not have drunk its own Kool-Aid this time, as it is still selling the 2nd Gen iPod shuffle on its site.
Apple almost always times its iPod releases perfectly with regard to its inventory, so odds are this is not simply Apple trying to clear out old stock. Is Apple afraid to commit to the new shuffle?
Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader Kyle for the tip!
New iPod Shuffle is a double threat
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Celebrity Mac Chick, iPod shuffle
Revision3’s Veronica Belmont and gdgt’s Ryan Block found an interesting use for the new iPod Shuffle, and they didn’t even have to click the inline remote 30 times to do it.
Thanks to faithful Macenstein reader John for the tip!
Looks like someone over at Apple forgot to update one of their iWeb templates
Apple DOES use iWeb, right?
Check out this “Welcome to your new Shuffle” e-mail faithful Macenstein reader Harry Mylonadis received after placing his order for the new iPod Shuffle.
As if owning the new Shuffle wasn’t bad enough… to be reminded of the older, more reasonable model in your confirmation e-mail… that’s just cold. (I kid, Harry! I’m sure it’s awesome).
Did Jobs fake a health illness to avoid announcing the new Shuffle?
Filed under: Cynicism, Opinion, Steve Jobs, design, iPod shuffle
Wow. Today’s announcement of the new iPod shuffle was really something, wasn’t it? Just push a button 10 times, and your iPod will speak a list of playlists. Press 11 times, hold once, then press again, and you can turn it off. It sounds a little too much like this parody of the Mactini by Peter Serafinowicz.
I remember more than once I had a report to give in school that I knew was going to be lame, and trying to convince my parents I was too sick to go to school that day. It never worked, of course, and I’m not saying Steve is faking an illness to get out of announcing a lackluster series of products – but boy, I sure would have.
Looking back at the last couple months’ worth of announcements, the timing of Steve Jobs’ leave of absence sure is looking like a blessing in disguise for Steve (aside from the obvious non-blessing of apparently being quite sick, of course). First we had Read more
Celebrity Mac Chick Sighting: Kelly Ripa
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Celebrity Mac Chick, iPod shuffle
Kelly Ripa and her shuffle went jogging the other day, or were they doing Elaine’s dance from Seinfeld?
Read more
iPods and iPhones that can heal themselves… We’re one step closer to the robot uprising
Filed under: Apple Fanboyism, Awesomeness, Hardware, Rampant Speculation, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle
We’ve all seen it in movies a thousand times… A snail-loving scientist wonders if there is a way to bond protein to various elements in the periodic table and grow new materials, one thing leads to another, and then BAM! Skynet becomes self aware on August 29th 1997 2:14 am Eastern Time.
Well, if the trade-off for our eventual enslavement by robots is an iPod that can heal itself of scratches, then I for one would like to welcome our new robot overlords.
According to MIT News, MIT materials scientist (and MacArthur “Genius” award winner) Angela Belcher has discovered a way to create new “self-assembling materials”, inspired by the way abalone (that’s what smart-ass MIT folk call sea snails) create their shells.
“What if iPods and Blackberrys could genetically mend their own cracks?” wonders Belcher. “These devices get dropped; they break; what material can we make so they fix themselves?” Hmmm.. you mean like the T-1000, Angela?!?
I won’t pretend to understand how the process works, but the fact that Belcher created a battery comprised of a virus she and her colleagues somehow engineered to latch itself to cobalt oxide means they’ve either doomed the planet, or written the opening scene of the next Michael Bay film. Either way we lose. Everyone knows that when well-meaning scientists in a coastal lab intentionally creating smart viruses to “help mankind”, it can only lead to Tom Cruise blowing something up.
Review: Audioengine AW1 Premium Wireless Audio Adapter – It just works
Filed under: Awesomeness, Product Reviews, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle, iTunes
The idea of wirelessly streaming music from a remote home media server to a living room audio system has long been the “Holy Grail” for husbands who have been forced by their wives to move their bulky computers into the basement, and who have been told they cannot drill holes in walls and run wires throughout the house. While in theory I agree that a house looks nicer without a giant CPU tower sitting next to the TV with wires spilling all over the floor, the available (affordable) wireless solutions haven’t been all that great. My quest for wireless audio started nearly 10 years ago with something called the “Kima”, and ended a couple years back when Apple released the AirPort Express with AirTunes.
Audioengine, best known for their high-quality speakers, has now put its foot in the audio-streaming ring with its new AW1 Premium Wireless Audio Adapter, a USB-powered, 2 unit (sender and receiver) pair of devices designed to serve as a wireless replacement for those long runs of audio cable you might be contemplating.
I love things that work as advertised.
The AW1 provides probably the most intuitive out-of-the-box experience you’ll find in a wireless adapter, and if you are remotely into technology, odds are you won’t even need the manual. Simply plug Read more
Is the shuffle really an iPod?
Filed under: Opinion, iPod, iPod Touch, iPod nano, iPod shuffle
I caught a little flack yesterday when I mentioned I don’t consider the iPod shuffle to be a “real” iPod. Many people correctly pointed out the term “iPod” is Apple’s to do with as they please, and they alone 
should be able to decide what does and does not qualify as an iPod. If they want to call an Xserve an “iPod”, then it’s an iPod. I’ll not argue that.
What I am reacting to is Apple referring to the shuffle as an iPod in its marketing and sales figures. Apple never breaks down sales figures for iPod shuffles, nanos, classics, and touches. They are all lumped together into a “we sold 5 million iPods this quarter” statement every 3 months. I feel quotes like “At just $49, the iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever,†made today by Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing, are really lip service made to give the impression that Apple’s iPod are affordable enough for everyone, when that is really not the case.
Granted, at $49, the shuffle might be the most affordable “iPod” Apple makes, but it delivers a fraction of the features and costs nearly 3 times less than the closest “real” iPod Apple makes – the iPod nano. The shuffle is not the iPod students put on their Christmas lists, the kind of iPod you see commercials for, the kind of iPod that accessory manufacturers cater to, or the kind muggers kill over (that’s not to say iPods are worth killing over, but it’s always nice to be wanted). Read more
Apple announces it will keep stringing us along on the new MacBook Pros
Filed under: Opinion, That's Weird..., Updates, iPod shuffle
Well, once again, a Tuesday morning has started with Apple’s “We’ll be back soon” Post-It note on their store, and ended without new MacBooks.
The “big” news today was a new 2 GB shuffle, a price drop on the 1 GB model, and a new Xsan. Kind of an odd combination of updates, assuming the lower shuffle price isn’t meant to encourage you to buy a bunch of shuffles and set them up in a RAID array. Hmmm…
One thing I always find funny about iPod shuffle announcements is Apple that considers them “iPods”. They really aren’t. Sure, they have circular shaped controls, but that’s about it. Really they are just cheap Flash-based MP3 players not really any different than the ones given away in cereal boxes these days (except of course Apple allows iTunes songs work on them). Anyway, just my opinion, but it annoys me in these shuffle press releases when you get quotes like “At just $49, the iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. whatever, Greg. Where’s the MacBook Pro?
Full press releases after the jump if you care (you don’t, btw.) Read more
