Apple September 2008 Special Event

Amazing companies at Techcrunch50

Wow there's quite a few amazing startups out there at Techcrunch50!
U can watch it LIVE here.

Coincidentally the 2 startups that really amazes me big time with their bleeding edge technologies are from Japan! =D

Obviously the rest are really great too (eg: Mytopia and Connective Logic) but these 2 Japanese startups are hardcore!! =P


These guys have built a system that traces what impact u make whenever u buy a product. Any consumer product. U can check the impact by scanning the barcode of a product using a webcam and it'll return a very cool interactive tree-interface representation of the resources used to produce the product. By resources, in this particular context, we're referring to raw ingredients, electricity and even fuel used to deliver the product. Impressive.

Link http://opentrace.org
Watch the DEMO



Another company, Tonchidot, developed an iPhone application (+ a network) that brings up a bunch of OSD (on screen display) icons in camera mode. These OSD icons are geo-tagged descriptors of the objects around you. Wanna know which restaurant around u serves better food? Where is the closest washroom? That's the idea behind this invention. Turn the iPhone around while running the app and u'll see the OSD icons following the objects they're describing and more OSD icons will show up describing the new objects that just came into the camera. Don't get me? IMAGINE =P

Link http://sekaicamera.com/
Watch the DEMO

Ok these 2 companies are great, but I think I'm gonna buy the product from FitBit =P


These guys produce a wearable WiFi device that tracks your daily calorie intake/burn rate. U get to see all the results on a website. Simple? =)

Link http://fitbit.com/
Watch the DEMO

new iPod Nano + iPod Touch

photo: apple.com

I just refreshed the page on time to see apple.com transiting its landing page to reflect the new iPod products. It's fun to seeing some of the images uploaded while some are still being uploaded =)

Couple of things that Apple updated:
- iTunes 8
- iPod Nano 4G chromatic **NEW!
- iPod Touch 2G **NEW!
- Discontinuation of the iPod Class thick model
- New Apple earphones and in-ear headphones
- New iPod shuffle colors (4)

And now to cover the event:

photos: Gizmodo.com

Signature Apple keynote style!


The new iTunes 8. New feature called Genius that generates playlists of songs that "go together". Apple seems to boast that this feature works very well.


A closer look. View by genre.

New Apple earphone with remote control (finally!) and mic:

photo: apple.com

The new iPod Nano! What we have been waiting for.

Immediately after the release of the actual dimensions (9.01cm x 3.4cm), I gauge the physical size of the device and found it very close to most mobile phones. I'm referring to the smaller Nokia models. In fact, the iPod Nano 4G measure shorter in width to most mobile phones out there. Grabbing a Nokia phone around me that measures closest to the iPod Nano 4G (Nokia 5610), I can tell u that the new iPod Nano 4G will fit very well not only in your hands but also in your jeans pocket. It's super thin!

Ok, let's hear the sales pitch from Apple to see if this new iPod Nano is worth the US$149 (SGD$248) price tag (8GB model).


I'll leave it to u to think if the price tag is ok. Here's a few more photos to entice u:

Tilting the iPod sideways switches the display to landscape mode for watching videos or selecting albums in cover flow.

Another clean look at the iPod Nano 4G.


A show of colors.


And now, the new iPod Touch (2G) priced at US$229 (8GB)


A show of features


So what's new? Integrated volume control on the sides (something that probably wasn't necessary if u know the double-tap-Home-button trick), built-in speaker (a first for an iPod! if u exclude the iPhone), new Firmware and exterior changes. Steve Jobs says it's much thinner than the original iPod Touch.

It'll be nice if the iPod Touch had a GPS built-in. That shouldn't reduce the value of the iPhone and should make the iPod Touch more fun since it'll work with geo-tagging applications. In time to come, when it is possible to squeeze a 4 mega pixel camera in, it'll be fun to snap photos on the go, geo-tag them and upload when u reach a WiFi network (say Starbucks hehe).

The new iPod family

Hmm...(from the left to right) Daddy, Mummy, Son and baby daughter? =P


cheers

What's my ringtone?

Some of my good friends actually asked me what's that nice ringtone that they are hearing when they are waiting for me to pick up their call.

It's the color me ringtone service's default ringtone from SingTel. Called "Friends" for some reason. I believe this ringtone has been in existence for quite a while now.

Coincidentally, it does sound like those tunes we hear in the Apple TV ads. That's why I'm keeping it.

9th Sept iPod launch

source: http://iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=1795
photo: engadget.com

Just in another day, Apple will announce the new iPod and iPod touch series. Expect the new iPod nano to include an accelerometer that will allow videos in landscape orientation when tilted sideways.

As it is, Square Enix is releasing a full blown RPG game developed for the iPod (Nano, Classic and fifth generation iPods only). In fact you can buy that off the iTune Store now if u're in US or Japan. So expect more content designed for iPod in coming months.

Here's the leaked dimension blueprints (to accessory manufacturers):




If even the above don't convince u, then have a look at the 9th Sept 2008 event that Apple is promoting:





(btw, I'm almost done with the hardware performance review tests and will post them shortly)

Cheers