A new look for iPods and a social network for music lovers

Apple's latest keynote took place on September 1, 2010. At the event, Steve Jobs unveiled a new iOS, some major iPod updates, the new iTunes 10 with a built-in social network for music, and a new version of Apple TV. Here, some thoughts on my favorites:

iOS 4.2 Update
I don't own an iPhone but I do know about the excitement that surrounds software updates. Jobs announced two major changes that will occur with the iOS 4.2 update, which rolls out within the next two weeks. The new feature I am most impressed with is the HDR photography capability. I think that iPhones already have great photo and video capabilities, but the HDR feature takes iPhone photography to the next level. It works by taking three separate photos and combining them into a single HD photo with optimal levels of highlight and shadows. Looking at regular iPhone photos and HDR photos side by side, I was very impressed with the difference in quality. The second iOS update feature is a new Game Center, which allows multi-player gaming. This means you can play iPhone games with friends and strangers from all over the world. I am not big on gaming apps (I'm more of a "Words with Friends" kind of girl), but I do see the value of this feature. I do have to wonder how this feature will affect battery life though.

iPod Updates
Since this was a music event, the majority of announcements concerned iPods updates. In fact, Jobs announced that Apple plans to release new versions of all iPod products.

The iPod Nano is the iPod product that received the most significant makeover. The new iPod Nano Touch features a touch interface, integrated FM radio,a pedometer, and Nike+. The new product also includes the best features from its former models - a built in clip, hard buttons for volume control and voice over capability. It will come in many colors and 2 storage levels, 8GB for $140 and 16GB for $179. As an runner whose two workout companions include an iPod Classic (huge!) and an Andriod phone with a GPS running application (functional, but too bulky), I am looking forward to buying the new iPod Nano touch, a tiny MP3 player with built-in tools that will make it easy for me to track my mileage and speed.

Also discussed was the new iPod Touch. Other than aesthetic updates like a thinner body device and an updated Retina display (4x more pixels than its predecessor), the new version also features 2 built-in cameras - one the front and one on back. This makes it possible to record HD video, and, even cooler, do face-to-face video calls just like with the newest iPhone. Video calls are made over wifi using your Apple account. The new Touch comes with iOS 4, so it will also include the Gaming Center features discussed above. Pricing starts at $229 for a 8GB Touch and go up to $399 for the 64GB model. I think these updates are great, but as someone who does not own an iPhone, I do not see myself making this purchase anytime soon. If I do take the plunge, I will definitely be getting an iPhone, so I can do all of this and make calls.


iTunes Ping
This is the announcement I was most interested in. Although I have not had the opportunity to explore Ping, Apple's new "social network for music," housed in iTunes. The idea is that users will be able to follow friends, like on Twitter, in order to share and discover new music. On Ping, you can follow your friend's iTunes habits (what did they download, listen to recently, and so on) or preview the music in their library to see if it is something you might like, and hopefully download, too. From what I understand Ping also posts concert dates and allows you to buy concert tickets within the application. Last I heard, Ping had close to 1 million users already.

I have not had the opportunity to check out Ping, but I have read a few articles on it and one of the major criticisms seems to be its exclusivity. Several of the sources complain that it is difficult to initially connect with friends on Ping because of the lack of connectivity between Ping and other social networks. Its been suggested that Ping add a feature to search for your Facebook friends or Gmail contacts that are on Ping. However, I also know that Apple and Facebook have had difficulty agreeing on contract terms. Big surprise! I have a feeling that they will have to come to an agreement if Ping is really going to take off as a successful social networking tool.