Tag: IPod Touch
Microsoft unveil Zune HD – still not sexy
Microsoft has announced the arrival of the Zune HD, portable media player. The new Zune will aim to be a web surfing, digital radioing, multi-touch screened thorn in the side of the smug iPod touch.
Boasting a yummy 3.3 inch OLED screen (with 16:9 ratio) and HDMI output it looks like Microsoft are finally getting serious about taking on Apple’s iPod, although no comment was made as to the capacity or pricing of the new Zune.
You’ll be able to use the Zune to watch 720p HD video on your HDTV too, which is pretty neat. But looking at the release pictures, it doesn’t look like the Zune is going to rival the iPod in the sexyness stakes. Although an improvement on the original Zune which was undeniably hideously proportioned, the new Zune is still far from sexy.
Think of it as going from Nora Battie to Sonia Jackson – it’s only a bit better.
Microsoft might have done better to spend all the money they’ve spent on developing the Zune trying to tempt Jonathan Ive to come over to the dark side. Sorry, did I say dark side, I meant Microsoft, easy mistake to make.
(Via TechTree)
iPod touch vs Sony Walkman X Series vs Samsung P3
Intro
Apple’s iPod touch has some serious rivals in the form of the Sony Walkman X Series and Samsung P3 PMPs.
Which one stacks up as the best for music, video, and all round appeal? Read on as the Tech Digest guide pits these mighty touchscreen handsets against one another.
Battle of the Specs: Feature Comparison
Let’s leave aside fanboy love for Apple and Sony (does Samsung have fanboys too? I’m not sure) and take a look at how the main features stack up.
This is top-of-the-line stuff. If you want detailed specifications you’d better skip to the end of the page.
Display
For pure real estate, the iPod touch trumps both the Walkman X Series and the P3, with a 3.5-inch display compared to just 3-inch for the others.
However, when it comes to aspect ratio, the Samsung’s screen is 16:9 — perfectly suited for widescreen video — whereas the Sony has a rather bizarre 9:5 aspect ratio and the touch 3:2.
That means, in raw resolution terms, the touch (480 x 320) trumps the P3 (480 x 272) which trumps the X Series (432 x 240).
Having said all that, Sony’s screen is based on OLED technology for a much brighter, crisper display than the other two handsets…
RUMOUR: Apple working on OLED iPhone and netbook
You may have seen this image before. That’s because it’s the one we used just over two months ago when we reported on Apple denying that they had plans for a netbook. Well, if you believe the latest rumours from CrunchGear, that may not be true after all. Not just any netbook either – a touch screen one with OLED technology. Oh and new iPhones and iPod Touch models too.
Can you really turn your iPod touch into an iPhone with Truphone?
Truphone, ever keen to promote its free and low-cost phone services, is appealing to those who want the Apple goodness of an iPhone but don’t want to pay large upfront bills or sign up to an extortionate monthly contract.
The “solution” is to buy an iPod touch, which is considerably cheaper than an iPhone (but still more expensive than a lot of mobile phones of course) and use Truphone’s application to make free calls over Wi-Fi to other Truphone or Google Talk users.
There are three fundamental problems with this if you’re hoping for an always on, out-of-the-box solution (don’t you love those kind of phrases?)…
Legitimate version of fring comes to iPhone and iPod Touch
fring, the VoIP and instant messaging aggregator software, has now received approval from Apple and is available to download from the App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
A previous beta version, which required a jailbroken iPhone to work, proved extremely popular. Now anyone can get hold of the app that allows them to instant message their contacts on Skype, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM, as well as make cheap calls via a Wi-Fi connection.
Finally, it’s possible to keep in contact with everyone when away from the desktop environment, and all from the single application…
Apple announces new iPod family: thinner, more storage, more colours, more "funner"
Steve Jobs has just announced an overhaul of the iPod range, with new iPod nanos, iPod classics, and iPod touches.
Here’s a quick overview of the new designs.
iPod nano
Available in nine colours (including a (PRODUCT) RED charity version), and either 8GB or 16GB storage capacity, the new design features curved aluminium and glass, and a built in accelerometer which allows you to flip viewing orientation, and even shake the device to shuffle music tracks.
It measures 3.6 x 1.5 x 0.24 inches, has a two-inch diagonal colour LCD with LED backlight (320 x 240 resolution), and offers up to 24 hours of music playback or four hours of video playback on a single charge.
8GB £109 16GB £149…
iPod Nano fourth generation dimensions released
There have been several blurry shots of the new iPod nano floating around the intertubes over the last month and, in a break from rumour tradition, it turns out that they’re all spot-on accurate…
iPhone confirmed as a serious games machine – SEGA's Monkey Ball sells 300,000 in three weeks
SEGA, maker of the legendary Super Monkey Ball series, told moneyman blog the Wall Street Journal that it’s sold 300,000 copies of Monkey Ball via the App Store in the 20 days since launch. At $9.99 a pop, that’s one hell of a cash cow for all involved.
“It gives iPhone a justifiable claim to being a viable gaming platform, ” said Simon Jeffery, president of Sega’s US arm. It also means Nintendo and Sony might…
Remember when iPods just played music? Apple rumoured to be working on new iPod Touch and Nano
The relentless onwards march of technology looks set to continue apace as rumours have surfaced about the next iPods – an upgraded iPod Touch and Nano…
Last.fm rolls out mobile application for iPhone and iPod touch
One our favourite legit online-music-stations-cum-social-networking-sites, Last.fm, now has its very own iPhone /iPod Touch application, available to download from the iTunes App store. Just hit up the store’s Music category to find it.
