The gang over at ifixit have taken Apple’s newest iPod Shuffle and given it a proper tear down. The fourth-generation Shuffle doesn’t contain any mysterious secrets – we’re not sure there is room for them — but the site does list a 51 mAh battery, logic board, click-wheel, and casing. It is pretty remarkable that a 51 mAh battery can last for 15 hours; most smartphone batteries — powering a screen — start at 1,000 mAhs. The site does say that in order to get inside the device you basically have to break it; making self-repair an interesting proposition. Hit the jump to see the tear-down in its full glory.

Read

Following up on the iOS 4.1 announcement, Apple unveiled three new iPod models to refresh their music player lineup. The iPod Shuffle will go back to its familiar matchbook-like form, complete with buttons and clip, and will hold 2 GB of music; the new Shuffle will be available in five different colors and retail for $49. As reported across the internet, the new iPod Nano will be a small, multitouch, square device, have a clip — like the Shuffle — and will be sold in seven different colors; including a Product(RED) version. It will be available in an 8 GB model for $149 and a 16 GB model for $179.

And of course, the iPod Touch was not left out of the upgrade festival. Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs touted that the iPod Touch is the most popular portable gaming device in the world; outselling Sony and Nintendo combined. The new device is thinner, lighter, has Apple’s Retina display, 1 GHz A4 processor, front facing camera with FaceTime support, rear-facing camera with 720p HD recording, iOS 4.1 support, and 3-axis gyroscope. The iPod Touch will retail for: 8GB $229, 32 GB $299, 64 GB $399.

All the new iPod models will be available for pre-order today and will begin shipping next week.

We’d say so! From $59 to $7,000, if you want an Apple product, there’s a pretty darn good chance you’ll be able to pick something in your price range. Simply brilliant. Full size image link after the break…

Read

In addition to an update to iTunes,  Apple also announced a refresh of its iPod lineup at its annual fall event. First up is the iPod touch which saw a price drop, capacity increase and a hardware upgrade. The iPod touch is available in the traditional 8GB capacity for $199, 32Gb for $299 and 64Gb for $399. The 32Gb and 64Gb models are 50% faster than the current iPod touch and features OpenGL ES 2.0 support, presumably sharing the same underlying architecture as the iPhone 3GS. The iPod Classic has been bumped to boost to 160GB with a steady-state price at $250. The Shuffle got a brand new paint job and a price drop with a 2GB Shuffle available in a smorgasbord of new colors for $59, and a 4GB special edition model available for $99. The biggest changes to the lineup occurred in the Nano which to the surprise of no one has received, insert drum roll here, a video camera. Now we know where all of those rumored camera modules went. The new iPod Nano features a larger 2.2 inch screen, polished anodized aluminum case, video camera, microphone, speaker, YouTube integration, CoverFlow, VoiceOver, Genius mixes, Voice recorder, a pedometer and FM radio. The iPod Nano is also available in multiple colors with the 8GB model priced at $149 and the 16GB at $179.  All models are now live and available on Apple’s website.

Read (iPod Touch) Read (iPod Nano) Read (iPod Shuffle) Read (iPod Classic)

The folks over at iLounge stumbled upon some curious info regarding the new iPod Shuffle that has us scratching our heads. We all know the controls for the new Shuffle are on the headphones, but apparently Cupertino decided to make it even more difficult for headphone makers to get in on some Shuffle action. Control of playback and adjustment of volume will not be permitted unless the headphones used are equipped with an Apple authentication chip. D’oh! To further complicate matters, headphones with this new authentication chip are not yet available. Phooey, you say, I will pair my high-end headphones with a third party remote control device instead. Denied! Third party remotes with this authentication chip are not yet available either. Until these new accessories hit the market, shuffle owners are stuck using the stock headphones for the time being. What is Apple’s reasoning behind the move? We’re not sure, though we imagine it has to do with ensuring Apple can prevent companies from producing Shuffle gear without its blessing. Good job Apple, now it’ll cost less-than-scrupulous manufacturers overseas an extra 7¢ per unit to make compatible headphones. Major fail.

[Via EFF]

Read

Talk about a sneak attack. It’s a little hard to get excited about a new iPod Shuffle but hey, new toys are new toys. The third-generation Shuffle features a completely new design, 4GB of storage and perhaps most notably, the controls have been moved off of the device and onto the headset cord. Cool, yes, but have fun trying to use your current headset with this little guy. The new Shuffle also sports Apple’s “VoiceOver” technology, which essentially is little more than a text-to-speech engine that can speak song, artist and playlist titles. Apple’s new 4GB iPod Shuffle will run you $79 and is available immediately in the two colors pictured above.

Read

Mr. Jobs has just left the stage down in San Francisco, and in recognition of Apple’s big event today we thought it was appropriate to bring you a round-up of all of the relevant bits of new product news and information. Cupertino dropped a lot of tidbits on us today, so grab a cup of coffee, light up that mid-day cigarette, and get ready to dive in:

• New iPod Nano. The new device is thinner than ever before, sports a completely revamped OS with cover flow, shake-to-shuffle feature, built-in Genius playlist, and a curved glass screen. It has a built-in accelerometer, and comes in a dizzying array of colors. Expect to pay $149 for the 8GB and $199 for the 16GB. The 8GB should be available right now, with the 16GB following sometime next week
• New iPod Touch. The new Touch features a completely redesigned case, integrated Nike+iPod functionality, external volume controls and speaker, and more. Available immediately, you should expect to pay $229 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 16GB, and $399 for the 32GB. Apple is billing this one as the “Funnest iPod Ever”, and seems to be trying to position it as a mobile gaming device.
• iPhone firmware 2.1. As expected, Apple announced the new 2.1 firmware update for the iPhone. The new software promises greatly improved battery life, fewer crashes, fewer dropped calls, and faster backups. Can anyone say “Hell yeah?” We’ll see how well it delivers on these promises, with an expected delivery this Friday.
• iPod Classic 120 GB. Nothing much to say about this one, except that it has replaced both the 80GB and 160GB models. Expect to pay $249 for this baby, available immediately.
• iTunes 8. The command center behind all of this, Apple introduced the new version of their omnipresent media software. iTunes 8 delivers a news Genius playlist function, new Hi-Def TV show support, the return of NBC shows to the TV Store, and more. The software is expected to launch today, though as of this writing it had yet to appear on Apple’s site.
• Minor bits: iPod Shuffle now comes in 4 new colors, Apple is now offering in-ear headphones with an in-line volume control and improved speakers for $79.

Excited? Disappointed? Indifferent? Sound off!

Read