Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.
For all the grousing about the minimal changes from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S, Apple’s fastest smartphone incorporates sweeping shifts compared to what the company did with its iPod line. From keeping the waning iPod classic in the lineup to leaving the still-potent iPod touch untouched save for a blanching and price reduction, the venerable digital media player line seemed all but ignored at a time of year when Apple once primed the holiday pump for MP3 players.
Yet, while the iPod touch may not have received the processor boost or Siri-ousness of the iPhone 4S, it at least continues to remain vibrant via access to Apple’s app store. That’s not the case for the nano, once the flagship of the line. While Apple’s smallest touchscreen device gained new software that enlarged the main icons and brought new clock faces, these improvements are also being offered to owners of the last-generation iPod nano via a software update.
Continue reading Switched On: Next for the nano
Switched On: Next for the nano originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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This is probably the only rap song about nanotech you’ll hear today, but that’s beside the point. Coma Niddy finds a way to make nanotechnology something worth rapping about.
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There’s no guarantee that it will show up in the next iPod nano — or any iPod nano at all, for that matter — but a newly published patent application has now offered a few more hints about how Apple might make such a device even more wearable. Titled simply, “Environment Sensitive Display Tags,” the patent application details how a small, wearable device could use a variety of sensors and inputs (including a camera, microphone, accelerometer — even a thermometer) to obtain information about its surroundings and translate that into a visual element that’s displayed on the screen. So, for instance, the camera could be used to create a background that matches your shirt or jacket, or the accelerometer could be used to make a screen saver react to your movements (like the rain drops illustrated above). All of which, the application suggests, could serve to make the device even more “aesthetically pleasing” as a “fashion accessory.”
Incidentally, the patent application also noticeably features “Games” as a menu option in some of the illustrations — which would be new to the current variety of iPod nano — but there’s no mention of it in the actual claims. And, given that it was filed back in November of 2009, the application’s authors could well have simply been working on the assumption that games would simply carry over from the previous generation.
Apple patent application suggest iPod nano could become even more of a ‘fashion accessory’ originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 04:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Say goodbye to the days of bulky cases in boring colors. Now with DecalSkins, you can choose from a myriad of designs to simultaneously protect your device and make a style statement. These high gloss, no-fading skins are designed specifically to cover the main surfaces of your Apple iPod Nano (5th Gen). Made in the US of high quality materials and a cutting-edge process, this skin will easily let you express your cell.
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iPod Video 30G Classic 80G Silicone Case FREE Smartwrap
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- NOTE: The screen protector has 3 layers. Remove the top layer by peeling off the sticker. Apply the screen protector with the sticker faced up. Then remove the sticker along with the layer
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Guards against scratches, smears, dust and dirt, and keeps your LCD screen in perfect condition. Screen protectors provide crystal-clear visibility and do not interfere with touch-screen operation. Each overlay is custom designed to fit, protect, and enhance the performance of your iPod Nano 6th Generation. Applied with a mild adhesive, each screen protector will not leave a residue on your screen and can be expected to last for as long as you wish to keep it on.
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Say goodbye to the days of bulky cases in boring colors. Now with DecalSkins, you can choose from a myriad of designs to simultaneously protect your device and make a style statement. These high gloss, no-fading skins are designed specifically to cover the main surfaces of your Apple iPod Nano (3rd Gen). Made in the US of high quality materials and a cutting-edge process, this skin will easily let you express your cell.
Rating: (out of reviews)
List Price:
Price:
iPod Video 30G Classic 80G Silicone Case FREE Smartwrap
09-10 Honda City 1.5L Car GPS Navigation Radio ISDB-T TV Bluetooth IPOD DVD Unit
More IPod Products
