Elgato EyeTV users will be happy to hear that the company has released an EyeTV app for the Apple iPhone/iPod touch allowing users to watch live TV or recorded TV directly on their devices as well as browse the detailed program guide. Other features include:

• The ability to connect to any Mac running the latest EyeTV version (3.2)
• Automatically finds Macs on a network via Bonjour
• Remote access Macs running EyeTV using a free locator utility called “My EyeTV” also being introduced as part of EyeTV 3.2
• Support for Apple’s new HTTP streaming technology introduced with iPhone OS 3.0. Relies on Apple’s specs for adaptive streaming using H.264 video and AAC audio codecs. Also uses iPhone’s hardware acceleration for playback
• Once connected to a Mac, plays live TV, change channels, watch EyeTV recordings, browse the Program Guide, and start/schedule recordings
• Requires Wi-Fi connection (sorry no 3G support here)

EyeTV is available for a price of $4.99 at the iTunes Store. EyeTV 3.2 is a free update for EyeTV 3 users. Now if someone would only release a Windows Media Center compatible app for the iPhone…

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Elgato EyeTV, iPhone Application

DualFit for the Cure:

• Adjustable dual-fit system allows for best fit on any arm; maximizes sizing
• Clear screen protector allows for easy navigation
• Key pocket for convenient storage while at the gym or outdoors
• Reflective material for use during nighttime
• Hand-washable
• MSRP of $29.99

Grip for the Cure:

• Textured exterior provides better grip
• Form-fitting construction allows charging while in sleeve and minimizes bulk
• MSRP of $29.99

Both cases will be available in the middle of October and are compatible with iPod touch 2nd generation models.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Belkin, Belkin DualFit for the Cure, Belkin Grip for the Cure, iPod touch cases

Tuffwrap:

• Form-fitting high-grade silicone cases for iPod touch and iPod nano
• Offers full access to all switches and jacks including the new video camera of the iPod nano
• Version for iPod touch comes with a screen shield

Tuffwrap for iPod touch is available in two assortments:

• Tuffwrap with colors including bright blue, pink and classic black
• Tuffwrap Tatu which features laser-etched designs and a viewing stand. Available in bright blue, pink and classic black two tone designs.)

Tuffwrap for iPod nano is available in three assortments:

• Tuffwrap – single translucent case
• Tuffwrap Plus – combination of silicone and hard plastic and includes 2 silicone cases and one hard plastic screen shield overlay. Also comes with carabineer
• Tuffwrap Tatu – available in black and white with a translucent etched pattern and includes a viewing stand

Prices range from $14.99 to $29.99

Microshield:

• Ultra-thin hard plastic case for the iPod nano
• Includes two backs, one with an integrated belt clip and one without a belt clip

Microshield Tatu features clear durable snap-on protection with integrated patterns including Flourish, Hex and Squares. It also comes with a viewing stand to watch movies

Prices range from $19.99 to $24.99

Sportwrap:

• Sport armband design
• Constructed with soft durable Lycra and neoprene
• Supports iPod touch or iPod nano
• Unique mask on the Sportwrap makes it easy to insert and remove the device
• Removable cord wrap and universal size
• Supports iPod touch and iPod nano

Price is $29.99

Tuffshield:

• Protects iPod touch screen against scratches, dust, and dirt
• Available in clear-gloss and anti-glare version
• Static cling adhesion for easy application and removal
• Each Tuffshield comes with three screen protectors and a cleaning cloth for the iPod touch
• Price is $14.99

Technorati Tags: XtremeMac, Tuffwrap, Microshield, Sportswrap, Tuffshield

Yes, Steve Jobs took the stage and had this to say: “”As you may know I had a liver transplant. I have the liver of a mid-20s person who died in a car crash. Without that, I wouldn’t be here without that person’s generosity.”. He encourages everyone to consider being an organ donor. Kudos to that thought!

iPhone OS 3.1 is available as of today. It will be free for iPhone and iPod touch users who have the OS 3. 3.1 will include bug fixes, some new features such as Genius playlist which will now work with apps from the App Store.

Next up, we have iTunes 9 with new features such as iTunes LP, Home Sharing, and Genius Mixes. The app also features a redesigned store and improved syncing. Here’s a rundown of the features of iTunes 9:

• iTunes LP is a new way for artists to share their creativity with fans by allowing them to be “immersed in an entire album with art, lyrics, liner notes, photos, and videos.”
• Debuts today with albums including Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me,” The Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty” and Dave Matthews Band’s “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: iTunes Pass.”

• iTunes Extra is similar to iTunes LP except its for movies. You’ll be able to experience documentaries, deleted scenes, interviews, and interactive galleries. Select movies available with iTunes Extras include “Twilight,” “Batman Begins,” “WALL-E,” “Iron Man” and “The Da Vinci Code.”
• Home Sharing allows you to easily transfer music, movies, and TV shows with up to five authorized computers in your home. Family members will be able to view up to five iTunes libraries on their home network; see only the portion of the libraries that don’t already have; import their favorite content directly to their own libraries; and automatically add new purchases from other computers into their own library
• Genius Mixes is a new feature which is the end result of over 27 million music libraries with over 54 billion songs that have been submitted and analyzed by Genius.It’s like having a “Genius” DJ that automatically mixes up to 12 endless mixes of songs from your iTunes library
• Improved syncing in iTunes 9 allows you to organize your iPhone Apps in iTunes and have them appear the same way on your iPhone.
• iTunes Store on iPhone now features precut ringtone downloads with over 20,000 ringtones priced at $1.29 a ringtone.

OK.. so let’s talk about music players shall we? First up, Apple announces major price changes to the iPod touch product lineup. The 8GB iPod touch will now be available for $199. The 32GB model will be available for $299, and the 64GB model available for $399. No doubt some of these price changes were spurred on by the upcoming release of the new Microsoft Zune HD which will feature a 32GB model for $289. At $299, the 32GB iPod touch becomes a much more appealing player for the masses – especially with its support for the 75,000 app-large App Store.

It should be noted that the 32GB and 64GB models will offer up to 50 % faster performance and support Open GL ES 2.0 – basically bringing the specs in line with the latest iPhone 3GS. The 8GB iPod touch will remain the same as the previous specs.

Next up – price and model changes to the iPod shuffle. Apple will now offer a new 2GB iPod shuffle model for a starting price of $59 dollars. The 4GB iPod shuffle will go for $79 dollars with both models available in five colors – silver, black, pink, blue and green.

There will also be a 4GB special edition polished stainless steel model available for $99 dollars through the Apple Store and Apple retail stores.

Have a need for much more storage? The iPod classic gets a bump up in storage – with a new 160GB model available for a $249.

And finally, Apple introduced a whole new iPod nano player today with features such as a 2.2 inch color display, a built in video camera, built-in microphone, built-in speakers, a polished aluminum and glass enclosure, built-in FM radio with live pause, iTunes Tagging support, and a built-in pedometer.

The built-in video camera is perhaps the most interesting new feature of the nano. You’ll be able to capture H.264 VGA video (640 x 480) at up to 30 fps along with AAC audio. The new nano comes with 15 real-time special effects including Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch, and Twirl. The built-in video camera on the nano puts other companies that sell portable video camcorders on notice – who needs to buy a Flip Video if they’ve got a video recorder in their iPod nano? About the only thing missing now is HD video capture and video capture on higher end iPods including the iPod classic and the iPod touch. It’s only a matter of time folks.

The other notable feature is the built-in FM radio (about time Apple) with Live Pause – allowing you to pause live FM radio and then resuming it later on.

Oh yes – wonder how far you walk in a given day? The new nano comes with a pedometer which uses the built-in accelerometer to keep track of the steps that you take. You can also couple the nano with Nike+ shoes, and the Nike + iPod Sport Kit (which is sold separately) for a complete training experience.

The 8GB iPod nano will be available for $149 while the 16GB iPod nano will be available for $179. Both nanos will be available in nine colors including silver, black, purple, blue, green, orange, pink, yellow, and (PRODUCT) RED.

Is this a groundbreaking day in the Apple music business? In truth.. no. Apple made small incremental changes to the entire iPod product lineup – just enough to keep the lineup fresh and ahead of the competition. To me – the most important change came with the nano’s new video camera which makes the nano a very appealing device to take with you wherever you go. If only the iPod touch had a camera built into the device…

Technorati Tags: Apple, iPod nano, iPod touch, iPod shuffle, iPod classic, iTunes 9

OK.. so we have utterly no idea of these pictures are real or not.. but we’ll let all of you decide. The folks at the “Covino and Rich Show” blog have posted up pictures of what they claim are prototypes to the 3rd generation iPod touch. The site owner claims:

“I acquired this from a guy that I buy parts phones and iPods from. I believe he’s a recycler in ***********, so what most likely happened is that Apple threw this away and he some how got it and sold it for parts.”

Now keep in mind – we’re only talking about the iPod touch here. It’s not like we’re looking at the fourth generation iPod or something. Whether you should believe these images is entirely up to you. Quite honestly, we’re more excited with the Zune HD than with these pictures thus far…

[Check it out via Boy Genius Report]

Technorati Tags: Apple iPod touch 3rd generation

Not so fast folks. According to TechCrunch sources, Apple has placed an order for a “massive number of camera modules” and based on the size of the order, it can really mean only one thing. A camera is coming to the iPod touch.

Imagine for a second – a camera found on every single new iPod touch sold around the world – each capable of taking respectable stills and video clips. Yes.. who would need a Flip Video or Kodak Pocket Camcorder after an iPod touch is in your pocket? It’s a small subtle enhancement but one that could easily spell trouble to the low-end camcorder industry.

Evil.. (and delicious at the same time).

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Apple, ipod touch, camera

If you game quite a bit on your Apple iPod touch, then the new DLO Jam Jacket Game is probably the right case for your lifestyle. The soft silicone case features integrated comfort-grip handles for a more comfortable gaming experience – something not commonly found in other iPod touch cases. Other nifty features include:

• Removable wrist strap
• Access to all controls and dock connector
• Surface Shield screen protector

The DLO Jam Jacket Game is available now for $19.99.

[Check it out via GearLog]

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Technorati Tags: DLO, DLO Jam Jacket Game, Apple iPod touch

Ah, there’s nothing like perusing through some good ol patent filings – especially if they’re coming from the likes of Apple. Two of their latest filings are focused on portable devices (a.k.a the iPhone/iPod touch) and how users interact with the interfaces on these devices (via shaking, tilting etc) – in particular with actions involving movement or motion of some sort. I haven’t had a chance to read through the patent applications themselves but a cursory glance reveals where Apple is going with these patents – using movement or other forms of input to control operations on a device as well as provide different user interfaces to the user – interfaces that are perhaps more appropriate for the movement at hand. I’m sure there’s much more to it – but you can read it for yourself here and here.

Oh yes.. one more thing – notice the camera in the front of the iPhone pictured above?

via News.com

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Technorati Tags: Apple iPhone, Apple Patent Filing

The rumor mill for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch is certainly never quiet. With the recent release of the iPhone 3.0 beta SDK, people are hard at work trying to figure out what new additions are planned for the next iterations of the respective hardware devices/platforms. One interesting focus might be in the area of .. cameras.. yes cameras. According to the website AppleiPhoneApps, Apple recently posted a job listing entitled “Camera Project Manager” which stated that the position would “drive the design, development, and integration of camera modules across iPhone and iPod.” The details of the job listing have since been removed (good job Apple recruiting) but clearly the seeds have been laid – Apple’s looking for a camera guy.

Could this mean we can expect a far better camera in the next iteration of the iPhone? With many other handsets offering 3.2 and better megapixel cameras – let’s certainly hope so. The interesting rumor is – could a camera make its way into the next rev of the iPod touch? That’s certainly a possibility too.

It’s not hard to understand why Apple wants to place some focus on peripheral technologies like cameras. Many other vendors are doing the exact same thing. Look at vendors such as Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Nokia where handsets and high end cameras are nearly one and the same. Having a good quality camera goes a long way towards making the iPhone a truly useful social networking tool for many of today’s bloggers, micro-bloggers, and casual users.

Now what I’d really like to see the iPhone/iPod touch pick up is – the ability to record videos. Now THAT would be useful (as well as a direct upload to your favorite video sharing site solution).

You can read more about possible features in the next iPhone/iPod touch over at Internet News.com.

[Check it out]

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Technorati Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone, Apple iPod touch, Apple rumors

The new app “enhances and evolves” the DirecTV mobile scheduler located at m.directv.com. Features of the new app include:

• Browse the entire programming guide by channel or date/time
• Keyword search option lets you search by actor, title, and description
• Programs can be scheduled up to 14 days in advance
• View detailed program information including air date, duration, and description

[Check it out]

Read this in Chinese Simplified and in French

Technorati Tags: DirecTV DVR Scheduler, Apple iPhone, Apple iPod touch

• First off – some numbers for all of you to digest: 13.7 million iPhones sold in 2008 with 17 million in use around the world. Add in iPod touches, you get 30 million Apple multi-touch devices in use – that’s a lot of devices to write software for. (Ka-ching!!!). 800,000 downloads of the iPhone SDK and 50,000 companies in the iPhone dev program. 25,000 apps in the App Store with 800 million apps downloaded thus far
• 1000 new APIs are being added to the SDK
• Developers will be able to sell in-app content now (otherwise known as In-App Purchase) – same revenue share with Apple – a 70/30 split between developers and Apple
• Bonjour in iPhone will use Bluetooth to auto-locate devices in the same area – no need to use Wi-Fi for this. This ultimately means users will have peer to peer connectivity (remember Zune Sharing?)
• Using External Accessory framework, developers will be able to communicate to “Made for iPod” hardware accessories attached to the iPhone or iPod touch via Bluetooth or via the 30 pin dock connector
• Maps is available now as an API which means developers can integrate Maps into their applications with support for multi-touch gestures etc
• CoreLocation will be available for Turn-by-Turn GPS applications but developers will need to supply their own Maps since Google isn’t licensing this out
• Apple admits Push notification is late (no duh). They apparently had to redesign the Push Notifications server (uh huh). Apple’s push notification solution will reduce standby time by only 25%. Push will support badges, text, and sounds. All 80 countries will be supported by Push Notification
• This also means there will be NO BACKGROUND APP SUPPORT. Blah
• Lots of new API calls including support for streaming audio/video, in-game voice audio, iPod library access, proximity sensor, audio recorder, access to battery info, etc etc etc.
• Lots of new features including Notes Sync, tagging of audio and video, shake to shuffle, Wi-Fi auto login, Stereo Bluetooth support, LDAP support, iTunes account creation, YouTube ratings support, VPN on demand, etc etc.
• Oh yes.. cut, copy, and paste will indeed be available. Hallelujah! Double-tapping a word in an application like email will bring up a popup box for cut/copy/paste. You can also use two icons to customize the highlighted selection. You can also shake the device to Undo the operation. Nice.
• All applications will get landscape keyboard mode now – which means all apps will be usable in landscape mode
• MMS support is coming to the iPhone.. everyone say Hallelujah again please! Hallelujah! MMS will support sending photos, contacts, audio files, and your location
• Messaging will also support forwarding and deletion of individual messages.
• Voice memo coming to iPhone
• Calendar being updated to support CalDav
• Global search coming to iPhone via Spotlight support

The beta version of 3.0 is available starting today to developers. iPhone 3.0 will ship this summer and will be free to all iPhone 3G owners out there. Original iPhone owners will also be able to use the 3.0 OS but will not be able to access all of the features. iPod touch owners will be able to upgrade to the new OS for $9.95.

Thanks to AppleInsider for loads of tidbits.

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Technorati Tags: Apple, iPhone 3.0, iPhone 3.0 SDK