iLounge

Apple has posted its first TV advertisements for the fourth-generation iPod touch and sixth-generation iPod nano online. The fourth-generation touch commercial is similar to past spots for the device, showing off its video-recording, gaming, and FaceTime features against a white background, set the to song “Come Home” by Chappo. The sixth-generation iPod nano commercial is also shot against a white background, and is shown being clipped to various people’s clothing while they manipulate the touch-based controls; the song “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” by Cake is played in the background. Apple’s new iPod commercials are available for viewing now on the company’s website.

Apple has posted a stream of yesterday’s Fall 2010 iPod event on its website, as well as a downloadable version on its Apple Keynotes podcast. During the event, Apple announced iOS 4.1 and 4.2, new models of the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, and iPod touch, iTunes 10 with the new Ping social networking service, and a new cheaper streaming-based Apple TV. For more information on the event, see our summary article, our complete transcript, and our image gallery of the new products.

Apple has released to developers a pre-release version of the Gold Master of iOS 4.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch. The release is likely the last prior to next week’s public release of the software; it is currently unknown what changes have been made in this version, although Apple did highlight some new features that will be present in the final release during today’s iPod media event. Apple’s iOS 4.1 GM seeds for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, second-, and third-generation iPod touch are available now to paid iPhone developers from the iOS Dev Center.

Despite Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ statement that the company was announcing all new designs for every iPod model, the company’s legacy iPod classic, which hasn’t seen a major redesign since its introduction in 2007, remains in the lineup. The device, which offers audio, photo, and video playback capabilities, is still available from Apple’s online store, and offers 160GB of storage for $249. The iPod classic was not mentioned during today’s traditional Fall iPod event, providing further evidence that Apple has shifted its focus to the iOS-powered iPod touch and presumably better-selling shuffle and nano models, although it is mentioned at the bottom of the press releases for Apple’s latest iPods.

The online Apple Store has now been updated with the new iPod and Apple TV announced today at Apple’s special event. The new iPod shuffle is now sold only in a 2GB capacity for $49 and available in five colors. The new iPod nano is available in 8GB and 16GB capacities for $149 and $179, respectively, and comes in seven colors including a (PRODUCT) RED special edition. The new iPod touch is available in 8GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities for $229, $299 and $399 respectively. Unlike last year, Apple is also no longer selling a previous-generation iPod touch in the 8GB capacity; all of the three available iPod touch models are now the fourth-generation. All iPod models can be ordered today with expected shipping times of one week. The new Apple TV is also available for pre-order today for $99 with an expected ship date of September. Notably, the iPod classic did not receive an update today however it still remains on sale on the Apple Store in a 160GB capacity for $249.

Apple today gave a sneak preview of iOS 4.2 for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. While the release will bring all of the features from iOS 4.0 to the iPad, it will also include several new features including wireless printing and a revamped AirTunes, which has been renamed AirPlay. AirPlay will allow users to stream audio, videos, and photos from an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad directly to the company’s next-generation Apple TV. iOS 4.2 for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch will be released in November and will be a free update for all capable devices.

Apple today introduced its fourth-generation iPod touch, featuring a FaceTime-capable front-facing camera. The new touch also sports a new HD video recording rear-facing camera and microphone, the same Apple A4 chip that powers the iPhone 4, a 960x640 retina display, and a 3-axis gyroscope. Physically, the new iPod touch is thinner than its predecessors and features a slightly curved, flatter back, and a new speaker port near the Dock Connector. Notably, both the front- and rear-facing cameras will be capable of still photography, with the former capped at 640x480 resolution and the latter capped at 960x720. The devices will be available next week and will be priced at $229 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 32GB version, and $399 for the 64GB model.

Note that the fourth-generation iPod touch gains limited 802.11n support (2.4GHz only), like the iPhone 4, joining Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and has a promised audio run time of 40 hours, versus 7 hours of video. H.264 and M-JPEG video codecs now support 1280x720-resolution 720p HD videos, as well as 1024x768 output via Apple’s previously-released iPad VGA to Dock Connector Adapter. The device does not have GPS hardware and thus supports geo-tagging only when connected to a Wi-Fi network. FaceTime video calling is handled via a dedicated FaceTime application, with an icon that looks like a white camera on a green background.

Apple today announced iOS 4.1, brining with it a multitude of bug fixes, built-in HDR photography, the Game Center social gaming service, and HD video uploads over Wi-Fi. The free update for iPhone and iPod touch users will fix existing bugs with the proximity sensor, Bluetooth, and iPhone 3G performance, and will feature built-in High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, a feature through which the camera takes three photos in rapid succession and combines them to make a picture with a wider dynamic range than a traditional photo. In addition, the update will provide HD video uploading over Wi-Fi, and the aforementioned Game Center social gaming service. iOS 4.1 will be available next week and will be a free update for users of capable iPhone and iPod touch devices.

Apple today gave several updates on its iOS, App Store, and retail store businesses. It said it has now shipped over 120 million iOS devices, and is handling 230,000 new activations each day. Over 6.5 billion applications have been downloaded from the App Store, resulting in an average of 200 apps every second, and the App Store now offers over 250,000 apps, 25,000 of which are made for the iPad. The company now has 300 retail stores in 10 countries—the Covent Garden store in London was the 300th opening—and has over one million customers coming through the stores on several days each month. It will soon open a store in Spain, marking the 11th country in which it has retail stores.

It also revealed that it has sold 275 million iPods, and that the iPod touch is now the best-selling portable gaming device in the world, outselling Nintendo’s and Sony’s portable devices combined. In enjoys over 50% market share in the portable gaming device category both in the U.S. and worldwide, and iPod touch users have downloaded over 1.5 billion game and entertainment apps.

Apple has announced that it will broadcast today’s iPod event live over the Internet. According to the press release, Apple will use its “industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming,” which is based on open standards, to provide a live video stream of the event, being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. Apple notes that the broadcast requires either a Mac running Safari on Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopard, an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 3.0 or higher, or an iPad. Apple’s special event will begin today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time/1:00 Eastern Time.

iLounge has received more photos supposedly showing cases for upcoming iPod models. As with the case photos discovered last week, these cases are from X-Doria, and offer a glimpse into the shape and features of the fourth-generation iPod touch and a smaller, squarish iPod that could be either the fourth-generation iPod shuffle or sixth-generation iPod nano—notably, it was referred to as the former in our e-mail exchange with the company. These new photos seem to support information published by iLounge last week claiming that the fourth-generation iPod touch will sport a back plate that is mainly flat, as well as a rear-facing camera and mic. We have thus far been unable to confirm whether the rectangular hole on the rear of the shuffle 4G/nano 6G case is for a clip or for access to some other feature. Apple is expected to announce its Fall 2010 iPod lineup at a special event scheduled for Wednesday, Sept 1., at 10:00 a.m. in San Francisco.

Virgin Mobile has announced a new $40 unlimited monthly data plan, which, when combined with a $150 Mi-Fi mobile hotspot, provides an attractive option for iPad and iPod touch users. The new offering does not require a contract, allowing customers to start and stop their service without a fee, and the $150 hotspot would allow users to connect up to five devices at a time, including iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Notably, Virgin Mobile’s devices operate on Sprint’s nationwide network, with roaming limited to 300MB per month. [via TidBits]

An image showing what Chinese case vendor X-Doria claims to be fourth-generation iPod touch and sixth-generation iPod nano cases has appeared online. The image shows two iPod touch 4G cases with openings in the rear clear plastic for a camera and either a flash or microphone. Notably, the shape of the cases suggests the touch will retain its curved rear shell design instead of moving to a flat back panel as seen on the iPhone 4. The two supposed iPod nano 6G cases, on the other hand, appear to be made for a squarish device based on the 1.7-inch Apple-branded touchscreen seen in photos earlier this year, without any room for a front-mounted Home button. The nano 6G case features an open strip on the rear—perhaps for a camera or built-in clip—as well as what appear to be volume buttons and a larger button on the top side while a Dock Connector and headphone port are along the bottom. Text accompanying the image notes that it is unclear what a move to this small a form factor might mean for the future of the iPod shuffle, though the “nano 6G” device is more like a screened iPod shuffle than the nano, Dock Connector aside.

Updated: Additional details on the iPod touch 4G back shell are here.

Apple has begun emailing select members of the press, inviting them to a special event in San Francisco on September 1. As it has been in the past, the event will be held at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater, and will be focused on the company’s iPod line, as indicated by the invitation’s image of an acoustic guitar with an Apple logo cut-out. Apple is widely expected to introduce updated iPods at the event, likely including the fourth-generation iPod touch, and possibly a rumored next-generation Apple TV, which may be renamed iTV, as well as 99 cent TV episode rentals.

Apple plans to hold its annual iPod media event in San Francisco on September 7th, according to a new report. Contained within the same Bloomberg report that suggested Apple would be debuting a 99 cent TV show rental service, yet curiously overlooked by multiple outlets—including iLounge—the brief statement cites two people as saying Apple will launch a new iPod touch, an improved Apple TV, and the TV show rental service at the event. Traditionally, Apple has held the event in the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco; the Yerba Buena’s calendar shows an event scheduled for the 7th in its gallery area, but nothing being held in the theater on that day.

A newly published Apple patent application has led to reports that the company will use a new unauthorized user recognition technology to deter users from jailbreaking iPhones. The patent application, entitled “Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device,” primarily describes methods for detecting unauthorized users—people who do not normally use the device—and taking appropriate action, such as relaying information about the unauthorized user’s identity and location to the device’s owner, restricting functions, or deleting sensitive data. The controversy stems from references in the application to jailbreaking and/or unlocking the device, both of which it describes as “activities that can indicate suspicious behavior.” In July, the U.S. Library of Congress’ Copyright Office announced a decision under which jailbreaking was deemed legal and within the user’s fair use rights, which might conceivably limit Apple’s ability to discriminate against users with jailbroken devices. However, it’s unclear as to whether Apple is patenting this invention in the hopes of actually locking out users for its own purposes, deterring certain uses of its devices, or merely empowering owners to protect their own items as they wish. As with all Apple patent applications, the filing does not necessarily represent any future product release from Apple, but offers evidence of the company’s research in this area.

Another LCD panel and front glass assembly, reportedly for the upcoming fourth-generation iPod touch, has been spotted online. MIC Gadget reports that the photos of the panel were found on a Chinese online store, and show a LCD panel and front assembly labeled “Apple © 2010,” as was seen on the prior supposed fourth-generation iPod touch panel. Also the same between the two parts is a hole in the center of the top, presumably for a FaceTime-capable, front-facing camera. According to the report, the part was obtained by an iPhone parts supplier through a “special channel,” and is for sale for 650 yuan, or roughly $95.

A placeholder for an as-yet-unknown Apple device has appeared in the latest internal build of the iOS 4.1 beta, according to a new report. Citing people familiar with the matter, AppleInsider reports that the latest iOS 4.1 build contains code referencing both the fourth-generation iPod touch—labeled iPod4,1—and a second-generation iPad—labeled iProd2,1. Perhaps more interesting, however, is a listing for “unknownHardware,” given a productID of 20547—compared to 4765 for the second-generation iPad and 4766 for the fourth-generation iPod touch—and a productString of “Unknown- Add device descriptor info for this device.” The report speculates that the code could in fact reference a rumored iOS-based next-generation Apple TV, although it could also simply be placeholder code for some other potentially upcoming product, such as a CDMA or fifth-generation iPhone.

Chua Kim Guan, chairman of Singapore-based JLJ Holdings Ltd., has stepped down amid a scandal that allegedly saw kickbacks given to an Apple employee for confidential information. JLJ Holdings has been named in a lawsuit by Apple against former Apple global supply manager Paul Shin Devine, which claims Devine shared confidential information from Apple with suppliers of iPod and iPhone accessories, who used the information to negotiate favorable contracts with Apple. “In order to facilitate the impartial review of all activities relating to the Apple claim that may involve the company and its subsidiaries, the company’s executive chairman has voluntarily relinquished all executive duties…for the time being,” JLJ said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reports that JLJ revealed Chua is the brother of Andrew Ang, a former assistant general manager of its Jin Li Mould Manufacturing unit who is also named in Apple’s suit. Both Devine and Ang were recently indicted for wire fraud, money laundering, and kickbacks. [via MDN]

South Korea-based Cresyn Co., a supplier of earphones for the iPod, has said that former Apple global supply manager Paul Shin Devine was paid for what was thought to be consulting work. “It was our understanding the contract was with Apple since we knew he was an Apple employee,” Kim Chang Jun, a spokesman for the Seoul-based company, told Bloomberg. “Apple was specified in the contract, and we believed it, so we sent the money.” Devine, along with associate Andrew Ang of Singapore, was recently indicted for wire fraud, money laundering, and kickbacks. Devine allegedly shared confidential information from Apple with suppliers of iPod and iPhone accessories, which then used the information to negotiate favorable contracts with Apple.

Reuters reports that in addition to Cresyn, Apple claims that Devine was also in contact with Singapore’s Glocom/Lateral Solutions, JLJ Holdings, and Fastening Technologies, as well as Taiwan’s Nishoku Technology and Pegatron. Said Jonathan Chang, a deputy spokesman for Pegatron, “We are investigating the case now and feel sorry about this.” Pegatron owns Kaeder Electronics, a maker of third-party plastic cases for the iPhone, iPod, and other devices, which was named in the kickback charges but is not a direct Apple supplier.