iLounge

Apple’s iPhone 3G, fourth-generation iPod nano, and second-generation iPod touch were all given International Design Forum gold awards at the 2009 CeBIT conference, SetteB.IT reports. Among 802 products that were recognized, including the Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic, only 50 products earned gold awards. The products were judged on the basis of design quality, workmanship, choice of materials, degree of innovativeness, environmental compatibility, functionality, ergonomics, visualization of use, safety, brand value / branding and universal design. Notably, the MacBook Air was also the recipient of a gold award.

An auction by former Apple employee Mike Evangelist for a pre-release first-generation iPod was posted on eBay Sunday, then removed today at Apple’s request. According to Evangelist, the iPod was acquired while he was at Apple as part of an internal testing program, and never exchanged for a final released version. Otherwise fully functional, the pre-production unit can be synced with the current version of iTunes, but requires a special utility for restoring the software, as hardware changes made before the official release preclude this unit from being updated/restored using the standard mechanism. In addition, the unit included slightly larger earphones than Apple actually shipped with retail units—they were reduced in diameter from 18mm to 16mm following tester complaints. After posting the auction, Evangelist received an e-mail from eBay noting that “[t]he rights owner, Apple, Inc., notified eBay that this listing violates intellectual property rights. When eBay receives a report of this type of violation, we remove the listing to comply with the law.”

Apple has posted a new iPod touch TV advertisement to its online gallery. Similar to the prior ad which debuted along with the second-generation device in September 2008, the new ad features several iPod touches being used to play games, appearing over top of one another and set on a white background. Games spotlighted during the ad include Rolando, Touchgrind, Real Soccer 2009, and TouchSports Tennis ‘09; the song in the background is “No You Girls” by Franz Ferdinand. The ad also features the text “More Games” and “More Fun,” before finishing with the iPod touch 2G slogan “The funnest iPod ever.” The new ad is now available for viewing on Apple’s website.

According to the latest data released by The NPD Group, iPod sales were down 14% year-over-year in January. Fortune reports that Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster said Wall Street expectations were for an 11% drop in iPod sales. Despite the falling unit sales, the average price of iPods rose 4% in January, compared to an expected 3% drop. Overall, Munster believes iPod unit sales will fall between 6% and 15% for the quarter. “Given concerns regarding iPod weakness,” Munster said, “we believe the segment’s in-line performance relative to  Street expectations is a positive.”

Mobile advertisement firm AdMob has revealed its Mobile Metrics report for January. According to the data, worldwide requests from Apple devices grew 28% month over month to 1.2 billion in January, with the iPod touch outpacing the iPhone’s growth in top markets. The iPod touch now represents 40% of ad requests from Apple devices, doubling September’s 20% share. In early January, AdMob revealed that iPod touch requests had more than tripled worldwide from November to December; it is unclear how many of these increases can be attributed to sales of AdMob-supported applications.

RapidRepair has posted a page touting a 240GB hard drive upgrade for the fifth-generation iPod. According to the product page for the Toshiba 240GB MK2431GAH 8mm, the drive will only function correctly in fifth-generation iPod units, and not the iPod classic, due to the fact that it is a two-platter drive — the latter model is currently only able to see one of the drive platters. Pricing for the drive is not available and it is listed as out of stock, although RapidRepair is offering a “wait list” link for interested parties.

Update: The company is now accepting pre-orders for the drive, which is priced at $295 and will begin shipping in March. Owners of the 30GB fifth-generation iPod will be able to order a thicker backing along with the drive for an added $10.

Sandlot Games has released its Cake Mania 3 game for the fifth-generation iPod, iPod classic, third- and fourth-generation iPod nano, the first Click Wheel iPod game for be released in 2009. In the game, players must travel through time baking cakes and serving tea and cookies to guests while trying to achieve daily cash goals. The game offers over 80 levels, more than 20 characters, six different bakeries, and six different eras in which to work, as well as the ability to customize the bakery with new equipment to meet increasing demand. Cake Mania 3 is available now from the iTunes Store and sells for $5.

Thanks to an overwhelming response from the iPod and iPhone community, the Consumer Electronics Association and iLounge are pleased to announce a dramatic expansion of the iLounge Pavilion at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). According to CEA, the original space allocated for the Pavilion was completely sold within three days after the announcement, leading to a substantial waiting list. In order to accommodate continued interest from iPod, iPhone, and even Mac vendors, CEA has quadrupled the pavilion’s size, creating a massive presence for Apple accessory, software, and service providers on the 2010 CES show floor. Vendors interested in exhibiting at the 2010 International CES should contact Tira Gordon (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) immediately for additional information.

Update: CEA has issued its official press release announcing the record-breaking response and pavilion expansion.

During the company’s Q1 2009 Conference Call, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer and COO Tim Cook made several comments during the call relating to the company’s iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV businesses. According to Oppenheimer, customers love the sleek design and colors of the fourth-generation iPod nano. He also said the feature set and App Store have helped iPod touch establish as gaming, entertainment, and communications platform. According to the latest data from the NPD Group, iPod MP3 player marketshare is over 70% in the U.S., and gained in international markets as well, with marketshare of over 70% in the U.K. and Australia, over 60% in Japan, and over 50% in Canada.

The December quarter was the biggest ever for the iTunes Store, including the highest sales ever for Christmas day and week. Although the company had already reached its goal of selling 10 million iPhones in calendar 2008, Oppenheimer reiterated the fact, with Q1 sales pushing the total up to 13.7 million units. The phone was selling in over 70 countries by the end of the quarter, and recorded iPhone revenue was $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared with just $241 million in Q1 2008. Finally, the executives revealed that Apple TV unit sales were up almost 3x from the year-ago quarter, although the company still considers the product a hobby.

The complete record of our live coverage is below.

Working together on behalf of the iPod and iPhone community, iLounge and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced the historic official launch of the iLounge Pavilion, the first unified pavilion area for iPod and iPhone products to be offered at an International Consumer Electronics Show. Debuting at the 2010 CES, this pavilion will for the first time give iPod and iPhone vendors their own dedicated, prominent stage at the world’s largest trade show for consumer technology.

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Strong holiday sales of the iPod touch drove growth in App sales and web traffic on Christmas day, according to a new report. Mac Rumors, citing information from several developers, reports that sales of both Top 100 and other titles were boosted by 3x-4x on Christmas day, attributing the growth to the iPod touch based on Amazon.com’s sales reports and rankings, which show the iPod touch atop the MP3 Player category and the 8GB model among the site’s strongest-selling holiday electronics items. In addition, Net Applications’ browser marketshare graphs also show a strong spike around the holiday, with the iPod touch’s marketshare jumping from 0.07% on 12/23 to 0.10% on the 24th and 0.21% on the 25th, or roughly triple the share seen two days earlier.

As has been the case the past two weeks, three new games have simultaneously been released for the fifth-generation iPod, iPod classic, and third- and fourth-generation iPod nanos. Electronic Arts has released Trivial Pursuit, based on the popular trivia board game. Pursuit offers up to 1,000 questions on entertainment, geography, history, and more, two main game modes, Classic and the fast-paced Pursuit, both of which can be played with up to three friends in a pass ‘n’ play manner, and the ability to track games, scores, and stats. Trivial Pursuit is available now from the iTunes Store and sells for $5.

With its second game in as many weeks, Apple has released Chinese Checkers. Based on the original board game, Chinese Checkers offers three difficulty levels, pass-and-play multiplayer with up to five friends, hints and undo, a variety of boards and marbles, realistic sound effects, and more. Like Reversi before it, Chinese Checkers sells for $1 and is available now from the iTunes Store.

Finally, Square Enix has released Crystal Defenders, a new tower defense-style game featuring characters from Final Fantasy Tactics A2. In the game, players must deploy units on a map in order to protect crystal reserves from approaching monsters. It offers a variety of units, including melee specialists and magic experts, and two game versions to provide challenges across more than 200 stages. Crystal Defenders is available now from the iTunes Store and sells for $5 for the iPod; an iPhone version has also been released for $8, and criticized for wasting half the screen on a virtual joystick. A free trial version of the iPhone version is also available.

Continuing to expand its offerings heading into the holiday season, Apple has again posted three new games for the fifth-generation iPod, iPod classic, and third- and fourth-generation iPod nanos. Hudson Soft has released Lode Runner, a strategic action/puzzle game. Based on the classic computer and console title from the early 1980s, players must dig to collect all the gold in each level while avoiding robots which try to catch the player. The game features simple controls the consist of moving and digging, 130 different stages, five game modes, and both tutorial and tip videos. Lode Runner is available now from the iTunes Store and sells for $5.

Gameloft has released Wonder Blocks, a new block-stacking game. Players travel from wonder to wonder in an attempt to rebuild well-known structures while battling time limitations and instability. The game features seven different wonders, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Taj Mahal, and the Eiffel Tower, and multiple game modes, including quick play, story mode, time attack, and more. Wonder Blocks is available now from the iTunes Store for $5.

Finally, Apple has released Reversi, a strategy game based on the popular board game Othello. Users choose either white (cream) or black markers, and must strategically place them each turn in order to box in markers of the opposite color, reversing them and gaining pieces for the player. Reversi offers three difficulty levels, in-game hints and undo, and both single player v. computer or pass-and-play multiplayer modes. Priced at $1, Reversi is available now from the iTunes Store.

Three new games have been released for the fifth-generation iPod, iPod classic, third- and fourth-generation iPod nano. Electronic Arts has released Tiger Woods PGA Tour, a golfing simulation game. Users can choose to play as Tiger, other PGA Tour pros, or create their own golfer, using the Click Wheel to navigate through well-known courses such as Pebble Beach, collecting Trophy Balls for in-game achievements. The game offers two modes: practice and tournament, in addition to an isometric camera view for lining up shots, a top-down ball camera, and putting grid views.

Sandlot Games has released Slyder Adventures, a maze-style game starring the company’s spherical character Slyder. The game offers more than 150 levels across four worlds, both exploration and timed game modes, and more than 30 different items to collect. In addition, the game features an alternate accelerometer-based control scheme for users of the iPod nano 4G, and allows users to listen to music from their iPod during play.

Finally, Gameloft has released its Real Soccer 2009 sports title. Players can choose from more than 290 clubs and national teams in 10 different leagues, play in six different soccer stadiums, and select from five game modes, including national leagues and European Club Cup. In addition, the game features real-life players, realistic artificial intelligence, and easy-to-perform special moves. All three games are available now from the iTunes Store, and sell for $5 each.

Gameloft S.A. has released its Asphalt 4: Elite Racing game for the fifth-generation iPod, iPod classic, and third- and fourth-generation iPod nano. Previously released for the iPhone and iPod touch, the game offers 10 different cars and bikes which players can take racing in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, Shanghai, NYC, Dubai, Paris, and Tokyo. In addition, the game offers five different racing modes, and allows the player to tune and customize their cars. Asphalt 4: Elite Racing is available from the iTunes Store and sells for $5.

Apple has released Software Version 2.0.1 for the iPod classic (120GB). According to the release notes, Software 2.0.1 adds support for Apple’s upcoming In-Ear Headphones and Earphones with Remote and Mic, and fixes a bug with saving Genius playlists, along with other minor bug fixes. Software Version 2.0.1 for iPod classic (120GB) is available now via the update feature in iTunes, and does not work with 80GB or 160GB iPod classic models.

Namco has released its new Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World game for Click Wheel iPods. The game lets players pick one of four Tamagotchi, and then play one of six missions that take place across three differently-themed planets, each of which features Gaiatchi, or living clouds, plants, geysers and seedlings that populate the planet. Players interact with the Gaiatchi through mini-games and activities such as rock paper scissors, dancing, memory matching, and math puzzles. Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World is available now from the iTunes Store and sells for $5; for more information see our First Look article.

Seven years ago today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the original 5GB iPod, a $399 hard drive-based MP3 player with a unique Scroll Wheel and bright white LCD interface, an amazingly pocketable size, and high-speed FireWire for synchronization and charging. The first-generation iPod actually shipped on November 10, 2001, going on to sell 125,000 units by year’s end.

Apple now has sold more than 174 million iPods, spanning five distinct models—iPod/iPod classic, iPod mini, iPod shuffle, iPod nano, and iPod touch, and has seen countless advancements in capacity and features, even while falling in price. It has also played a major part in Apple’s remarkable growth from a struggling computer company to a major consumer electronics manufacturer, inspiring the iPhone and helping boost sales of the company’s Mac computers.

From all of us at iLounge to Apple’s iPod teams, past and present, congratulations on your seventh birthday. We will be here to celebrate many, many more.

Apple has signed a tentative deal with South Korean broadband service provider KT Corp. to provide third-generation communications access for upcoming products such as iPods and MacBook laptop computers, reports the Yonhap News Agency. According to the report, the deal calls for the use of WiBro, the Korean variant of the WiMAX standard, in upcoming products, suggesting that Apple will be adding further high-speed wireless connectivity to its next-generation portable devices. Further details, such as a possible rollout date, have yet to be revealed.

More than half of all the automobile models sold in the United States in 2009 will offer at least optional iPod support, according to a new iSuppli report. The report states that 39 percent of models sold in 2008 offer iPod integration; that number will jump to 58 percent next year, marking the first time an iPod option will be available in more than half of models. The report goes on to state that one-third of 2009 models will offer USB connectivity for other portable devices, up from 16 percent in 2008, and that Bluetooth will be at least an option on 82 percent of 2009 models, up from 55 percent availability in 2008.

“The automotive industry is at the point where in-vehicle technologies-or the lack of them-are influencing sales,” said Phil Magney, vice president of automotive research for iSuppli. “The charge toward greater technological integration has been led by car OEMs like Hyundai and Honda, which are making USB/iPod combination interfaces standard on many of their vehicles. It’s also been spurred by OEMs like Audi and Mercedes, which offer integrated Media Device Gateways that allow any device imaginable to integrate with a vehicle.”