It’s a different world when you have an iPhone 3G with a battery that doesn’t suck (I’ll be saying that, at least to myself, for the next couple of days.  Wow!  What a difference a working battery makes!). Anyway, the internet is buzzing today with a number of different rumors leaked by Kevin Rose.  He’s had his lips locked around the Apple Kool-Aid pitcher over the weekend and he has some interesting items, that while still rumor and speculation, could be very interesting news if they turn out to be true.

Without any further ado, here’s the straight poop from Mr. Rose:

• * A new iPod nano will ship before the end of  September 2008; and it will sport an “everything old is new again” design. The nano fatty is gone, to be replaced by a somewhat redesigned Gen2 nano, but with a bit thicker body, rounded edges, and video capable, wide screen.
• * The iPod Touch will see a minor revision in design, and will get the new 2.1 software before the iPhone will.
• * iPod prices will drop, and will cover the entire nano and Touch lines.  The idea here is to compete with the $199 iPhone.  This is where the rumor mill starts to lose molecular cohesion.  The iPhone is subsidized by AT&T. I’m not certain we’ll see the new music players priced below $199; but it would be cool if we did.
• * iTunes 8.0 is due out before October 2008 and will include new subscription and jukebox features.
• * OSX 10.5.6 is a bit “further down the road;” but will include Blu-Ray support, leading Rose to speculate that a MBP Blu-Ray drive is due in the future as well.

 

 

[This is a joint review between  Dan and Doug.  Dan's comments are in normal font and Doug's are in bold italics.]

I’m liking a whole lot about the iPhone 3G I picked up the other day. It feels good in my hand and, even though it is a bit thicker, the curved sides make it feel smaller and lighter. I am liking the 3g speed a lot more than I expected. While home and work have WiFi, the 3G speeds make a much bigger difference than I expected when I am out and about. I’m pleasantly surprised how common 3G is in my area and those  speeds make a far bigger difference than I expected when using my iPhone for browsing or updating RSS feeds. I am especially liking the increased cellular signal strength. On my Gen1 iPhone I was lucky to get one bar when I am home, while my iPhone 3G gets 2-3 everywhere. Because of the increased signal I can even live with the cheap, easily scratched, plastic back. (Thank goodness for Invisible Shields!)
I don’t have the iPhone, but I do have the iPod Touch.  And since many of the applications for the iTouch involve Cloud computing or utilizing data stored online, I find myself frequently connected to the Internet via Wifi.

Thanks to the new firmware, my iPhone 3G is pretty stable. I’m finding myself having very few crashes and far fewer lockups then I did when I was using my Gen1 iPhone with the 2.0 firmware. Yup, I like almost everything about my new iPhone. “Almost” but not “everything”… The battery life is horrible. I need to be able to rely on phone to work when I need it and the battery life… well the battery life scares me. It is lousy. It is weak. Horrific. A shanda. It makes me want to throw the phone out the window.

The battery on the iTouch is not nearly that bad.  Since I do not have to contend with a phone or 3G signals, I have found that I get some pretty good use from a single charge.  Still, using Wifi for everything from checking email to syncing my RSS feeds, weather, todo lists and more, can also be trouble for a battery.

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The number of Apple-branded media devices in my house has grown significantly over the past year. With the number of devices now floating around my abode it is always helpful to have an array of available connectivity, charging and docking options. (This became even more important when upgrading the devices to the new 2.0 firmware since it significantly downgraded their battery life.) Problem is, those accessories can add up quickly.

Enter Cygnett’s GroovePowerPack and GrooveSafari.

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Yes as a matter of fact I do know you might be able to get this cheaper on eBay. By buying direct from the Apple Store you’ll get you either of these two refurb iPod Touch models (8 GB or 16 GB) with a one year warranty plus free shipping plus the listing shows they include “current software release” as well so I think you’re in for the 2.0 OS version that normally costs extra.

Apple iPod Touch refurb deals

I haven’t got an iPhone 3G, instead I bought an Nokia E71 (review pending) and I couldn’t be happier. I did however update my iPod Touch to the latest 2.0 firmware, and have downloaded a few apps which are pretty cool. With my Touch I get all of the benefits of the iPhone, except for the ability to surf the web and make calls while out and about. Or can I?

Some of you may have heard of Joiku, but for those who haven’t it’s a small application that you load onto a Nokia phone that instantly turns it into a mobile hotspot. That’s right, you can hookup your laptop, or in this case iPod, to your phone over WiFi, no messy Bluetooth or cable connections necessary. I downloaded it to my E71 (right on the phone), and gave it a whirl today, and I have to say it works, very very well.

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This evening I gave the new Pwnage utility a try on my freshly 2.0ed iPod Touch, and I thought I’d post the screenshots I took of the process, for those you you who like to know what should be happening when you do it

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As part of her transition to the iPhone after years as a devout Treo user, my wife has been using an iPod Touch for the last month. At first she was using a hard-shelled case I had “laying around” to protect it. That changed last week when I received a box from our friends at Agent18 containing two of their new FlowerVest cases for the iPod Touch.

“Hmmmm,” I thought to myself upon opening the box, “a flowered case… how am I going to review that?”
“Nice cases,” said my better half, “I’d love to use one of those.”

So I offer you the first gadget accessory review that my wife and I have co-written. Continue Reading

From now until September 15, 2008 Apple is offering up to a $299 iPod rebate to Students and Faculty who purchase both a qualifying Mac (MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac all qualify) and iPod (8GB Nano and 8,16 & 32GB Touch qualify). Unfortunately you’ll have to shell out money for both the Mac and iPod and wait to claim the refund for the iPod. However, if you’re lucky enough to live in Connecticut or Rhode Island, the rebate is instant - so there’s no waiting for them to send your free iPod!

Link: Apple Back To School Promo
Link: Apple Rebate FAQ
Link: Apple Promo Terms & Conditions (PDF)

Update 5/3/08 4:24 pm EST: Deal is Sold Out - Sorry. Woot! has the iPod Touch 16GB model (this is refurbished and does NOT include the additional email/weather/stock apps - which costs $20 to download via iTunes). Compared to the Amazon new price of $349 and the Apple refurbished price of $329 - this is an ok deal. Remember that the deals you see on Woot! are only good for one day. And they often sell out quickly. The iPhone Touch is nearly the same experience as an iPhone sans the voice/phone portion (and no monthly $70ish bill from AT&T). I started my Apple addiction with this very model and now you can too.

Link: Woot! - 16GB iPod Touch Refurbished - $289
Link: Amazon.com - 16GB iPod Touch - New $349
Link: Apple Store: 16GB Refurbished iPod Touch - 1 Year Apple Limited Warranty - $329