iPod Updates At September Apple Event

Steve Jobs made his return today on stage, to announce an update on all iPod models. However the rumors did not all turn out to be true, as there was no iPAD and no camera for the iPod Classic or iPod Touch, however the news about the delay in manufacturing the new iPod Touch device seems like they might announce a camera model later.

iPod Touch

The iPod Touch got a minimal update, however there is still maybe hope for the camera model. But all Apple announced was a size increase, up to 64GB; and a price drop which will be a good thing for the iPod market.

8GB – £149 / $199
32GB – £229 / $299
64GB – £299 / $399

iPod Classic

The iPod Classic was also rumored to get a camera, however it didn’t happen but they have made the device slimmer and also bumped up the memory but kept the price.

160GB – £189 / $249

iPod Nano

iPod Nano now has a VGA camera capable of shooting H.264 video at 30fps, just like the iPhone 3GS. It’s still comes in 8GB and 16GB models and in the usual array of colours. It has a larger 2.2 inch screen and comes with a microphone and speaker. And now has the VoiceOver feature like the shuffle does. It has a FM radio tuner now also built in and a voice recording app, exactly like the iPhone’s.

8GB – £115 / $149
16GB – £135 / $179

iPod Shuffle

The iPod shuffle has now got new colours: pink, green, blue, black and silver. And a special edition model.

2GB – £45 / $59
4GB – £59 / $79

New iPod Nano 5th Gen With VGA Video

At Apple’s ‘It’s only rock and roll’ event today they announced the latest update to the iPod selection, the new iPod Nano.

Not much has changed in the way of the appearance, it’s still the curved slim candybar type of design however now it has a video camera. Now you might think that the Nano is such a small device that the quality of the video would be terrible, but as many people forget the Nano has the same processor as the iPhone and so is capable of VGA H.264 at 30fps.

To enhance the video the new Nano comes with an array of built in effects: Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch and Twirl.

It’s still comes in 8GB and 16GB models and in the usual array of colours. It has a larger 2.2 inch screen and comes with a microphone and speaker. And now has the VoiceOver feature like the shuffle does. It has a FM radio tuner now also built in and a voice recording app, exactly like the iPhone’s.

8GB – £115 / $149
16GB – £135 / $179

How To: Disguise An App

So let’s say you have an App on your phone that you really need, but other people would keep going on it and you don’t really want them using it or seeing what it is. Well there is a simple way to disguise an app on your iPhone as anything you want.

Let’s say the app we want to hide is Cycorder.

Getting Started

First of all you have to SSH into your device and go to your Applications folder and open the relevant folder, in this case being Cycorder.app.

Once this is opened you will see the following files:
Cycorder
icon.png
info.plist
loading.png

Note: these will vary on application, but the files needed will remain the same.

Now copy the files icon.png and info.plist to your computer.

Before editing either it’s a good idea to backup the files just in case you go wrong.

Editing The Icon

People using the iPhone will most likely use icons to refer to an app, so changing the icon of the app you wish to hide is the first thing to do.

First you need to get the icon from another app or you could make one yourself. Simply pressing the Home button and Sleep/Wake button will capture a screen shot of your home screen and you edit the icon to the correct size etc.

Note: Always save the icon as a png image and make sure it’s transparent.

Downloading a free app off the App Store would maybe be a better idea for this as it gives you a quick and disposable way to disguise an app. However think about if people are likely to click on it, so find something boring.

Once you’ve edited and saved your new icon, save it as a png and copy it back to the app folder on the iPhone, replacing the original.

Changing The Name

The second way people will know which app is which, is via the name underneath the icon (which by now you will have changed).

To change the name simply open the plist either using a text editor or a dedicated plist editor such as iPodRobot’s plist editor.

Look at the plist and find the tag called
<key>CFBundleDisplayName</key>

and change the value below it what you wish the app to appear as on the home screen.

Once this is done, save the plist and copy it back to your device, overwriting the old one.

Now re-spring or re-boot your device and the application will now be disguised.

New iPod Cases Shown At IFA Prove The Rumors True

Over the last few weeks there have been plenty of images and video leaking out of new a new iPod Touch and a new iPod Nano and possibly iPod Classic? Well if all that wasn’t enough to convince you some pictures of cases made by Hama, have shown up online taken at IFA.

Apple’s September 9th Event Confirmed

Apple has sent out invitations to their annual music event on September 9th, with the tag line “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it”. The rumours of the past few months have been centered around this event as this is when usually the iPod’s are refreshed.

We can tell from the image that it’s based around the iPod refresh as the silhouette dancer is holding an iPod. The event is to take place at Yerba Buena Center for Arts Theatre, San Francisco at 10AM PST. There is no confirmation on who will be holding the keynote, maybe Steve Jobs?

There are so many rumors for this upcoming event at least some must be true. We have rumors of a camera enabled iPod Touch and iPod Nano and possibly iPod Classic. Some believe that an Apple Tablet will be released or at least announced however this seems a bit less likely.

iPod Classic (7th Generation) To Get Camera?

As the rumors of the upcoming camera equipped model continue to appear, a recent report by Digitimes claims that Omnivision, one of the suppliers for the CMOS sensors in the iPhone 3GS, will be supplying new 3.2 megapixel CMOS image sensors for the new iPod line-up as well.

This seems to validate prior rumors of the a camera equipped iPod Touch and iPod Nano.

Quote:

OmniVision will be the sole supplier of 3.2-megapixel CIS products for new iPod nano, iPod classic and iPod Touch models which will be launched in September, the sources indicated.

This rumor seems quite legitimate as we’ve seen photos and even video of the iPod Touch with a camera.

Is This The 3rd Gen iPod Touch?

Over the last few days multiple photographs, some fake and some real, along with video footage appear to show what can only be described as the 3rd generation iPod Touch device. If the images are in fact real, which some have been proven not to be, then the new iPod Touch will have an in-built camera as previously rumored. If this is true then it’s taking away even more from the differences between the iPod Touch and iPhone.

As we know from the iPhone Video or iPhone Video iChat rumors, we know that they can easily be faked and some images were done very convincingly so take all pictures with a pinch of salt.

But if you don’t believe the photos that have been posted then a video has been published which shows the same device with the camera. This makes it a lot more authenticated and less likely to be a fake.

Video Link

The New iPod Touch Pricing & Sizes?

The new iPod Touch rumored to be announced in September, will gain more space and better pricing, according to John Gruber.

The new equipped iPod Touches are said to be the following:

16GB – $199
32GB – $299
64GB – $399

Apple is expected to announce the new devices at a September music event.

More New iPod Touch & iPod Nano Cases Leaked

Over the last few weeks a lot of case designs have been leaking out to the internet, appearing to be for a new iPod Touch and iPod Nano with camera.

The new cases seem to look quite similar in hole positions as the previously leaked ones but these still may not be authentic. However if they are then we should see the announcement of a new iPod Touch and iPod Nano with photo/video recording, sometime around September per Apple’s usual release pattern.

iPod With Camera Looking More Likely?

You will remember as the iPhone 3GS rumours were flying around that some mock-up pictures were sent out of what an iPod Nano would look like with a camera.

iPod Nano 5g Case

But now things are looking even more likely as now we have the first cases with matching camera cut-outs for the iPod Nano in addition to an iPod Touch case with similar cut-outs that have been leaked on the internet. This morning TechCrunch is claiming that a “massive number of camera modules” for iPods have been ordered per information provided by a source in Asia. Take this all to be true and we should see the announcement of a new iPod Touch and iPod Nano with photo/video recording, sometime around September per Apple’s usual release pattern.

iPod Touch Cases:

iPod Touch Camera Case 2

iPod Touch Camera Case