Aleks Grynis

Yes, I absolutely meant to end that with an exclamation point. From day one that I downloaded Skype on my Droid, I have been frustrated by the fact that it would only work over 3G and not over WiFi. Finally, the cries of many have been answered.

According to Android Central, and verified by my download from the Android Market, the newest version of Skype for Android allows for simultaneous WiFi and 3G connections. No more disabling your WiFi just to run Skype!

The caveat, of course, is that it’s still only for Verizon users (for now). But if you’re paying your monthly dues to the big red V, you should head to the Android Market and get to updating.

Original title and link for this post: Skype for Android finally works over WiFi!

As Twitter matures and more content of various forms are shared on it, we’re finding an increasing need to have better ways to access that content. Be it pictures, video or even a user’s profile, the applications that tend to shine the brightest are the ones that give us the easiest access.

Twitter is not blind to that fact, and today introduces Twitter for iPad. Unlike some iPad applications, which are just iPhone applications in larger proportion, the Twitter for iPad app really lets the content shine. Navigation in the application is even changed, somewhat, to better suit the iPad platform. Here’s what the Twitter Blog has to say:

Tapping on a Tweet opens a pane to the right. Depending on the content in that Tweet, you’ll see a video or photo, or maybe a news story, or perhaps another Tweet. You can continue tapping on Tweets, opening new panes, and getting new content as long as you’d like to. And, it’s really easy to move between panes by swiping to the right or left.

Gestures: You can pinch on a Tweet to quickly view details about the author and to take actions on a Tweet, such as reply or retweet. Put two fingers together and pull down on a Tweet to peek at the replies, showing the entire conversation leading to that Tweet.

Twitter for iPad is available now, in the App Store. Give a download and let us know what you think.

Original title and link for this post: Twitter for iPad finally lands. Includes gestures and a new UI.

You may or may not have heard that Apple held an event today at which they announced a number of things (full recap here).  One of those things was Ping.

What is Ping? According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs Ping is like “Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes.”  Continuing, “But it’s not Facebook, it’s not Twitter, it’s a social network all about music.”

Once you upgrade to iTunes 10, you can sign up for the social network all about music, Ping.  But how will your friends find you, and you them?  Here’s how to find your Ping URL and pass it along to anyone and everyone:

1. Go to your Ping profile.  My “excellent” one is presented below.

2.  Right-Click or Control-Click on your name:

3. Select “Copy Link”:

That’s it.  Now that you’ve copied your link you can share it with all.  Granted, the link is long, but that’s how people can easily locate you without having to conduct a search in Ping itself, being invited by email or through Facebook.

By the way, I can be found on Ping here.

Initial thoughts on Ping?  Likes/dislikes?

Original title and link for this post: Tip: Finding your Ping profile URL

In case our coverage of today’s Apple keynote wasn’t enough to fill your appetite, you can now download the entire keynote via iTunes. It is a rather gigantic 726 MB file, so you might want to get started now…

In our opinion, the download is well worth the time if only to see the amazing graphics in the upcoming Epic Games release for the new iPod Touch.

Original title and link for this post: Missed today’s Apple keynote? iTunes has it ready for download.

Interestingly enough, Yahoo! Groups are still heavily populated and manage to serve as a meeting grounds for millions of people worldwide. The newest update, it seems, brings about some great new features and a really slick UI. Let’s take a look, shall we?

It starts with a new homepage, which combines all of your groups memberships into one easy to access area:

From there, you will find a simplified posting interface, a new conversations panel and then my personal favorite part, the new photo sharing options.

Overall, there are really good chances throughout the Groups pages. So if it’s been a while since you’ve visited the site, it’s worth another look. Full details can be found on the Yahoo! Groups Blog.

Original title and link for this post: Yahoo Groups slims down while picking up new features

Here at TNW we often talk amongst ourselves about how we wish we had X or Y Google service for our TNW accounts. Apparently Google has heard the mumblings and has started to roll out an application to selected Google Apps customers that will allow them to try out some of the otherwise-unreachable features for their business.

According to Wired, the service will start rolling out to “Trusted Testers” later this year and will enable Blogger, Reader, AdWords and Picasa, “among others” to be accessed via Google Apps accounts.

The thought, as has always been the idea behind Google Apps, is to give companies such as Microsoft a run for their money in the much-desired enterprise software market. While many Google Apps users already utilize services such as Google Docs and Gmail, the additional features will certainly be welcomed by all.

While Google Apps itself is a free service for up to fifty employees, there is a $50/month/user charge to get support and guaranteed uptime. That $50, for so long, has been a thorn in the side of many Apps users, as we were paying money for accounts that had limited connections to the other Google services that everyone else can use for free.

Oh, by the way, if a Google is reading this then we’d love to be Trusted Testers here at The Next Web. Thanks!

Original title and link for this post: Google is testing expanded Apps access for Google Apps customers

Reddit is sick and tired of being called small, and puny, and little, and teeny, and microscopic, and all of that. The company is taking a stand. Using numbers that Kevin Rose himself shared for Digg and their own traffic numbers, Reddit is demanding respect:

Big huge high resolution version.

Original title and link for this post: Reddit: Hey, We Are Bigger Than Digg!

Apple today announced the new iteration of its Apple TV device that will sell for $99. As we’ve reported, it was the most popular announcement Apple made today based on Twitter stats. That said, we also said that it is nothing to write home about, and on the face of it, it certainly doesn’t seem all that revolutionary.

In response, Boxee – which also aims to bring online video to the big (TV) screen – posted a response saying that while they love Apple products, they think that Boxee and Apple will be taking different paths to getting online video onto living room screens, with Boxee taking an “open” approach. Sitting off to the side, is Google TV, which of course was demoed this spring by Google at its i/o conference, and which we’re all still waiting to see in real life. There are other devices as well, including the Roku, Internet-enabled TVs, etc.

However, from my perspective, I really need to ask at this point – as cool as some of these devices/services portend to be, are they really necessary? Is Steve Jobs right when he says that no one wants to plug their computers into their living room TVs?

First of all, it seems to me that many of these devices/services are on a mission to give us another “thing” that we really don’t need. Honestly, I have a DVD player, and even that I really don’t need – my computer plays DVDs fine. At least gaming consoles like the XBox and Playstation give us some gaming power – what does an Apple TV give us that we can’t get from our computer? HDMI out? Check. And Netflix, Hulu and YouTube streaming work just fine and dandy on my computer, thank you very much.

As far as striping away the clutter of the keyboard and mouse in favor of a simple remote control, I do get that – but I think that remote control should be a smartphone and/or a tablet that controls my computer/TV. Granted, a touch based computer that could take multi-touch controls from my iPad would be better than a mouse-based one, but again, do I and/or the vast majority of consumers need one more device?

Obviously, I’m arguing that we don’t. Perhaps if these systems were baked right into the displays, it would be another matter, and certainly there are manufacturers that are trying just that (pretty much unsuccessfully to this point). However, until these devices can start doing something my computer can’t (and I’d argue my computer can do a heck of a lot more, like let me play with Google Earth on my modestly large TV), even an attractive $99 price tag just doesn’t seem all that justified. We’ll see a revolution in this space eventually, but it doesn’t seem to be here yet.

Original title and link for this post: Could it just be that good old computers are the best online video devices?

An old saying in the automotive industry states that every dollar spent on marketing should earn you three. It’s exactly this result-driven approach that makes it difficult for a rather conservative business to adopt new media as part of their marketing strategy.

Cars however, have large natural fan bases. As soon as the fans on Facebook and other social networks started creating their own groups, the brands knew they had to dive in the social media pool themselves. However, it is a process that – like in most industries that are still being run by 40+ year old Marketing Managers – takes a lot of time and effort.

While not getting into specific brands, let’s look at a few examples:

A brand headquarters in Munich only just recently decided to appoint a staff of two to maintain the company’s international Facebook page that now has over 263,000 fans. The former Brand Manager in the Netherlands tells us the German HQ has a well thought out content strategy for the page.

“The team in Munich updates the Facebook stream with several messages a day. All news, imagery and video that is related to our models, events or race competition is posted almost immediately’.

International car brands are now often trying to support local Marketing Departments in other countries to start their own Facebook pages and other social media accounts. However, it’s always up to local management how far they want to go.

With some managers not to keen on innovation, change is often sparked by a new generation. Again, from the brand manager:

“About a year ago we asked one of our interns to do a research paper on Social Media in the automotive industry. She ended up being hired as a Junior PR consultant and initiated our Social Media press releases that are now an example to all our foreign colleagues, and many other companies even.”

The thing that is most appealing to car marketeers is the possibility Social Media offers in terms of target audience segmentation. A car can have a lot of different target audiences. On one hand there are the race-enthusiasts who like watching the Supercar Challege on Assen Circuit, on the other there’s often a more artistic fanbase who like the brand because of it’s designer retro look.

In view of these different segments, brands are even going as far as creating two entirely different Facebook pages for these groups of people. While one section might embrace design competitions, others will focus solely on the racing aspects. However, the smart money is in keeping a separation between the two.

Still, the automotive marketers hang on to their old beliefs when it comes to selling cars and audiences one should address. Another famous golden rule often referred to by professionals in the business is that ‘You don’t sell cars to women’ simply because it’s always the man who buys a car, even if it’s going to be her’s.

However it seems as if brands who now break this rule do get rewarded for finally reaching out to that other half of the population. A recent effort of on manufacturer – who launched their own line of nail polish in the three colours of their new model – gained a massive amount of media attention on blogs and news sites. The campaign was simply remarkable, new, and worth spreading: The ultimate social media strategy.

In another great example, brands are using social media to drive more publicity and fans to their events. Events such as club tours for owners are being organized via Facebook, with the RSVP function coming into heavy use.

The most interesting use, however, seems to be launches via social networks. Seeing brands do initial model launches via social media is not only exciting from the aspect of technology, but also because of the targeted market. Add mobile Internet and location-based services into these launches and you are set for a perfect storm of publicity, in a very inexpensive manner.

Beyond all examples, however, there is a certain “sticky” factor with social media. You’re able to spend much more time focusing on details in a social media event than you could in a 30 second TV commercial, and those details are likely to remain in place for months or even years to come.

So does the $1 becomes $3 equation still stick? It’s very likely. Instead of the massive costs of TV, radio and print advertising, social media strategies can be implemented with only a minimal staff of educated people. Staffing these portals and keeping up communication can often be done with limited cost, as well. So yes, it’s very likely that $1 becomes 3 bucks as an end result.

Original title and link for this post: How the automotive industry is finally starting to ‘like’ social media

The FCC has issued a public notice (PDF) stating that it would launch further inquiries into broadband industry practices and consumer concerns. Given how long these sorts of inquiries take, this almost certainly means that we’re not going to see regulation of service provider practices anytime soon.

On the positive side, the notice very strongly indicates that the FCC has sided with consumer interests against some of the more troubling parts of the regulation proposal put forward by Google and Verizon.

There are two main pieces to the inquiry. The first is to learn more about “Specialized Services” which may bypass or supplant the open internet. One of the big concerns about the Google-Verizon proposal is that a company like Google could put servers for YouTube on site with Verizon’s towers, allowing Verizon customers priority access to YouTube as they would not have to actually connect to the internet to use it, i.e. YouTube’s content would be on Verizon’s non-internet network.

Of the FCC’s proposed solutions, none of them are to prevent this sort of priority access, but the organization does seem to be edging strongly on the side of severe limitation. Two very good suggestions from the notice are 1) to limit how many priority services a carrier can provide, and 2) to guarantee the continued expansion of open broadband internet access so priority services don’t start to slowly replace the internet.

The other component to the FCC inquiry is to find out “how, to what extent, and when openness principles should apply to mobile wireless platforms.” Google and Verizon raised ire when they suggested that no net neutrality regulations should be applied to mobile internet access. This section does not propose any real protections for consumers, other than that providers disclose what services they would choose to “manage,” meaning how they would throttle traffic.

Original title and link for this post: FCC Responds To Google-Verizon Proposal With Further Investigations

Less than a month ago, the Washington Post published an article on the launch of DC hyperlocal news site TBD. From the very beginning, the piece was rather dismissive of the news startup:

TBD.com — odd name, but let’s move on — is a new all-local news Web site that seems to be the answer to a question that no one has really been asking: Do media-saturated Washington and its environs need yet another source of information about Washington and its environs?

Today the Washington Post answered its own question when it posted the live news feed provided by TBD of the ongoing Discovery hostage standoff. I saw several tweets emanating from DC bloggers expressing irritation to how WashPo had re-appropriated the feed. One of the Twitter users seemingly irritated (based on his retweets) was TBD’s very own Director of Community Engagement Steve Buttry. I shot an email to Buttry asking him to comment on the situation. He replied that the problem wasn’t that WashPo had used its feed, it was that the newspaper had used its own logo to cover up TBD’s logo.

“First, I should be clear that they are allowed to use our feed,” Buttry wrote back. “That is a continuing agreement between the Post and NewsChannel 8 that predates TBD (in fact it dates to Jim Brady’s days at washingtonpost.com. But the agreement calls for the Post to show our branding on the feed and that agreement did not change when NC8 became TBD. Before [NYT media editor David Carr's] tweet, Jim had already asked the Post to remove its labeling from our feed (but they moved pretty quickly once Carr noted it).”

Buttry went on to say, “I did not criticize [the original Washington Post piece criticizing TBD] and don’t care to comment about it. We were delighted with media coverage of the launch, and I’m not so thin-skinned that Farhi’s piece bothered me. (But I was also OK with retweeting Carr.) I enjoy competing with other local media. We link to the Post several times a day and always attribute appropriately. We expect no less from our colleagues and competitors.”

Original title and link for this post: TBD director not satisfied with how Washington Post used its video feed during Discovery hostage standoff

Thanks to some delicious data tracking from our good friends Rowfeeder, the most hyped product of the day from Apple’s big event is now clear: the refresh of the Apple TV took the cake by a fat margin:

Other important things to note: iPod was comfortably the second most discussed product release, and if you could track the Blue until the end, it had significant staying power. At the 2,271 tweets per minute max rate recorded during a minute of pure Apple TV hype (we assume that that was the $99 moment), Apple was racking up some 38 tweets per second, or 136,260 per hour.

The raw data: Total “Apple” mentions: 134,994

• Include TV : 33,608 — 25%
• Include iPod : 22,070 — 16%
• Include Ping : 11,382 — 8%
• Include iOS : 8,803 — 7%

You just can’t buy that kind of buzz.

The Ping and iOS announcements exacted fewer plaudits and shares. For iOS that could have been due to the released upgrades being of a more incremental nature.

A short warning: given that Apple TV has both conditional words that were tracked, and products like Ping do not (lacking Apple), that should lend an advantage to Apple TV being the most successful term. However, given the huge margin, and the fact that Ping usually comes in a tweet including iTunes and Apple, we feel that the data, although partially distorted, is very clear. Here it is, the victor:

Original title and link for this post: New Apple TV The Most Popular Release Today For Jobs

On the Windows Phone blog today, Microsoft announced that it is done with the Technical Preview of the Windows Phone 7 OS and that it now has a release to manufacturing (RTM) version, which means that it is now in the hands of phone makers to integrate the OS into their handsets.

Microsoft claims that, “Windows Phone 7 is the most thoroughly tested mobile platform Microsoft has ever released,” and the post announcing the RTM version backed that up with an array of stats from the testers:

• Nearly 10,000 devices running automated tests daily
• 500,000 hours of active self-hosting use
• 3.5 million hours of stress test passes,
• 8.5 million hours of fully automated test passes
• Thousands of independent software vendors and early adopters testing our software and giving feedback

During the last release, Microsoft said that one of the parts of the OS that it upgraded was its Facebook integration, saying:

“For example, folks loved the Facebook integration in the People Hub, but they also wanted ways to filter their contacts so only the Facebook friends they really know will show up in their contact list  – we’ve added support for that.  We’ve also made it easy to “like” a post right from the People Hub, or quickly post a message to someone’s Facebook wall directly.”

Obviously, Microsoft is trying to get two things across as clearly as possible with this post: 1) we’re taking this as seriously as any software product we’ve ever made, and 2) Windows Phone 7 will focus on social.

Original title and link for this post: Microsoft: Windows Phone 7 is ready for phone makers

If you were watching the Apple event today, you were treated to a very interesting game demonstration from Epic Games featuring a future title called “Project Sword.”

It was a great looking app, and everyone in the audience was impressed by it. Wait no more, a stripped down version of the game is in the app store, and it is free. Something that we want to stress, this is not the full game that was shown, it is missing some functionality. Also, in this instance the game is called “Epic Citadel.”

Head over here, the app works on iPad and iPhone. Have fun!

In case you missed it, it looks like this:

Original title and link for this post: Play The Epic Game From The Apple Event

While Apple’s TV announcement today wasn’t as big as expected, it wasn’t the only streaming video news today. Just before Apple’s even began, Sony announced that its Video on Demand service is to launch in select European countries later this year.

First let’s get the the ridiculous name out of the way. It’s called Qriocity. Seriously, any product name that takes several read-throughs to work out how to pronounce should probably be changed. Read it a few times and you might realise it’s a play on “curiosity”.

The service is already live the USA. When it launches in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, owners of networked Sony devices, including the Playstation 3, will be able to stream movies from 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, MGM, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony. Playstation 3 users can already rent movies online, but this requires a full download of the content before it can be played. Streaming should be much more convenient.

From late this year, music streaming will be added to the service under the name “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity”. This cloud-based service will offer “millions” of songs on demand to owners of 2010 models of Sony’s network-enabled TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, Blu-ray Home Theatre systems, as well as the PlayStation 3 and Sony’s PC line.

Streaming video isn’t quite as established in Europe as it is in the US yet, so Sony may well pick up some interest with Qriocity. However, as it only works with Sony’s own products, this is more of a ‘value add’ for its customers than a significant move on its own.

Original title and link for this post: Sony’s curiously named movie streaming service hits Europe, music to follow

Today’s Apple Keynote revealed some grand new products, updates to iOS, Apple TV, iTunes, iPods, and more.  Or, here is a complete wrap-up of the entire event.

Even more amazing were some of the facts and figures laid out for the viewing audience by Apple CEO Steve Jobs (paraphrasing):

• iOS Revolution in touch and apps
• 120 million devices launched since iPhone’s introduction in 2007
• 230,000 new activations per day

Pretty startling numbers.  But what of Apps?

According to information provided at the Keynote, the iPod Touch has been a fantastic product for Apple, making it the most popular version of iPod. According to Jobs, “People call it an iPhone without the phone — it’s also an iPhone without the contract!. But it’s also become the #1 portable game player in the world.”

According to the Keynote, the iPod Touch outsells Nintendo and Sony portables combined and has resulted in billion and a half game and entertainment downloads.

The figures equate to:

• 200 apps downloaded every second
• 250k apps, and 25k of those are iPad apps.

The real interest from the Keynote for me came from the unveiling of Apple’s Game Center. “Game Center is all about multiplayer games. You can challenge your friends or they can challenge you, and if you don’t have any friends we’ll match you with someone.”

One of the games featured at the event included the wildly popular Angry Birds, complete with a leader board and more.

Another featured game? Project Sword.  Described as, ” a gorgeous action packed RPG adventure. Everything you see is in realtime.”

With so many iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad devices sold, Apple is taking its portable device prowess, to a whole new, interactive, squarely focused on apps and gaming, level of dominance.

Further, don’t overlook the importance iAds (which will no doubt find their way into some of these games), and the social nature with respect to these new games and apps.  One can expect Apple to further reap the revenue benefits realized from sales of its devices and apps by expanding the adoption of new games by those who previously did not play, and through its device and app pricing, which undercut both that of Sony and Nintendo.

What do you think?  Do today’s announcements propel Apple ahead of all other portable gaming companies?  Why/why not?

Original title and link for this post: Apple’s Keynote App-solutely changes the games.

Next time you open up Google Maps in a US city, you may well see some new, but familiar landmarks. Google has announced that it is to allow well-known brands to add their own company logos to Maps in the USA.

The idea, Google says, is to help users find familiar brands and help businesses promote themselves. “By helping users identify popular businesses, we’re making it easier to browse the map and navigate the real world.” It’s available in the US on desktop browsers from today, with mobile phones following soon.

Google is pushing the serendipity factor of this beta program, which has already been trialed in Australia. Imagine “Fortunately stumbling upon a nearby ATM when you’re looking up the address of the new restaurant where you’re dining tonight, or exploring the neighborhood you just moved into by figuring out where the grocery store is relative to your new apartment.”

Some may find that corporate logos on their maps pollute the experience, although they appear to be small and subtle. There’s no doubt that many use well-known brand logos as landmarks to navigate modern cities so they should be useful as more than just a promotional tool for the businesses themselves.

Don’t expect to see Mom & Pop’s Grocery Store logo on the map though, this is only for “Companies in the U.S. with multiple locations and a well-known brand… across a variety of industries, from banking to retailers to self-storage” – for now at least. Companies have to pay to have the logo included, although Google isn’t saying how much.

Original title and link for this post: Google Puts Brand Logos Into Maps

Google has released SketchUp 8, its latest version of the popular 3D modeling software, with many new improvements, including Google Maps built right into the software.

If you’re not familiar with SketchUp, it enables you to leverage Google’s geo data and quickly make 3D models of anything from furniture to entire cities. In addition to the integrated Google Maps, other new features in SketchUp 8 include:

• More accurate aerial imagery, for the first time in color
• Photo-tracing to build models
• BuilderMaker integration

Google made the announcement of the new version at its third bi-annual “3D Basecamp” conference in Boulder, Colorado today, and the software will be available in five languages to start (English, French, Spanish, Italian or German). For super-serious 3D modelers, Google also has a professional version, SketchUp Pro 8, for $495 or as a $95 upgrade if you have a previous pro version already.

Google has a couple of cool videos around the release, including this one:

Original title and link for this post: Google releases SketchUp 8, includes Google Maps built in

Read updates first.

When officially out, you will be able to download iTunes 10 here, details of the release here and Apple’s new social network “Ping” here.

Update: Although the site appears to show the download link for iTunes 10, the download itself is still 9.2.1. Bear with us, as soon as the downloadable file shows 10, we’ll be the first to let you know.

Update 2: Looking for the download link? Upon unzipping the files, although the zip file AND package show iTunesX, it is still iTunes 9.2.1 – our humblest apologies. Bear with us, we’re just as excited as you

Update 3: It’s finally here! Promise. (Keep refreshing if it still says 9.1.2, or try a different browser.

Original title and link for this post: iTunes 10 is Now Available for Download

It was a big day at the Apple event, and so to keep you in the loop we kept tabs on the action. Read on for darn nearly every single thing that Apple announced today:

iOS and Apps

• Apple has shipped 120 million iOS devices thus far. How many iOS activations are there daily? 230,000 new iOS devices are activated each and every day. Steve jabbed at Google for perhaps inflating their numbers. Android fans around the world groaned.
• There have been over 6.5 billion applications downloaded from the Apple app store. Steve: “poof, there goes another 200,” joking with the fact that 6.5 billion downloads works out to around 200 a second so far.
• There are over 250,000 apps in the App store, of which 25,000 are iPad apps.

iOS 4.1

• iOS 4.1 is coming out next week for iPhone and iPod Touch! Free download via iTunes. Bugs that are fixed: Proximity, Bluetooth, and iPhone 3G performance issues.
• It will feature High Dynamic Range photos: a system that takes three quick photos, with different exposures, and combines the three to make the best photo possible. Your phone will keep the HDR photo and the regular photo so you can pick.
• In 4.1 HD video will upload over WiFi, at last.
• Game Center will be debuting for end users. This will be an app and a system that can be baked into your application. You can challenge friends, be automatically matched for competition, and compare scores. Also built in are push notes on when you are challenged.
• Apple brought on stage Epic Games to demonstrate a new game called Project Sword and show off Game Center. Epic was excited about “online leader boards” and “achievements.” The game is beyond neat, and is powered by Unreal technology to boot.

A Sneak Peek At iOS 4.2: “It’s All About iPad”

• Everything that was in 4.1 for iPhone will be coming to iPad in 4.2 – the point of the release is to catch the iPad up with iPhone.
• Wireless printing will be coming to iPad in 4.2, meaning that the device will make more sense in a business environment.
• AirPlay, which before was AirTunes, is coming out. Full media streaming around your house. This is excellent if you have a fully mac enabled house.
• Steve demoed iOS 4.2 on the iPad and showed off multitasking with Pandora in the background and threaded mail. The speeds were quick, with no noticeable lag whatsoever. The A4 chip really shined in the demonstration.
• 4.2 will drop in November as a free update for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

iPod Updates: Three New Devices, No Mention Of iPod Classic

• Apple has sold 275 million iPods, Steve announced to thunderous applause.
• Apple is releasing a new iPod Shuffle that has buttons and playlists, and will feature 15 hours of music. The packaging is “cute” according to Steve. The Shuffle will come in 5 colors and costs only $49 dollars.
• Apple is releasing a new iPod Nano, a device that Steve called “super popular.” It is now a touchscreen device that features multi-touch. “It’s very tiny” Jobs pointed out, and because it is so small, it now features a clip. This is a radical change from the previous iPod Nanos. It is 46% smaller, and 42% lighter then the previous version. It works in 29 languages, and can play music for 24 hours on a single charge. To change the screen orientation, you merely use the multi-touch and rotate the screen with your fingers, dropping the need for accelerometers. The Nano will come in 6 colors, including one for the Red project. It will cost $149 for 8 gigs, and $179 for the 16 gigabyte version.
• The iPod touch is the most popular iPod. It has become the #1 portable game player in the world (the audience was very excited to hear that). The iPod Touch outsells Nintendo and Sony portable game players twice over. It controls more than 50% of the mobile gaming market. The iPod Touch has racked up 1.5 billion entertainment title and game downloads.
• Apple announced a new iPod Touch that is even slimmer than one before it. The devices is remarkably similar on the outside, but will now come equipped with Apple’s Retina display. Also, the A4 chip will be coming to the device, along with a 3-axis Gyro and a font facing camera that can run FaceTime. Finally, a back camera that will record HD video has been added. The new iPod Touch can play 40 hours of music on a charge. FaceTime will work between iPod Touches and iPhones.
• In short, Apple has turned the iPod Touch into everything that an iPhone is, just without the calls.
• There are three models: 8 gigs for $229, 32 gigs for $299, and 64 gigs for $399.
• All new iPods are available next week, you can pre-order today.
• Nothing was said of the iPod Classic. What this means, however, we cannot say.

iTunes 10 And General Updates

• iTunes has powered through: 11.7 billion song downloads, 450 million TV episodes downloads, over 100 million movies downloads, and 35 million books sold. iTunes has 160 million user accounts with credit cards in 23 countries.
• iTunes 10 has a new logo that drops the CD in the image because ,as Steve said, “iTunes is about to bypass CDs in sales.”
• The new iTunes is “simpler” and “more elegant.” It features a new hybrid view that edits out redundant text and will replace it with album art for a prettier experience.
• Apple wants it to be simpler to discover more about music, and to find and share new music. To fix this, in iTunes 10 Apple is introducing Ping, a social network for music. It is like “Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes.” You can follow artists and friends to discover what they are talking about, listening to, and sharing. Ping is integrated right into iTunes. Following is the method to this madness, just like on Twitter.
• Ping will feature a customized top ten chart that tracks what the people you follow are downloading, a personal Billboard 10.
• Artists in Ping have their own profile pages that feature large “follow” buttons and will carry their concert dates and other pertinent information. Does this sound familiar? Prediction: not everyone is going to use this.
• Ping is going to put the final nail in the MySpace coffin.
• “Ping is social music discovery,” said Steve. Ping features circles of friends that will allow for you to create rings of associates to share with. Ping has 17,000 concert listings in its database. Ping is open now to everyone with an iTunes account (that 160 million number).
• Ping will also be baked into your iPhone and iPod Touch. It will show up directly into the iTunes Store.
• iTunes 10 is available today, head to Apple.com and download.

One More Thing: The New Apple TV

• The Apple TV has never been a hit, but users who own them love them, said Steve.
• Users want “Hollywood Movies and TV shows” on the device. In short, they don’t want YouTube. HD is mandatory, and Apple TV owners want lower prices for their content. Steve also claimed that people do not want another computer, hence people want Apple TV to not be a full Mac. Storage is another concern that Steve said that users do not want to deal with. The final major problem that Steve brought up was that “syncing” is a big no to the average Joe.
• The new Apple TV is smaller, a fourth the size of the previous version. You can hold it in the palm of your hand. It has HDMI output, and an Ethernet jack, even though the Apple TV has built in WiFi. Comes with a neat looking remote.
• The new Apple TV is about movies, TV shows, and music.
• There are no more purchases ever on Apple TV, it has gone to the rental model. This solves storage management issues that Steve mentioned before.
• You can stream content from your computer, eliminating the syncing problem.
• First run HD movie rentals: 4.99 the day and date that they come out on DVD. That price declines as the movie ages.
• To rent an HD TV show will cost $0.99. ABC and FOX are taking the jump with Apple, meaning that there is a large amount of content that not going to be on Apple TV to start.
• If you are a Netflix subscriber, you can stream Netflix content to your Apple TV. YouTube HD will work, and photos can be brought in from Flikr and MobileMe.
• The interface of Apple TV features a wealth of content including Rotten Tomatoes reviews. The experience seems to be well thought out and a game changer in the content world.
• The new Apple TV will only cost $99. This price seems to scream “we need a userbase to rent videos and shows!”
• It will ship in 4 weeks but can be pre-ordered now.

Stores:

Apple has opened a number of wonderful new stores. Steve outlined three that they are most proud of:

• A second Paris store, this one near the old opera house. Apple spent 18 months restoring it. Jobs called it a “fantastic store.”
• A second store in china, this one in Shanghai. It features a 40 foot high glass cylinder.
• A second big store in London near Covent Garden. We covered that store’s launch recently.
• There are a total of 300 Apple stores, which is very impressive. Stores are now present in 10 different countries, an upcoming store in Spain will bring that number up to 11. On some days, Apple sees over 1 million people in their stores.

That is more or less it, as fast as I could type it all down. There are a few boo-boos in the mix I am sure. Is your wallet hurting already?

Original title and link for this post: Everything Apple Announced Today In One Handy List

Steve Jobs begins his “one more thing” moment with news of an update to Apple TV.

His points:

• People want Hollywood movies & TV shows
• everything in HD
• lower prices for content
• people don’t want a computer on their TV (can you hear the cries of pain from geeks across the world?)
• people don’t want to manage storage
• don’t want to have to sync.

Features:

• All about Movies, TV, Shows.
• All HD when contents available.
• No purchases on Apple TV, all rentals. 99c for HD Rentals. (Fox and ABC only at the moment)
• Netflix to Apple TV connect (ok, this is pretty cool)
• Flickr and Mobile Me connection.
• Streaming, no sync.
• Includes: power, hdmi, ethernet and wifi.
• Includes Rotten Tomatoes integration to browse movies by actor, director, review etc.
• Streaming from iOS devices using Airplay (Stream audio, video & photos over wifi from your iPad). Yes, iPad and iPhone remote for your TV.

Cost: $99. Big step forward, and available in 4 weeks, pre-ordering begins today.

Update: Ok, the title is a little harsh but lets face it, we were all hoping for bigger things – namely a competitor to Google TV – hasn’t happened.

Original title and link for this post: Next Generation Apple TV Released. Nothing to write home about.

Stunning. Just stunning. Color me wrong for saying that Apple wasn’t going social, because it just has. The Ping social network is a social network specifically for music. As you follow friends and artists, you’ll find more information about them.

Ping is broken down into two sections, to truly be a social network for music.

Artists:

• Posts
• Favorite songs
• Concert Dates
• Releases
• Social Updates

Friends:

• Posts
• Favorite Songs
• Events they’re attending
• People they follow

Privacy seems to be paramount, as Apple focuses on a circle of friends where you can choose who follows you. “You can get as private or as public as you want”, according to Jobs. In one fell swoop, Ping just opened to over 160 million users.

Jobs shows off browsing through artists pages, where we see full-screen video that has been posted by the artist, as well as the upcoming events section. Users are able to post comments on any contributions.

The Ping network is available on iPhone and iPod Touch, inside of the iTunes Store. You will need iTunes 10 in order to run it, but 10 is coming today.

As our own @Alex notes, this might very well be the final nail in the coffin for MySpace.

Original title and link for this post: Apple goes social with the Ping social network for iTunes

Apple will surpass sales of CD’s in the US soon, and on that note, decided to ditch the old CD icon and replace it with the icon to the right.

iTunes 10 includes some refinements including; syncing and connectivity, improved organisation, UI and new ways to view your music and video.

Commercial-free HD episodes available to rent for just 99¢ each (from Fox and ABC). You have 30 days from the moment you rent an episode to start watching, and 48 hours to finish it.

Finally and most significantly however, Apple is announcing “Ping”, a social network for music with a starting user base of 160 million iTunes users in 23 countries. Make no mistake about it, Ping is Myspace as it should have been. Full details on Ping can be found here.

Original title and link for this post: Apple Announces iTunes 10, social network included.

“Even though the iPod has a very high market share, we’ve never rested…” says Steve Jobs live from the stage at the new Apple Music event. In proving that, Jobs walks us through the devices and introduces the new models which will be available for pre-order today, for shipment next week.

iPod Shuffle – Smaller than 2nd generation. Includes buttons, voiceover and playlists, as well as Genius mixes. Touts a 15 hour battery life, 5 color choices and a $49 price point.

iPod Nano – “Smaller and better”. Now multitouch, with no click wheel. Very small form factor. Roughly the size of the previous generation Shuffle. Includes a clip for wearing. 42% smaller than previous Nano. Includes FM Radio, Nike+ and 24 hour battery life.

6 color choices, including a ProductRED version. $149 for 8 gigs, $169 for 16 gigs.

iPod Touch – #1 portable game player in the world. Out-sells Nintendo and Sony portable game players combined. 1.5 billion game and entertainment titles have been downloaded to the iPod Touch. But enough with what it has been, how about what it will be?

New version:

• Thinner, while keeping same form factor.
• Front looks the same as the iPhone 4.
• Retina Display
• Apple A4 powered
• Gyroscope
• Front-facing camera
• Rear-facing camera with HD recording
• Face Time over WiFi
• 40 hour battery
• Video editing

8 gb $229, 32 gb $299, 64 gb $399

Original title and link for this post: Apple: 275 million iPods sold, and here are the new ones!