9 September 2008 @ 12:29Apple Let’s Rock Event

Here’s a rundown of what Apple announced at today’s Let’s Rock event.

•iTunes 8 is released. It features a new “Genius” button and sidebar that can automatically create playlists and suggestions based on a selected song. iTunes will also communicate (anonymously) your listening habits back to Apple so that the Genius feature can get smarter.

•According to NPD, iPod has 73.4% of the portable music player market.

•iPod classic thick model has been dropped. The classic only comes in 120GB size now for $249.

•90% of new US cars feature iPod integration.

•New iPod nano is revealed. It’s just like the spy photos. It’s the thinnest nano yet. Features aluminum case with curved glass over the screen. Nano has a built-in accelerometer like the iPod touch and iPhone, so that it can be rotated for landscape or portrait viewing. The nano also features “shake to shuffle” which takes advantage of the accelerometer as well.

•The new iPod nano supports more applications — calendar, stopwatch, voice recording.

•The iPod nano is highly recyclable, and is free of arsenic, BFR, mercury, and PVC.

•The nano is available in all new colors — silver, black, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink.

•Pricing is $149 for the entry-level 8GB and $199 for the 16GB.

•New in-ear headphones available.

•iPod touch gets some new features — contoured stainless steel back, built-in speaker, external volume controls, “Genius” playlist creation, App Store, Nike+ receiver built-in.

•Phil Schiller demos some new games on the iPod touch — Spore, Real Soccer 2009, Need for Speed.

•iPod touch pricing — 8GB for $229, 16GB for $299, and 32GB for $399.

•iPod shuffle also got a similar color treatment as the nano. Colors available are silver, blue, green, red, pink.

•iPhone firmware 2.1 — fewer dropped calls, longer battery life, faster backup, no crashes with apps. New firmware will be available on Friday.

Shop the Apple Store for new iPods.

Watch the new iPod nano commercial

Watch the new iPod touch commercial

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