You see, putting Wall-E on the screen makes the concept oh so much more convincing. And adorable. [flickr Thanks Breno!]

One tidbit that emerged amid all the rendered graphics was the presence of GPS in the supposed iPod nano. I have to say, it seems like Steve Jobs would have to smoke a lot of monkeyshit to come up with a non-touchscreen, non-cellular device with GPS inside. Last I checked, Apple didn't even tell major hardware partners, let alone random case makers, what was up with next-gen stuff. Think what you wish, but I'm gonna go with, "Too much fun with Photoshop and AutoCAD over the weekend." [Alibaba and iDealsChina via MacRumors and Engadget — Thanks tipsters!]

It seems the hardest part of the process was getting all the cables to interface with eachother. Working with Apple's composite cables, an old AV iPod dock, and the inputs for the video player, soldering was required to get them all on the same page. The rest was mostly handiwork and a bit of elbow grease. Sure, the final product isn't exactly practical, but it is fun and imaginative. Check out the full video here. [Popular Mechanics]

- Revamp of entire iPod line.
- Small cosmetic changes to Touch, Nano to see significant redesign (see pic below).
- iPods to see fairly large price drops to distance itself from the $199 iPhone.
- iPod touch 2.1 software, iPhone to get update very soon after.
- iTunes 8.0 ("it's a big update w/new features").
- All of this coming in the next 2-3 weeks.

In a way I kinda miss the crazier predictions even if he is more correct now—I liked hoping that at least one of his more outlandish ones was true. And he says more info—with pictures—is coming. Has Kevin finally gotten a rock solid source? [Kevin Rose]

Me being an all-you-can-eat hater (not of the buffets, of course) does come from the somewhat hypocritical position of someone who, ahem, occasionally pirates music. And I don't think I'm alone here; once we all discovered you can find an instant high-speed download link to just about any album after less than five minutes of Googling with almost no exceptions, it's hard not to succumb. With a music subscription you can at least pretend like you're supporting the artists you love, but in the end, your $20 a month is far less potent than buying the records you love on vinyl or a T-shirt straight from the band, or going to a show and bringing all your friends.

Also, I use iPods. There isn't an elegant all-you-can-eat solution there yet, but an unlimited iTunes subscription would change the scenario. And if it was for life, like some of the rumors have mentioned, well, we've got a tough decision on our hands.

So today's question is an epic three-parter (this has been on my mind for a while). First:

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For those in the "hell no" category:

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The S-Airplay has a transmitting range of 164 feet, alarm clock functions and an AM/FM tuner. Each speaker has the option of playing audio from the radio or iPod (or nothing), and each can control playback options remotely. The central dock can connect to your home theater system, allowing another method of playback.

The S-Airplay is available for pre-order now, and will begin shipping in September. For $400 you can get a bundle including one docking station and two wireless speakers. Additional speakers cost $130. [Sony]

SONY UNVEILS WIRELESS MULTI-ROOM
AUDIO SYSTEM FOR IPOD PLAYERS

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 21, 2008 – Sony today took the wraps off its new wireless, multi-room audio system for listening to iPod® players.
The new S-AIRPLAY™ system features Sony’s S-Air™ technology, which provides a practical, wireless multi-room solution without complicated setup requirements. Wireless audio can be transmitted from the system’s main docking station in one room to various rooms throughout the home — up to nearly 164 feet—simply by plugging a separate S-Air wireless speaker into a power outlet.
“This technology makes it easy to listen to music from a compatible iPod without carrying it from room to room,” said Andrew Sivori, director of marketing in the personal audio group at Sony Electronics’ Digital Imaging and Audio Division. “It’s an easy, inexpensive way to get multi-room audio without professional installation.”
S-Air technology delivers audio wirelessly to the included speakers without interfering with other household devices. The system comes with one docking station and two S-Air wireless speakers, but it can transmit to up to 10 speakers simultaneously (additional speakers sold separately).
Equipped with an AM/FM tuner, the S-AIRPLAY system’s dual source feature lets users listen to music from the iPod player or from a radio station. Listeners in one room can hear their favorite radio station, while listeners in another room can enjoy music from the iPod at the same time.
The S-Air wireless speakers include remote control capability for the iPod player’s music tracks so you can advance or go back to previously played songs. The speakers also incorporate sleep timers and an alarm clock function, making them perfect for bedside placement.
To connect to an existing home theater system or television set, the docking station includes composite A/V outputs. It also charges the iPod while it is docked.
Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders for the S-AIRPLAY audio system are now being accepted online at www.sonystyle.com. The system (model AIR-SA20PK) will be available in September for about $400 at Sony Style® retail stores and select retailers nationwide. Additional S-Air wireless speakers will also be available next month for about $130 direct from Sony.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21, 2008 – Sony today introduced a DJ-style shelf system with a dual dock for iPod® devices called XROSS FADE™. Perfect for mixing and playing music from iPod players, CDs and other music sources, XROSS FADE helps create the ultimate party soundtrack.

Part of the Muteki™ series of stereo systems, the XROSS FADE (model LBT-DJ2i) has an imposing presence and massive output that can fill nearly any room with sound, whether it's in a home, a dorm, or even powering a block party.

This music system has 450 watts of total power output, so aspiring DJs can crank up the volume while still maintaining high quality sound. As its name implies, the XROSS FADE system comes with DJ-style features, including a cross-fader with monitor cue and a built-in two-channel mixer. With this feature, an upcoming track can be checked through headphones to be sure it’s cued properly before playing it aloud. DJs can mix two songs or fade into the next song without missing a beat.

With an interface and two scroll wheel mechanisms that allow for easy menu navigation similar to that of iPod players, users never need to touch their iPod players while scanning for the next track. The XROSS FADE system even has a USB recording function that saves mixing sessions to a USB device in the MP3 format without a PC.

For MP3 files, the system’s MP3 Booster+ feature improves audio quality by restoring sound that is lost during compression. For extra thump, the beat blend feature adds a layer of pre-programmed percussion, drum sounds and drum loops over the mix.

The XROSS FADE system includes traditional shelf system features, such as a CD player, an AM/FM tuner, and a line-in jack for listening to MP3 players. Users can mix music from these sources as well as their iPod players. The system converts CDs and AM/FM radio to MP3 files as well.

With its matte black and chrome finish and appearance similar to a DJ mixing board, the XROSS FADE system is designed to be a statement piece for the bedroom, dorm room or living room. It produces a booming, high-impact sound through a pair of two-way bass reflex speakers and a dual 7-inch subwoofer enclosure.

However, they claim that the kit could be the first step towards replacing conventional batteries in portable devices like iPods or mobile phone chargers. I don't know how practical a commercial application would be, or whether or not I would be willing to give up a single drop of my precious vodka, but you can pick up the kit now for $99. [Horizonfuelcell]

Apple says the issue has been traced back to a single battery supplier, and affects less than 0.001 percent of first-gen nanos. So if yours is bubbling or you're using it as a space heater for your pet mouse, hit up AppleCare for a replacement. There's a big question here though: If Japanese officials hadn't gotten involved, would they have made this announcement? I don't think so, even though it's not like exploding iPod nanos are an undocumented phenomenon. [Cnet]

Damn I wish Gizmodo had a lunch table. [Etchstar and Capcom via Kotaku]

And in a slightly unusual candid comment, for Steve anyway, he's admitted that the apps won't be making Apple much profit—instead future sales hopes are pinned on the applications tempting people to buy more iPhones and iPod touches. "Phone differentiation used to be about radios and antennas and things like that," he argues, suggesting that now the differentiation is about software.

Clearly the app store has been a success so far for Apple and the developers: The top 10 made close to $9 million in one month. What about the infamous "I Am Rich" app? Apple decided to pull it as the result of a "judgment call."

Steve also confirmed the existence of the kill switch for malicious apps, despite last week's news to the contrary. "Hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull." And you can't argue with that logic. [WSJ]

[Honla via GadgetGrid]

The Price: $159 with $20 promo code (DS220)

The Verdict: Not too bad. The speakers themselves are adequate, though not as good as their previous wireless iPod dock effort. The 220 functions decently well as an iPod dock, but what you really want this for is its wireless speaker functions.

Imagine plugging in the USB dongle to your laptop—which doesn't have very good speakers—and beaming all audio to the wireless unit across the room. It's a fairly elegant solution to get around the fact that your laptop has less than optimal speakers and aren't easy to substitute by plugging into better ones when you're lounging on the couch.

The only note we have is that the 2.4GHz frequency the dongle uses to communicate is prone to interference, and if you use it on your laptop, you're going to get some intermittent audio. Everything was fine when we worked off an Ethernet connection, but when we fired up our wireless on the laptop, you could definitely tell some interference was going on when music keeps dropping out. Also (on at least the Mac version) you can't control volume via your computer; you have to use the wireless remote.

In the end, $159 isn't too steep a price to pay for wireless speakers that you can easily sync up to your laptop. If they'd fix the wireless interference and add volume control on your computer, we'd be able to recommend this fully. [Mint]

Not only does this imply the long-desired ability to wirelessly sync (and over great distances), wireless iPod-to-iPod connectivity and data sharing is part of the patent too—yes, just like Zune squirting. Welcome to the social, or something. Again, while Apple patent dreams don't always come true, this one has a definite sense of realness to it—it'd make for a nice announcement at next month's expected iPod/MacBook event, in any case. [AppleInsider]

The biggest surprise here is that the accelerometer is so precisely calibrated and tuned that it can turn out accurate results, but that's not the area in which the iPhone shines. The touch screen interface and large screen make viewing and interacting with the data much more pleasurable than on its comparatively low-tech competitor. The software is also a bit smarter than the G-Tech's, which incorrectly identified some maneuvers, resetting the lap timers at inappropriate times.

Dynolicious isn't the first example of a niche market re-purposing the iPhone's tech, but it is among the most successful. Word is that it doesn't quite stack up the the really pricey stuff, but I'm going to venture a guess that the $600 units don't play Monkey Ball. [Dynolicious]

First, some ground rules on the scope and purpose of my testing:

The headphones tested are all what you'd consider "upgrades" rather than "replacements" for the crap headphones that came with your MP3 player. While I capped pricing at $200, my "cheapest" pair started at around $40. The three tiers are under $100, $100-$150, and $150-$200.

The most practical measure of sound quality is to just sit and listen. I focused on in-ear headphones because they are built not just to jam a driver right next to your ear, but to block outside noise. It's simple: less ambient noise = better experience.

In the spirit of cutting aside the science-based marketing jargon, my tests were unscientific, but consistent across the board and based on real-world situations. The methodology was simple: a current-gen iPod, a sonically diverse playlist of music and, for isolation testing, a seat on the 14 bus in San Francisco, then some time next to a white noise machine.

With so much of the earphone inside of your ear, rustling of the cable can cause some serious noise. If the cable isn't properly buffered from the earphone, the deep, annoying shuffling can interfere your music when you try to walk or turn your head. That's why I made note of "cable noise"—this isn't to suggest there was some kind of buzz or white noise from the cable itself.

Here are the results of my testing:

Under $100
The Winner: Ultimate Ears metro.fi 2 Along with providing great sound and a decent fit, this set appeals to your normal side. The earbuds are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the ear, with a tasteful matte finish and an almost flush fit. In other words, you don't feel as ridiculous as you might with the Shure ear-garrotes or some of the other Ultimate Ears' protruding Frankenstein monster plugs. They don't sit too deep, so if you're apprehensive about the ear-rapey aspect of other offerings, you'll be comfortable with these. The sound, though emphasizing the low end, is clear and competitive with much more expensive units.

The Losers: This is a tricky price point, as some stock earbuds (Apple, Sony) are actually pretty good. Slapping a rubber cuff on a half-baked product doesn't justify a price of $50+. In the case of Apple's in-ears and the CX300, you aren't really experiencing a different class of audio than with stock buds, though there is a marked improvement. The CX500s put on a good show for bass junkies, but that's about it. Creative has a nice product with a great price, but it just can't measure up to the metro.fi on the performance front.

$100-$150
The Winner: Shure SE110 This price point offers the highest price to performance ratio, and the SE110 is the best of the lot. If you can get over the deep penetration and the over-ear looping, you'll find that the SE110s are comfortable, block out plenty of ambient noise and most importantly produce stunning, immersive sound. The tones are wisely balanced, and quality is at the level that you'll be noticing new things about songs that you've heard dozens of times. Decent discounts are available at various online retailers, as is the case with most of this category.

The Losers: Manufacturers know that this is a sweet spot for consumers, so the market is crowded with good options. The hardware starts to look a little more "professional," or more accurately, "weird." Etymotics, always fans of producing earphones that are really good on paper, fails with the ER6 not because of quality issues, but because the buds are awkward and overwhelm with the high and middle tones. The company's new earphone tips, however, are amazing (more on this below, in the more expensive category). Ultimate Ears loses their luster at this level. Creative is yet again a nice runner-up; the Zen Aurvanas are very capable, but couldn't supplant the crystal-clear SE110s.

$150-$200
The Winner: Etymotics hf5 Ostensibly designed with portable music players in mind, the hf5s solve the balance problems of the er6 models and much, much more. They're cool looking (with the right tips, they look like sci-fi laser pistols), have little to no cable movement noise and reproduce sound in a way that is both perfectly clear and highly enjoyable. Everything about these gives the impression of quality, from the brushed aluminum finish to the way that music suddenly sounds distinctly layered in a way that it didn't before, and that it doesn't on many similarly priced units. One caveat, though: the hf5s (and the er6s, for that matter) must be used with the new foam rubber tips, called "Mushrooms." They're a little phallic and sort of a sickly gray, but they are leaps and bounds better than Etymotics' trademark flanged tips. The tighter seal that these offer to most people is conducive to better listening, and the isolation properties are superb. You can't hear anything else with these guys in. Every manufacturer should have something like this. According to the Etymotics people, by the time the hf5s ship these will be standard issue. Good.

The Losers: To sum up the category: Expensive without enough added benefit. Spending $100 will get you a phenomenal listening experience, so it's hard to justify spending more. The $200 cap was intended to filter out the luxury market/audiophile products that tend to show up at about that price, but hints of both are apparent here. The Shure SE210s are a wonderful pair of earphones, but the large premium over the SE110s is a dealbreaker, as side-by-side comparisons expose only the slightest variation in sound quality. The Klipsch Custom-2s are more of a luxury item than the others, with woven cable housing and a case that is ready for you iPod as well. Harman Kardon is just batting out of their league here, and Ultimate Ears doesn't improve on their cheaper models, even introducing some pretty terrible cable noise.

If you're looking to get the most out of your MP3 player, you'll have to spend some money. But as it turns out, the general rule is that once you pass about $100, your audio improvements will become smaller and more expensive. After reviewing all of these earphones, one simple fact is very clear: If I were in the market for a new set of earphones, I would buy the SE110s.

Sony PSP: A healthy and thriving homebrew community had sprung up around Sony's PSP, with alternate, user-made firmware adding new functionality like a wider range of supported media codecs and the ability to share music. Oh, and, well, there was also that little issue of mass piracy of games. Sony issued a number of firmware upgrades—a whopping six each in 2006 and 2007—designed to curb the little thieves, but which had the unfortunate side effect of discouraging the more creative, less piratical wing of the homebrew community. Sony used the "carrot and stick" method, enticing users with marginal new functions when the real purpose of the upgrade was to stop the homebrewers. This led to users actually trying to downgrade, or move back to an earlier firmware. Sony in turn tried to make it harder to downgrade, escalating the squabble into a war with its own customers.
Degree of Evilness: High. This is a deliberate attempt to harsh PSP users' buzz.

Sony PlayStation 3: The PS3's anticipated firmware 2.40, on the other hand, was a simple disaster. The famously expensive console was due to receive a major update, adding the flashy XMB interface to the mix. Unfortunately, while the update did work for some, it bricked a lot of PS3s, producing some very upset gamers. Sony pulled the update and re-released it, repaired, as 2.41, but Sony's mucked-up firmware was the Story of the Day. Bad press, ill will and useless hulking black machines. Not a great moment for Sony.
Degree of Evilness: Low. Simple incompetence from a corporation that should know better.

Apple iPod: Back in 2004, Real cracked Apple's FairPlay code in order to allow music purchased from Rhapsody to be played on iPods. When Apple released an update blocking Rhapsody users, Real cracked it again. Apple released another block update, and so on until Real ran out of steam. We doubt there was much demand for the service at the time, but Apple's clampdown was shameless. Hell, Apple could have played Real compatibility as yet another reason to buy an iPod.
Degree of Evilness: Medium-High. In the end, it was more bratty than evil.

Apple iPhone/iPod touch: When the first iPhone/iPod touch software was jailbroken, a few updates came out under the guise of bug fixing that just happened to make unauthorized use a lot more difficult. This time around, with the 2.0 release, the setbacks were more accidental than deliberate. The new 2.0 firmware may have creaked open the floodgates for third-party applications, but it also resulted in a lot of instability. Thanks to the update, iPhones have crashed at a rate never seen before (well, outside of my last couple Windows machines, that is), the keyboard gained a frustrating lag, "backing up" takes almost as long as the Iraq occupation (zing!), and, in a total affront to common sense, THERE IS STILL NO COPY-PASTE.
Degree of Evilness: Middle. A mix of self-preservation and circumstance, with some brazen stubbornness from His Steveness thrown in.

Nintendo Wii: In Nintendo's Photo Channel 1.1 firmware update, the game maker quietly removed support for MP3 playback in their Wii console. They replaced it with support for the iPod-friendly AAC codec, a far-too-obvious hint at what we all suspected: Nintendo has been taken over by the White Devil. How else do we explain the move from that GameCube controller that was clearly designed for some moon octopus to a remote control so simple I can operate it with my genitals? What about the new and incredibly racist all-white color scheme, the minimalist design aesthetic, and the cavalier and haughty attitude toward competition? Readers, watch out, or Jobs will get you ne-AAAACK!
Degree of Evilness: Nintendo can do no wrong. (And Steve Jobs is perfect.)

Firmware updates that leave you worse off than you were before are a kick in the crotch. But what about the slow, increasingly painful wedgie of unfulfilled promises? Electronics companies often promise to deliver features in firmware updates that, for whatever reason, aren't included at the time of purchase. In the best of cases, this is frustrating: Samsung's P2, for instance, promised Bluetooth compatibility, games, skins and more upon release, but was only achieved, finally, months later. But what if, as in Samsung's Blu-Ray/HD DVD combo player, the product line dies before the promised features (Blu-Ray 2.0 compatibility) can be updated? Firmware updates should be a surprise, a freshly-wrapped hand-me-down present that makes your crappy old gadget seem somehow new again, not a license to shove an unfinished product out the door.

This is just a short list of troubling firmware updates—if you have some firmware horror stories of your own to share, be our guest. And for all of you who immediately click "YES PLEASE!" to all auto-updaters, take heed, and maybe wait 24 hours before doing the upgrade.

The Price: $250 for the base unit and one satellite, $130 for each additional satellite.

The Verdict: Dreamy. The ability to put music in five separate rooms simultaneously (base + 4 sats) is a dream we've had since we were in elementary school planning on buying our first house. (That's right, other kids wanted to be astronauts, we wanted to be Bruce Wayne, homeowner and bad ass crimefighter.) The base unit has excellent sound, great bass response and SRS WOW! sound enhancement. The satellites are a bit lower quality, but definitely listenable. As a bonus, it also supports all the way back to the 3rd generation iPods—in our opinion, one of the best iPods ever made. Rocktastic.

Shooting iPod music everywhere was cool, but we discovered something way cooler. Step one was plugging our iTunes output from our Mac/PC into the base unit and switching it to AUX input. Step two was using our iPhone and the new Remote app so we could control our iTunes from anywhere inside the house. It's as close to an ultimate audio setup as we could get with equipment this easy and plug-and-play.

Is it worth $250 + $130 for satellites? Think of it as an investment. As long as you're alright with the sound quality and your home isn't any taller than three stories (just about the limit we found for the sound to not cut in and out all the time) you'll be able to use this as a home-wide music solution for years. [EOS Wireless]

This indicates they're ramping down production of current models, and gearing up for fresh goods in early to mid-September, though the stretch for new notebooks might be a bit longer. Regardless of the exact timing, save yourself the trouble of kicking your own ass by holding off on buying a new iPod or notebook for the next few weeks, if only to see what's in the pipe. [Apple Insider]

For historical comparison, the original iPhone is "iPhone1,1" while the iPhone 3G is "iPhone1,2" as we found out during the 2.0 update madness, so there's definitely a case to be made. And late summer is new iPod season. What new whiz-bang features do you think would be in a whole new iPod touch? [iPhone Atlas via Mac Rumors]

The great thing about the Beverly Hills 90210 iPod is that everyone will think you're being ironic, even if you aren't. [CBS via ChipChick]

As seen in the video, controlling Mario is fairly natural, though quick turns and exact jumps are difficult to execute (playing Mario with the stock controls is often worse, though). Bomberman sort of works, but in that case—and many others—the old touch control overlay is much easier. Obviously none of these games were designed with tilt control in mind, but a surprising number are at least playable. Add this to the pile of reasons we still want an active app black market. NES.app 2.3.0 with tilt control is available now in Cydia. [NES.app]

Here's why this is so obnoxious: They're not just screwing over actual people—you know, a mom or some college kid who really just wants to get their computer fixed—but Apple isn't going to drop DRM in response to this lame stunt. If you really feel that the "iPhone 3G restricts your freedom," just don't buy it [emphasis theirs]. Mock people's ignorance, call them iSheep, hand out snazzy flyers, dress up like a drooling iPod in cage, whatever. But just let them get their damn computers and gadgets fixed in peace. The Genius Bar lines are long enough as it is. [Defective by Design]

And low and behold, it's a black iPod classic 80gb. When I was in Best Buy I looked around at the other players, and they sold no Creatives in the store, so the only choices were iPods, Zunes, Insignas, Samsung and Sony. So when looking at which had everything available in store (I despise UPS) I went with the iPod. I more than likely will regret this decision but I will let you all know down the road. I do like the weight and feel of the device thus far.

At least he's looking at the alternative, but at this rate he's going to end up with a lot of scars. I wonder how many iPod owners would change to Zune to see. Are you an iPod owner? Would you do it? [Zune Scene]