ipods

I'm a little worried for the iPod. The poor guy has been out of the limelight for years now, desperately vying for attention against the iPhone and iPad. The iPod Shuffle had an identity crisis and lost its button (it's back now, don't worry). The iPod Nano had a case of touch-screen envy. And the Classic, well, just stayed the same.

Now, press invites for Apple's October 4 event have gone out, and there's no mention whatsoever of the iPod.

Historically, Apple's product announcements are like clockwork. There's a new iPad in April, a new iPhone in June, and a new crop of iPods in September. This year, though, Apple threw a wrench in the works. Summer came and went without a new iPhone, and here we are at the end of September without a single new iPod--not even a rumor of one.

But if you can put sentimentality aside, it's really not a bad time for Apple to stick a fork in the iPod.

For starters, this year (October 24) marks the 10-year anniversary of the iPod. That's quite an achievement, but it's also a nice place to bookend things. I can imagine Apple saying, "It had a great run, now go buy an iPhone."

Also, the iPod just isn't the moneymaker it once was for Apple. In the fourth quarter of 2010, iPod sales made up just 8 percent of Apple's total revenue, and they have been in a steady decline ever since the iPhone's introduction.

Finally, there's Steve Jobs' famous advice to Nike CEO Mark Parker back in 2006: "Just get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff."

A big part of Apple's success is because of its focus on making just a handful of great products and curating an experience around them in its famously minimal retail stores. If today's iPod is just taking up space without paying the rent, maybe it's time to go. … Read more

If you were hoping that the fifth-gen iPod Touch would offer a higher-resolution camera, built-in 3G, and maybe a latte dispenser, don't hold your breath. According to a report from MacRumors, there's exactly one notable change coming to the next Touch, and it's nothin' but a coat of paint.

Specifically, Apple will introduce a white iPod Touch model as part of its upcoming new-product lineup. And, well, that's about it. Added the report:

Only minor changes are expected for the existing hardware, with the addition of an oleophobic coating for the display and a revised … Read more

One of the features announced when iOS 5 was revealed during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference back in June was deep Twitter integration. What this meant to the end user was that any developer could easily implement Twitter into their app, allowing tweets, links, and pictures to be sent with ease.

There may be instances where a user doesn't want a particular app to have access to their Twitter account. In previous beta builds there was no way to prevent this--there is now. 

… Read more

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Friday, August 26.

• As Hurricane Irene approaches and East Coast residents are on lock down, CNET offers up some of the best ways to track the storm online and even through smartphone apps.

• Apple has ditched the 99-cent video rental plan, which was offered through Apple TV and iTunes. Why? CNET's Greg Sandoval said, "The Hollywood studios and TV networks don't want another Netflix. Look around. They're trying to stuff that genie back into the bottle.&… Read more

This week, we look at VW integration with a Droid X, figure out how to add iPod integration to a Lexus, and find out what you can plug into your OBD2 port.

• LOLcars (photos)

Hot on the heels of its freshly updated lines of CD car audio receivers and mechless decks, Sony has just unveiled an iPod/iPhone integration kit for those who want to keep their car's stock head unit in place. More accurately, the Digital Link Sound System is a collection of car audio technology that has been bundled for easy purchase and optimized to work together.

There are actually two Digital Link Sound System packages available. The first is the XDP-MU110, which comes in three parts: the DSP master unit, an iPhone cradle, and a remote controller.

The DSP installs … Read more

What car stereo should you get when your premium audio system goes kaput? What's a good slow car for a college student who wants to go fast? The Car Tech get to the bottom of these questions on this week's episode of CNET Roadside Assistance.

• LOLcars (photos)

In this episode of Roadside Assistance, we decide whether aftermarket is the way to go for car audio, come up with an alternative for HDD-based audio storage, and take a look at a potential revenue stream for the Ford Focus Electric.

• LOLcars (photos)

The bottom line: Mac OS X Lion is definitely a worthy upgrade for all Intel Mac users. Featuring several interface enhancements and useful new features across all the core apps, Mac OS X Lion is an excellent update for the price.

Review: When Apple showed off Mac OS X Lion at the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote speech earlier this year, it was clear the company had paid attention to its successes with the popular iOS devices, and was now beginning to include successful iOS features in its flagship OS. Also, with Apple laptops and tablets now far outpacing desktop sales, … Read more