Apple Sept 08 Event: Wrap Up

By on Sep 9, 2008 · 1 Comment 

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Now that the “Let’s Rock” even has come and gone, let’s take a look at what Apple has brought into our laps.

HD TV Shows

Right off the bat Steve announced the arrival of HD TV shows to the iTunes store. The shows will cost you $2.99 a pop (instead of the $1.99 you pay for SD shows), but unlike HD Movies, HD TV shows can be watched on your computer, not just an Apple TV. Also, after a much publicized breakup, NBC is back. I wonder if they came back on hands and knees.

iTunes 8

The newest version of the worlds greatest music management software was also released today. A new Pandora-like “Genius” feature is now included that can generate playlists of songs that go together based on a seed song you pick. I’ve been playing with this tonight and my Genius seems quite stupid, but I’m sure they will smarten him up in the next update.

New Nanos

We all saw it coming. Kevin Rose let the world know a few weeks ago that the “Zune” like nano would make an appearance at todays event, and it did. The new nano is “the thinnest iPod” ever made. It has an oval, tapered shape with a black wheel. The new Nano can also create Genius playlists on-the-fly without the need to connect to iTunes. You will also get a built in accelerometer like the iPhone and Touch so that you can view Cover Flow art, photos, and video when turned sideways.

New iPod Touch

The new touch has the same 3.5″ display but is thinner with a tapered stainless steel back. The touch will also gain integrated volume controls on the side and a built in speaker. You will also be able to channel the Genius without the need of iTunes. The new touch is rated for 36 hours of music and 6 hours of video. 8GB for $229, 16GB for $299, or 32 GB for $399.

OS 2.1 for iPhones and iPod Touches

Rolled into all of the excitement today, Steve also announced the arrival of the 2.1 firmware for both the iPhone and iPod Touch. The major update includes fixes for better battery life, dropped calls, backing up speed, and general bug fixes.

One More Thing

The was no “One More Thing”. Too bad, I was hoping a rev on MacBook Pro’s since my son spilled a full bottle of water on my MacBook Pro yesterday. I guess I will have to go out now and just buy whatever the local Apple store has in stock.

Frank's the editor in chief of tech.nocr.at. He can be found surfing the internet and playing with gadgets. Follow him on twitter @franklinhares

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  • Steve Mage

    Here is the bottom line: NBC’s SEASON suffered last year. That is at least partly attributed to not being on iTunes. And while profits for Studios from iTunes are not CURRENTLY anything that warrants a second glance, fast forward a few years when 50 million or more Americans have iPhones or iPod touches… This landscape is changing fast, and NBC knows it.

    Let’s recap last year, shall we? Jeff Zucker made a complete IDIOT of himself when he threatened (unfortunately for NBC, very publicly) to remove all NBC content from iTunes by the end of the year. Apple, instead of cowering in dismay, did Mr. Zucker one better: They immediately and unceremoniously removed all NBC content post haste (Early Sept. 07).

    Here is the word on the street: Apple made the decision to completely ban NBC content from the iTunes store for a period of exactly one year. That is why even though Apple and NBC appeared to “make nice” in January, you haven’t seen NBC content back on iTunes until now (Early Sept. 08).

    Apple approached this issue in this way in order to send a message to the other networks that might be contemplating doing the same. “You’re free to leave whenever you want, but chose wisely, because it isn’t so easy to come back once you decide you want back on the gravy train.”

    Apple’s financial reports never registered even the slightest blip from a missing NBC over the last 12 months. In fact, their growth has been unprecedented and their profits have been Apple’s largest in history.

    NBC made a massive miscalculation. End of story.

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