Apple iPod touch 8 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Apple iPod touch 8 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

iPod touch is a great iPod, a great pocket computer, and a great portable game player. Listen to a mix of songs automatically put together by the new Genius Mixes feature. Watch a movie. Surf the web. View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Discover games and apps you’re sure to love with new Genius recommendations for apps. And since iPod touch now comes with the latest 3.1 software already installed, you can start using fun, convenient features right out of the box.

 

iPod touch is a great iPod, a great pocket computer, and a great portable game player. Click to enlarge.

Genius Mixes creates multiple mixes you’ll love.

Give iPod touch a shake to shuffle to a different song in your music library.

 

Next-Level Fun: The New iPod touch

Music
Flick through your albums. Listen to a unique mix created just for you. Or watch the video for your favorite song. With iPod touch, it’s more than just hearing your music.

Cover Flow
What a song does for your ears, Cover Flow on iPod touch does for your eyes and fingers. It’s a virtual party for the senses. Turn iPod touch on its side and glide through your music by album art with the flick of your finger. Tap an album cover to flip it over and display a track list. Tap again to start the music.

Genius Mixes
Now the Genius feature is even more powerful. Introducing Genius Mixes. All you do is sync iPod touch to iTunes, and Genius automatically searches your library to find songs that sound great together. Then it creates multiple mixes you’ll love. These mixes are like channels programmed entirely with your music.

Genius Playlists
Say you’re listening to a song you really like and want to hear other tracks that go great with it. The Genius feature finds other songs on your iPod touch that sound great with the one you were listening to and makes a Genius playlist for you. Listen to the playlist right away, save it for later, or even refresh it and give it another go. Count on Genius to create a mix you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.

Shake to Shuffle
Shake things up a bit. Musically speaking, that is. The next time you’re listening to your tunes, turn on Shake to Shuffle, then give iPod touch a shake to shuffle to a different song in your music library.

iTunes
Fill your iPod touch with songs and music videos from your iTunes library on your computer. Or buy and download new music on your iPod touch when you access iTunes over Wi-Fi. Songs you purchase on iPod touch transfer to your Mac or PC the next time you connect iPod touch to your computer.

Bluetooth
Look, no cables. iPod touch includes the iPhone 3.1 software, so you can pair Bluetooth stereo headphones with it. Keep your iPod in your bag or charging on your desk across the room and still listen to your music.

Carry hours of video with you and watch it on the crisp 3.5-inch color widescreen display.

With iTunes on your iPod touch and a Wi-Fi connection, you can buy movies and TV shows on the fly.

 

Movies + TV shows
A feature film. A video podcast. Your favorite TV show. Now appearing on a subway train or a plane near you.

Widescreen Viewing
Carry hours of video with you and watch it on the crisp 3.5-inch color widescreen display. Shop the iTunes Store and choose from thousands of movies, TV shows, and video podcasts to load up your iPod touch. From Hollywood blockbusters to independent favorites, there’s something for everyone. Download and watch movies with a few taps. Prefer TV shows? Get a single episode or an entire season’s worth all at once.

Onscreen Controls
While watching your video, tap the display to bring up the onscreen controls. You can play or pause, view by chapter, and adjust the volume. You can also use the volume controls on the left side of iPod touch. Want to switch between widescreen and full screen? Simply tap the display twice.

iTunes
Need some entertainment for your next flight or road trip? With iTunes on your iPod touch and a Wi-Fi connection, you can buy movies and TV shows on the fly. You can also rent movies, in case you’re not sure if that flick is a keeper. And of course, you can purchase movies and TV shows on your Mac or PC, then sync them to your iPod touch.

App Store
Shop the App Store and discover over 75,000 apps that let you do even more with your iPod touch. Browse apps in categories from games to lifestyle, social networking to education, and more.

Discover apps in categories from games to lifestyle, social networking to education, and more.

The built-in Wi-Fi capability in iPod touch gives you access to the iTunes Store anywhere, anytime.

 

Browse Apps
Shop the App Store a number of ways. Tap Featured and get a list of new apps and to see what’s hot. Peruse by category. Check out the Top 25 apps. Or if you know exactly what app you’re looking for, find it by doing a quick search.

Genius Recommendations for Apps
There are tens of thousands of apps in the App Store, with more added every day. A new feature of iPod touch makes finding cool new apps even easier. It’s Genius for apps, and it works just like Genius for your music. Tap the Genius icon and get recommendations for apps that you might like based on apps you and others have downloaded.

Download Apps
When you find an app you want, buy and download it wirelessly to your iPod touch from anywhere over Wi-Fi, and start using it right away.

Update Apps
iPod touch tells you whenever an app update is available, so you’ll always have the latest versions of your favorite apps.

iTunes
Discover and download new music, movies, TV shows, and audiobooks with iTunes on your iPod touch.

Shop Anytime, Anywhere
The built-in Wi-Fi capability in iPod touch gives you access to the iTunes Store, where you can choose from millions of high- quality iTunes Plus songs and thousands of movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and free podcasts and iTunes U lectures. Browse New Releases, Top Tens, and Genres. Or find exactly what you’re looking for by typing in a quick search. Play a preview of any song or video, then tap once to buy it. Not sure if that movie is worth owning? Just rent it. Everything you buy on iPod touch is the same price you pay on the iTunes Store on your computer.

Sync with iTunes
When you connect iPod touch to your computer, the music, movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and podcasts you downloaded on the go sync to your iTunes library on your Mac or PC. If you’ve partially downloaded something on iPod touch, your computer completes the download automatically.

Photos
With storage for up to 90,000 of your favorite photos, iPod touch lets you flick through and share all those remember-that-day moments.

Share Photos
Show thousands of photos from the palm of your hand. Flick to scroll through thumbnails. Tap to view full screen. Play slideshows, complete with music and transitions. Email a photo to a friend or share it in a MobileMe Gallery.

With storage for up to 90,000 of your favorite photos, iPod touch lets you flick through and share all those remember-that-day moments.

 

Save Photos
If you receive a great image in an email, save it to your photo library on iPod touch. Once there, it acts just like any other photo. You can set it as your wallpaper, share it on the web, or pass it on.

Sync Photos
iPod touch uses iTunes to sync photos you have in iPhoto on a Mac or in Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop Album on a PC. Just choose which photos or albums to sync to your iPod touch, then you can look at them–and share them–anywhere you go.

Home Screen
Maybe you want Maps as the first app in the second row. Or Mail down in the Dock. Whatever the arrangement, make iPod touch your own with customized Home screens.

Customize Your Home Screen
Arrange the icons on your Home screen any way you want right on iPod touch or from your computer using iTunes 9. Move an app one row up, two apps over, or even to another Home screen. Create up to 11 Home screens for quick access to the games and applications you download from the App Store and to your Safari web clips.

Home Button
No matter where you are on iPod touch, one press of the Home button at the bottom of iPod touch takes you to the main Home screen. You can also take a shortcut from any Home screen back to your main Home screen by pressing the Home button.

Search the entire contents of your iPod touch, all from one place.

iPod touch features Safari, the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device.

 

Spotlight Search
Looking for something? Search the entire contents of your iPod touch, all from one place. On your main Home screen, just swipe to the right to bring up Spotlight. Once you start typing, Spotlight begins searching all of your music, videos, contacts, email, calendars, notes, and even your audiobooks and podcasts.

Add Apps and Web Clips
Whenever you download an application from the App Store, a new icon appears on your Home screen. And if you check the same websites every day, just create web clips. They appear on your Home screen, and you can access the sites directly with a single tap.

Safari
iPod touch features Safari, the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device. See the web in your hands the same way you see it on a computer. All you need is a Wi-Fi connection.

Browse Anywhere
iPod touch is the only iPod with built-in wireless access to the web. Whenever you’re connected via Wi-Fi, you can access your favorite websites to read news, check scores, pay bills, and go shopping. And if you’re using the new 32 GB or 64 GB iPod touch, you’ll notice that web pages load even faster than before.

Search the Web
iPod touch syncs your bookmarks from your PC or Mac, so you can access your favorite sites quickly. It has Google and Yahoo! search built in, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for on the web.

Web Clips
If you check a website frequently–a favorite newspaper, blog, or sports site–why not create a Home screen icon, or web clip, for it? Make web clips with Safari, and your favorite sites are always just a tap away.

Zoom
Get a closer look at any web page by zooming in and out with a tap or a pinch of the Multi-Touch display. View websites in portrait or landscape. Rotate iPod touch 90 degrees and the web page rotates, too.

mail on iPod touch looks and works just like email on your computer.

With Maps and a Wi-Fi connection, you can get directions, find local businesses, and check traffic.

 

Mail
Email on iPod touch looks and works just like email on your computer. And it works with the email accounts you already have.

View Messages and Attachments
iPod touch supports rich HTML email, so images and photos appear alongside text. And you see email attachments in their original formats, not stripped-down versions. Rotate, zoom, and pan in more than a dozen standard file and image formats, including PDF; Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and iWork.

Access All Your Accounts
Access your email from popular providers–including MobileMe, Google Gmail, Microsoft Exchange, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL–and most industry-standard IMAP and POP mail systems.

Compose Instantly
iPod touch recognizes email addresses in different applications. If you run across an email address on a web page or a map listing, for example, just tap it and iPod touch opens a new message and addresses it for you.

Type Smart
With its built-in dictionary,* the intelligent iPod touch keyboard predicts and suggests words as you type, making it fast and easy to write email. And when you rotate iPod touch on its side, the keyboard instantly switches from portrait to landscape for larger keys and more room to type.

Search Your Inbox
No need to scroll through message after message in your inbox looking for the right one. A quick downward flick brings up a search field that lets you find email by sender, recipient, subject, or all headers.

Maps
Find your way and a place to eat. With Maps and a Wi-Fi connection, you can get directions, find local businesses, and check traffic.

Find Yourself
iPod touch finds your location using known Wi-Fi hotspots. It also finds points of interest by keyword: Search for “coffee” and iPod touch shows you cafes nearby.

Get Directions
Just type in an address and get directions from wherever you are. Choose the method of transportation–car, public transit, or on foot–and view a list of turn-by-turn directions. See a highlighted map route with estimated travel time. You can also mark specific locations and find the best route between them.

Explore and share your favorite YouTube clips.

Track your workouts, set goals, and challenge friends with Nike+.Click to enlarge.

With Voice Memos, you can record any audio you want using the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic or an external mic.

 

Switch Map Views
Just like Google Maps on your computer, Maps on iPod touch lets you switch between views of Google map data, satellite images, and a hybrid of both. Multi-Touch makes the difference. Tap to zoom, pan, and change your view on the move.

See Traffic
Maps on iPod touch shows you live traffic information, indicating traffic speed along your route in easy-to-read green, red, and yellow highlights.

YouTube
Skateboarding moves gone wrong. Hilarious commercials from another country. Whatever the video, iPod touch has your YouTube addiction covered.

Share from Anywhere
Email your favorite videos to your favorite people. Tap Share on any YouTube video detail page and iPod touch creates an email with the video link already in it.

Search YouTube
Explore Featured, Most Viewed, Most Recent, and Top Rated videos. Or search for the video you want using a keyword search. Once you find what you’re looking for, bookmark it to watch later.

Nike + iPod Compatibility
Rock out your workout. iPod touch has built-in support for Nike + iPod. It’s music and motivation rolled into one.

Tune Your Run
iPod touch includes built-in Nike + iPod support. Just slip the Nike + iPod Sensor (available separately) into your Nike+ shoe and start your run. The sensor communicates wirelessly with your iPod touch, tracking your time, distance, and calories burned. It even gives you voice feedback on your progress.

Tune Your Cardio Workout
This feature also works with new cardio equipment available in many fitness centers. Just look for Nike + iPod compatible treadmills, ellipticals, stair steppers, and stationary bikes.

Sync with nikeplus.com
When you get back to your computer, sync your iPod touch with iTunes and transfer your exercise data to nikeplus.com, where you can track your workouts, set goals, and challenge friends.

Voice Memos
You might have a good memory. But sometimes, it’s nice to have a backup. With Voice Memos, you can record little (and big) bits of information to your iPod touch.

Record Memos (or Any Audio)
Record a simple to-do, your next big idea, or a bet between you and your friend. With Voice Memos, you can record any audio you want using the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic or an external mic. Voice Memos will record even when you’re using your iPod touch to do things such as checking email or surfing the web.

Edit Memos
You can trim recorded memos right on iPod touch. That way, you keep only what you need.

Manage Memos
Keep all your memos organized by choosing labels from a predefined list or by creating custom labels.

Share Memos
Send memos to your friends and colleagues via email. Memos you record on iPod touch sync back to your Mac or PC via iTunes, so you can share them later.

Play the latest head-to-head games with a friend–whether your friend is sitting next to you or across the country.

Want more room to type? Rotate iPod touch to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Notes, and Safari.

Download movies, TV shows, music videos, and audiobooks over Wi-Fi from the iTunes Store on iPod touch.

 

 

More Features

iPod touch comes with the latest software already installed. And you also get convenient apps including Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Stocks, and Weather.

iPhone 3.1 Software Features

Genius Mixes
This new feature acts as your personal DJ, searching your iTunes library to find songs that go great together, then organizing them into mixes you’ll love. All automatically.

Genius Recommendations for Apps
With thousands of apps in the App Store, how do you find cool new ones? Let Genius help. It looks at the apps you’re using and recommends others you might like.

Peer-to-Peer Gaming
Play the latest head-to-head games with a friend–whether your friend is sitting next to you or across the country.

Buy Movies, TV Shows, and Audiobooks via Wi-Fi
Download movies, TV shows, music videos, and audiobooks over Wi-Fi from the iTunes Store on iPod touch.

Landscape Keyboard
Want more room to type? Rotate iPod touch to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Notes, and Safari.

Cut, Copy & Paste
Cut, copy, and paste words and photos, even between applications. Copy and paste images and content from the web, too.

Spotlight Search
Find what you’re looking for across your iPod touch, all from one convenient place. Spotlight searches all your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as your music and video.

Automatic Wi-Fi Login
Log in to a Wi-Fi hotspot and iPod touch remembers your user name and password the next time you connect.

Accessibility
The new iPod touch comes with standard accessibility features that help people with disabilities experience the fun of iPod touch.

Stereo Bluetooth
Enjoy music and other audio wirelessly. Pair your iPod touch with compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones.

Shake to Shuffle
Just give your iPod touch a shake, and it shuffles to a different song in your music library. You’ll always be surprised by what you hear.

Parental Controls
Decide what music, videos, and apps your kids can access.

Stocks on iPod touch shows you performance information for any stock you choose.

Check worldwide weather at home or away.

Pioneering hardware technology built into iPod touch is how you’re able to flick, tap, and pinch.

 

iPod touch also includes these useful apps:

Calendar
Calendar works with Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft Outlook, iCal, MobileMe, and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for enterprise. Add events. Set reminder alerts. Subscribe to calendars for things such as national holidays and sports schedules.

Contacts
Put names, email addresses, phone numbers, and more at your fingertips. Sync contacts on your Mac or PC to iPod touch using iTunes. Add new contacts on the go with a tap.

Notes
Forget the pen and paper. Use Notes on iPod touch to write yourself a quick note and keep important information on hand. A built-in email function lets you send notes to yourself or others.

Stocks
Stocks on iPod touch shows you performance information for any stock you choose. When you want more details about a stock’s performance, tap the Y! for instant access to Yahoo! Finance.

Weather
Check worldwide weather at home or away. Add the cities you want, then flick back and forth to get six-day forecasts for each. Tap the Y! to open a Yahoo! city guide that shows you what’s happening, rain or shine.

Calculator
Calculator on iPod touch does double duty. In portrait mode, you can use Calculator for simple calculations. Rotate iPod touch to landscape, and it becomes a sophisticated scientific calculator.

 

iPod touch Technology

Pioneering hardware technology built into iPod touch is how you’re able to flick, tap, and pinch. It’s what makes that racing game feel so real. It’s why you’re able to tweet what you just overheard in the cafe. And it’s the reason iPod touch is the most amazing iPod you’ll ever own.

Multi-Touch
The Multi-Touch display layers a protective shield over a capacitive panel that senses your touch using electrical fields. It then transmits that information to the LCD screen below it. So you can glide through albums with Cover Flow, flick through photos and enlarge them with a pinch, zoom in and out on a section of a web page, and control game elements precisely.

Accelerometer
The accelerometer inside iPod touch allows it to detect when you rotate iPod touch from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display. The accelerometer really shines when you play games, because it immerses you in the action. It’s perfect for racing games, where your entire iPod touch acts as a steering wheel, and for tap-and-tilt games such as Rolando, in which your movements control the action.

Wireless
iPod touch has built-in support for 802.11b/g wireless technology. That means you can get online anywhere there’s Wi-Fi. Send email from a coffee shop. Surf the web at the airport. Shop for games from your couch. Browse, buy, and download music and more from the iTunes Store. iPod touch locates nearby wireless hotspots, including protected networks. If you’ve never used a particular network, Wireless Icon it asks you to enter a password the first time, and it remembers the password from then on. So the next time you’re within range, it connects automatically.

Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a form of wireless technology that lets you use devices without the hassle of cables or wires. What does that mean for iPod touch? It means you can use iPod touch with Bluetooth headphones and listen to your music no matter where in the room your iPod touch is. So lounge on your bed, while your iPod touch charges on your desk. Bluetooth on iPod touch is also great for peer-to-peer gaming.

Design
iPod touch is as remarkable outside as it is inside. Holding one is all the proof you need. With its curved design, iPod touch is a mere 8.5 mm thin. Its optical glass front and polished stainless steel back feel sleek and smooth in your hand. Turn it on, and instantly you’re impressed by the brilliant 3.5-inch display. iPod touch is the perfect combination of stunning design and revolutionary technology–the total, beautiful package.

Read Kindle books on your iPod touch.

 

 

Read Kindle Books on the iPod touch

• No Kindle required.
• Get the best reading experience available on your iPhone or iPod touch.
• Access your Kindle books even if you don’t have your Kindle with you.
• Automatically synchronizes your last page read between devices with Amazon Whispersync.
• Adjust the text size, add bookmarks, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle.
• Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Shop for Books on the Kindle Store on Your iPod touch

• Buy a book from the Kindle Store, optimized for Safari, on your iPod touch or iPhone and get it auto-delivered wirelessly.
• Search and browse more than 275,000 books, including more than 107 of 112 New York Times bestsellers.
• Find New York Times bestsellers and new releases for $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
• Get free book samples; read the first chapter for free before you decide to buy.
• Books you purchase also can be read on a Kindle.
• Kindle newspapers, magazines, and blogs are not currently available on the iPod touch or iPhone.

 

Reviews from Customers

 

“Just Shy Of Perfection”
This review could be summerd up in a short sentence: You are looking at the current killer appliance for personal entertainment. But I never, ever, do short reviews… So here’s the long story. Grab a cup of coffee, as this review answers questions you never knew existed.

I have to admit that there have been few items that have captured and kept my enthusiasm for as long as the iPod Touch. Two years ago, I purchased the original Touch, last year I upgraded to the 32 GB, and now I have the 64GB version. Was the upgrade worth it? And what are the things yet to be imroved? Because even though the Touch is close to perfection, there are still many small things that can be improved.

Hardware

Physically, the new (64GB) Touch is identical to it’s 2nd generation brethren. It’s polished crome backplate is slightly curved, making it fit your palm perfectly. As before, the fact that it’s made from polished chrome will guarantee that it attracts fingerprints and scratches almost magically. I’m no friend of any kind of protective covers, and my last (32GB) Touch had to live in my pocket with my keys, coins, and other stuff I threw in with it. After a year, the backplate did pick up a lot of scratches, and I expect that the 64GB to fare no better. Personally, I would have preferred a brushed finish for the backplate. This may have caused problems with the readability of the customized engraving that Apple applies to the Touch on the backplate for no additional charge (a nice ‘touch’ that becomes increasingly important as the Touch becomes more ubiquitious). This custom engraving you can only get if you order the Touch through Apple (it’s also not available in the Apple Stores).

The front plate is made from one of the most impressive glass enhancements I’ve ever seen. After a year of heavy abuse, my old Touch’s glass front has not a single scratch – not one. I don’t know how Apple does it, but this is really impressive. Remember, I don’t use any protective covers or films. The screen itself is brilliant, bright, and can easily be read outside, wich is a feat in itself. The Touch has an ambient light sensor, so it can dim the screen when the surroundings are darker.

This time around, the screen’s color temperature has remained unchanged (the 2G shifted all colors from a blueish to a more golden tinge). Movie playback is simply astonishing. The image is crisp, and the on-screen controls natural. Again, there are niceties such as double-tapping the screen to change aspect ratio, or placing bookmarks etc. You still can’t set a movie’s contrast, but beyond that small issue, movie playback is perfect. Viewing movies on the Touch simply works great, but personally I think that the screen is too small to watch a full movie. Last week, I tried watching a TV episode while on a plane enroute to Hamburg (a 75 minute flight), but quickly decided against it, opting instead to play a game of ‘Luxor’. Somehow I prefer a larger screen for consuming video, while I have no problems doing something interactive on it. Still, video plays great on the Touch.

Button and interface lay-out has remained the same from the last generation: volume controls on the left side, top holds the ‘exit/on’ button, buttom has dock and phones connectors, and the front holds the single home button. There is one thing that can be improved here: I would have preferred the audio connector to be on top (or either side), as the current configuration precludes the use of many applications (e.g. News- and eBook readers) when you want to place it upright — for example in the Gym. Some apps do use the accelerometers and can be used positioning the Touch upside down, though.

The built-in speaker is unchanged from the last version. It’s weak, tinny, mono, produces horrible sound, has no volume to speak of — and yet it’s one of the best additions to the Touch (the original didn’t have it, the 2nd gen did). It simply makes casual gaming so much more fun. I don’t care about the bad sound quality, I just love the fact that it’s there.

The signatory white earphones that Apple sells with the Touch may look good, but I don’t like them. In my ears they are too uncomfortable. Since I’m no audiophile, I can’t comment on their audio quality other than that it’s good enough for me. Anyway, I replaced them with my favorite non-Apple version. The hitch here is that Apple now delivers the 64 GB (and 32 GB) with earphones that sport a built-in mic and remote. And my head phones don’t have that. While the remote is nothing much to write home about (the way it works is just too complex), the mic works well, and has just the right fidelity to pick out voice over the background noise. So, for now, I keep the white buds with me in case I want to use the IP-telephony capabilities.

Battery life appears to have been reduced somewhat from the 2nd gen – at least on paper. During the past few days the new 3rd gen Touch certainly performed as well as or even better than my 2nd gen – but then again, that one’s battery is already one year old. One fact that I’ve become very fond of is the quick-charge ability, which works really well.

The built-in wireless connectivity is really nice, with astonishingly well executed integration. The touch does all it’s wireless networking over WiFi and Bluetooth. WiFi works really well (especially here in Switzerland where Hotspots are particularely dense), and Bluetooth integration (which I tried on the 3rd gen for the first time) is flawless. WiFi reception (range) lags somewhat behind that of a Wintel laptop (no doubt due to the metal backplate) and is pretty much on par with that of a 15″ Macbook Pro (which is also somewhat lacking in WiFi reception range). WiFi is still the ‘g’ variant though [interestingly enough, the built-in hardware does support 11n, but so far Apple has chosen not to activate it, presumably to conserve battery. This is interesting also from the fact that in the 2G Touch, Apple initially included Bluetooth capabilities, but only activated it with a later OS release. Perhaps the same can be expected for 11n]. Bluetooth now also works with headphones and BT-based car integration kits (works well in mine). I would have loved to try out BT-based printing from the Calender or Addressbook app, but hit a snag: it appears no Touch app supports printing…

Missing Hardware

There is some hardware that I expected, or whished that it was included in the Touch – especially as (some) of them are now present on other iPods:

No camera. I was somewhat ambivalent about this. No camera means no pictures and/or movies. But it also means that I can keep handling it rough, as I do not have to worry abou the lens. Also, I don’t have to worry about taking it to the Gym (my Gym has very strict rules towards camera-equipped items). All things being equal, the addition of a camera (still and/or video) would have been nice, but I don’t miss it much (truth be told, I yet have to use the camera on my mobile phone).

Unfortunately, there is also no built-in mic. This is much a more significant omission than having no camera. The Touch is a first class audio voice recorder and (more importantly for me) a first class Skype client. There are third party solutions for this (a mini-micro that directly plugs into the headphone connector), but if the touch had a built-in mike, it would make using world-class applications like Shazam (and Skype) so much easier

Likewise, there is no compass, nor a GPS receiver present in the touch. I understand that these are left out to better differentiate the Touch from the iPhone, but I would have welcomed them in the top-of-the-line (64GB) version of the iPod.

And, finally, there is no radio receiver. I’m definitely not a radio man, as I next to never listen to it. Still, some people do (as the ton of nicely selling IP radio applications shows), and anyway, the Nano has it now – even with a nice Tivoesque pause feature! Why not the Touch? Strange design choice.

iPod & iTunes

The original iPod’s strength was the sheer brilliant ease of use – and the touch-based interface represented a mile-stone in improving on that. To date there simply is no better multimedia interface than that of the Touch/iPhone. It’s natural after just a few seconds. It’s drop-dead beautiful, with muted highlights, and cleverly accentuated by small (if flashy) animations that convey the different metaphors of the interface (e.g. the rubber-banded bouncing when you reach the end of a playlist). Like no interface before you can instantly use it to accomplish even complex tasks with just the flick of a finger. Using it is sheer, unadulterated fun. The ‘Coverflow’ album browsing may be one of the least useful, but it’s definitely the most natural (and fun) way to flip though you music. And it is jaw-droppingly well executed (note: when you use coverflow you should make sure that you have installed the all cover art from any music you did not purchase from the iTunes Store).

At the base of all iPod music playing is the Playlist, and using playlist on the Touch is a joy. The interface whileplaying is also mature, offering niceties such as displaying a song’s lyrics on a single tap, along with singularily simple controls for repeat and shuffle play. Unfortunately, this playlist feature also still has one of the most glaring shortcomings: the Touch is unable to play playlist groups. I usually group a small bunch of songs into very short playlist (e.g. ’10 best Springsteen’), and then mix these playlist into larger ones by simply dropping a playlist into a group. Although iTunes supports this, all versions of the Touch have stubbornly refused to do that.

Also somewhat strangely missing on the Touch is the ability to search for an Artist or music title. Considering the fact that more than 10’000 songs fit onto the device the need for an ability to search for something would seem obvious (note: the Touch *does* have a global search function, which will also turn up songs – along with contacts and mails that match your search phrase. Having to leave the iPod app simply to look for a song is against everything Apple’s ease of use is about, and it’s not what I would expect). And while we are at it, I’d love the ability to also search the lyrics, but that would be the icing on the cake.

What is present, and what continues to amaze me is a function that I initially dismissed as some way to sell song: Genius Playlists. What it does is that given a song it finds other songs you already possess that would play nicely together. Since I have lots of songs (else I wouldn’t be purchasing the 64GB), this feature has helped me to get an incredible amount of additional joy out of my music. There are lots of gems hidden that mass of music I never knew I owned. Of course, if you want to, Genius will also recommend songs you don’t have but can buy right now on iTunes. That, of course, is the ‘sell song’ angle. But at least it’s incredibly well executed (and yes, I’ve used it)

The 64GB now also supports voice recognition – and I’m sure it’s a marvel of technology. But (much like the auto-correction system for text) it mostly only works in English. If you have set your system to German, you must pronounce english band names as they would be read aloud by a german-only speaker. Do it once, and everyone in the room stares at you. You’ll never do it again. Plus, due to the greater complexity of the german language (I am german speaking), the commands only work half the time. A nice idea, and a boon while driving or typing. But *only* when set to english.

Rounding out the audiovisual feature set is the Touch’s photo presentation ability, really showcasing the touch-based gesture interface. It was the pinch and flick gesture that originally sold me on the Touch, and it still does today. On the Mac, iTunes ties into iPhoto’s image management, greatly facilitating the task of sorting out which images to synch to your iPod (on windows, this task is slightly more pedestrian, as you’ll have to manually manage the ‘My Pictures’ folder). A strange quirk, though, is that during synch iTunes seems to downsample your images to a (to me unknown, but definitely) smaller size. Since I’m a photo nut (shooting with DSLR) this ‘feature’ annoys me somewhat, as iTunes currently does not provide any means to control the downsampling of photos.

The success of the original iPod has left some competitors scratching their heads, while it is blindingly obvious to most users: the tight, seamless integration with iTunes. Now in version 9, iTunes has become somewhat complex and not always that intuitive to use. It now also tries to manage Photos and Movies as well as Music and Applications. But iTunes is still very easy to use, and synchronizing the iPod Touch with iTunes is quick and simple. A small disappointment is the fact that you still can’t synchronize your Touch wirelessly, and that it still refuses to mount as an external disk. Another disappointment is that although iTunes now allows you to share your music over the net with multiple Macs, it can’t stream your Music to the Touch (A small, brilliant app from the AppStore can do this for you, though).

And while we are speaking of iTunes – there is one feature that I’d love to have on the Touch: the visualizer. iTunes’ visualizer is really beautiful, and I would have loved the same functionality on my Touch.

Internet

While by itself the iPod Touch is an impressive and fun device, it comes into real swing when connected to the internet. The always-on nature and graceful handling of connection drops make the Touch one of the best internet devices I’ve used to day. The included Safari internet browser performs great – unless you try to load Flash-based content, which is not supported. The email client works great for receiving and viewing mail. Writing anything but the shortest of email is annoying, as the Touch is simply too small for comfortably entering any significant amount of text. Calendar and Address Book are well executed (even if entering a new date and merging multiple calenders is slightly more convoluted than necessary). Mail, Calendar and Addressbook can (if you have that service available) synch live to either mobile me (which Apple loves to sell you) or Exchange (which your employer loves to force on you) through a feature that is very similar to ‘push’ notification. In the past, using Exchange has been somewhat spotty, and mobile Me has had it’s own share of problems. All in all, though both work nice, and exceedingly quick. You do need to be in range of a hotspot for this to function, though. Somewhat disappointing is the fact that notes are not synched. Another nice addition is ‘Voice Memos’ which is an audio recorder. Had the Touch an internal mic, this app would have been even better…

Applications

Next to the ‘productivity’ or ‘PDA’ suite (Mail, Calendar, Contacts) the touch comes with some other nice (but somewhat dull) apps (e.g. Maps, Stocks, YouTube) and two killer Apps: iTunes and App Store. While the former gives you instant access to all songs and movies that are currently available on iTunes (Warning: that, plus the incredible ‘Shazam’ can lead to unintented gross music spending), the latter (App Store) gives you equal instant access to an incredible number of applications that you can instantly download and use. The quality of applications on the App Store is quite uneven, and tends to cluster around some rather puerile topics (as a veritable, uh, heap, of Fart applications proves). That being said, there are a number of jaw-droppingly good applications that are able to utilize the touch interface (and other capabilities such as accelerometer) in new and surprising ways. Just to name a few are the aforementioned ‘Shazam’ that can identify a song being played and instantly link to iTunes (you have to see it in action to believe it), Flight Control, where you manage an airport by drawing the flight path for each plane, Bloomberg that provides stock information in an exhaustive way, and Wemlin that shows an up-to-date timetable for when the next tram arrives at my station. No matter what, there probably is an application that supports you with it.

And then there are games. Apple had quickly recognized that the Touch represents an immensely attractive and powerful game platform. Performance, screen, connectivity and control capabilities make it the ideal casual gaming platform. Accordingly, games represent by far the largest category in the App store. While inevitably there are some truly awfully executed, or simply dull games, the majority of the available games are at least somewhat entertaining, while some rival and exceed those that can be had for thrice the price on dedicated gaming platforms.

In the past, my Touch quickly filled up with app after app that I simply couldn’t live without any more, and an unforseen limitation of the Touch’s design surfaced: app management. Applications are arranged as icons on a 4×4 grid per page, with multiple pages that you can flick left and right to navigate. Unfortunately, re-arranging apps, although possible (and quite ingeniously implemented) is still a chore. Apple has done the right thing, and integrated a much nicer app manager into the (PC/Mac) iTunes application.

Speed Improvement

The iPod Touch, although seen by some as the ‘iPhone’s smaller sibling’ was always either as nible as the phone, or even faster. The new, 3rd gen Touch is said to be ‘up to 50% faster’ than the previous generation. To be honest, I’m not sure that I see that speed improvent translate to much performance increase. That may be due to the fact that my Touch seldom maxes out on processor throughput or (for example when browsing) that WiFi bandwidth is the limiting factor. Some apps appear to be ‘snappier’ during start-up (smaller apps) or execution (games, mostly), but all in all, the Touch pretty much seems to be as fast as the last generation. This leads me to believe that the real bottleneck is it’s internal execution memory (i.e. not the 64 GB storage, but processor memory), and ony applications that are specifically written to take advantage of new technology (e.g. OpenGL ES). Or in other words: the overall speed has not been improved that much.

SDK

So you want to be a geek? Already are? You can write your own applications for the Touch if you like. I’ve taken the plunge and downloaded the SDK. Note that you can download the SDK and develop for the Touch/iPhone without actually owning one. The development system comes with a iPhone simulator that you can use to test your applications without downloading them unto an actual device (it does have some limitations: for example, the accelerometers are not simulated, and you have no indication of the true execution speed). Well, you do need a Mac for this (although it can be a few years old). The SDK is impressive – overwhelming even if you are not used to Mac programming (and almost prohibitively complex if you are not used to frameworks like Cocoa and object-oriented programming). Still, crunching out your first (very basic) appliction is surprisingly easy, and if you roll that way, you’ll get addicted quickly.

Summary:

It’s the killer personal entertainment device. Buy it. You know you want it — especially if you have read this far. If you have the 2nd gen iPod, you may need to ask yourself if the slight speed bump and the additional storage is worth the hefty price tag. To me it was, but your mileage may vary.

pros

+ world class touch/gesture interface

+ best iPod audiovisual experience around (music, video, photos)

+ killer feature: app store and application availability

+ killer feature: internet integration (browsing and push technology)

+ great movie playback

+ really good casual gaming device

+ slightly improved speed (allegedly, only for some games)

+ great integration with mobile me (calender, mail sync) or Exchange

+ really good SDK if you are geeky enough to roll your own apps

cons

– no built-in mic (headphones do have them)

– polished chrome backplate (I would have preferred a brushed finish)

– no gps, camera, compass

– no radio (nano has it?)

– no sync of notes, no wireless sync of music/movies

– spotty voice recognition in languages other than english

– no control over downsampling of photos

– no search function for music inside the iPod app

– no visualizer

“WARNNING for new 8GB 3G owners and ipod touch 3G Review”
Before i start let me just tell you “what’s New” with the iPod touch Third generation” :

-Faster Cpu/Double the ram/Better graphic (faster Boot time/faster loading is all what i did notice)

-Double the storage for the same old price

-Voice control (I’ll explain it in a second)

-Latest firmware for free

-New Earbuds with built in remote+Microphone (So you can use voice control)

And that is everything~ depends on your needs upgrading from 2G to 3G might be not worth it.

*Important Note* : only the New iPod touch 32GB/64GB are third generation ~ (8GB is repacked 2G) Details below.

About the new Voice control function, if you love to take your iPod with you to the Gym the new feature “Voice control” is pretty cool, it does allow you to control your music via your voice, no need to get the iPod out of your pocket you can simply say “Next” to move to next song, say “shuffle” for shuffle , say “Pause” and music playback will stop etc, that is why i recommend the iPod touch over iPod classic for gym users, my friend bought an iPod classic and now he complains that the iPod classic is too heavy for him when he goes to the gym and he will have to buy another iPod “properly Nano” for his Gym, for me i use my iPod touch for the gym, it’s so light that sometimes i forgot that it’s even in my pocket.

After playing with my iPod touch 3g for a while i honestly did not notice any difference from the outside or the inside compared to my old iPod touch Second generation (It’s supposed to be faster but i did not notice anything during music and video playback or the menus, however browsing with safari and loading facebook was faster, same thing with boot time), you properly can only notice it being faster with heavy applications since video/music playback is already fast enough with 2G.

I got the 64GB iPod 3G for […]$, if you think of upgrading your 2G iPod touch honestly do yourself a favor and save yourself the money unless you really need that much of a storage (I do that is why i bought one), also remember that the 3G battery lasts less than 2G,(3G battery = 30 Hours of music playback versus 2G 36 hours of music playback according to apple official specs)

*VERY IMPORTANT* for the people who wants the new 8GB version, the new third generation 8GB iPod touch is NOT 3G it’s a second generation iPod touch but apple did repack it/renamed it to 3rd generation, which seems to be misleading by APPLE and it’s not cool at all, it is IPod Touch 2G+Updated firmware and that is it.

The iPod touch 3rd generation 32GB/64GB versions comes with a free mic+remote with the earbuds while the 8GB do not (it comes with normal earbuds), the 32GB/64GB have the New CPU+Graphic (According to apple the new cpu is twice as fast just like the iPhone 3GS) while the new 8GB use the same old CPU/Chip from the old iPod touch second generation.

Here is APPLE description on the iPod touches page about the 32/64GB versions : “””Enjoy all the great features of the 8GB model along with better performance, richer graphics and voice control”””

The iPod touch 3rd generation is the same awesome iPod touch second generation was.

You can play your music/watch your videos/play games, even read your kindle books/etc “you can read amazon big description of what it’s capable of if you do not know yet, it’s better than what would i say because it has pictures and everything.

The iPod touch got the best browser i have ever seen in a portable device, i do not even need to carry my netbook with me anymore thanks to my iPod touch, if you hated browsing with lame browsers that crash a lot or slow (many mobile phones) trust me on this one, the iPod touch browser is not a toy or a gimmick it is a browser you can depends on, it’s super fast and smooth and after using it for like a full year it has only crashed on me once!

Short list of pros and cons about the iPod touch

Pros:

-Slick,small and light device

-Great touch screen

-The BEST web browser on a portable device

-Amazing video/music playback

-App Store (Too many cool applications for Free)

-Display screen is clear and bright

-No bugs and annoying stuff a very reliable hardware

-64GB Flash based mp3 player

Cons:

-Not much of an upgrade over 2G (people were disappointed because they did not get upgrades like camera/OLED/etc)

-Weaker battery, only lasts 30 hours for music playback versus 2G iPod touch 36 Hours music playback

-Expensive for the 64GB version

-Still no FM radio without the use of online applications

-Bluetooth is still half locked

I hope my review was helpful 🙂

“So Much **MORE** Than Just An MP3 Player!”
This is my first iPod and MP3 player. So far I’ve had the iPOD TOUCH (32-GIG/3RD GEN) for two-weeks and I’m loving it.

It’s does so much more than just play music, which is why I wanted one. I’m not a Mac person at all but the iPod Touch…I love it.

Out of the box it found my Wi-Fi connection and had me surfing the net (the real Internet and not the cell phone web pages like the one on my Verizon phone). It was intuitive to use and I’m finally getting accustomed to using the touch screen to scroll and type away.

This review is mostly for other iPod newbies like myself. Here’s what it comes with:

***The iPod Touch- slick and smooth and very thin

***A USB Cable- this hooks your iPod to your computer to recharge the battery and to sync it with iTunes.

***Plastic Docking Thing- this is a small plastic part that allows you to dock the iPod to an external device (I’m not sure what).

***Head Phones with Microphone and external volume control.

***Teeny-tiny insert- with bare-bones info. You have to access the full manual, which is available for free download in PDF format, at the apple website.

My advice is to buy an external cover for the iPod–the 2nd Generation iPod Touch skins/cover fit the new 3rd Generation ones because the body is the same–and buy a screen protector so you keep the screen free from scratches and such. I already scratched the shiny back of my iPod just by placing in down on the table so be careful when you first get it if you don’t have a cover for it.

As long as you have Wi-Fi (wireless Internet connection) in your house/apt you can get full use out of the iPod Touch. You can also access free Wi-Fi hotspots in stores, restaurants, and other areas, so you can get on the Internet and download applications (apps) etc., check your email, go on facebook, youtube, even Amazon has an app, that can be downloaded onto the iPod.

The iPod Touch is configured to automatically search for Wi-Fi networks, it looks for both either locked (need a password) or unlocked (no password) networks, and displays them in the settings for “Wi-Fi.” You really don’t have to know anything about Wi-Fi to get it started. You just pick one of them and it connects to it.

I’ve tried my iPod at some hotspots like a shopping center with a Starbucks and it found the Wi-Fi and connected but since a lot of people were using it, it took a while to connect.

You need the program iTunes, which is a free down-loadable program for Windows or Mac, and an iTunes account to purchase and download the apps (most are free but you still need an account to download them). If you’ve used iTunes before for buying song downloads or just to register then you already have a login account…if you haven’t used iTunes before it’s free to download and easy to install. Then you sign up for an account which is also free, unless you plan on purchasing songs or videos.

The pluses on the iPod Touch:

===== Applications (Apps) =====

The apps are a plenty on the iPod Touch and there’s an app for everything (practically). They’re arranged by category like games, news, productivity, etc., and are furthered displayed by best selling, top-free, and release date. You can also search by keyword or check out the most popular and featured apps.

Some apps are free and some cost a one time fee of between $.99-$4.99 and up. If you’re a news junkie like me, you’ll really love it. I’ve downloaded Time Magazine, NPR (radio and print stories), BBC READER, New York Times, USA Today, AP (Associated Press) and ABC News…all for free!

I really like that the BBC Reader will download their stories into the cache memory, once you connect via Wi-Fi so you can read the articles offline (when Wi-Fi is not available). NYT and AP will allow you to save articles that you can read offline as well. And the AP will deliver breaking news as long as you’re connected… ALL FREE!!!

I’ve downloaded a dictionary, spell checker, facebook, Grimm’s Fairytales and Alice In Wonderland books to read…all for FREE! I also got this free app called “Pandora” which is a radio station that will only play songs by artists that you want to hear. Too cool!

I know that I sound like a broken record with the “free” stuff but being a Verizon Wireless user, I’m sure other VZW customers feel me, I’m amazed that one can download and install quality, portable applications onto a device for no charge or subscription plan.

===== Other Fun Stuff =====

Calendar for appointments etc., contact phone book, clock, weather, calculator (you can download a free tip-calculator), notes and maps. These all come with the iPod Touch.

iTunes will keep the stuff (music, apps, videos) on your iPod, backed-up on your computer so you’ll always have a copy of those things. And you can tell it which play-lists to sync so that you don’t have to carry around your entire music/video library from your computer on the portable.

Anyway, I’m loving my iPod Touch and it was the perfect birthday gift to myself. It really is like having a mini-computer with you at all times. The only thing that’s missing is a camera, but that’s not a big deal at all. It’s great for people who want an iPhone, but don’t want AT&T’s lousy service. I also love not having to pay a monthly subscription charge to Verizon for apps on my cell phone, now that I have the iPod Touch!

The only thing I would advise getting–in addition to the iPod–is the cover protector skin and screen protector mentioned earlier, and the Apple USB Power Adapter which will allow you to plug the USB cord into an electrical outlet (though it isn’t necessary, it charges a lot faster than when it’s charging from your computer).

Since this is my first iPod, I don’t know how it stacks up against the previous versions. But this one is great and really addicting! So if you’ve been wondering if you should get one and you don’t have an iPhone, have access to Wi-Fi, then I’d say…yes! The iPod Touch has so much to offer the user that you can find something to do with it even if you don’t plan on using it as an MP3 player all that much.

*** A Note About iTunes ***

Even if you don’t buy MP3s–I’ve only purchased about three from iTunes; the rest was from Amazon through credits from special purchases and iPod can play them–iTunes is really handy because it makes taking songs from CDs so easy by capturing them and turning them into MP3s. The program will even retrieve song and artist information for you so you don’t have to label the file once you import it. From there you can make your own playlists and burn your own CDs from those playlists, not to mention carrying them on your iPod, so it’s definitely worth it and really easy to use.

See all detials of Apple iPod touch 8 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL