Kevin Rose of Digg origins claims to have the scoop on the latest iPod nano. Mind you, this is the same Kevin Rose who
notoriously claimed that a generation one iPhone would launch in both CDMA and GSM versions with a pair of batteries and slide-out keyboard. Uh hem. This time however, he backs up his claims with this picture of a skinnier, longer, and curvier nano -- credible because it just happens to be consistent with other rumors we've seen floating around and certainly makes sense for an Apple
obsessed with
tapering edges and
video playback. Kev also claims that the iPod lineup will undergo "fairly large" price cuts to avoid the market cannibalization assumed by the lower $199 iPhone 3G purchase price. The iPod touch, which currently starts at $299 for 8GB, will see some slight cosmetic changes as well as a new 2.1 firmware update (which will obviously make its way to the iPhone). Tagging along with the iPod refresh is a new iTunes 8.0 which, according to Rose's sources, deserves the full point upgrade based on all the new features and functionality it brings. All this, "in the next 2-3 weeks."
He then adds that OS X 10.5.6 is rumored to include Blu-ray support which could point to future Blu-ray options in Apple's lineup of Macs -- oh, and ponies, lots of ponies. Listen to the man say it in his own words in the video after the break.
[Thanks, Matt and Alexis F.]
posted Aug 23rd 2008 4:05AM
And Drew Curtis picks out the next Alcohol flavored peanut
Is it just me, or does that device in the picture look somewhat similar to the Zune?
It has a Star Trek industrial design to it...
I think that this a heap of bull***p... think of it this way..
when your watching a video(on say iphone) and theres a light behind you... the glare is farken anoying.
So what do you do?..
you tilt you device to divert the glare. This wont be the case for this fake ipod nano.
I suppose only will tel.. buti dont think that apple is stupid enough to make a curved ipod
I always thought "bullplop" was supposed that curse word you could type since there's no bad word in it at all. You've given me a lot to think about Sushant...
@Quikboy
Is it just me or does it look like the original iPod Nano that the came out long before the Zune.
I'm just saying....
@Dave95
Looks more like a 2nd gen Nano with a Zune's screen. IMO anyways.
Nice try at Zune flamebait :p
It actually looks like the old iPod Mini. And I realize its a rendering, but what possible purpose would there be to a curved front screen?
After the iPod nano fatty:
here comes the thinny...
What crap.
He even looks likes he's in hiding, should people find him and beat him.
Is the screen curved as well? =/
yea, i kinda dont like that it is
i'll end up loving it in a year when they refresh it again
yea, at first i thought cool or interesting, but then i thought oh what about the horrible glare that would result of this!
I don't see them making a curved screen, too much glare issues
*just* what I was going to say. I think it should be close to the same body as 2nd gen, with the wheel moved down and screen expanded to take the space.
i was hoping for a nano touch this year.
yeah, that would b sweet
The click wheel is all wrong for landscape mode. That is why they released a fat nano. It would be better for them to come out with a Touch nano (without the Wi-Fi and such).
I'd agree this is plausible. Apple seems to alternate design teams with "flat" and "tube" small iPods. Mini was a tube, nano was flat, nano2 was a tube, nano3 was flat... I'd doubt this is the real design, but maybe close? They need a bigger wide screen, and nobody liked the "fat" nano as the shape was "off". A more "candybar" shape is logical. I can see the price being lower, or they'd make a 16 GB model instead to keep the $149. I could see Apple adopting a mini-dock connector as most users never use the video dock, only USB and Audio, why keep the extra pins? A mini-Touch that can run app store programs is out as it would cost too much or be to stripped to hit $199. I think the new touch might try to add something more to compete with things like flip video.... the main thing missing from Apple's "i" line is something to put pictures and movies INTO their iLife apps and that won't happen for less than iPhone prices.
Is it me or do his eyebrows look realllly weird?
They are curved in honour of the occasion.
You know you want them!
Yeah, apparently he isn't insecure enough to care.
The real crime, I think, is the beard.
There's a new big two story Apple Store opening here in Waikiki soon, and I think some Apple folks are in town for it..and at a crosswalk near there today I could swear I saw this Nano being used by a woman and her businessy-looking friend. At the time I thought it was just tourists with a long looking Apple styled knock-off player, but now WHAM.
Apple store folks DO NOT get any heads up regarding new anything from Apple. I used to work for Apple in one of their largest call centers and the only information I was able to receive before the public was the fact that our systems would be upgraded to the newest OS before it was officially released.
They rarely send product to the stores ahead of time and if they do, the employees are not allowed to open it without losing their jobs. They don't get any test products before hand and won't even get any training until the product is officially launched.
You're fooling yourself.
@ kris
Well actually think about it. If the store is opening soon in Waikiki, one of the most expensive cities in the country to ship things to, and this sucker is coming out about the same time as opening, why not have it part of the base inventory? And if it's the first one opening in Waikiki, that's probably the first in the state, and a big deal, so wouldn't apple have some higher ups making sure things run soothe. Plus, we know from when the iphone came out that even most guarded products (iphone) are field tested by select employees before release.
I'd actually I'd say Kevin Rose is from TechTV origins... whatever happened to him and Sarah Lane anyways?
Actually whatever happened to Sarah Lane?
Patrick Norton and Leo Laporte rocked as well... too bad I can't find a show like the screensavers on TV anymore.
I'm not sure what he said, but I do know that mock-up's screen looks like poopoo.
Sarah Lane is married (not to Kevin) and works at Revision 3 along with Kevin Rose and Patrick Norton.
Check out twit.tv for Leo (or twitlive.tv when he's streaming), revision3.com for Patrick, Sarah and Kevin
Leo Laporte does all his shows on www.twit.tv (audio podcasts) or www.twitlive.tv (video)
Sarah is married to Brendan Moran, they both left G4 for obvious reasons.
Nostalgic, Leo and many of the TechTV refugees moved to http://twit.tv/ and keep things going as video podcasts.
Diggnation rules!
iPhone with 32gig and theyd have me. That wont come until Christmas though. We will see what renovations (if any) happen to the Touch and rest of the iPod line as far as other upgrade paths for the future me.
Hmmm....
I reckon it looks a bit ugly compared to the current iPod lineup.
I'm waiting out til christmas to get a touch
K Rose is making some bold statements here, it may seem very logical of the direction Apple may go but Apple isn't really logical when it comes to product refreshes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_trap
Bullshit, iPhone/ iPod touch software updates are always released on the same day.
i agree. calling bs on this
IT DOESN'T LOOK CONSISTENT WITH APPLE'S PMP PRODUCT LINE.
APPLE'S ALL ABOUT CONSISTENCY!!!
The current Touch was released with a higher firmware version than was available for the iPhone at the time.....
So, it's going to be iTunes 8.0 now? Getting up there in numbers, reminds me a bit of AOL back when it always updated its numbers...What version is AOL at anyway? I got lost at 12.0 I think...
looks like another product from China. ;-) But... china's mp3/4/5... is good... if they just put more effort in R&D.
If this is true, why must they taper the edges and back? That will just make it rock around on whatever it is sitting on. My poop is tapered, that doesn't make it look good.
But you gotta admit: It does look better than untapered poop...
Definitely feels better than untapered poop.
tee hee... i'm 6 (Not really, just the reaction I had to that comment would make you think I was.)
Apple continue to storm ahead.
whether real or not, that's some fugly looking device. i prefer my sony walkman to this...
where's the 64GB iPod Touch? I'm not getting one until it reaches the same size as my current iPod.
looks like a 3ds max render with a blur effect
I don't think Kevin Rose is with Revision 3 anymore. He's no longer listed in Revision 3's "Our People" list. And the new Diggnation is with someone other than Kevin Rose.
Nice try. Watch the episode.
Here's my prediction:
The next iPod nano will have more memory. More colors. Lower prices.
Screen looks dodgy, too shiny. Not sure I'm convinced, but who knows.
Oh joy! Another range of incompatibly shaped add-ons to buy.
How could Iphone sales possibly cannibalize those of the mp3 players? Seriously it may be $200 but then it's also $30 or more a month for 2 years which basically means overall it costs over $800. I don't know about you but generally 2 products, one which is $800+ and the other which is $200 generally don't cannibalize each others sales. Even if the Iphone has all the capability because for less then half the price of the Iphone 3G you could buy an mp3 player and a phone, which at least you'd get more battery life out of it.
Imo, that the Nano looks horrid (if it is a real shot which I doubt it) though I'm not a fan of Apples products anyway, the bland and generic clones they are. I also don't believe that Apple will drop prices on their mp3 players, when new ones come out they'll cost the same as current players do now or more, and the last generation will fall in price. But I doubt Apple would drop prices on a new generation simply because no matter the price people would rush to buy them anyway.
I was JUST about to comment the same when I read your comment... I totally agree on the first part. An iPhone and an iPod would NEVER compete for sales for the exact reason you suggest, cost, plus the fact that someone who already has a phone (contract or not) probably wouldn't tie themselves into a new one just to get an iPod. They'd buy an iPod or some other MP3 player. That part is bullshit.
Although I don't disagree that there could be a price cut.
Unless you either don't have a phone now, or you are going to have two phones including the iPhone then the contract costs are for the most part irrelevant to the cost of the iPhone.
I dont think its the new nano. As the screen is curved. How do you watch videos ???
But Apple is pretty obsessed with curved designs, one of it the the iPhone 3G.
you watch it sideways. LOL
If he's right, then I want a pony.
If he's wrong, then he will be castrated by every blogger and tech news writer in the world.
That's a bit harsh, no?
He'll be castrated by "every blogger and tech news writer"?! How many sets of balls does this guy have?
Kevin Rose also sed that iPhone 3G would have two cameras.
Not sure I really trust Kevin Rose after his bold predictions about the iPhone. Also, this looks a little like the AU Infobar 2, available in Japan. Has curved screen too.
Fuck Kevin Rose. Can anyone say "media whore?" Not to be an asshole but 90% of the shit he says comes straight out of his ass. Remember the iPhone rumors?
I didnt realise that engadget was a rumor site, well not one that publishes stories because some fanboy goes to the extent of making a video. is there any proof to his wisdom? how is this guy more qualified than me to say what apple is going to do?
I'm not saying he's right, but Kevin is one of the most well-known & respected guys in the tech world. He's got the inside connections.
blahblahblah. you commentors forgot the most important part of this post: if this is the new nano; its ugly as fuck (again).
it's like apple doesn't even design anything anymore, they just fillet everything.
I normally like Apple's aesthetic design, but (if this were the real deal) I can't say I enjoy this one. It actually brings me back to older years where the coolest new thing was to make things that looked as though they were designed "from the future". Anyone else getting that 'futuristic' feel?
Why does all rumours have blurry/bad quality images?
That curvy screen looks like a bus stop advert board.
OMFG I LOVE ponies! :)
-Taylor
Stoners
Wasn't Kevin loving the Zune in one of his podcasts a month or two ago?
When Zune was the sponsor yes.
Alex loves his Zune, Kevin was just mildly impressed by some of the features Alex showed him. And yea, it was probably spurned on by them being a sponsor for that episode.
I have reason to believe that Apple would rather off load all their more recent face lifts to their iPod line up through the Christmas season. We already know new MacBook and MacBook Pros wi'll show up in the Q4. But I can't see these so called facelifts happening until 2009. They'll milk that cow until it goes sour, and that'll be after new years.
History tends to disagree.
Why all the excitement over all this? Apple innovated with the first model, "1000 songs in your pocket" and it synced with iTunes so well - hence its deserved success. Today, you can buy far superior players from Sony (their new Walkmans are more exciting, have better navigation controls etc etc) and most mobile phones including decent 'MP3' players. Apple really need to innovate again. Here is what they need to do, and it's simple: Apple need to make EVERY iPod (except the Shuffle) connected. IE, built in WiFi and/or HSDPA so music and PIM information (Contacts, Calendar entries etc) can be synced/downloaded over the air or even by jacking into the USB port on any PC/Mac to sync with an online music store and/or personal archive (via Mobile Me perhaps?) Almost a phone, but not. Let's remove the computer from the equation.
Kinda like a Zune, huh?
He got the iPhone wrong, but he did get the old Nanos right.
Doesn't that just mean that Kevin Rose's Nano source has been killed and replaced by a mis-informant?
I know a Chinese store that sell iPod knockoffs and found one that looks almost identical to this. Now, Chinese stores are known to copy the design of other well-selling MP3 players, so if the one I saw was a knock off of Apple’s new iPod design, this could highly likely be the fourth generation nano – although I hope it isn’t cuz I don’t like curvy electronics :P
Leopard always had support for Blueray, I call shenanigans.
Look here:
/System/Library/Extensions/IOBDStorageFamily.kext
it also has support for HD-DVD
HOHO
Why is anyone giving Kevin Rose the time of day? The person that replaced him that became AoTS is far more interesting. Kevin P. too.
Why does it look like those Chinese MP4 players?
Why would apple resort to going back to a previous, and horrible design?
I was just about to say the same thing.
D'oh! Wrong comment.
Of course, Apple's going to add a BD option to the iMac, because I broke down and bought a 24-incher six weeks ago. I gladly would've paid a $200 premium for a BD-burner.
Looks Just like a Zune of 8gb.. hhahahhahhahahhahaha
No, it's a Bag of Holding. +4GB.
I wonder if it's Rust Monster resistant.
Yeah, more Apple stuff on engadget!
Meanwhile, TUAW rots on the vine, has AOL just considered shutting down TUAW, and renaming engadget?
And that was my first thought too, it does look like the 8GB Zune.
Pretty Shape~！
Can YOU stop post lame damn stupid blurry pictures???
Do people not know how to handle a fu***** camera these days? FOCUS damn it FOCUS!
I don't believe anything with a blurry picture.
here we go again does this one have a second camera that enables video chat