The iPod with camera is pretty much a given at this point in Apple's evolutionary approach to its audio / video players. In fact, we've already seen iLounge's confident rendering of an iPod nano with camera. Now we have the first cases with matching camera cut-outs (like that of the above) for the iPod nano in addition to an iPod touch case with similar cutouts passing through our tips box. This morning TechCrunch is claiming that a "massive number of camera modules" for iPods have been ordered per information provided by a source in Asia. Add it all up and we should see the announcement of a new iPod touch and iPod nano with photo / video recording sometime around September per Apple's usual pattern.

[Via MacRumors, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Few details were available when Archos announced its new lineup of PMPs last month, but today we can provide you with fuller specs and news of imminent UK availability. The new flagship model, 3 Vision, comes with a 3-inch touchscreen, 8GB of storage, microSDHC card slot, video playback, and a few less significant features like a voice recorder, calendar, stopwatch and an FM transmitter for streaming music to your Hi-Fi. Positioned as a direct competitor to the iPod touch, the new Archos will cost nearly half as much at £90 ($148). Other models detailed today include the 2 Vision -- a 1.8-inch version of the foregoing that loses video playback but gains a 16GB option likely to be priced at £50 ($82) -- and the Archos Clipper, a 2GB no-frills player priced at £20 ($32). For those looking to get a head start on everyone else, the 8GB 2 Vision is already available through Archos' online store for £40 ($65).

[Via Pocket-lint]

Envious of your Pre toting pals and that Touchstone charging rig? Don't sweat it -- WildCharge is coming through in the clutch to bring similar wireless charging technology to Apple's own handset. Starting today, iPhone (3G and 3GS included) and iPod touch users can order up a WildCharge Skin along with a WildCharger Pad in order to bring wire-free charging to their smartphone. Just slap the skin on, plug the pad in and toss the handset down on said pad. Just like that, you've got fresh energy flowing without having to scour the house for that little AC adapter. The pain? $34.99 for the skin, or $79.99 for the skin and pad.

It hasn't been Thursday too long, but as promised, Sirius XM's iPhone / iPod touch app has popped up in the iTunes app store, ready for your aural digestion. There's a 7-day free trial being offered, but yeah, eventually you're gonna have to pay. Now that it's there, we might as well point out the app's got a 9+ rating for mild profanity and crude humor. Worth giving up Pandora, Last.fm, or any number of other free music streamers already available? That's your call, so go download and decide for yourself.

Just in case a new iPhone model and OS 3.0 weren't enough goodies for this week, Sirius XM support team members are sending emails out announcing the company's long-awaited iPhone / iPod touch app will finally seeing the light of day and will launch this Thursday, June 18th. We just got off the phone with a customer service rep who confirmed the letters are legit, so unless there's some communication breakdown on the corporate ladder, looks like it's really, finally coming. It'll be available as a free download from the App Store, but those who subscribe to the gratis Basic Online Service will have to upgrade to the $2.99 monthly premium plan to have it on the go. We're a bit light on other details -- we can't imagine it being as full-featured as the standalone receivers -- but it's a good bet we'll have all our questions answered before the week is out.

Apple's closing out the new application talk today at WWDC with a demo from Line 6 and Planet Waves, who have joined the Cupertino-based company in order to give your iPhone the ability to control your guitar and amplifier. Sadly, the wireless communication between the Line 6 Variax guitar and the iPhone on stage had some issues, though the folks assured us we could see more later on at Line 6's website. If this thing manages to function, it will also let you re-tune your six-string and change models on the fly. No word on price or availability just yet, but we'll let you know if either of those factoids appear.

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

When the iPod touch swiped away the small display, aversion to WiFi and telltale scroll wheel of previous iPods. Microsoft was left with Zune models squarely targeted at Apple's state of an older art. This fall, though, Microsoft will close the features gap and, in some ways, leapfrog the iPod touch with the Zune HD, which takes advantage of the startling contrast of OLED screen technology and will be one of the first (and likely the most popular) portable HD radio receivers. But no DNA test is needed to see that the Zune HD is inspired by the iPod touch, with a single button below the screen, side-mounted volume controls, and a power button at the top.

Now that the Zune HD will have a hardware exterior that looks like a credible challenger to at least today's iPod touch, what about filling the flash memory in its interior? Here, Microsoft has a number of opportunities that could improve the Zune's standing if successful, or leave it in the iPod's shadow if not.

After your fourth or fifth time ending up in a ditch or a swimming pool or a tree while attempting to find a good FM frequency to push your iPod tunes to your car stereo, you're likely looking for a better way to live. Lucky for you, Belkin has been hard at work over-engineering the problem to death, and has finally emerged with the new TuneCast Auto Live FM Transmitter. The device is "specifically compatible" with iPhone OS 3.0, and pulls GPS data from the phone to figure out the clearest FM frequency to use based on "geographical" data and on the recommendations of other local users. It's all controllable from the iPhone interface with the free ClearScan Live app, which reduces device juggling, but the unit also works with the iPod touch, iPod classic and iPod nano. It'll be available early this fall for $80.

Here's an interesting new mandate for all of Missouri School of Journalism's incoming freshman: equip themselves with iPhones and iPod touches. Actually, let's go ahead and clarify what "mandate" means here, as associate dean Brian Brooks has stated that no one will a be punished for not buying / owning one. While noting the audio recording and playback capabilities were motivation for this decision, he explains the reason it's classified as a requirement is because it lets students include it in their financial need estimate -- wholly beneficial when you're figuring out scholarships and loans. It doens't look like there'll be any direct discounts from U of M, however, unlike some other schools with similar initiatives. It's a clever loophole, to be sure, but we'd wager there's more than a few undergraduates who are none too pleased at the Apple favoritism, and to be honest, we love nothing more right now than imagining a large group of S60 and Zune supporters gathering in a field for frisbee, picnic, and lots of protesting.

[Via Macworld]

Looks like Apple's just released iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5, a little over one week after its last revision. That's about half the time they've put between the previous updates -- seems the boys in Cupertino are really starting to churn these things out. You know the drill by now, we don't know yet what the update entails, but we'll tell you when we find out. Oh, and just like last time, it appears iTunes 8.2 is required.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Update: We can confirm that MMS "support" can no longer be turned on in Settings (in quotes because we could never get it working in previous betas anyhow), and we're hearing that trickery that allowed tethering to be enabled with the previous iTunes 8.2 build has been patched. Aww, you're no fun, Apple... thanks, Rene!

Here's something that should help Trent reach a level of moderate contentment. Although we already knew that Apple was expanding its parental controls with iPhone OS 3.0 into the realm of TV shows, movies and App Store apps, a report today about the rejection of Makayama's Newspaper(s) app provides a good example at the ramifications of such alterations. According to iLounge, it was rejected due to a picture of a topless woman under the section for UK-based tabloid The Sun. The accompanying letter suggested a resubmission once 3.0 (and subsequently the parental controls) go public, which we take to mean that the questionable content will suddenly be okay for the App Store once it's behind the appropriate age gate. We won't know for sure until everything falls into place, but sounds like this is one part of the submission approval process that'll soon end up much less frustrating for developers.

[Via 9 to 5 Mac]

Just two weeks after the last revision went up, Apple's released iPhone OS 3.0 beta 4 to the developer community alongside an iTunes 8.2 pre-release. No word yet on what has / hasn't been updated, but we do know the new iTunes is required to activate beta 4. More information as we get it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Update: We've toyed with beta 4 for just a few quick moments now, and naturally, the first thing we had to check out was that previously-empty "Store" settings pane. It's now populated, and it's mega-boring; all it does is allow you to sign in and out of your iTunes account, and while signed in, there's an Account Info button that lets you get booted out to an unstyled web page where you can view and edit your credit card information and the like. On the iTunes 8.2 side of things, we noticed that we were explicitly warned that the app would verify that our phone was activated for use with the beta firmware -- we don't remember seeing that before -- and the Gracenote legal mumbo jumbo in the About window now specifically calls out both DVD and Blu-ray metadata, which we're taking as a promising sign of playback support in the not-too-distant future. Thanks, David!