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iPod marks its 15th birthday in a changed world
If you're a gadget fan of a certain age (cough), you're about to feel ancient: Apple's iPod just turned 15 years old. Steve Jobs unveiled the first version of the media player at an event on Apple's campus on October 23rd, 2001. To say that it had a wild ride after that would be an understatement. Many credit the iPod as the device that took Apple from niche PC maker to one of the largest companies on the planet, only to fade away as smartphones took over. But how did it get to where it is now? And is there any room left for the iPod 15 years later? Let's take a quick look back at how the iPod has evolved through the years.
Recommended Reading: What will astronauts eat while exploring Mars?
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. How NASA Is Solving the Space Food Problem by Elizabeth Preston Eater The first manned test flight for NASA's Orion capsule may have been pushed back this week, but the project forges on. One issue that the agency faces in the quest to send humans to explore Mars is food. This piece from Eater examines the challenges NASA looks to overcome with regards to the dietary needs of the crew during deep-space missions, including some onboard gardening.
Tim Cook explains why the iPod Classic had to die
It was the best question pitched to Apple CEO at WSJD's Live conference: Why was the iPod discontinued? Apparently it's a very simple reason: "We couldn't get the parts any more," explained Tim Cook. "They don't make them any more." While the iPod Classic isn't exactly a creaky transistor radio just yet, that's how it went down. "We would have to make a whole new product.... the engineering work to do that would be massive." The difficult truth that some of you probably don't want to hear: "The number of people who wanted it is very small." So pour one out for the iPod Classic -- and hit up eBay if you're still craving a clickwheel. Nicole Lee contributed to this story.
RIP Click Wheel: Apple discontinues the iPod classic
Every time Apple holds one of its keynotes, we think to ourselves, "Maybe this is the year they'll kill off the iPod classic." Finally, after a years-long stay of execution, Apple's oldest living media player is going the way of the dodo. The company just reopened its online store after announcing two new iPhones and a smartwatch, and the iPod classic is conspicuously absent from the iPod section. The remaining options include the shuffle, nano and touch at the high end, with the max amount of storage being 64GB. If you're of a certain age, then, you can get ready to tell your grandchildren about the days when people carried 160GB of music in their pocket instead of streaming it all from the cloud. Oh, and get ready to explain what a spinning hard drive is, too.
Apple hit with $3 million damages in Japanese iPod click wheel dispute
Apple is no stranger to lawsuits targeting the iPhone and iPad, but over in Japan, it's the company's older iPod design that has landed it in hot water. Kyodo News reports that the Tokyo District Court ordered Apple to pay ¥300 million ($3.3 million) to Japanese inventor Norihiko Saito for infringing on a patent covering the touch-sensitive click wheel used in the iPod Classic and older models of its iconic music player. Saito's damages come more than five years after he filed the patent lawsuit, during which time he demanded damages of ¥10 billion ($101 million), based partly on the number of iPods Apple had sold during that period. Fortunately for Apple, the final figure was substantially less than Saito's demand and it'll only have to sell a few more iPhones to cover the cost.
Apple adds $59 AppleCare+ for iPod classic and iPod touch
Apple has quietly added a US$59 AppleCare+ plan for the iPod classic and iPod touch. Like other products eligible for AppleCare+ plans, the iPod classic and iPod touch can now get an additional year of warranty coverage, a total of two years of phone support and two incidents of repair or replacement due to accidental damage (with an additional $29 fee to cover accidental damage when it occurs). Previously all iPods were only covered by the standard AppleCare plans, which don't offer accidental damage protection. Apple has also launched the AppleCare+ plan in Italy, France and the UK.
Create a bootable iPod classic
Remember the iPod classic? That chunky little slab of plastic in which you could store thousands of songs on an internal hard disk drive? Well, if you do, and if you still happen to have one laying around somewhere collecting dust, Chris Breen over at Macworld has the perfect job for it: using an iPod classic as a bootable emergency drive. This isn't a new trick by any means. I still have my old fourth-generation iPod within arm's reach in case I need to boot a Firewire-equipped Mac, and I even wrote about this in my now-obsolete 2007 e-book Take Control of Your iPod: Beyond the Music. But Breen and the crew at Macworld have updated the process for the USB-equipped iPod classic, with a few caveats thrown in for good measure. First, since the iPod classic isn't vented, it can get hot if you keep it hooked up as an external drive for a while. Second, it's slow, so your boot times aren't going to be exactly speedy. Breen points to another post by his Macworld cohort Dan Frakes in which the latter blogger shows how to install Mountain Lion on a bootable external disk. It's a bit of work, but if you have an iPod classic that's no longer being used, at least you can give it a job to do in case of emergency.
IRL: iPod Classic and the WhoSounds TARDIS Bluetooth Speaker
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. It wasn't our intention to run a nostalgia-themed IRL on Memorial Day, but here we are. After the break, Dan Cooper relives his fascination with the TARDIS time machine, and Brian swears he doesn't care if you laugh at him for using an ancient iPod.
Six cool upgrades for an old iPod
If you have an old iPod kicking around, TechHive has some ideas that'll help you breathe some new life into these vintage devices. Each upgrade mentioned in the post are warranty-voiders, but that doesn't matter anymore because the devices are so old. The lists of mods include changing the backlit LED, swapping out the drive and installing the Rockbox firmware. You can check out the full list on TechHive's website. If you have some mods of your own, please share them in the comments.
Dude recreates first-gen iPod in-browser, won't put 1,000 songs in your pocket
Here's a bit of web fun to liven up your weekend: a digital artist by the name of Pritesh Desai has recreated a fully functional first-generation iPod that you can play directly in your browser. In remembrance of Steve Jobs, Desai built the faux iPod using HTML5, CSS3, and a touch of jQuery. You can drag the click wheel around just like with the real deal, change the volume, hit play / pause and even skip tracks. Especially nice is the addition of Extras like the Clock and the Calendar. Unfortunately, you won't be able to play any of your own tunes, but Desai had compiled a list of Creative Commons songs, so you can see how the player works. The next step is for someone to fill this up with hits of the early aughts ("Last Nite" by The Strokes, perhaps?) so you can truly travel back in time to the heydays of Windows XP and the Enron scandal.
Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?
Whether you think they're infamous or merely a signature piece of Apple design, there's no doubt most of us have been exposed the company's iconic white earbuds. Along with the latest batch of iPods and the iPhone 5, Apple announced the replacement for those dreaded earphones, a pair of 'buds called the EarPods. Given that these are bundled with new iDevices (also sold as a standalone for $29), it's hard not to think that the folks at Cupertino are drinking some sort of spiked Kool-Aid, claiming these rival headphones that cost hundreds more. While reviewing the likes of the iPhone 5, we also gave the EarPods a listen to find out whether or not they're just an over-engineered set of 'buds. You'll find our detailed verdict after the break.
iPod classic lives to play another day
The more things change, the more they stay the same -- for our old pal the iPod Classic, at least. Sure Apple went and revamped the rest of its music playing brethren, but the HDD stalwart is, as its name implies, staying true to its roots. Death rumors aside, the high-capacity player is sitting pretty over in Apple's online store. Those who need a shot of 160GB nostalgia can still pick one up for $250.
iPod owners notified of RealNetworks-related lawsuit's class action status, given chance to cash in (updated: not Real)
Remember the 2005 lawsuit over Apple's effort to keep RealNetworks' Harmony DRM off of the iPod, calling the countermeasures an abuse that locked customers into Apple's FairPlay copy protection and the iTunes Store? You're forgiven if you don't -- the complaint was filed in 2005. Even with iTunes having gone primarily DRM-free over three years ago, though, owners of iPods bought between September 12th, 2006 and March 31st, 2009 are just now getting notices that they qualify for a slice of any damages if they register and Rhapsody's former owner the class action group wins in court. Of course, there's no guarantee that RealNetworks former Rhapsody users will win and get you music money to feed your iPod, iPod classic, iPod nano or iPod touch, but unless you're planning to sue Apple yourself, there's no penalty for a legitimate claim. Update: RealNetworks has chipped in to let us know that it's "not involved in any way" with the lawsuit, which is actually an independent complaint centered around the Rhapsody users themselves. RealNetworks hasn't embroiled itself in a legal fight with Apple to date.
IRL: Nikon D3S, iPod 4G and Klipsch's Image One headphones
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. We almost don't want to talk about our tablets and phones this week, just because one or two show-stoppers here and there have made pretty much everything we own seem wholly inadequate. So we'll tell you about the stuff we won't be trading in anytime soon. For James, that means a good pair of over-ear headphones, for Darren it's a $6,000 camera and for Daniel it's a 40GB iPod with "Dan Cooper is awesome" engraved on the back (19 year-olds, right?). No complaints this time: just a trio of Engadget editors sounding off on what's been worth it.
Very little changed for this year's iPod lineup
Apple's announcement for its recent event said "Let's talk iPhone," and that's what the main focus of its event turned out to be. The iPod lineup did receive some (very) modest updates at the same time, but they were "blink and you'll miss it" moments. So what's new for the iPod line in 2011? iPod touch: Now available in white. Otherwise, it's 100 percent identical to the 2010 model. Seriously, after comparing the tech specs page from this year versus 2010, not one thing has changed. The 8 GB model got a US$30 price drop, but that's the only other change from last year. The iPod touch has not been updated with an A5 processor, and that's the first time the lineup hasn't been updated with a CPU on par with that in the iPhone. The camera hasn't been changed either; it's still the same incredibly poor camera from last year. Multiple rumors that the iPod touch would receive a 3G antenna upgrade also turned out to be untrue; no one was less surprised about that one than us. Ars Technica has questioned why the iPod touch hasn't been updated with the A5 processor when Apple went out of its way to laud iOS devices' potential as handheld gaming units during the latest event. Their analysis suggests that trends both in the overall handheld gaming market and among Apple's own sales figures are falling behind the iPhone and iPad, but I suspect there's a simpler motivator. The A5 is reportedly very complex to build, and it's my suspicion that Apple withheld the A5 processor from the iPod touch simply because its production channels couldn't crank the chip out fast enough to support sales for the iPad 2, iPhone 4S, and an upgraded iPod touch simultaneously. A5 production has been keeping pace with demand for the iPad 2, but throwing the iPhone 4S into the mix will likely strain chip production to its limits. Trying to satisfy demand for an A5-powered iPod touch may well have proven impossible, and it might have simultaneously dragged down production numbers for the more profitable iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. Production of the A6 processor for 2012's iPads and iPhones has reportedly already begun at TSMC, and the foundry's ability to produce that processor in bulk will likely determine the iPod touch's fate. If TSMC can produce the A6 fast enough to satisfy demand for all iOS devices, the iPod touch may see a substantial upgrade next year. Otherwise, it may only move to the A5 processor once the iPad 3 comes out featuring an A6 chip, thereby alleviating strain on A5 production. Either way, unless suppliers can step up their game production-wise, it seems clear the iPod touch will lag behind its more profitable brethren for some time to come. iPod nano: Only one change -- the "new" iPod nano has a Nike+ sensor built-in, so you no longer need to plug in a dongle receiver to sync it with a shoe sensor. Other than that small change and a price drop, the iPod nano is identical to the 2010 model, spec for spec. The other new features Apple described at its event, like a slightly revamped UI and additional clock faces, are not exclusive to this year's iPod nano, and they can be added to 2010 models via a software update. Apple has lowered the price of the iPod nano into the range where it's almost disposable, and with no compelling updates to the nano's hardware this year it appears the company's main focus has switched to full-powered iOS devices. iPod shuffle: No changes. It's the same shuffle from 2010; even the price is the same. Other than the price and relative indestructibility of its construction, there's really nothing the shuffle offers that the nano doesn't do better. Our source suggested the shuffle would be discontinued (he was quite wrong, so he's "fired" as our source for future info), and we suspect Apple will only keep it in the lineup until it's no longer profitable or until it can drive prices on the nano downward enough to replace it. iPod classic: No changes. Just as in 2010, the iPod classic wasn't even mentioned at the recent event, and quite frankly we're surprised this model is still being sold. The iPod classic has seen no significant external changes since 2007, and no internal changes at all since 2009. The $249 price also remains unchanged from the debut of the 160 GB model over two years ago. Other than the ability to haul around absurd amounts of music and other media, the iPod classic brings very little to the table, and the fact that it still sells for the same price it did two years ago makes it hard to recommend buying one today. Apple's iPod events used to be the company's yearly "wow" moment. The iPod nano was awe-inspiring in 2005, but the current touchscreen model seems somewhat bland, even disposable, only six years later. The iPod touch has always been an also-ran to the iPhone; it shows now more than ever, with internal components that are now more than a year behind what the iPhone 4S will offer. The iPod shuffle and iPod classic remain outliers in the iPod line, apparently profitable enough for Apple to keep them around, but nowhere near to being on Apple's list of high-priority products. Although it was the product that all but defined Apple during the early- to mid-2000s, the iPod is obviously no longer a priority for the company. iPod sales have been in decline for years, and it's almost certain that decline will continue. Apple's focus has shifted to the iPhone and iPad, and we can expect that to be the case for the next few years at least. The iPod will likely stick around for years to come, but its days of driving yearly innovation in the portable music player market are pretty much over. That mantle has fallen to its more capable and more expensive brethren.
Apple axes iPod click wheel games in iTunes, is the 'classic' model next?
We're all well aware that a new iPhone will see daylight next week. What's still a bit unclear is whether or not Apple plans on discontinuing the ol' faithful iPod classic. However, we may be getting a clue as to what fate the PMP may soon meet. The folks over at AppleInsider discovered that the link to iPod Click Wheel Games no longer appears on the App Store drop-down menu in iTunes. Since 2006, the folks in in Cupertino have been offering added entertainment for the popular mobile jukebox for $7.49 each, but only about 50 titles were available for purchase -- it's kind of hard to develop software when a third-party kit wasn't publicly released. So if you're planning on hanging onto your iPod classic for a little while, we hope you're content to keep playing Vortex, Klondike or whatever else you've already downloaded.
Daily Update for September 28, 2011
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes, which is perfect for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen.
Spotify launches music download service with iPod sync, puts iTunes on notice
Look out iTunes, Spotify has just launched its new music download service in Europe. What's more, the company that had been synonymous with music streaming will let you sync your downloaded MP3 playlist bundles to your USB-connected iPod classic, nano, or shuffle via a new "Devices" section of the Spotify app running on your computer. And listen up freeloaders, Spotify Mobile iOS and Android app users can now sync playlists wirelessly without a premium subscription (after purchasing the tracks, naturally). Here's a quote from Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO, sure to create some angst in Cupertino: "From today, Spotify really is the only music player you'll ever need. Our users don't want to have to switch between music players, but they do want to take their playlists with them wherever they go, on a wider range of devices, more simply and at a price they can afford. Now we've made that possible on one of the world's most popular consumer devices." Here's the dealio on Spotify's download prices for its nine million users of the free service (not premium subscribers): 10 tracks for €9.99 or €1.00 per track (£7.99 or just under 80p per track) 15 tracks for €12.99 or €0.87 per track (£9.99 / 67p) 40 tracks for €30.00 or €0.75 per track (£25 / 63p) 100 tracks for €60.00 or €0.60 per track (£50 / 50p) All the new features will begin rolling out today as part of an automatic update. See the full press release after the break as well as a quick introduction video to get you started.
Blurrycam Theatre Presents: The classically fake iPod classic
We get purported product leak pics sent to us all the time, and of course, the vast majority of them are fake. In an era when anyone with free time and a copy of Photoshop can slap together something that's convincing at first glance, we're sort of jaded when we look at these Blurrycam photos. In fact, even Gizmodo's epic iPhone 4 leak last year had me and half my TUAW colleagues saying, "Fake, fake, fakedy faaaaaake," right up until Apple demanded the device be returned. It's only the truly spectacular pics that warrant us firing up our CSI rigs (Zoom. Enhance. Zoom. Enhance) in an attempt to prove if the pic's been faked or not. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, there's the monstrosity pictured here, which sent the entire TUAW team into paroxysms of laughter when we saw it. A reader sent us this image after a friendly email where he said he had a line on the next iPod classic. "Contrary to what some people believe there will be a new one," he said. "It will have an option for either a 256GB or 320GB hard drive. It will feature the interface of the iPod Nano all while keeping the clickwheel. Also, the screen size will increase by nearly eliminating the bezel. This device is catered to serious music lovers who still love keeping with the times." Sounded reasonable to us, so we requested pics. And the iPod wasn't the only thing about this that was classic. "Worst. Photoshop. EVER," one member of our team replied, and we didn't even have to Zoom or Enhance to make that call. Check out some detail on the full-sized image, as it was sent to us: All too easy. I'll forgive the pic's blurriness, especially since the metadata (which our tipster forgot to scrub out) says the original pic was taken with an iPod touch. I'll also forgive our photo prankster for neglecting to strip out the Adobe Photoshop CS3 markers from the metadata (P.S. to the sender: your GPS data is still embedded in the image you sent us, too. Nice house!). The pic's onscreen icons are crooked with respect to the device itself, but I'll even give that a pass. It's that corner detail in the pic above, where the layered-on image from an iPod nano screen extends beyond the iPod classic in the background layer, that elevates this from your everyday Blurrycam photo to the high art of the Fakes Hall of Fame.
Good news for Australians: Apple drops iPod prices
Apple often charges more for products sold outside of the US, but with the Australian dollar coming over parity with the value of the US dollar (currently less than a four cent differential), the company has reduced Australian prices of the entire iPod line. The 160 GB iPod classic was reduced A$30 from $329 to $299. The 8 GB iPod touch was cut $30 from $289 to $259, and the 32 GB version was lowered $29 bringing it from $378 to $349. The 64 GB model was slashed a full $50 taking it from $499 to $449, which is the largest price decrease in the line. The smallest price decrease was only $4, lowering the iPod shuffle from $69 to $65. The iPod nano 8 GB is down $20 from $199 to $179, and the 16 GB version was lowered only $10 from $229 to $219. Perhaps it's a slow seller in Australia. I really hope that Apple has taken to heart the ebbs and flows of the US dollar as compared to other currencies and will follow suit in other countries.
