Bigger, better Apples. Too bad about the nano video.

[Katana]

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="596"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="5"> </td> <td colspan="2" height="26" valign="bottom" width="591">Home ›</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="5"> </td> <td colspan="2"> <!--//START com_dotcom_view_afp_rel.tpl--> <script language="JavaScript1.2"> g_fPlayMode = 0; g_iimg = -1; g_imax = 0; g_ImageTable = new Array(); function ChangeImage(fFwd) { if (fFwd) { if (++g_iimg==g_imax) g_iimg=0; } else { if (g_iimg==0) g_iimg=g_imax; g_iimg--; } Update(); } function getobject(obj){ if (document.getElementById) return document.getElementById(obj) else if (document.all) return document.all[obj] } function Update(){ getobject("_Ath_Slide").src = g_ImageTable[g_iimg][0]; getobject("_Ath_FileName").innerHTML = g_ImageTable[g_iimg][1]; getobject("_Ath_Img_X").innerHTML = g_iimg + 1; getobject("_Ath_Img_N").innerHTML = g_imax; } function Play() { g_fPlayMode = !g_fPlayMode; if (g_fPlayMode) { getobject("btnPrev").disabled = getobject("btnNext").disabled = true; Next(); } else { getobject("btnPrev").disabled = getobject("btnNext").disabled = false; } } function OnImgLoad() { if (g_fPlayMode) window.setTimeout("Tick()", g_dwTimeOutSec*1000); } function Tick() { if (g_fPlayMode) Next(); } function Prev() { ChangeImage(false); } function Next() { ChangeImage(true); } function omniPrint(myID, myTitle) { //{sample_id} {sample_title} s.prop3=s.prop1 + ":" + s.prop2 + ":printpage" s.prop4=s.prop1 + ":" + s.prop2 + ":printpage:" + myID s.prop5=s.prop1 + ":" + s.prop2 + ":printpage:" + myID + ":" + myTitle s.hier1=s.prop1 + "|" + s.prop2 + "|printpage|" + myID + ":" + myTitle s.pageName=s.prop1+ ":" + s.prop2 + ":printpage:" + myID + "_" + myTitle s.linkTrackVars='events,eVar29'; s.linkTrackEvents='event15'; s.events='event15'; s.eVar29='print'; s.tl(this,'o','print article'); void(s.t()); } ////configure below variables///////////////////////////// //configure the below images and description to your own. g_ImageTable[g_imax++] = new Array ("/imagegallery/store/phpCEi8Ho.jpg", "iMac with 21.5 and 27-inch screen,the Magic Mouse and 2009 MacBook"); g_ImageTable[g_imax++] = new Array ("/imagegallery/store/php2rDo5m.jpg", "iPod nano with video"); //extend the above list as desired g_dwTimeOutSec=4 ////End configuration///////////////////////////// if (document.getElementById||document.all) window.onload=Play var strShareLink = "/stories/technologyfeatures/print/1014204/1/.html"; strShareLink = strShareLink.replace('print', "view"); </script> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="789"> <tbody><tr> <td class="newstitle" width="460">Technology Features</td> <td colspan="3" class="newstitle" align="right" valign="bottom" width="329"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="323"> <tbody><tr> <td align="right" width="141"> <form id="formComment1" name="formComment1" action="/discussion/comments.php" style="display: inline;" method="POST"> <input src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/b_comment.gif" height="17" type="image" width="68"> <input id="storyid" name="storyid" value="{story_id}" type="hidden"> <input id="storytitle" name="storytitle" value="Bigger, better Apples. Too bad about the nano video." type="hidden"> <input id="storyurl" name="storyurl" value="/stories/technologyfeatures/print/1014204/1/.html" type="hidden"> </form>

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By Susan Ferroa, channelnewsasia.com | Posted: 28 October 2009 1456 hrs
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What do three million Macs, seven million iPhones and 10 million iPods translate into?

Earnings for Apple in the fourth quarter, to the (i)tune of US$9.87 billion with a net quarterly profit of US$1.67 billion.

Needless to say, Steve Jobs is thrilled. But as usual, the Apple CEO had something more.

“We’ve got a very strong lineup for the holiday season and some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010” said Jobs at the recent corporate earnings release.

And the guys from Apple delivered on their first batch of new offerings – most likely for the holiday season, since 2010 is still some way off - no less than 24 hours after Microsoft proudly delivered to the world its new Windows 7 operating system.

While laptops are getting smaller, desktops are getting bigger, especially at the Apple store.

The iMac now sporting a seamless, all aluminum enclosure, comes with edge-to edge glass LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch screens that will detail every full-stop and pixel.

Not that you will have much time to notice as the Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, as well as Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors will have you zipping through work and play.

The new iMac comes with another newbie, the Magic Mouse.

What makes it magic is the brains behind the mouse – Apple technology pioneered on the iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpad – that allows users to navigate through finger gestures.

Forget about dragging the mouse and buttons to click or scroll, just swipe across the touch-sensitive covering to navigate the Bluetooth wireless mouse.

On the go, there’s the new MacBook still looking good in trademark all-white but with curves in the right places and a few grams less.

Inheriting technology and design features from the just-launched MacBook Pro, the budget-friendly MacBook is clad in a one-piece polycarbonate enclosure with a new non-skid bottom surface and a battery that runs for up to seven hours from one charge.

If the iMac, MacBook or even the new Mac Mini is on your Christmas shopping list, set aside S$2000/- to safely budget for these tech toys that come with price tags of between S$1249 for a high-end Mac Mini and S$1788/- for the entry-level iMac.




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[Katana]

The budget conscious can settle for the Magic Mouse which comes in at S$98/- but you can’t do much magic without a device to wirelessly pair with.

Another option, to consider is the new iPod nano which is already on the Christmas list for quite a few people I know.

If you like it lightweight, but heavy on features and just right on the wallet, the iPod nano in 8GB (S$228/-) or 16GB (S$288/-) is worth a look – besides, it’s so colourful that it’s hard not to stare or pick it up.

In terms of features, the iPod nano is rather user-friendly with a host new additions including an in-built FM radio.

It wasn’t too hard to tap into station frequencies once the headphones were plugged in, and both the sound quality and signals were strong.

Included in the radio is a pause function which will pick up from where you left off at your station of choice so quickly it’s like pausing a song on your iTunes playlist. And even when I was interrupted when listening to Prince over the radio, all I had to do was hit rewind to continue from where I’d left off.

The team at Apple also built in a pedometer so you can make the little iPod part of your daily exercise routine not just for the entertainment factor but also in noting how close, or far off, you are in your calorie-burning.

Unfortunately, it required a little more fiddling around with the settings than I would have liked.

Since the iPod nano weighs just 36 grams, it’s ideal for carrying around but you might also forget that you have it – as I found out.

Sitting down with the iPod nano tucked into the pocket of my jeans, I was puzzled why the person next to me wouldn’t answer her mobile phone set to ring with a Rolling Stones tune, and why later, I kept hearing snatches of music around me...until I remembered the tiny iPod which was happily running through its playlist in my pocket.

Yes, unlike previous versions you don’t need your headphones to enjoy your iTunes downloads or the music videos as the new iPod nano comes with built-in speakers.

You can also listen to reminders for yourself, as the device comes with the very useful voice memo function also seen in the iPhone and iPod touch.

Unfortunately, the microphone isn’t too sensitive, so if you plan to record someone across the table – you have a pretty good chance of making out the conversation. But if it’s someone across the room or in a lecture hall, you’d best take notes.

The iPod nano that comes dressed in a brushed anodized finish of nine colours, stands 3.6 inches tall with more than half the body taken up by the clear, curved and comfortably-sized TFT colour display that plays back crisp video clips.

Too bad the screen will also show up all the faults in your video recordings, and there will many, as the newly-introduced video capture function on the iPod nano is not the best, to state it mildly.

Put it down to an ergonomics blind spot in a designer who isn’t into video-making, that has resulted in the camera lens being placed in just the right spot to capture, without fail, your fingers!

Even after carefully positioning my tiny digits to keep them out of vision after numerous video attempts, I found that when I hit the Click Wheel to stop the recording which has to be done with the iPod nano held horizontally, there was no easy way to stop the fingers from creeping in for a cameo that ruins the shot.

With a camera built in, it is not unreasonable to also hope and wish that the iPod nano would offer still shots.

Alas, this is not to be for the tiny wonder, yet, we hope.

- CNA/sf