Be Smart

An Apple event always inspires feverish speculation and the "Let's Rock 2008" was no exception. There were rumors of touch-screen Macbooks and ultra-tiny sub-Macbook Air sized UMPCs and of a new iTunes subscription plan which would give you unlimited music downloads for a monthly fee. And of course, iPods galore. What actually happened? New iPods, a new version of iTunes, and the announcement of an iPhone firmware upgrade which will bring significant improvements and enhancements.


The new Nano got the biggest makeover, going back to its roots as the tall, skinny model. It has curved angles, and the slimmest profile ever. While there isn't a touch screen, there is now an accelerometer like the one on the iPhone and the Touch, so you can turn it sideways for a Cover Flow view of your music or to watch video in widescreen mode. You can also shake it to shuffle your songs. There are nine bright colors, more than ever before. 24 hours of battery life for audio and 4 hours of video. Comes in 8GB and 16 GB, at $149 and $199 respectively. The 8GB model is shipping/available now and the 16 GB within a couple of days