In a jam-packed event full of new product details, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled new versions of all three iPod devices on Wednesday, introduced operating-system updates, and demonstrated a new social-media network designed to encourage more downloading from iTunes. He also unveiled a leaner version of Apple's less-popular Apple TV set-top box.

Apple's Ping is "Facebook and Twitter meets iTunes," said Jobs as he demonstrated a feature of the 10th version of Apple's online music store. The network allows users to "follow" friends as well as artists, just like Twitter, and exchange updates and playlists with them.

iOS Updates

Apple streamed the event at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, Calif., live (with a slight delay) via its web site, but the stream was available only to those using iPads, the latest iPods and iPhones, or Mac computers running the most recent Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system.

Jobs announced that Apple has sold 120 million devices that run the Apple portable operating system, now called iOS. "We couldn't be happier about the progress of iOS," said Jobs, in a shot across the bow to Google's fast-spreading Android OS. "There are 230,000 new activations per day."

The newest version, 4.01, will be available next week and will fix a glitch in the iPhone 4 involving the proximity sensor (but not the much-maligned antenna that can encounter signal problems from a user's touch).

The next iOS version, 4.2, which is intended to make the iPad's applications run more like those of the iPhone, is just around the corner in November. That update will also include a feature called AirPlay that allows users to send media to other devices via Wi-Fi. Jobs said Apple customers are downloading 200 apps every second.

iPods 'Gone Wild'

But the stars of Wednesday's show were the new iPods. Boasting that the company has sold 275 million iPods, Jobs said, "We never rest on our laurels. This year we've gone wild with all new designs for every single model. It's the biggest change in the iPod lineup ever."

The super-small iPod Shuffle now includes buttons, VoiceOver song identification, 15 hours of playback, and two gigabytes of storage for $49. The Nano has traded its clickwheel for a multi-touch interface, allowing the device to be 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter, with 24-hour audio playback. The eight-gigabyte Nano will sell for $149, with the 16-gigabyte fetching $179.

In unveiling the new iPod touch, Jobs focused on its potential as a handheld gaming device, boasting that the device "outsells the Nintendo and Sony portable game players combined" with 50 percent of the market for such devices worldwide.

He screened a commercial for the device that focuses almost entirely on its gaming use.

"Over 1.5 billion games and entertainment products have been downloaded just to the iPod touch," Jobs said. The newest device is thinner and has the Retina display recently unveiled for the iPhone 4 with 326 pixels per inch and a 24-bit LED display. The device also has the same A4 chip as the iPhone, as well as a three-axis gyroscope.

The touch also features front- and rear-facing cameras, making the device all but identical to the iPhone, except the phone, Jobs noted. The cameras allow 40 hours of recorded video as well as video chatting through Apple's Wi-Fi FaceTime application, enabling iPod and iPhone users to connect with each other. The eight-gigabyte version is $229, the 32-gigabyte is $299, and the 64-gigabyte is $399.

The new iPods are available for pre-order now with shipping and store sales beginning next week.

New iTunes

Jobs noted that since downloads of music are poised to surpass CD sales, it was time for a new logo. He unveiled one that replaces the well-known music note superimposed over a CD with a note over what looks like a button.

Ping, Jobs said, is built right into the iTunes Store, allowing users to search for their friends and favorite artists. "It's a social network that's all about music," he said. He said 160 million people worldwide already using iTunes can instantly join the network, but users will have options about who they allow to follow their choices and updates.

The last announcement was the new Apple TV, which allows content to stream from computers to television sets. The new device is smaller and will only screen rented movies and TV shows, with no option for storage of content.

No Game Changer

Jason Blackwell, senior digital analyst for ABI Research, said the Apple TV announcement was "a bit of a letdown" because it doesn't break much new ground.

"It doesn't get us anywhere close to eliminating the need for a pay-TV operator," Blackwell said. "It brings a couple of networks into the mix, like Netflix, but a lot of people already have Blu-Ray players or connected TVs. Netflix has done a great job making deals with all those device [makers], so this isn't a game changer."

Reacting to the Ping announcement, Blackwell said it, too, only duplicates what Facebook and Twitter already offer. "People already have a lot invested in setting up accounts to say 'This is what I'm doing, this is what I'm listening to,'" he said. "To bring in another means of social networking is not terribly interesting."

Blackwell also expressed concern that the new design of the iPod Nano will make it harder for people to use in some circumstances. "If you are exercising or utilizing it in the car, it won't easy to scroll through your music without a clickwheel when it is stuck in your pocket," he said. "It will take some getting used to to handle a different kind of interface."

x

More in Real-Time News:

HP, Hynix Aim To Replace Flash Memory with ReRAM... Read More >

Ladydmcqueen:

chris: