Apple has unveiled the latest updates to its iPod range, with the most significant change being the addition of a video camera to the iPod Nano.

iPod Nano

The new iPod Nano has a video camera, microphone and speaker so you can shoot video and view it on the 2.2-inch colour display then transfer it to YouTube. Also included is an FM radio with live pause and pedometer. It comes in nine colours - silver, black, purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, red and pink.

Available now, the 8GB model sells in Australia for $199 and the 16GB for $249.

iPod Shuffle

The third-generation iPod Shuffle has experienced a price drop, with the 2GB Shuffle now costing $79 in Australia and the 4GB costing $109. Both models come in silver, black, pink, blue and green.

iPod Touch

The iPod Touch has also dropped in price - $269 for 8GB, $399 for 32GB and $549 for 64GB.

iTunes 9

iTunes 9 also launched today with several new features, including Home Sharing (easily transfer music, movies and TV shows among up to five computers in your home and view up to five iTunes libraries on your home network) and Genius Mixes (automatically generates up to 12 endless mixes of songs from your iTunes library based on the results of over 27 million music libraries).

Buy a cheap iPod on sale

By Caroline Warnes

There was some confusion in the Lasoo office this morning when we heard the details of Apple’s new iPod Shuffle.

Apparently the third-generation Shuffle can “speak” to you via the VoiceOver feature - song titles, artists and playlist names are spoken aloud to you.

The point of this function wasn’t exactly clear to any of us at first, but apparently it is useful when your Shuffle plays a song or artist you can’t remember - and with the press of a button you can find out.

Since the Shuffle can only hold around 1000 songs, the likelihood of having a song on there you don’t know that well is probably not that high.

The better selling point is the Shuffle’s size. It’s smaller than an AA battery yet holds up to 4GB - that’s double the size of the largest capacity second-generation Shuffle. It’s available now with an RRP of $129.

Click here to find offers on iPods from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

Apple’s annual unveiling of its new iPods always creates some excitement, even when the changes were minimal.

Last year’s announcement saw the arrival of the iPod touch, however this year there are no new models - only updates to the existing iPods.

The new fourth generation nano is the most dramatically different of the bunch. First and foremost it has undergone a total redesign from the current generation model. Apple has abandoned the short, squat form factor and returned to the long, slim design of the second generation models. In fact, the fourth generation nano iPod is the slimmest iPod ever. Then there are the colours - nine of them in fact (silver, purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, pink, red and black).

The new nano now includes Cover Flow as well as Shuffle modes - you can switch between the two by lightly shaking the player. It also works with the brand new iTunes 8 Genius feature, allowing you to automatically create playlists on-the-go.

The iPod nano comes in either 8GB (RRP $199) or 16GB (RRP $279).

Also announced today was the second generation iPod touch. The new model comes with all the old functions plus built-in volume controls. The new version is slightly thicker than the old touch and will retail for $329 for the 8GB version.

Other updates to the iPod range were minimal: the shuffle comes in four new colours and retails for $65 and the classic is now available in one version only (120GB), which will retail for $339.

Click here to find offers on Apple iPod MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The iPod touch proves for once and for all that Apple has all the marketing smarts we’ve long suspected it had.

At first glance, the latest top-of-the-line iPod boasts a design that is virtually identical to the much-hyped Apple iPhone (arriving in Australia this year), proving the old adage “when you’re onto a good thing, stick to it”.

But Apple hasn’t just jumped on the iPhone bandwagon. The iPod touch also incorporates a number of outstanding features which have quickly moved it to the top of many people’s wishlists. First and foremost, the touch has Wi-Fi built-in, and is the first iPod to have this feature.

You can surf the Web using the included Safari browser (though Wi-Fi connectivity is only 802.11b/g on the touch) and there’s also a a full version of the iTunes Music Store. This lets you buy songs when you’re out and about and load them straight onto your iPod.

I also love the YouTube application and the accelerometer, which moves the 3.5-inch widescreen from portrait to landscape, depending on what you’re viewing.

Click here to find offers on the iPod touch near you.

By Caroline Warnes

In the age of iPods and MP3 players, it’s a fair call to say that the humble radio has seen better days.

After all, if it’s continuous music play you’re after, the radio is sorely lacking, what with all the ads, chit-chat, not to mention poor music selection on many stations!

The Griffin iTrip is an excellent method of revamping your radio to play the music you want. It’s a wireless FM transmitter, which allows you to send the music from your iPod to the nearest radio or stereo and broadcast it to the world.

That means it can be used in your car, in your lounge room, even outside with a portable radio.

The wireless factor is a bonus too - there are other ways of connecting your iPod to a radio, however they often involve messy cables, which can be downright dangerous when you’re in the car.

Click here to find offers on the Griffin iTrip near you.

By Caroline Warnes

What’s in a name?

Well, for Apple it’s a very clever marketing exercise: the iPod classic is basically the fifth-generation iPod with a few small tweaks and a name that suggests it’s one for the ages.

The classic model comes in two sizes, 80GB and 160GB (the 30GB capacity of fifth-gen models is gone). Like its predecessor, each capacity comes in the two basic colours - black and silver - and the 80GB model is slightly slimmer than its big brother.

Aside from the capacity upgrade, other changes are minimal. Most obvious is the change from glossy to matte exterior, while in terms of features you’ll now find Cover Flow standard on all models, which allows you to “flick” through your record covers on-screen to select a track or album.

Apple also claims an upgraded battery life, rating it at 40 hours on the 160GB and 30 hours on the 80GB for audio playback.

Click here to find offers on Apple iPods near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The Belkin TuneCast 3 is a clever device known as an FM audio transmitter that allows you to listen to your iPod or MP3 player through any stereo.

It’s primarily intended to be used in cars - each Belkin TuneCast comes with a power adaptor for your car’s cigarette lighter and a special dock so you can mount the TuneCast 3 on your dashboard.

It’s not a complex device - it simply transmits your iPod or MP3 player through a set FM frequency. You can define two preset FM channels for your audio sources using the buttons on the front of the device.

The transmission range of the TuneCast 3 has improved over its previous iterations - you won’t find your signal dropping out as often. Belkin claims it has up to 20 hours of battery life, though in reality the figure is slightly less than that.

If you already own an FM transmitter and want to upgrade or want to bring your iPod into your car with a minimum fuss, the Belkin TuneCast 3 is one of the better options on the market.

Click here to find offers on Belkin products near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The latest version of the Apple iPod shuffle is a unique beast indeed.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs famously declared it the world’s smallest MP3 player when it was launched at the end of 2007, and that claim can’t be far from the truth.

The iPod shuffle is truly tiny. It’s much smaller and slimmer than a box of matches, and comes with a clip design so you can easily attach it to your clothes when you’re exercising, your pocket, bag or anywhere else you want to stash it.

Naturally, because of its smaller size, the shuffle holds less music than its big brothers in the iPod family, including the ever-popular nano. It holds just 1GB of music only (no video or pictures because there is no display screen).

If you’re a hardcore music fan who likes to have a multitude of songs and albums stored on your MP3 player, then this isn’t the device for you. But if you only want to have up to approximately 100 or so tracks at any one time, it’s an affordable option. You might also like the shuffle as a second MP3 player for exercise or the gym.

Some users may find it a little difficult to use, given that there is no screen, just a few (small) buttons. This can be hard to get used to if you’ve previously used a fully fledged player. But you don’t actually need the screen here as you can’t select songs - you can skip, reverse, play in order or shuffle and that’s it.

To make it additionally appealing, the iPod shuffle comes in a range of eye-catching hues so you can make a fashion statement when it’s clipped onto your clothes.

Click here to find offers on Apple iPods near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The third-generation Apple iPod nano arrived on the scene with little fanfare in early September of 2007. Apple has announced so many exciting products in recent times (such as the iPhone) that an update to the popular nano range seems tame by comparison.

In actual fact, this third-generation of nano players is pretty exciting. The one key improvement is that you can now watch video on your nano. Of course, watching video on a two-inch screen is not ideal, but for something to keep you occupied on the bus or train on the way to work, it will definitely do.

Another new feature is the inclusion of Cover Flow, which allows you to rummage through your music collection using the cover artwork - visually, it’s similar to flicking through your album library.

Other bonuses include improved battery life - Apple claims 24 hours for music and five hours for video - and value for money (the smallest model in the current range is 4GB and retails for the same price as the 2GB model in the old range).

In the 8GB capacity you can choose from silver, black, blue, green and red, while the 4GB model comes in silver only.

Click here to find offers on the Apple iPods near you.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’re one of the multitude of Australians who owns an Apple iPod, then news of the range of products from H20 Audio is likely to be music to your ears.

The manufacturer produces an effective and affordable range of waterproof cases and headphones for the different iPod families, as well as some MP3 players. A brand new addition to the series is the H20 Audio iS2, also known as the waterproof casing for the 2nd Generation iPod shuffle (that’s the tiny iPod that clips onto your clothes).

The iS2 not only protects your iPod shuffle from random splashes while you’re lying on the beach, it actually allows you to take your player into the water. It’s waterproof at up to three metres, so you can take it surfing, swimming or on other watersports with you.

It comes with a control pad on the outside of the case so you can control the iPod while it’s locked away and an armband is included.

If you have a different variety of iPod, check out the H2O Audio website to see if there’s a product for you.

By Caroline Warnes