Apple revealed changes to its iPod line-up during its media event today. Before this, at the event, Apple had also announced they have sold 30 million iPhones, served 1.8 billion Apps, and sold 8.5 billion songs through iTunes. Apple also announced the iPod market share is at 73.8 percent, 225 million iPods sold, and that there are more games for Touch than PSP & NDS. Apple has also introduced iTunes 9, with a full set of new features.
However, most eyes fixed on the Apple event were waiting to hear about what happens now for the iPod line-up. After weeks of rumors and speculation, here it is.
Apple iPod Touch 2009
Result for: nano
A team of researchers from the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia have announced today they have created a “five-dimensional” optical media that can hold up to 1.6 terabytes of data, and that could easily be on the market within 10 years.
The researchers used ‘nanoparticles and a “polarization” dimension’ to create the massive storage capacity. The team has already signed a deal with Samsung, who says the disc could potentially hold up to 10 terabytes.
“We were able to show how nanostructured material can be incorporated onto a disc in order to increase data capacity, without increasing the physical size of the disc,” adds Min Gu, part of the team.
“These extra dimensions are the key to creating ultra-high capacity discs.”
The Reuters report explains that “DVDs currently have three spatial dimensions but using nanoparticles the researchers said they were able to introduce a spectral — or color — dimension as well as a polarization dimension.”
Result for: nano
If you’re a well known artist today it’s almost a certainty that any new album you record will be available on the internet before it goes on sale. Rather than complaining about the ineveitable, alternative members of Wilco have decided to stream their upcoming album themselves.
The obvious benefit from letting visitors stream Wilco (the album) from their website is a chance to sell them pre-orders for the album. Pre-orders will begin shipping on June 25.
They are also providing some incentive for fans to buy it instead of downloading from P2P. People who order from their website get the option to buy an exclusive t-shirt which won’t be available after June 29.
There is also a tote bag offered and every pre-order includes a download of the new song ‘You Never Know’ and entry into a series of drawings to take place between now and June 29.
Prizes will include 4 tickets to any (non-festival) 2009 wilco show and an iPod nano with the new album already loaded.
