iPad Photo Syncing Solution

Over the weekend I came upon a problem regarding my relative's iPad. My relative only had 500 of his 3000+ pictures in his photo library, and every time he would sync it would tell him that "Some of the picture, include PictureX.jpg, could not be synced with this iPad because they are not compatible". Well, that made no sense to me as all the pictures should have been compatible. I searched the internet for hours trying to find a solution. Some people said to delete your iPod Photo Cache, other said to remove all the pictures and re-sync them. Both of these I tried, but to no avail. When I thought I was out of option, I decided to try a fix of my own. Although impractical if it worked, it would get the job done. I rummaged through some items and pulled out our iPad Camera Connection Kit.

iPad Camera Connection Kit

Next, I took the SD card out of my camera and plugged it into the computer. It showed up on my desktop as usual. I then opened iPhoto, and dragged a bunch of pictures that were "incompatible" and placed them on the SD card under one of the folders that store other pictures. After they copied, I quickly ejected the card and plugged it into the iPad. As I expected, the card showed up and with it the "incompatible" pictures did to. I selected them, then hit import select and they were transferred to the iPad. Why no one on the internet had tried this baffles me, but it worked. My reasoning was that the iPad would read an SD card as long as it was formatted by a camera first, which it was. Then I thought, the iPad has to be able to make pictures compatible with it when they are transferred from a camera. By putting two and two together I was able to get my incompatible pictures onto my iPad.

~Dave

Flash on the iPad

No flash on the iPad. That is what you are told to believe. That is all fine and dandy, but if you look around (legally of course) there is a work around. This work around is an app called Photon Flash. Photon Flash is a web browser that allows you to stream flash to your device. The app is great in the way that it allows you to use it as a normal web browser, and when you come across flash you can activate it at any time. All you have to do is tap the lightning bolt button in the top right. The page will then reload and say "Now streaming flash content" and the flash content will be there. Since it is streaming, you won't get perfect frame rates, however it does a pretty decent job of handling flash. You can watch videos, look at ads, even play online flash games. Your games, however, may be limited since you can't make a lot of quick actions. That means you can't really play any games that need a lot of mouse movement.

Another neat aspect is that the app allows you to call upon a keyboard when ever you need. This is particularly great for playing games when you need to have to use multiple keyboard commands at once. The app does come with some stability issues, and crashes every once and a while. I would say that this is the best way to browse with flash on an iPad. For $4 you can pick this app up in the App Store.

~Dave

Apple Announcement Roundup Part 1/3

As a precursor, it did take me a day to fully understand a majority of the things announced at WWDC '11.

iOS 5

 As expected, iOS 5 was announced at WWDC, bringing a slew of new features to the boards. Apple did exactly what was speculated, and revamped the entire notification system. When I say revamped, I mean they just copied Android. If you have ever used an Android device, you know that all the events on your device are stored at the top in the drop down menu. Any time you receive a message, it can be read on the drop down menu. Tapping on it takes you to the application (messages, mail, etc.). The difference between the iPhone and iPad version though is the iPhone version has weather and stocks, which is odd because you would think with the larger screen the iPad would get the same, if not more. 

In addition, Apple introduced iMessages. Essentially, this is Black Berry Messaging for iDevices. If you own an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can message another iDevice owner over wifi or 3G. And it is free of SMS since iPod users don't have SMS. This means that, hypothetically, if all your friends had iDevices, you could own an iPhone and message them with out having to pay for a SMS data plan. Also, when you first send a text to someone, your device will check and see if the number you are texting is an iDevice with iMessages. If it is, your send button will turn blue, and your contact for that person will update so you know that he/she owns an iDevice. If not, the send button is green, and nothing is updated in the contacts.

Apple didn't stop there though, they went further with the new Reminders application. Reminders is a simple little to-do list application. It allows you to add to-dos, check them off, and update them. They are also synced with Outlook, iCal, and iCloud (which will be talked about later). You can even set locations for each to-do, so you know where you have to go to get the reminder done.

Apple also jumped on the social networking trend by adding full Twitter integration into iOS 5. You can add as many accounts as you want, and it fully integrated into the new messaging system, as well as all the applications. This makes it easy to tweet photos, information, and more at the tap of a screen. You can also add your location if you want. 

But wait, there's more! Apple has added the ability to take a picture from your lock screen. This is suppose to save the user time when getting his/her camera ready. However, as far as I can tell this circumvents the reason you have a lock screen. If you activate the camera, it unlocks the device, therefore undoing the purpose of having the lock screen, which is to keep your device locked. A nifty addition they added to the camera was the ability to take pictures by pressing the volume buttons. This is suppose to make it easier to take pictures, as before the only way was to tap on the screen. Another feature added was minimal ways to edit your pictures. You can crop, and remove read eye from with the application.

Post PC Activation.

Other additions include the ability to use Reader in Safari, and the ability to utilize the new Reading List within Safari. Reading list allows you to add a page to a list which you can then "read later". Plus, there is also the ability to activate your device without having to connect to iTunes. As it is now said, "We live in a post PC world, where not everyone owns a PC." For this reason, you can now activate your device out the box, and have it ready to go in minutes without having to sync and connect to iTunes. Also, there was the addition of rich text formatting for mail, wireless mirroring for iPads to TV, Wireless syncing, and a Game Center update which allows pictures to be added to your friends, as well as in app game purchases.

This post is part of a three part update so that all the parts of the event can be covered. 

~Dave

How Will Others Respond?

With an Apple event right around the corner, it is interesting to think about what other companies will say and do after the event. If the rumors hold true, tomorrow's even will get a new iPad witha camera, and possibly the next iPhone. The iPhone may or may not have a sliding keyboard and a larger screen. In addition, Apple will most likely boast about its new OS Lion, hitting store shelves this summer. So what does this do for the competition? For one thing, Android is working on its OS known as "Honeycomb", which boasts many nice features the iPad doesn't have, such as a much nice multi tasking system. Then there Motorola who just announced the Xoom, the product known as the "iPad Killer". They may have beaten Apple to the camera, but Apple has beaten them in price. There is of course the HTC Thunderbolt, which is the first LTE phone on the Verizon network, can that out do the next iPhone. That one is unclear. And then we get to Microsoft, who, only two three years ago, released Windows 7. Windows 7 received its first service pack this past week. To put that in prospective, XP had three service packs before Vista, and Snow Leopard has 6 big updates. So would that mean Windows 7 is here to stay for a while, or will Microsoft jump ahead and announce Windows 8? Sure they have said it is in the works, but does that mean they know what to do? For all we know that could be a PR statement just put out to satisfy customers.
Remember, almost everything Apple has done in the past couple of years has forced the industry to try and keep up. What ever move they make tomorrow will pretty much dictate what the year will be like in terms of technology.

~Dave

iPad 2 Event Next Week

 Earlier this week a note was sent out to many media site from Apple. Unfortunately, I didn't get one, but thanks to the internet I can see what it looks like. In fact, I have a picture right here.

Tada! Nice note isn't it?

It would seem that Apple has invited people to come see the next iPad launch. It has become known around the web as iPad 2. So far, there is speculation of quite a few new things. First, there is rumored to be a new and improved speaker slot for when the user is not wearing headphones. Next, it is almost confirmed that there will be a front and back facing camera. This would allow Facetime chats between the iPad and the Macbooks, iPad and the iPhone, or both. Seeing as Apple just released Facetime 1.0 for their new Macbooks, I am going to guess that is what it will be used for. There is also an unknown port on one of the sides. How is this known? Well there was a next gen case floating around, and it showed an open slot. The slot has been rumored for an SD card, thus expanding the memory of the iPad 2. It is also rumored to be a sideways docking connector, but that is unlikely. I personally am hoping this port would be used with the new Thunderbolt technology Apple Released in their new line of Macbooks. This would make syncing the iPad 2 a lot faster.

Leaked specs of the new speakers.

Hopefully Apple add most of these features to the new iPad. There was rumor of a better screen, but a recent source told Mac Rumors that won't be happening. The source, according to Mac Rumors, is a very reliable source and has been right about most Apple launches. 

This event comes right after the announcement of the new Macbooks this past week. Usually Apple will wave the new Macbooks in everyones face at the press announcement, saying how great they are and how they "fit right into the Mac family". Guess it is time to wait it out and see what the announcement brings.

~Dave

Choosing a Screen Protecter

  I find it very important to protect the surface of my iPhone screen. Like my iPod touch, I wish to keep the screen free of scratches, finger prints, and dust. So how do you choose a screen protector? Well, the first thing I look at is price. Is it worth shelling out a large sum of money for a screen protector? In my opinion, you should pay what you see fit. For example, anything more then $15 is not worth it for me. If I am paying more then $15, then I should just go buy a case that encompasses the entire phone. Next thing you want to look at is the quality. Is it a reputable brand? Does it have a good track record? When I bought my iPhone screen protector, I bought the same set which I bought for my iPod Touch. This say, I was buying from a company I knew would do a good job.
  After looking through the previous items, you want to make sure to read the packaging. You do not want to buy a screen protector which will leave a stick residue on your screen. The protector I choose, for example, sticks to my screen with a static cling. This makes it easy to remove if there were any issues. Finally, you want to go online, and in stores, and ask about the product your considering. Make sure it is really what you think it is. Get the input from others who may have owned the item at one point. Did they have any issues? If so what were they? Was it really as good as it says it is? If you get an overwhelming response of positive feedback, then you can rest assure you are buying a good product.
  I personally chose the Power Support HD Anti-Glare Film which I find to be the best product to suite my needs. Other options for me were the screen protectors made by Zagg. I would have chosen Zagg, but since I had never use them before I wasn't sure I wanted to make the switch. Some people complain that the screen protector I choose ruins picture quality. I don't see this as a big deal. You either deal with the slight reduction, or don't buy the protector and put your investment at risk. I can tell you that there is no loss in sensitivity of the screen, nor is there any issue with price, or wireless coverage. One of these screen protectors lasted 3 years on my iPod Touch, and the packaging comes with two! This is another great reason why I made the purchase, because I knew it would last.


~Dave

Apple Tried to Crack Down

Many people with an idevice use it normally. However, there are some who jailbreak it. Although I have decided not to this to my iPhone, I did do it to my iPod Touch. Jailbreaking has been deemed a way to void your warranty if done to your device. Yet, restoring your device will restore your warrant if you are still within your warranty period.
Anyway, many who jailbreak their idevice found a slight problem earlier this. Upon opening up the iBooks application, they found they could not read their purchased books. It turns out that Apple had left a verification script in there that was actually false. When I say false, it is designed to be rejected by iOS. However, the jailbreak went so far that it passed. Having passed, the script triggered a safety measure within the application. This made the application not allow users to read their books.
Although this temporarily stunned most users, it was quickly fixed by the jailbreaking community. Everything has returned to normal, and people can return to using their device without a problem. As a note, I would like to say that this article in no ways is telling you to jailbreak your device. It is simply a news tid bit.

~Dave

And Just Like That Rumors Arise

It hasn't been even a week that I have had my iPhone, and already rumors are surfacing about the next generation of iPhones. The most prominent rumor is there will be an iPhone "Nano". This rumored device is supposedly two thirds the size of the current iPhone, and will retail off contract for $200. This means that on contract, this phone could cost only $100. Other rumors claim that Apple is working on the iPhone 5, but this time there are two different versions. One version could include a slide out keyboard, while the other would be the standard iPhone 5 with slight changes under the hood.
When I was deciding to purchase my iPhone, I took into consideration the fact that I would be behind the curve in just a couple months. What people don't understand is when you deal with Apple, you never own the most current things. Doesn't matter when you buy, you will be phased out in either 6 months or a year. So what do all these rumors mean? Well nothing yet. The rumors don't tend to mean anything until pictures get leaked. An example of this would be the iPad 2. There have been leaked photos of possible cases, along with redesigned speakers and a screen. When those leaks came out, they incorporated everything I knew would be there. It is no surprise to me that the iPad 2 would have a front and back facing camera. The speakers being better, along with a better screen, was also foreseeable.
All this is coming out just months before Apple's next announcement. It will be interesting to see what actually comes out. Keep an eye out for any more rumors!

~Dave

Loading Up on Apps

With my new iPhone arriving tomorrow, I have been browsing the App Store constantly looking for worth while apps. I have also been reading reviews and watching videos of each apps before buying. Below is what my search has yielded. Only time will tell if these apps were worth the price.

  Canabalt ($5, on sale for $2.99): 
  Canabalt is one of those games that just never gets old. The object of the game is to get your little running man as far as you can with out him falling to his death. You must jump over ledges, chairs, and boxes to keep going. However, sometimes you must use those boxes and chairs to slow you down, as you may be going to fast. The game is fun, and addictive. Plus I have played it before, so I know it was a good buy. If you have Google Chrome, you can try Canabalt for free from the Chome Web Store and see what it is like.

Archetype ($0.99):

  Archetype is an online shooter for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and even the iPad. The game is an online multiplayer game, which utilizes many game mods such as Capture the Flag and Team Deathmatch.  I am yet to play this game, but from the pictures it looks amazing. There are leaderboards, DLC, ranks and more.  There is also a storyline mode for those who don't have access to wifi/3G, or if you just don't like playing online.  The game also boasts online matches up to 5 on 5. That is pretty amazing for an iPhone game, so I am really looking forward to playing this on.

Osmos ($2.99):

Osmos originated on the PC. The game is far from an intense shoot 'em up. If anything, the game is a methodical game which you play to calm yourself. You are a little bubble, and your goal is to join with the other little bubbles. However, there are big red bubbles which attempt to attack and pop you. It may not sound like much, but the game is pretty challenging from what I remember playing on the PC version. What adds to the challenge is as you move you lose some of your bubbles. This keeps you moving in order to collect bigger bubbles. The more you collect, the more you grow in size. When you are big enough, you can actually absorb those big nasty red bubbles. When you need to relax, this is probably one of the best games to pick up and play.

Street Fighter IV ($4.99):

I have never actually played the Street Fighter franchise, but this game happened to be on sale when I got it. It was $0.99, so I decided it was worth a shot.  The objective is to K.O your opponent before they K.O you. Each character has his/her perks, but each one also has weaknesses.  The game moves fast, and you have to have quick reaction times. There is in game DLC,  most of which consist of costume packs. The game does support multiplayer, but only over  bluetooth. That in itself is a slight disappointment, but you can't complain because at least there is multiplayer.

Trainyard ($2.99, currently on sale for $0.99):

 This game was actually recommended to me by a friend of mine. He claims that it will keep you busy for hours on end. He has logged 50+ hours into the game, so I am guessing it might just be addictive. The object of the game is to layout train tracks, allowing different color trains to reach the box of the same color. There are all sorts of different ways to layout the tracks, and you must time everything perfectly so that none of the trains crash. There is even a color blind challenge mode. That must be hard. With over 100 different challenges, and 50 bonus challenges, this game is sure to keep me busy for a while.

Find My iPhone (Free):

After reading about a man who actually lost his iPhone, and used this application to find it, I was inclined to pick it up. However, there is a catch which I found. To use this app successfully you must own another iOS device that was made in the last two years (ex an iPad, iPod Touch  2G, iPhone 3G). Sure, you could ask someone on the street to borrow theirs, but it is unlikely they will lend it to you. The way the application works is as followed. First, you setup the item you wish to keep track of,  let's say an iPhone. You must log into the application with your Apple ID, then set up the device so that it is linked to the application. In the event that you lose the device, you can use this app on another iOS device to located your lost one. Simply sign in with your Apple ID and you will be able to find it. You can even display a message on the phones screen to let the person know how to contact you. The best part, you can remotely lock your device, or even wipe it clean of  all data. The only way this app could be better is if there was a desktop application for it.

So that is it. I picked up quite a few games, and one useful application. All I can say is that I hope I enjoy using all of them. Do you have an application which you think is useful or worth getting? If so feel free to leave a comment stating the application.

~Dave

"RAWR!" Is What Lions Say

Well, the Apple event today brought a ton of new stuff to the table. Some of these things good, and others not so good. Without further a do, lets get to it.

OS X Lion: First and foremost is the announcement of OS X Lion, as expected and hinted from previous posts. The point of the new OS is to make the Mac more like an iPad, or the way I see it, easier to use. I am saying this now, I don't like it. iPad is iPad and Mac is a computer, they should stay separate. I know that technology is converging, but this is not what I was hoping for. Anyway, new features include Mission Control, Launch Pad, Full Screen Mode, and App Store for Mac. Mission Control is essentially Exposé renamed and a couple of new things added. When activated, Mission Control shows everything you have open. This means your Apps, Full Screen Apps, Desktop, Dashboard, and Apps with many windows. See the image to the right (courtesy of Gizmodo) to see what it looks like.
  In addition is Launchpad. Once launched, Launchpad will lay out all the applications installed, most of which are managed by the App Store, and you will have multiple pages to scroll through. Just like the iPad, you can create folders to store certain applications. I see no use for this application because I can do this right now, it is called stacks. Sure it takes longer, but why do I need a separate program for it. Just stay organized, and you don't need another program.
  Next there is Full Screen. Not much needs to be said here. All applications will have the ability to work full screen. This is great for PDF documents and book applications like Kindle for Mac. Now although this is nice, what is even better is the fact that you don't have to close full screen to switch application. You can jump between applications without exiting fullscreen. This begs the question "Are windows being eliminated from an OS?". My answer, not quite, but it is on the way.
  Finally, the Mac Store. The Mac Store, or the App Store for Mac, is Apple's "Steam" as I see it. Those of you who use Steam know how it works. For those of you who don't, Steam allows you to buy a game and then install it on any machine you want, as many times you want. The same goes for the Mac Store. You can buy an applications, own it forever, and install it as many times as you wish anywhere you wish.


Facetime: Facetime has been ported to the Mac. It was only a matter of time before this happened. Unfortunately this is a standalone app, which is a shame as I would have like to see this incorporated with iChat as an addition to the Video Calling feature. In a nut shell, you can make calls to your friends who have an iPhone 4 from your Mac. Framerate is limited due to the amount of information the iPhone 4 can process. There are ways through jailbreaking that allow you to get more then 15 fps, but that will of course take up more battery and bandwidth. There is no real way to set up calls without using AIM, Gmail Chat, or what ever instant messenger you use. However, you can receive calls without the app open, and it will even stop your iTunes. If you like, or need this app, you can download it here. Please keep in mind it is a beta.




iLife'11: I see nothing wrong with the current iLife, but apparently things needed improvement. The apps effected by this are iMovie, Garageband, and iPhoto. iMovie allows novice movie editors to make amazing, high quality, movies. You can do anything from crazy effects, to making a movie trailer with the new title screen effect. You can also do detailed audio editing and overlaying. Then, there is iPhoto, who has received an "iPad like" make over.  It has the full screen mode, mentioned earlier, incorporated into it. You can add place tags to where each photo was taken, then use the full screen mode to see a map of the world and where your photo was taken. In addition, you can link your Facebook and Flicker accounts to iPhoto, and it will automatically update with all your new pictures. Full screen mode has made this app very aesthetically pleasing. Finally, Garageband. Nothing really big here, the two major points being the additions of Groove-Matching and Flex-Time. Groove-Matching takes the sound you have recorded, maybe with a band or with some friends, and arranges it to be more synced. Your sound will seem more fluent and less choppy. Then, there is Flex-Time, which allows you to fix timing. You can buy iLife'11 for $50 if your upgrading, although in my opinion it is not worth upgrading.


Macbook Air: As far as rumors go, this one was pretty close. The Macbook Air was refreshed today, now coming in two different screen sizes: 13.3" and 11.6".

  The 11.6" will have a display of 1366x768 and the 13.3" will have a display of 1440x900;thus, the latter of the two has a better display. Plus, the 11.6" weights in at 2.3 lb and the 13.3" at 2.9 lb. And in case you were wondering, yes, they do have speakers. Probably the most impressive addition to the laptop is the battery life. Each can go on standby for up to 1 month. That's right, a month of standby. However, constant use will yield 7 hours for the 13.3" and 5 hours for the 11.6". Each has up to 1000 recharges before you have to buy new batteries. The newest feature, and the one which makes Macbook Air even thinner, is the addition of SSD Card memory. Don't mistake this for SSD, because it is not. SSD card is a RAM shaped stick that acts to as a storage device. The stick has memory bricks on it for storing memory fast, and easily accessing it. This feature allows the Macbook Air to have an "instant boot". One of the downsides to the new Air is the Intel Core 2 Duo was not changed. You would think by now Apple would upgrade to at least an Core i3.


And that is it. That rounds up all the new announcements from Apple. I am not to keen on some of these ideas, but we will see how they play out. What are your thoughts on the new products? 


~Dave

Jailbreaking Your "i"Device?

Something that has been all around the news lately is the talk of jailbreaking, especially when it pertains to Apple's "i"devices such as the iPod Touch, iPad, or iPhone. Should you jailbreak? The bottom line, it is really up to you. However, jailbreaking does give you a wide assortment of apps that would not be given to you through the app store. I won't go into discussion on how to jailbreak here, you can find how to do that in other places such as iPodTouchFans. I have a 1G (1st generation) iPod Touch and I have jailbroken mine. One of the major reasons being multi-tasking. Since iOS 4 is not coming to my iPod, I used jailbreaking to give me the ability to do things that would not normally be possible. Plus, you can theme your "i"device to make it aesthetically pleasing. Even folders, found in the iOS, have been on jailbroken devices for almost two years now. Jailbreaking is one of those things that can be easy to use, but hard to master. Over time, you will learn more about it if you decide to jailbreak. If not, enjoy your "i"device.

Post a picture of your jailbroken screen if you have one!

~Dave

Shiny New Things From the Fruit

Yesterday Apple held it's annual music event in San Francisco, and as expected they have unleashed a slew of new products. They refresh their entire iPod line, except for the iPod classic. They also announced iTunes 10 with a new social networking feature called Ping. Without further wait, lets jump right into the nitty gritty.

iOS The next version of the iOS has been announced, and with it a Game Center. Put simply, Game Center is like Apple's Xbox Live or PSN. You will be able to play games, unlock achievement, and have your friends see. You can also challenge your friends real time over WiFi. It will also allow you to do TV Rentals, just like iTunes 10 (more below).

iPod Touch The iPod Touch has been given a make over. It now has the Retina Display that was given to the iPhone 4 earlier this year. It also incorporates the A4 chip that the iPhone 4 has, that is a big plus for people who game on their iPod Touch. Next, it was given a front facing and back facing camera, with the ability to do face time and record 720p HD videos. Face time will allow you to call people on other iPod Touches and also iPhone 4 users. The front camera has quality that is lower than the iPhone 4's, if you want the better one you have to buy an iPhone 4. However, with this release of the iPod Touch, they have dropped the 16GB version, which is a bit of a down side. This iPod Touch will also be running the latest version of iOS. It also has a built in microphone and built in speakers. The battery can last a full 40 hours if the only thing you do is audio, 7 hours if you do a lot of video. A 3 axis gyro has also been implemented, which is good for gaming. It is of course thinner and lighter then it's previous incarnations. A starting price tag of 230$ and up if you want more space.

iPod Nano For a while now the iPod Nano didn't really have a place, it was just trailing behind doing different odd things like radio and taking video. Well all that has changed. The click wheel is gone and it now has been given a full multitouch display. The camera has also been done away with, replaced by a clip that allows you to clip the iPod to your shirt, jeans, jacket etc. There is an 8GB and 16GB model, starting price is 149$. The FM Radio tuner has stayed, so nothing much has change there. It can give you up to 24 hours of music playback on a full charge. the size is of course smaller then it's last incarnation and it is much lighter. Whether people will take a liking to this is yet to be seen.

iPod Shuffle The shuffle didn't really get an upgrade as it did a downgrade. The old version of the shuffle, the one with no buttons, did not go over so well with consumers. As a result the buttons are back along with the small square shape. It has kept the voice over feature, as well as the ability to do Genius. You can have multiple playlist also. Although the shuffle doesn't offer as much as other iPods out there, the 50$ price tag and simplicity of it is good for people who just want to listen to music and don't care that much about anything else.

iTunes 10 Next, there is iTunes. The music application that ties all of Apple's music products together. First and foremost is the update is Ping, the social networking client Apple has created. Ping allows you to post status updates of what you do on iTunes, from listening to songs to watching videos. It also allows you to post videos, pictures, or text of what you are doing in real life. You can allow anyone to follow you, or you can have a private account and make people request to follow you. Ping is a lot like Twitter when you compare the two. Ping can also go with you on your iPod Touch or iPhone 4 since it is built right into the iTunes mobile application. Second biggest thing is AirPlay, formally known as AirTunes, allows you to now stream your music to third party receivers. Previously you could only stream to your Airport Express (unless you had other software). They have also improved syncing for iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPads. This allows you easily organize your device(s). Finally, TV Show rentals have dropped in price from 3$ to 99¢.

Apple TV Wow! Where to start on this one!? There have been so many added features. The biggest feature being the size reduction. It is 80% SMALLER then the previous version. Apple has done away with the hard drive inside and has turned the Apple TV into a stream only product. You can stream from your iTunes on your computer, and in the future you will be able to stream from your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone as long as they are running iOS 4 firmware. In addition to all of that, it plays 720p HD video. The reason it is not 1080p is because of bandwidth issues. It also does Netflix, all of you that subscribe can use this feature, YouTube, Flickr, and MobileMe. All these ways allow you to stream videos to your Apple TV. It has wireless built in and also an ethernet card for those who prefer a hard wire. You will also be able to rent movies the day they come out for 3.99 and watch them in HD. However, you can no longer purchase movies on your Apple TV since it has no way of storing them. Another small feature is the ability to control your Apple TV with your iPod Touch or iPhone. Plus, it is only 99$!

iPad Last but not least is the iPad. Nothing was done to it physically, but it was announced that the iPad will join the iOS 4 line up later this year. It will receive the update in November. The update will include the ability to print email, webpage notes and more. You will also be able to use AirPlay to stream to your Apple TV, as mentioned above, as well as multitask and create folders.

Overall Apple really did a good job of lining up new items for this holiday season. I am personally looking to update my first generation iPod Touch to the newer one. The camera is what really makes me want it because I always forget my camera. I am not a fan of the iPod Shuffle or the Nano, and as I said earlier I don't know how well the Nano will go over with consumers. I can see many people getting an Apple TV, the new upgrade and price makes it a great piece of equipment to have in your TV cabinet. Next on the line of updates for Apple is one of their computers, that will probably happen in the next couple of months.

~Dave