There were few surprises at Apple's annual music event Wednesday, but as usual there are new iPods for the holiday season and a new version of Apple TV.
Apple's new iPod Nano, one of several new products announced Wednesday.

Apple's new iPod Nano, one of several new products announced Wednesday.
(Credit: Apple)

Here's a quick recap of what Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced Wednesday in San Francisco. Check here for a replay of our live coverage of the event from earlier in the day.

• Apple released a new version of iOS--iOS 4.1--that fixes bugs and brings the previously announced Game Center API for developers to use in building social-networking games. Also, iOS 4.2 will be released later this year, which will unify the software on iPhones and iPads as well as stream music to other devices over Wi-Fi.

• Three new iPods were announced: an iPod Shuffle that ditches the previous no-button style in returning to a more classic look; a smaller iPod Nano that now has a touch screen but can no longer play video; and a thinner iPod Touch that has most of the features first introduced on the iPhone 4. The new iPods will be available next week.

• Apple announced iTunes 10, available immediately, which comes with a new logo and a social music service called Ping that lets you see what your friends are listening to and make comments and recommendations.

• A much cheaper and smaller Apple TV will ship later this month as Apple tries to revive interest in what Jobs has long called "a hobby." It will cost $99, and users can rent HD TV shows from iTunes as well as other partners, such as ABC and Fox. They can also access Netflix's streaming service from the box.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20015342-37.html#ixzz1FlN3N6j2

Unbelievably vivid images: At more than 200 pixels per inch, the retina display will give photographs a life-like level of detail. And the rumored 8 megapixel camera will be a ready source for such images.

Electronic paper: Ink on paper is generally at 300 dots per inch, but given the physical properties of printing (i.e., schemer) the super crisp 264 ppi display (not quite as high as the iPhone 4GS’s 326 ppi) will have print quality resolution. Digital magazine publishers (and their advertisers) will love this.

The Rise of Responsive: The higher damands of a subset of mobile devices will quicken the development of responsive web design, particularly in terms of the variable delivery of images based on device pixel dimensions.

Your (No Longer Unlimited) Data Plan: Since providers have been phasing out unlimited data plans it is likely that you will be feeding all those pixels from a metered dataplan. Ouch!

The Rising Cost of Media: If content producers heed Neil Young’s seemingly contradictory defense and assault on piracy—high resolution media, whether music or movies or images—will cost more—and people will buy it, selectively. Like font designers who are finally getting paid because of the increased use of web fonts, hopefully photographers will find a resurgence in the demand for high-quality photography once everyone is walking around with high-resolution displays. (This is a pro within the con, at least for pros.)

That Giant Sucking Sound: Where, exactly is all this bandwidth going to come from? How much of the earth’s energy will be devoted to the additional server farms required to deliver all of this glorious resolution? Who’s going to pay for it? Ultimately we all are, I’m afraid.

Copyright Concerns: Take Pinterest, for example. If third party websites make high-resolution copies of all of the image that their users post (as Pinterest does) the possibilites of copyright infringement go up exponentially. Relative to the rising cost of media (above) one can imagine content producers giving away low-resolution proxies of their work for free but charging for the high-resolution experience. But what happens as those high-resolution files fall out of their owners control?

There are many opportunities that will be created by heightening consumer’s desire and demand for higher-resolution content experiences, but as in space, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so tighten your seat belts and hang on!

Upgrading from an older iPod model to the latest, most wonderful, and cutting edge iPod can be an expensive proposition. Plus, you’ve got a perfectly good iPod on your hands, so can you use that to your advantage to cut the cost of your new toy?

Sure you can!

While you can always try selling your old iPod on eBay or Craigslist or other similar places, some retailers have iPod trade on programs in place that credit you for the purchase of a new iPod when you trade them your old one.

These programs all have different terms, so be sure to read closely and ask questions before parting with your iPod, but this is a great way to get that new gadget and pay a bit less for it.

Here are links to a few sites with iPod trade in programs:

BuyMyTronics
BuyMyTronics buys both working and broken iPods and iPhones, as well as a range of other electronics and gadgets. They fix and resell broken products (though not apparently on their website).
BuyMyTronics Review | Users Share Their Experiences with BuyMyTronics

Electronic Warehouse
Electronic Warehouse will give you a US$20 credit towards electronics or golf purchases when you trade them your stock Apple iPod earbuds. Lots of people get new headphones for their iPods or iPhones, so if you're one of them, here's a way to turn those earbuds that you're not using into something you will use.

Gazelle
Gazelle (formerly SecondRotation) buys all kinds of used electronics - from cell phones to iPods - based on their condition, the packaging and accessories they include, and more. Prices paid for iPods are good - a 4th-generation iPod in good condition nets US$54.
Gazelle Review | Users Share Their Experiences with Gazelle

NextWorth
This site offers a used iPod calculator tool that is both informative and interesting. Use it to gauge the value of your iPod and then decide if you want to sell. You can also buy used iPods from the site.
NextWorth Review| Users Share Their Experiences with NextWorth

PowerMax
Apple reseller PowerMax buy used iPads, iPhones, and iPods (as well as used Macs). Unlike other sites, though, you must email the details of the device you want to sell in order to get a quote, rather than getting a quote live on the website.
Users Share Their Experiences with PowerMax

Small Dog Electronics
This long-time Apple reseller offers $40-$135 credit for models starting with the iPod Shuffle. Non-working iPods can even net you a $25 credit!
Small Dog Profile and Reviews | Visit the Small Dog website

Secure Tradein
This off-shoot of electronics recycler ReCellular Inc. buys iPhones, but not iPods. Prices are based on the model and specs, not condition (which leads to odd situations like the site offering to pay more than retail price for an iPhone 4). You can be paid for your phone by check, or donate the money to charity.
Visit the Secure Tradein website

Recycling iPods
For those who want to protect the environment more than their wallets, Apple offers an iPod recycling program. This is especially good if your iPod is too old to trade or broken. iPods recycled through this program net you a 10% discount on a new iPod purchase.
Suggested Reading

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While Apple's iPad may have started the trend of affordable, exciting consumer-centric tablet computers, it's far from the only model on the market. With the iPad's success, lots of competitors - from those running the BlackBerry OS to Android - are hitting the scene.

The question is, of course, how do they stack and which one should you buy?

This chart compares the iPad 2 to some of its leading tablet competitors so you can see in one glance how their hardware and features stack up.

The new Apple Apple iPod touch is blazingly fast -- everything just works, and works quickly, as soon as you launch an app. This is a noticeable improvement over the earliest models in this series, which can be very slow, depending on the app.

This is also my first experience with the latest version of Apple operating system, and it's nice that iOS 4.1 is preloaded on the device so that there is no need to download and install it myself. As you can imagine for a hardware and software reviewer, I have a lot of apps. Folders are a great addition, and have really helped me organize the home screen of my device. Multitasking works well too, allowing me to jump from app to app with just a couple of taps.

Wireless
Wi-Fi wireless networking works great, with excellent signal strength and none of the annoying "incorrect password" issues that show up almost daily on my previous iPod touch. My old touch often gives me errors when using it with my home network, requiring me to type in the password almost every day. Nothing like that occurs with the new model, and I'm quite pleased with its performance.

When it comes to Bluetooth, things went just as well. I had no trouble pairing it with my Apple Wireless Keyboard. It's ironic, considering that I used a Landware GoType and then a Stowaway Bluetooth folding keyboard with many of my Palm OS handheld over the years, but being able to use a wireless keyboard with the iPod touch turns it into a real (pocketable) productivity tool.

ProductivityMany people buy an iPod touch just to have fun, but there's much more to it than that. It comes with Calendar, Contacts, and Notes built in, and you can sync with Outlook, an Exchange Server, or Google's online services if you like. You'll also find Calculator, Clock, and Voice Memo apps, along with Weather and Maps.

There's nothing particularly new or radically different here, but every single one of the included apps works exactly as you would expect, offering a great out of the box experience. It's ironic to state this, considering the fact that there truly is "an app for that" no matter your needs or interests, but the iPod Touch comes with such a well rounded suite of applications that you don't have to venture into the App Store for a good long while unless you have a specific niche need.

Face Time in particular is a real standout, and it works great. Since you don't have a phone number like you would with an iPhone, you initiate a call through the Contacts app. Just tap on the button at the bottom of a particular contact's details to start a Face Time call over WiFi, and the conversation starts as soon as the other party accepts. It works flawlessly, with no lag or stuttering, and it's a great way to keep up with friends and family when you're on the go.

EntertainmentOf course, the iPod touch has plenty to offer in the "Fun and Games" department. Photos, Videos, iPod, and YouTube are pre-installed with the device. And if you want to add more music, video, and apps, of course you'll find the iTunes Store and the App Store.

There are no games preloaded on this handheld, but there are plenty to download from the App Store, both free and paid.

The new Game Center makes gaming a much more social experience, with the ability to add friends, earn achievements, and play online with others. In many ways it is a true "game changer" and I can understand why Sony and Nintendo are concerned about the incursions Apple is making into their traditional dominance of handheld gaming. Game Center is located "front and center" on the first page of apps on my device, providing richer enjoyment of the games I've downloaded plus an easy way to jump in to the fun, since games can be launched from within the app.

CameraThe camera on the new iPod Touch was quite a disappointment for this photo bug. I was hoping to have something extremely capable, so that I would always have a camera in my pocket, especially considering the excellence of the camera on the iPhone 4. Unfortunately the camera on the fourth-generation iPod Touch is only 960 x 720, and of rather low quality. You can zoom in and out just a bit by pressing on the screen, which is nice, but that doesn't make up or the extremely poor resolution.

That low resolution camera is even more of a head scratcher when you learn that the new iPod Touch is capable of recording HD video in 720p, You could say that the video capture abilities are the complete opposite of the still camera, because videos do come out extremely well -- beautifully sharp and clear. My only small complaint regarding video is that the sound on my recordings came out rather low. That's not a major concern because it's easy enough to turn up the volume during playback.

If you're really serious about video, you'll be glad to know that extremely simple editing functions are included on the Touch, and you can also purchase the iMovie app from the App Store if you think of anything else.

There's an extra camera to talk about here, since the current iPod Touch has a front-facing camera, just above the display. When you're in the Camera app, a single tap on the screen allows you to switch from the back camera to the front, so you can use it for self portraits. Of course the primary function for that front-facing camera is FaceTime video conferencing, and as mentioned above it works very well for that purpose.

My final feelings on the camera functions of this device are mixed, which comes as no surprise. The still camera is rather underpowered, but will help you catch those shots you would otherwise have missed. Be especially careful with barcode scanning apps, because the camera resolution doesn't compare to the iPhone 4. The Sephora shopping app, for example, is unable to capture bar codes on the fourth-gen iPod Touch, and I had to type in the UPCs for each product. If a free lite version of the app you're considering is available, I would strongly suggest that you try before you buy, just to make sure that the app fulfills your needs. The video camera, on the other hand, is extremely good and I've really enjoyed having it with me all the time.

Battery LifeI've never had any problems with battery life on Apple products... until now. I use my iPad quite heavily, for example, and only have to plug it in once every several days. But It seems that there is some sort of glitch in the OS, because the fourth-gen iPod Touch can go completely dead overnight. I have a couple of apps set to update regularly, including Mail, so it could be that the device isn't going back to sleep as it should. I haven't seen it wake up unnecessarily during the day, however, and the battery meter hardly budges, which makes the overnight battery drain even more frustrating.

In any case, this is another disappointment because Apple hasn't acknowledged the problem and therefore hasn't issued a fix. I know this isn't just a defect in my unit, because plenty of folks are discussing it on the various discussion forums online. The only workarounds at the moment are either going into the Settings app and putting the iPod Touch into airplane mode each night (which allows the Touch to last several days before needing a charge, even with heavy use), or else making sure that it's plugged in each night. Neither one is all that difficult of course, though that's one more thing to remember each night if I don't want to face my morning commute with a dead iPod Touch.

The new iPod touch is beautifully designed, as all Apple products are, with sleek lines and modern details. Unlike the iPhone 4, it isn't at all boxy. It is remarkably thin and light, with strongly tapered edges. If you use the device "naked" you may not even remember it's in your pocket -- it really is that small.

With smartphones, they sometimes seem quite light... and then you notice that the battery is still in the box, so you are immediately disappointed with a light phone that almost instantly becomes a heavy "brick" in your pocket.. That isn't the case here; the iPod touch is sealed so it comes fully assembled with the battery inside and it weighs just a few ounces.

The build quality is excellent, as you would expect from Apple. There is no creaking, bending, or flexing of any kind.

Display
The new Retina display on the iPod touch is absolutely gorgeous. I haven't had the opportunity to see it side-by-side with a new iPhone 4 yet, so it's hard to make direct comparisons. I can say that it is vastly superior to my old iPod touch. It is extremely sharp and clear, and much more readable outside in bright sunlight.

My photos look better than ever before, and video does too -- amazingly sharp and clear. If you have an older iPod touch, you'll see a huge difference in the display -- the new Retina technology represents a great improvement.

This improvement isn't really all that surprising, considering the screen resolution has gone from 320x480 to 640x960, but the display size hasn't changed -- it's still 3.5 inches.

Keyboard
The iPod touch doesn't have a physical keyboard, instead relying on a virtual keyboard for text entry.

It works well, but of course I have long experience with the old iPod touch so there's nothing new for me here. I can say that typing is easier with the new model because it is fast enough to make the built-in word completion utility a pleasure to use instead of a pain.

It also lets you double tap on the shift key to enable Caps Lock, which I use all time time and am thankful to have. It's a little thing, but it isn't available on the original iPod Touch.

Other Buttons & Controls
The front of the device seems to be all screen, because it is all black. This differs from my original first-generation model, which has a display that appears lighter when it is off, like a calculator. The Home button is centered below the screen.

A low-res camera for use with the FaceTime video-conferencing app is centered over the top of the display, while the main image/video camera is on the top left corner of the the back of the device.

The power button is on the top right, the volume controls are on the upper left side of the device, and the headphone jack and charge/sync port are on the bottom edge.

The external speaker is just to the left of the charge/sync port. It works fairly well, with nice volume, but of course the sound isn't nearly as good as what you get listening with headphones. For games and sharing a new tune with your friends it's plenty good enough, but you won't want to use it all the time.