APPLE UNVEILS ITUNES PHONE, NEW IPOD & MORE FMQB Rumors have swirled constantly since the announcement that Apple had a major press conference set for this morning. CEO Steve Jobs promised something new to the music industry and didn't disapppoint, with the revelation of the long-awaited iTunes phone. As expected, the Motorola ROKR phone will be compatible with iTunes, and be available in stores as of tomorrow. It can hold up to 100 songs (not the mere 25 that were rumored), has two speakers and can shuffle music. "The way we think of this phone is it's really an iPod Shuffle right on your phone," Jobs said. The phone will only be available for Cingular users. The ROKR automatically pauses the music its playing for incoming phone calls and of course works as a camera phone too.
Jobs also unveiled the tiniest iPod yet. Dubbed the iPod Nano (pictured), it can hold 1000 songs (or 25,000 photos), though it is thinner than a #2 pencil. The tiny player is available today with a 4GB or 2GB hard drive. "iPod nano is the biggest revolution since the original iPod," said Jobs. "iPod nano is a full-featured iPod in an impossibly small size, and it's going to change the rules for the entire portable music market."
Additionally, a new upgrade has been released for iTunes, with version 5 available currently as a free download. iTunes 5 has expanded features and more options, including the ability for Windows users to sync up their Outlook information to their iPods.
The iTunes Music Store has also added two big names to its offerings: Madonna and Harry Potter. Jobs personally called the Material Girl at the press conference to thank her for finally allowing her catalog to be sold online through the iTunes Music Store. Additionally, author J.K. Rowling has signed a deal to allow audiobooks of every Harry Potter book to be sold exclusively through iTunes.
Apple also announced deals with Acura, Audi, Honda and Volkswagen for "seamless integration" of the iPod into 2006 vehicle models. The company says that over 30 percent of cars sold in the U.S. next year will offer iPod integration into their stereos. |