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Apple puts an end to iPod click wheel games

Darrell Etherington — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:22:16 +0000

It’s all fun and games until Apple shutters a section of the iTunes store. Apple has taken down a link to the “iPod Click Wheel Games” section of the iTunes App Store (via AppleInsider). Click wheel games such as Song Summoner by Square Enix used to be available for installation on iPod classic and other compatible models that use the hardware click wheel interface mechanism, but now they are gone from the store.

Click wheel games debuted alongside the iPod classic in 2006, and were backward-compatible with the iPod nano and iPOd video. They were essentially precursors to the iOS games that would later be available for iPod touch, iPhone and iPad devices. While no public SDK was ever released for click wheel game development, third-party developers like Gameloft, EA, PopCap and Disney all released software for the platform. In total, 49 games (including some Kaplan academic study aids) were released for click wheel iPods, with the latest arriving in 2009.

Since it wasn’t exactly a thriving ecosystem like iOS, it’s possible Apple just decided to kill off click wheel games separate from any other concerns, but it’s also possible this is a preparatory move signaling the discontinuation of the iPod classic. Rumors suggest Apple plans to stop production and development of the iPod classic and the iPod shuffle, so it makes sense that the company would also shut down software sales associated exclusively with those devices. The latest nano features a touch screen instead of a click wheel, so the iPod classic is the only currently available device affected.

Updates for the iPod line may be on the docket for a media event Apple has scheduled for Oct. 4, though the star of the show will clearly be the iPhone 5. The iPod classic hasn’t seen an update in a couple of years, but has some very dedicated fans owning to its large storage capacity. Will any of those fans really miss click wheel games, though?

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If Apple retires iPod classic and shuffle, rest of line will shine

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:03:04 +0000

Apple is reportedly very close to permanently cutting the iPod classic and shuffle from its line of media players, according to a report from TUAW late Tuesday. It’s not the first time we’ve heard that some iPod models will be retired, but it does seem more likely than ever that it’s true this time around. And that might actually be great news for iPod fans in the long run.

The iPod classic is basically a legacy holdover at this point among Apple’s portable media players. Its platter hard drive is an oddity among today’s PMPs, for which flash-based storage is the dominant tech by a long shot. It hasn’t changed since 2009, when a 160 GB version was introduced, which eventually replaced the 120 GB option entirely. Really, though, not much is different about the original classic introduced in 2007 and the one on sale today. The classic’s only advantage, from a user perspective, is its sizeable drive; the closest a flash-based iPod currently comes is 64 GB.

The iPod shuffle, while flash-based and subject to more frequent design overhauls, is simply being upstaged by the iPod nano. The latest nano is almost as small, and while it’s more expensive, its touchscreen makes it more usable and expands its capabilities considerably. The shuffle has always been a fairly good gateway device for users looking a cheap way to get into the Apple ecosystem, but with the selling power of the iPhone and iPad, that’s no longer much of a concern.

Dropping the classic and the ~~nano~~ shuffle would free up staff and resources that Apple could reinvest in advancing the remaining products in the iPod line, too. The most recent iPod nano has spawned a thriving accessory ecosystem based on watchband straps to hold the PMP, and it holds plenty of potential as a connected display for iPhones, if Apple does decide to enter the fray with other wrist-based connected devices that are emerging to support the Android ecosystem. The iPod touch, of course, is one part of Apple’s iOS platform, and an important one at that; in April, Ars Technica reported that it accounted for one-third of overall iOS device sales. The iPod touch now makes up at least half of all iPods sold by Apple, and is the only model that consistently sees positive growth.

Put simply, both the nano and the iPod touch have futures that either could potentially, or already do feed the growing beast that is iOS. Steve Jobs may have conveyed back in March that the company had no plans to discontinue the iPod classic, but times change, and so does a company’s focus. With Apple’s new iCloud push, the classic and the shuffle become even less relevant to its overall goals, so it’s highly possible their time has indeed come. Will you miss them?

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What changed at the Apple Store? It got more social.

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:32:56 +0000

The Apple Store went down this morning for quite a while, and there’s still no official explanation as to why. But one thing did change, as noted by MacRumors: all Mac Pro and iPod classic models now feature drop down arrows next to the “Select” button that let you share the product on either Facebook or Twitter.

Facebook and Twitter share links are kind of a weird addition, if you ask me. Are people really all that likely to want to share basic information about available Apple products along with links for where to purchase them? I can see people maybe using it to brag about an upcoming purchase, but that’s about it. But it is something that’s been in place at the iTunes Store for a while now, and I suppose if even some people tweet or post about Apple products to their wall, the links will have done their job.

As mentioned, so far, these drop-down menus are only appearing for Mac Pro and iPod classic models. It’s possible that the role out was stopped midway, if it somehow contributed to the store outage, which web performance monitoring firm Catchpoint told GigaOM via email was network-related.

We’ll keep watching to see if these appear throughout the store, and let us know if you spot them anywhere else, too.

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Report: Apple Looking to Carbon Fiber for iPod Wi-Fi Syncing

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 17:53:10 +0000

Apple is looking to outfit future iPods with carbon fiber housing in order to make Wi-Fi content syncing a reality, according to a new report from Cult of Mac. The blog reports that a source close to the company revealed Steve Jobs sees Wi-Fi syncing as the key to continued relevance for the iPod line, but also says Apple hasn’t been able to make it work well enough to introduce the feature in production models.

Monday saw confirmation that Kevin Kelley, former CEO of Kestral Bicycles, where he oversaw the building of carbon fiber bikes, is now Senior Composites Engineer at Apple Inc. Kelley is also listed as the author on a patent filed by Apple in 2009 for “Reinforced Device Housing,” which described an outer casing for electronic devices made from carbon fiber. The hire definitely adds weight to the anonymous tipster’s assertions.

Carbon fiber housing would reportedly allow for much better Wi-Fi signals between iPod devices and computers where media libraries are stored. The source claims, however, that the new housing design (which is said to have been prototyped for the iPod classic and the previous generation iPod nano) isn’t yet meeting to Apple engineer standards. It’s worth noting that the current iPhone and iPad can handle streaming of music and video just fine, and have even been able to sync over Wi-Fi when jailbroken. Android devices can also sync and stream over Wi-Fi using doubleTwist, but in my usage of those syncing features with the Galaxy Tab, the experience wasn’t anywhere near the level I’ve come to expect from Apple products. The high standards for wireless syncing that Apple has no doubt set for itself are probably the main reason we haven’t yet seen an official solution come from the company. It’s possible a different casing material could help Apple get closer to its goals in terms of transfer speeds, connection dependability and device heat during the process.

Carbon fiber casing has been a theme in recent Apple rumors, with reports indicating that the material might be used for an iPad redesign, or even in a future MacBook Air. Logically, the idea of carbon fiber makes sense, since it’s strong, flexible, lightweight and doesn’t pose the same kind of problems regarding wireless signals as does metal. Yet Apple has yet to use carbon fiber in any shipping devices. Still, confirmation that the company now has a carbon fiber expert with at least 14 years experience working with the composite in a senior, full-time, engineering staff position indicates it may be getting more serious about the material’s usage.

I’d look twice at an iPod if it could handle Wi-Fi content syncing in a way that was efficient, fast and easy. It could indeed provide some wind in the sales of sluggish iPod sales, if only until such syncing features become commonplace among smartphones. Anyone else think an iPod with some Wi-Fi mojo might breathe new life into the increasingly outdated concept of a dedicated media player?

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Apple Refreshes Prices On Entire iPod Line

Charles Jade — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:37:13 +0000

At the Apple Event today, Steve Jobs and company unveiled the fall lineup of iPods. The biggest change was the iPod nano, but every iPod got a little bit of love, be it increased capacity or decreased price.

iPod touch: The new “magic price point” of $199 has 8GB, with two upsell models at 32GB and 64GB for $299 and $399, respectively. The 16GB model disappears and the rumored camera never appeared, but according to Apple this is still the “funnest” iPod ever.

iPod nano: Two models, 8GB at $149 and 16GB at $179. Both models have new features, including: camera, FM radio, and pedometer. All are available in seven shiny, metallic colors: silver, black, purple, blue, green, orange, and pink. There are also the Apple Store exclusives, Product RED, and a yellow/gold.

iPod shuffle: Two primary models, a new 2GB at $59, and a 4GB at $79. There are five colors: silver, black, blue, green, and pink. There is also a 4GB stainless steel model for $99. The tiny music player with the creepy voice—in my opinion—now works with more headphones, too.

iPod Classic: 160GB, $249, two colors, a grayish white and black. The classic got a capacity increase and kept its price. Apparently the rumored demise of the media player with the mechanical hard drive appears to have been greatly exaggerated, unless we’re talking about the Zune.

Clearly, the iPod nano will be the gift to give and/or receive this Christmas, but once again Apple has managed to successfully refresh the media player lineup. Expect the company to sell between 20 and 25 million iPods for the holiday quarter, same as the previous three years.

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iPod Price Drop Ahead of Apple Event

Charles Jade — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:23:40 +0000

Hours before the “Only Rock and Roll” event takes place in San Francisco, the Apple Store has slashed prices on some the current iPod models.

The new numbers are still in the process of being posted, with parts of the Apple Store referencing old prices, but the savings are real and substantial.

The 8GB iPod touch now costs $189, a $40 discount, while the 16GB model is now $249, a $50 reduction. However, big savings are to be had for the 32GB model, now $279, a whopping $120 price cut. Other iPods saw cuts, too. The 8GB iPod nano has dropped to $129, down from $149, and the 16GB model is now $149, previously $199. The iPod Classic, rumored to be phased out today, is now $229, down from $249. The price of the iPod shuffle remains unchanged.

While it’s debatable whether the new pricing will extend to the iPods expected to be unveiled today, the new prices on old models of the iPod touch may impact consumers considering Microsoft’s Zune HD. The 16GB Zune HD, to be released on Sept. 15, will retail for $219.99, while the 32GB model will cost $289.99. This means Apple has effectively undercut the Zune HD, at least on the high-end. It will be interesting to see whether Microsoft will lower prices again, or give up the pricing talking point, which wouldn’t really leave much to talk about regarding the Zune HD.

However, there will be a lot to talk about today, starting at 10 a.m. PDT, and TheAppleBlog will be covering it live.

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iPods Galore – “The Beat Goes On” Apple Special Event Overview

Josh Pigford — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:50:10 +0000

Today at 10AM PST Apple held a special event called “The Beat Goes On” in which a whole slew of new iPod and iTunes announcements were made. The entire iPod line was “refreshed” including the addition of a new iPod Touch model that is similar to the iPhone. Here’s an overview of the new products (many of which are available today).

Ringtones

The first announcement was in regards to a new Ringtones feature being made available to iPhone users. Some 500,000 songs will be available to use in the custom Ringtones builder application. To create a ringtone out of one of the 500k available songs will cost an additional 99 cents on top of the 99 cents it costs for the song itself.

You can assign different custom rings to different people. Steve assigned Aretha Franklin’s Respect to his wife. Cute.

The Ringtones builder will be available in a new version of iTunes releasing today.

iPod Shuffle

The refreshed iPod Shuffles were probably the most unexciting update of the day.

All the colors were given a makeover with more pastel tints to the colors as well as the addition of a (RED) shuffle.

Cost is the same as before at $79 for 1GB.

iPod Nano

The rumors about a short, squashed iPod Nano turned out to be true.

The new Nano has a 2-inch diagonal measurement and a 320×240 pixel screen. It comes in black, silver, blue, green, and (RED). The colored versions are only available at the more expensive price point.

It has a battery life of 25 hours for audio 5 hours for video playback…yes, video.

$149 for 4GB and $199 for 8GB and wider range of colors. Ships today.

iPod Classic

The original iPod is now called “iPod Classic,” which makes sense considering there are so many different iPod versions available.

They’ve jacked the storage up significantly with the starting storage amount being 80GB. They’ve also added a massive 160GB version to the mix. Both are thinner that the previous full-size iPod.

The battery life of the 80GB model is 25 hours of music and 5 hours of video while the 160GB is 40 hours of music and 7 hours of video.

The 80GB is now $249 and the 160GB is $349. It is shipping today.

iPod Touch

The biggest announcement of the day is the new addition to the iPod line called iPod Touch.

The iPod Touch is almost identical in design to the iPhone and has many of the features that the iPhone does (minus the obvious calling capability).

Yes, the iPod Touch has ditched the clickwheel in favor of a touch screen. Major features of the iPod Touch are Calendar, Contacts, Safari, and YouTube integration. Which brings us to the next point. To run Safari and YouTube you’d need some sort of connection capability. The iPod Touch has Wi-Fi making it the first iPod with wireless technology.

The iPod Touch has a battery life of 22 hours for music and 5 hours for video.

There will be an 8GB ($299) and 16GB ($399) version available and shipping by the end of the month.

iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store

Apple has now created an iTunes Wi-Fi music store for the iPod Touch and iPhone that lets you browse and purchase music through an iTunes interface optimized for smaller screens. It has the same features and songs available in the regular iTunes store…just a slimmer interface.

Mixed in with this announcement was a new partnership with Starbucks.

When you’re in or near a participating Starbucks store you’ll be able to find out what the song playing in the shop is and purchase it on the spot including the previous 10 songs played in the store.

The feature is rolling out in Seattle and NY in October with other stores being adding over the next 2 years (assuming this is successful).

iPhone Price Changes

Steve commented about how Apple wants to be even more aggressive with their iPhone sales to which he announced that the 8GB iPhone has been given a $200 price drop and is now available for $399.

Even more surprising was that the 4GB iPhone has now been completely dropped from Apple’s product line. Shortest. Life span. Ever.

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