Apple Shows Off New iPods, TV

Every time Apple comes out with a new product, the world stops for a little bit to watch what it will be. Tuesday was no exception.

Steve Jobs’ keynote address— his first public appearance since the iPhone 4 announcement — was no exception. On the agenda: new iPods, new operating system, new iTunes and a revamped Apple TV.

Jobs began the meeting by rattling off the features in iOS 4.1, the updated operating system for the iPhone that will launch next week. Among them was HDR photo capture, which takes three versions of a picture and uses algorithms to combine them into one sharp-looking image that removes overexposure and brings objects out of the shadows. It also adds Game Center, an app for multiplayer gaming, to the iPod Touch and iPhone. Jobs demonstrated the app by bringing two developers from Epic Games on stage to battle it out in their new game, Epic Sword. There will also be an iOS 4.2 coming in November, which finally brings mobile printing to the tablet.

Next up was the new fleet of iPods, including the updated iPod Touch, now so thin that it will cut your toes clean off if you drop it – just more than 7 mm thick and weighing 3.5 ounces. It also features the same retinal display found on the iPhone 4, as well as front- and rear-facing cameras. It retails at three price points: $229 for the 8GB, $299 for the 32GB, and $399 for the 64 GB. There’s also a new iPod shuffle that reintroduces the buttons missing from the last iteration and retails for $49; and a tiny iPod Nano that replaces the click wheel with multitouch functionality, boasts 24 hour music playback, and retails for $149 (8 GB) and $179 (16 GB). The new Nano has been getting good early reviews from tech sites who have had a hands-on with the device, with Engadget raving, “Super thin, super light, and really, the capacitive multitouch works very well.” All three iPods go on sale next week.