The Apple iPod nano : Wow!

I think that the iPod mini is an awesome MP3 player - beautiful brushed metal the size of a mobile phone and stores 1000+ songs - and it seems like the rest of the world agrees with me - the iPod mini clearly outsells the normal iPod! Just when you thought the competitors have caught up and that Apple couldn't possibly get the iPod mini even smaller and yet store the same amount of songs, well, freshly announced THIS MORNING (!) is the new Apple iPod nano! Available in 2GB and 4GB models and also in White or Black, I cannot believe it, but Apple have topped themselves yet again!

How did they get it so thin? Well, using the same flash memory technology that powers the iPod Shuffle, instead of a relatively bulky hard-drive, it is as thin as a pencil and only slightly larger than the Shuffle! And by using flash memory the iPod nano doesn't skip like other hard-drive based MP3 players do.

What other features are there? Well, as Homerspeare would say, "Let me count the ways..."

Features of the iPod nano

Overview
Only .27 inches thin and 1.5 ounces, iPod nano packs a lot into its diminutive design. Up to 14 hours of battery life. 2GB or 4GB of storage. A bright color display. The Apple Click Wheel. A Dock connector that fits an entire ecosystem of iPod accessories. With so many features like these, iPod nano can change the way you listen to music - and more. Click on a feature to see it on the iPod nano display, then read about it here.

Music
Finding and playing music on iPod nano is simple. Menu options let you browse by artist, composer, album, song, genre or playlist. Want to mix things up? Click Shuffle Songs. iPod nano makes your music look as good as it sounds, thanks to a 1.5-inch color display. Album art appears alongside your songs, so you see your music as you play it. And when you dare to wear iPod nano, you'll say a lot in 176x132 pixels - without saying a word.

Podcasts
The iTunes Podcast Directory features thousands of free podcasts - radio shows you subscribe to - including favorites from such big names as ABC News, Adam Curry, ESPN, KCRW, WGBH and many more. Browse and subscribe to podcasts, then sync them to your iPod nano and listen anytime, anywhere. Podcasts appear in their own menu on your iPod nano, so you can navigate them easily.

Audiobooks
The digital shelves of the iTunes Music Store are stocked with more than 11,000 audiobooks - including such exclusives as the entire Harry Potter series - so you can catch up on your reading wherever iPod nano takes you. Browse audiobooks from their own menu on your iPod nano. Set a chapter marker when you stop "reading," and pick up the audiobook right where you left off. You can even change the read speed to suit you.

Photos
iPod nano holds up to 25,000 photos you can sync from your Mac or Windows PC via iTunes. Use the Click Wheel to scroll through photo thumbnails the same way you scroll through song titles. To see a photo full-screen, click the center button. You can even view photo slideshows, complete with music. Just select Slideshow Settings and choose the time between slides, the transition effect and the music.

Calendar & Contacts
Ever forgotten a doctor's appointment or wished you had a friend's address handy? Good thing iPod nano lets you take your calendar and contacts with you. With support for Address Book and iCal on the Mac and Outlook or Outlook Express on the PC, plus industry-standard vCalendar and vCard files, iTunes syncs your calendars and contacts so you can access everything with a quick spin of the Click Wheel.

World Clock
iPod nano's nifty World Clock lets you check the time, fall asleep to music and wake up to it, too. Open more than one clock to scroll between as many time zones as you choose. The clock faces even appear white or black to indicate day or night in different time zones. Want to doze to your favorite tunes? Turn on the Sleep Timer. Just remember to set the built-in Alarm Clock to your favorite wake-up tune.

Extras
Your calendar, contacts and the World Clock appear in Extras, along with a few more handy items. Take the Screen Lock, for example. Use the Click Wheel to choose a four-digit combination and protect your iPod nano from prying eyes. Store Notes that sync your to-do lists. Or try the built-in Stopwatch that logs your best times. And when it’s finally time to play, iPod nano features four fun games: Music Quiz, Solitaire, Brick and Parachute.

On-the-Go Options
When inspiration strikes, feel free to rate songs or create playlists right from your iPod nano. To create an On-the-Go Playlist, select a song, then press and hold the center button until the song flashes. To rate a song as it plays, click the center button until you reach the ratings screen. Scroll the Click Wheel to choose a star rating and press the center button to save. Your On-the-Go Playlists and song ratings even sync back to your computer.

Settings
Customize menus, check capacity, change your language, change how your iPod nano sounds and more, all from the Settings menu. Click About to see how many songs are on your iPod nano and how much capacity you have left. Click Main Menu to select what items appear in your Main Menu. Or tweak the built-in equalizer to suit your songs. Everything you need - from backlight timer to audiobook speed - appears in Settings.

Order the Apple iPod nano at Mr.Gadget!