Until the most recent update to the iPod Nano, one of the coolest things about the little iDevice was that it was very easy to turn the phone into a capable smartwatch.

Through the use of 3rd party watch straps, users would slap the music players onto their writs and would use the built-in clock app to make it work like a watch. There were even a few different clock skins for the Nano.

While the days of using the Nano as a watch are over, a new rumor claims that Apple might be working on an official smartwatch of their own. This space is continuing to increase with competition and interest, with projects like the Pebble smart watch coming to mind.

This is an area where Apple could certainly establish itself as a niche device for fans of their products. The claim is that Intel is developing this watch for Apple, interestingly enough.

The rumor suggests the watch will feature a 1.5-inch OLED display with ITO coated glass, but not much more is known about its specs or what kind of features it could bring to the table.

If this rumor has any true to it, it is more than likely the device would also work nice with syncing to other iDevices like the iPhone.

Though an Apple smartwatch doesn’t seem like that far of a stretch, keep in mind this is just a rumor and shouldn’t be taken too seriously until we have more concrete evidence.

Apple device rumors arrive all the time and yet never truly materialize as real products– we still regularly hear claims about a Smart TV from Apple, after all.

Would you be interested in purchasing an Apple smartwatch down the road if this is true?

[ source ]

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Ready to upgrade your iPod Nano? It’s been a while since Apple released a truly different form factor for its Nano line. The 7^th generation iPod Nano has now arrived bringing with it a 2.5-inch multi-touch display.

While the screen is bigger, the device itself is actually thinner by almost 50 percent. Probably one of the coolest new features has to do with its radio though. How could a radio possibly be cool you ask? The new radio is DVR-style, meaning that you can pause and rewind feature for songs.

The Nano is also a very capable video player, has Bluetooth support and has a new battery that allows up to 30 hours of music playback. The new “Lightning” dock connector will also be featured with the 7th-gen iPod Nano.

For the moment we don’t have official pricing or release information, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the pricing was the same or very similar to the last generation.

What do you think of the new Nano? Interested in one, or will you stick with your current MP3 playing device?

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“We think consumers who initially planned to purchase the 13” MacBook Pro and Air will turn to the 13” Retina MacBook Pro instead because it has an attractive panel, its price is similar to MacBook Pro and it has a better balance between power consumption and form factor,” writes Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities. “However, as supply is limited due to panel and assembly yield rate issues, shipment of the 13” Retina MacBook Pro won’t be able to satisfy demand. And we think consumers’ budgets will transfer to new iOS products after Apple launches them, which suggests that overall MacBook shipments will not grow meaningfully on the 13” Retina MacBook Pro.”

Meanwhile, Kuo expects to see a new version of the iPod touch and the iPod nano also for this fall, as well as the rumored iPad mini, a modified new iPad, and new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs. The new iMac will be powered by Ivy Bridge, but they’ve been delayed by screen lamination issues. And let’s not forget that the iPhone 5 is supposed to come out in September or October too.

It looks like Apple and its suppliers are going to be really busy for this back to school season. You’ve got to wonder, though, whether that will hurt potential sales because consumers will have to choose where to spend their money.

[Source]

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The so-called iTravel app would work in tandem with Passbook, a feature that is set to come with iOS 6 this fall. Passbook is designed to capture your documents and save them in digital form, including boarding passes and possibly even your actual passport or driver’s license. It’s debatable whether TSA and other border control people would accept a digital passport, but airlines will probably start shifting to NFC to accept this new system. And it’s not just flights either; iTravel can be used for car rentals, cruises, trains, buses and more. Apple has been working on this for quite a while, as it appears the patent was originally filed way back in Q3 2008.

Not surprisingly, Apple has also filed and been awarded several more patents in the last while too. You know that Smart Cover and Smart Case for the iPad? It looks like they may be planning to miniaturize the whole thing and slap it onto the iPod nano too. I get the utility for something the size of an iPad, but do you really need a magnetic folding cover for your tiny MP3 player?

[Patently Apple via NFC News]

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The idea is actually quite simple. It’s a watch band for your iPod nano, but there is an integrated Bluetooth adapter. This is a seamless design, so you don’t get an ugly adapter jutting out from the bottom. The band and case are molded from a flexible silicone polymer, featuring ample venting to provide airflow to your wrist. Simply pair up the Bluetooth headphones of your choice and you can have a cable-free music experience when you go for your run or hit up the gym. Leave the wired headphones at home.

With 25 days to go, the Kickstarter project has already reached its funding goal. You can expect to see the SYRE ship in six different colors when it becomes available in 4 to 6 months. Pledge at least $50 to secure one of the first units. Full retail will be $79.95.

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You’ve already seen the crazy MacBook Pro Touch concept, but what if Apple were to extend the touch to some of its other products. Not to be confused with the iPod touch, what you’re looking at here is a concept for the next-generation iPod nano. More specifically, it’s being touted as the iPod nano touch for obvious reasons, but it’s even smarter than that.

Coming by way of designer Enrico Penello, the concept device naturally comes with a touchscreen display. The UI appears to be somewhat similar to the current clippy and touchy iPod nano, but the shape has been extended into a longer stick, not unlike the shape we used to have with the old iPod shuffle. The concept is smarter, though, coming with Wi-Fi, a FaceTime-ready front-facing camera, and a new weather app. Yes, Nike+ support is there too.

With the longer body shape comes a longer clip on the back. Rounding out the specs are the trusted home button and a couple of volume buttons, as well as the power button on top. I’m not sure I like the idea of the extended clip, but I think I can get into the extended touchscreen interface and Wi-Fi capabilities. This is totally an unofficial concept, though, so who knows if Cupertino is paying attention?

[Source]

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Your smartphone can be used to do so many different things, but it may not always be all that practical to be holding such a large slate in your hands. That’s why the Motorola ACTV might be so compelling; it’s an Android-based sports watch with some athletic secrets up its virtual sleeves.

Chris Hall from Pocket Lint has the opportunity to go hands on with the device and his impressions are generally positive. Yes, it looks pretty much just like the current iPod nano, but there’s more to this watch. For starters, the little lip on the back lets it slide into different straps. You can wear it as a watch, sure, but it can also slip onto your bike’s handlebars, for example.

Perhaps the niftiest trick is when you use one of the two optional headsets. These may look like regular earphones for you to enjoy your tunes while running down a trail, but these actually function as the heart rate monitors too! No more need for that messy chest strap. Considering that most folks listen to music while working out, this is a nice solution. It’s also ANT+ compatible, so you can use a range of ANT+ devices too.

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Much like Nike+ Sport Watch feature-wise, but while resembling Apple’s iPod nano a bit too much in terms of design, the upcoming device will most likely run on the Android platform. You could also sync the device wirelessly to a PC or Android-based devices for a workout analysis.

If the fitness-music-watch device hits the market, a possible name could be MotoActive. I, for one would buy it, although the odds of me jogging are highly unlikely to happen.

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Let’s take a hypothetical look inside the Apple think tank. When they were thinking about what to do with the 6th-gen nano, they thought they wanted to go smaller and they thought they wanted a touchscreen. Then, they thought they wanted to remove the camera from the 5th gen, along with the video support.

Well, going back into that think tank, how can you “revolutionize” things “all over again” for portable MP3 players? You bring back the features you took away. Then it’s new and improved, right? That appears to be the thinking behind the upcoming 7th-gen iPod nano.

What you see here, apparently, is a leaked image of the next nano’s exterior metal casing. What’s that interesting hole in the top-right corner, you might ask? Well, it very much looks like a slot for a camera, don’t you think?

Based on this image, and we always takes these leaks with giant grains of salt, the seventh-generation iPod nano will retain the basic square shape of the 6th gen, but it’ll plop a camera back in there. We assume this also means video support is coming back, but that camera might be only for stills. They’ll also have to rethink the placing and design of the “clip” portion on the back. It would be best if they could have the camera on the front, then when using your watch strap it could be like a dick tracy communicator on Skype.

The seventh-gen isn’t here yet, but I can already imagine the 8th-gen. They’ll bring back the click wheel, elongate the shape, and say it’s brand new all over again.

[Read via Giz]

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The goods were shipped over as parts from Asia to be reassembled and labelled in L.A. before being sold in order to obscure the operation. Laid out on a table in typical drug-bust style, a Los Angeles Times photo shows piles upon piles of the PSPs, third- and fourth-gen Nanos and other goods set to be displayed in a press conference Monday.

“This was a well-funded operation,” said Ron Boyd, chief of the L.A. Port Police force. ”The counterfeits looked very authentic.”

Though they were deceiving to the eye, the iPods and iPhones, many of older generations, don’t work when hooked up to iTunes, he said. Investigators assume the recent shipment was timed to coincide with lingering electronics hype brought on by the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

The investigation also involved the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, the Border Enforcement Security Task Force, the California Highway Patrol’s Cargo Theft Interdiction Program and the Vernon Police Department.

This sort of thing is pretty commonplace in other countries — the word “Molino” comes to mind — so it’s good to see the integrity of the world’s most trusted industry defended in the U.S.A.

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