Apple Introduced New iPod Touch, Classic, Video-Capable Nano Models at Media Event

Following weeks of anticipation, Apple released all new models of its iPod media player series at its “Rock and Rock” event in San Francisco on Wednesday. The new models include a 160GB iPod classic (which features an additional 40GB than the previous model) and retains the moving hard drive as opposed to a Flash-based drive.

Apple’s revised iPod shuffle, which is physically unchanged from the previous model, now arrives in black, silver, pink, green and blue and arrives in 2GB and 4GB capacities for US$59 and US$79, respectively. A new “special edition” 4GB model retails for US$99.

According to Macworld, Apple has responded to critics of the previous iPod shuffle design which moved the shuffle control on to the cord, Apple says that it’s working with third-party headphone makers to integrate the controls into their designs as well, and that adapters are also available with more on the way.

As expected, Apple also made changes to its best-selling iPod touch on Wednesday, reducing the price of its 8GB model from US$229 to US$199 while adding a 64GB model for US$399 while its 32GB model now sells for US$299.

The company also announced that the new high-end 32GB and 64GB models are now 50% faster and feature support for Open GL|ES version 2.0, the cross-platform graphics API.

The big news, however, arrived in the form of a new iPod nano with a built-in video camera. The unit arrives in 8GB and 16GB models, each model incorporating a video camera and microphone on the back of the device as well as a built-in speaker. The camera itself shoots H.264 VGA video at up to a 640 x 480 pixel resolution at up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio in either portrait or landscape modes.

The nano features 15 special effects that can be applied in real time: Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch, and Twirl and can display video or sync it back to your computer. From here, users can easily upload the clip to YouTube, Facebook, MobileMe, or share it via e-mail. The microphone can also be used with the nano’s voice recording feature.

The nano now offers full VoiceOver support, which provides audible navigation cues in 20 languages, and the new Genius Mixes feature, which creates up to 12 endless playlists of music based on your existing library. A new built-in pedometer which can measure your steps and sync the information with the Nike+ service and, in a first for an iPod, an FM radio tuner. The radio tuner now supports live pause, which allows users to pause a live program and resume it later, and iTunes Tagging, which lets listeners tag radio songs they like and then preview and optionally purchase the song next time they sync with iTunes.

The revised nano now features a larger 2.2″, 240 x 376-pixel, display and comes in nine colors: silver, black, purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, (PRODUCT) RED and pink. The 8GB model retails for US$149 and the 16GB for US$179.

Both new models are shipping today and require Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later as well as iTunes 9 or later to install and run.