The Gear Guide

If you took a time machine way back to the year 1999, a whole decade ago, and described the technology of today, you'd probably be laughed at. Widespread use of Twitter? The internet and all its vast abilities right on your cell phone? HDTV and Blu-Ray? Nintendo Wii? Among these modern toys, one many people take for granted is the iPod. The very idea that every song you ever listened to (and some you didn't want to) would fit in a device smaller than a credit card is mind blowing. Over its lifetime, the device has come down in price and up in features, appealing to everyone and their grandma. At one of Apple's hyped up events last Wednesday, the company released the newest generation of its iPod family, promising more fun for less money.The iPod Touch, now with 8 GB and still with all the goodies in the app store, can now be had for only $199. That's a pretty sweet deal considering all the device has to offer. If you need more space, the $299 price point now includes 32 GB of memory, and for $399 you can have 64 GB of music, movies, and more. With the success of the app store's game sales, the iPod touch is now in line to take on the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP. Game developers can take advantage of the motion-sensing accelerometer inside the iPod or iPhone and create immersive games that the competition lacks. This gadget is so popular now that getting your name engraved on the back doesn't seem like a bad idea.

For those of us who don't like smudges all over their screen, or simply have a huge music library, the iPod classic remains a good option. The new version doesn't have any major upgrades, besides an increase in size to a whopping 160gb (about 40,000 songs according to Apple) for only $249, perfect if you need a lot of movies for that long plane ride.

Moving right along is the iPod that promises the most changes. In all its bright new colors and its small size, the iPod Nano now has a video camera (because we all need another device with a camera inside) that can instantly upload videos of your friends doing stupid things to YouTube. Apple decided to borrow an idea from Microsoft's Zune by adding a FM Tuner that can "pause" live radio for 15 minutes like TiVo does for TV. In addition to that, Apple randomly decoded to add a pedometer application to the Nano, and apparently it syncs with some Nike gear to become an aid to your workout. I'm not sure why, but I guess all you who wish to count your steps up and down the hill to Henderson can now do so with your ear buds in. Prices are $149 for the 8 GB model and $179 for twice the memory at 16 GB.

Finally, the baby iPod, the shuffle. This little device has always bugged me because it lacks a screen and its loseability factor. The current version is about the size of your thumb and features a clip on the back to put on your backpack, waist, hat, friend, or pocket. The entire unit has a single button on it for power/hold and the rest is controlled by the couple of buttons on the earbud wire. In order to know what you are listening to, apple has a feature called "voice over" which reads the song info to you from a computerized voice. People who aren't fans of the iPod's earbuds will be happy to know that apple and third parties will be selling a few different pairs that feature the shuffle's control in the cable. If this gadget is your kind of thing, it's only $59 or $79 for 2 or 4 GB respectively.

So if you're in need of a new music player, Apple has some pretty good ones to add to your Wish List. Also keep in mind that Microsoft also just released a new music player to take some business away from the iTouch, and they're calling it the Zune HD, and it looks like they may have a winner. That's all for this week, if you want any more info on these new toys, check out the apple store at West Town Mall in Knoxville, your Jeff City Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or at Apple's Website. (www.apple.com).