Motorola’s ROKR E1 iTunes Phone
Perhaps the most anticipated announcement was regarding the new Motorola ROKR E1 cellular phone. This device, which will be distributed by wireless provider Cingular for $249.99 with a two year commitment, comes with Apple’s iTunes pre-installed. With this installed, users will be able to transfer up to 100 songs from iTunes software on their Mac or PC directly to the phone for their portable listening enjoyment.The ROKR E1 has a color display for viewing album art. It also features built-in dual stereo speakers as well as stereo headphones that can double as a mobile headset with microphone. Other notables include a dedicated music key to switch between phone and music mode, automatic pausing of the music when users take a call, wireless Bluetooth technology for compatible unwired headsets and the ability to listen to tunes while messaging with friends or using the built in digital camera to take a photo.
Apple iPod nano
Say goodbye to the mini and hello to the nano. Apple’s latest iPod family member holds up to a 1000 songs and is thinner than a standard #2 pencil. The nano comes in 2GB ($199) and 4GB ($249) sizes and is available in black or white.The nano, like its iPod kin, has a vast array of useful features and functions. For starters, this little guy weighs only 1.5 ounces. It features Apple’s standard click wheel design for menu and song navigation, has integration and auto music synchronization with the ITunes music management software on the PC or Mac and has built in the same 30-pin connector found on the iPod and iPod mini, which guarantees it will work with the over 1,000 iPod accessories currently out in the market.
Other features include a color screen which can display album art or digital photos with have been transferred to the nano from a computer, USB 2.0 support, up to 14 hours of battery life, skip free playback because of using flash memory instead of a hard drive, a stopwatch and a world clock.
There are also some cool new optional accessories for the iPod nano. Lanyard headphones integrate the headphone cables into the lanyard so users don’t have to dangle the cables while listening to their player. There are the nano tubes, which are available in five colors and serve as fashionable cases. Also available in five colors are armbands so the nano can be worn as one walks around or works out.
iTunes 5
iTunes, the software which most iPod users use to transfer and manage music on their iPod, got some new features in version 5. These new features include a new search bar to make it easier to find music or audiobooks in the online iTunes music store or in the user’s iTunes music library, a smarter random song shuffle feature and the ability to sync the iPod with information from the Microsoft Outlook information management program.Also new to the iTunes experience are parental controls, album reviews, a new look for the software and online store and better organization of playlists into folders.