iPod Tracker

MacWorld kicks off tomorrow with Steve Jobs’ keynote speach. So here are our recommendations on where to go during the day for the best coverage.

• MacRumors – traditionally good coverage direct from the floor. (Thanks DoctorQ!)
• MacNN – usually has coverage from the floor and keynote in a feed.
• MacWorld – should have regular updates from the show.
• MacTeens – cool site, has correspondents in SF to cover developments as they happen.

Live coverage will not be easy to come by tomorrow primarily because Apple will not stream the event live (like they used to) and so many people will be on the Mac sites that getting a decent connection is difficult. If you are having trouble getting onto any of these sites, then you might be best just waiting it out until the main Mac news hubs update.

• AppleInsider – Blow-by-blow coverage with great editorial. Best bet for in-depth analysis.
• ThinkSecret – Usually offers a good roundup of releases – they probably know about half of the gear that’s coming tomorrow!
• Spymac – Typical roundup of main stories.
• MacDailyNews – Offering live coverage on a ‘lite’ page.
• iPodGarage – Bill Palmer will be updating direct from the show floor.

Aside from these, keep your eye on the various blog engines and community sites for news and reaction.

• Engadget – Coverage from the show floor. (Thanks dssaylor!)
• TUAW – Engadget’s sister-site, will also offer news from MacWord. (Thanks Jim Lind!)
• Digg – Should be frantic with updates tomorrow!
• Technorati – Get reaction from blogs across the web.
• Yahoo! News – Great for catching all the product announcements from the show floor.
• Google News – They’re just ok.
• CNET News – These guys usually have decent coverage with video clips of key moments in the keynote.
• BBC News – UK news authority, had a live stream of Apple’s last special event.
• Time – Has been known to accidentally leak Apple secrets (iMac G4 for example).
• Newsweek – Another trusted source worth checking into.
• MSNBC – Often manages an interview with SJ.

Don’t forget about Apple’s website. Later in the day they will probably release the recorded keynote, possibly here? Never seen a MacWorld keynote before? Try these out, they should be enough to tide you over until tomorrow.

• 2005 MacWorld Keynote
• 2004 MacWorld Keynote

The Keynote starts tomorrow, Tuesday 01/10/2006, 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM.

I’m sure there are a lot of sites that I’ve missed out on, but these should have all the bases covered whether you manage to get a live feed or have to wait for the dust to settle. Any suggestions? Add a comment.

Memeo now offers a version of it’s backup solution designed for iPod. Called Memeo iExtend for iPod, the backup solution is intended to give users greater access to the digital content on their iPod.

iExtend is available for $30. It can manage emails, notes, calendars, contacts and files wherever you are. A handy feature called Zero-Touch moves important data onto your iPod. The software is compatible with Windows 2000SP4, Windows XP Pro and Windows XP Home Edition.

Ignitek are launching 4 speaker systems for iPod this week at MacWorld. The line-up includes the iCarrier for all iPods except iPod shuffle, iCruiser for all iPods except iPod shuffle, iCheer for iPod shuffle and iCheer 212 for iPod nano.

The Ignitek iCarrier (recommended by iLounge) will work with all iPods except for the iPod shuffle. It offers an active 3-way systems of speakers consisting of a free standng speaker and subwoofer, variable bass control and remote control. The iCarrier comes with a built-in dock for iPods but can also interface with other non-Apple MP3 players. Ignitek’s iCarrier retails at $230.

Also released is the iCruiser, another active 3-way speaker with subwooker that combines sound quality with space-saving and ergonomic design. The iCruiser can also work with all iPods except iPod shuffles, as well as being compatible with other non-Apple players. Priced at $150, the iCruiser comes with a USB / FireWire connector and remote control.

Custom-designed for iPod shuffles is the Ignitek iCheer, a smaller portable speaker system that can be powered with just 3 AA batteries. It is priced at a reasonable $70.

The latest release from iGnitek is the iCheer212, designed for the hugely popular iPod nano. It is designed to be portable so you can take it with you on trips. Unlike the original iCheer, the iCheer212 can charge an ipod nano via the standard connector cable. The speaker can also be connected to any Mac or PC for playback of music libraries. It will be available priced at $90.

All of Ignitek’s speakers are registered in Apple’s ‘Made for iPod’ program.

Chrysler will make integration with iPod in some of it’s 2006 models. Integration with the car has been key to the success of iPod with other companies offering iPod integration such as Audi, Mini, Honda, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. Chrysler will offer iPod integration priced at $175, with the possibility of retrofitting certain 2005 models.

Recent figures indicate Apple’s success in getting iPods into cars with 40% of all cars sold in the USA in 2006 coming with iPod integration. Apple’s strategy is clear, position iPod as the dominant player for cars and secure the market.

The iSee 360 from ATO is a device designed to make your iPod (any model except shuffle) a video recorder. Simply by sliding your iPod into the iSee 360 docking bay you can play video with sound using iPod headphones of external speakers, record TV shows directly from your TV for playback, record compressed video to your iPod for playback and playback movies on your TV. The iSee 360 also lets you download and play back movies from the internet and play slideshows of your photos.

It comes with a built-in 3.6″ LCD colour screen and a lightweight design incorporating an iPod dock. The iSee 360 uses a rechargeable battery with 4 hours of battery life that does not drain power from your iPod and can be plugged into a mains socket to charge. Integrated video in/video out allows you to record video from your TV, VCR or even TiVo for playback on your TV later on. Audio-in/audio-out also lets you record sound from your stereo for playback later.

It supports multiple file formats including MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and Windows Media 9/10. An all-round pretty cool iPod accessory.

New content from ESPN, ABC Sports, ABC Entertainment and Touchstone Television, ABC News, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Buena Vista, SOAPnet and Walt Disney Feature Animation will be made available on iTunes.

The announcement means that a slew of American football games, Xgames and more sporting content will be available to download. Family shows like “Wildfire”, “Kim Possible”, “The Proud Family”, “School House Rock” and others will also be on iTunes soon.

Classics from Walt Disney feature Animation such as “The Three Little Pigs” and “The Tortoise and the Hare” will be offered for download through iTunes also. A selection of free video podcasts including parts of “Good Morning America”, “World News Tonight”, ” Money Minute” and “Medical Minute” among others will also be made available.

Motorola will not include support for Apple’s iTunes Music Store in the upcoming release of the Motorola ROKR E2. Instead, the ROKR E2 will feature a new subscription-based music service from Motorola called iRadio. It is reported that iRadio will also include 435 commercial-free radio channels.

The first release of Motorola’s ROKR was a failure because it failed to live up to expectations set by iPod’s ease of use and storage capacity. The first ROKR was released at the same event where Apple unveiled the critically acclaimed iPod nano, leading to reports of a rift between Apple and Motorola. Even though Motorola will not support iTunes in the ROKR E2, the recently announced RAZR V3i will support iTunes.

It looks like Motorola continue to struggle to gain a share of the online music market, but confusing customers with regards what music they can listen to on their phone and what they can’t is not a good way to build trust.

The Pyp Bomb Guitar & iPod amplifier is a new slant on iPod speaker accessories. Constructed from PVC piping and plastic, the Pyp Bomb amplifier packs a punch with 18 watts of head-banging power.

Playing music from your iPod through the Pyp Bomb is easy, just plug the amplifier into the 3.5mm jack and turn it on. The Pyp Bomb amplifies sound while optimizing it to sound clear and crisp. However, the Pyp Bomb also works with electric guitars, which can be simply plugged into the 1/4″ jack and played back in either electric or acoustic mode

With it’s built-in liquid acid battery, the Pyp Bomb amplifier can manage a couple of days usage before requiring a recharge. You can purchase the Pyp Bomb amplifier for $150.

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With iLoad you can now load music and video onto your iPod without the use of a computer. The recently released iLoad looks like a large-sized portable CD player, which just so happens to be able to transfer music and video onto your iPod. The manufacturers claim that iLoad can transfer an entire CD in about 8 minutes. iLoad takes care of album and track information by utilizing a database of 1.8 million songs, which can be updated via the internet. The iLoad will retail at $249.

Another cheaper version, dubbed the iLoad-v, will be capable of transferring video onto your iPod and will retail at $149. The iLoad-v will connect to your satellite or cable box, allowing content to be pushed onto the iPod.

eMagine Corp. have developed a wearable headset with a built-in screen that can plug into a 5G iPod video. The headset, called the EyeBud 800, then projects the video feed in front of one of the wearer’s eyes. The EyeBud 800 uses a technology to process the video feed to appear at a higher resolution than the actual source.

It is reported that the feed, when viewed through the EyeBud headset, provides the same experience as watching video on a 105-inch display from about 12 ft away. The EyeBud 800 will sell for $599 and will come with a control module (about the same size as an iPod) which includes a rechargeable battery.

The EyeBud 800 is a great idea, but if you really want to watch the video from your iPod why not just plug it into a nearby TV or computer. The headset might look a little weird while sitting and watching last night episode of Lost down your local coffee shop. In fact it looks a little ‘Borgish’ in appearance. However, we applaud eMagine for the idea. The EyeBud is certainly a ‘different’ iPod accessory, I just don’t know if I’d want to be seen wearing it in public!

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