iPod Tracker : iPod News

New audio chips released by Wolfson Microelectronics will boost the battery life of pretty much every iPod sold. The new audio chip, called the WM8985, is reported to give up to 70% more battery life according to Wolfson. If these figures prove true, then you can expect a big jump in the length of time that you can spend listening to music.

However, with the recent iPod nano and video bringing brighter screens and extra photo / video capabilities, these improvements might go unnoticed. However, Apple are historically keen to boost battery life across all iPod models, so it is quite possible that they will use the new chip in upcoming revisions.

Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street is now offering iPod training, but at a premium price! If you are new to the iPod (and can’t make the Apple Store at the bottom of Oxford Street) then head to Selfridges and get 40 minutes of training, priced at £65.

Apparently Selfridges have been inundated with new iPod users who are confused about using the player, even though it is by far the simplest to operate. Aside from their in-store training program they are also offering home-based training.

As part of their move into iPod services they have just setup a new service called SpeedPod where Selfridges staff will load music onto the customer’s iPod.

As part of MacWorld Steve jobs gave his usual run down of sales figures for iPod and iTunes.

iTunes

• New FM radio tuner that works with all current iPods. $49.
• Reports that Apple have sold over 8 million TV shows since they started on October 12th.
• iTunes currently running at 3 million downloads per day, 850 million songs already sold.
• iTunes has 83% marketshare, selling at the rate of over 1 billion songs per year.

iPod

• Apple sold 14 million iPods over the 2005 Christmas shopping season.
• They were selling at the rate of over 100 per minute throughout the entire quarter!
• Since Apple first released the iPod they have sold a total of 42 million iPods.

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.

Every year Google releases a Zeitgeist, a list of the most popular searches in the year through Google.com. This year, iPod related searches were all over the lists.

‘iTunes’ ranked 6th in the top 10 top gainers of 2005. But in the list of top searches through Froogle (Google’s shopping comparison engine), iPod was clearly the most popular item taking 4 of the top 10 spots:

1. ipod
2. digital camera
3. mp3 player
4. ipod mini
5. psp
6. laptop
7. xbox
8. ipod shuffle
9. computer desk
10. ipod nano

Google also released a graph showing how iPod searches jumped overnight after Apple released iPod nano. Podcasting searches also made good growth through the year.

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We’ve known for a while now that Apple’s iPod, and in particular iPod nano, has been selling really well. The 4GB iPod nano is sold out in both the UK and USA Apple Online Stores and will not be available to ship for another 2 weeks.

Now comes reports that analysts are expecting Apple to sell 11 million iPods in the December quarter, with approximately 100,000 iPod nanos shipping per day. There are even reports that because of the inexhaustible demand Apple are considering releasing a new 1GB iPod nano that would slow sales of the larger iPod nanos and free up supplies.

Apple are expected to update the current iPod shuffle line at the MacWorld expo in January. Rumours are that they will introduce a new black iPod shuffle.

If you want to buy an iPod shuffle this Christmas, you are too late. The Online Apple Store have announced that supplies of their popular lower-end iPod shuffle has sold out in the UK and USA. Apple’s website states that the line is: ” Currently unavailable. Sold out for the holidays and we hope to have supply again later in January.”

Stocks of the hugely popular 4GB iPod nano are also running short with a wait of up to 2 weeks before shipping in both the UK and USA Online Apple Stores. However, there seems to be stock of the 2GB version of iPod nano still available.

President Bush has described his iPod as “pretty high-tech stuff.” President Bush, an enthusiastic runner, uses his iPod shuffle when out exercising.

It turns out that Bush is jealous of Bono’s iPod, saying that the iPod he uses now is a “clunker” but that there is a “new version now that’s lighter and thinner.”

A report over at AppleInsider suggests that many stores are sold out of iPod nanos, making them extremely difficult to find. That is unless you live close to an Apple Store, most of which have a stock of the nano in black and white.

Because of the shortage many people are buying them at highly inflated prices, as high as $350, on eBay. With Apple’s largest distributor in the United States reporting a backlog of some 200,000 orders, you may have to drive to the local Apple Store if you want to get your hands on what is turning out to be the hottest gift this Christmas.

A new service offered by iVideoBlast makes it easy to download classic animation, TV shows and films for your iPod video. Starting at just $0.99 you can get your hands on some classic content.