iPod Nano video camera causes more of a stir than faster iPod Touch

Well, Apple diehards, here we go again.

The temperature is beginning its descent, students are falling back into routine, and Costco has already brought out this year’s Christmas gear.

It’s also that time of year when Apple usually shows off its newest iPods. Not failing to observe this yearly tradition, Apple unveiled yesterday (September 9) its 2009 lineup of music players.

With Apple CEO Steve Jobs making his return to the public eye at the unveiling in San Francisco, techies around the world were shown the first images of a beefed-up iPod Nano, a modestly improved iPod Touch, and a barely bettered iPod Classic and Shuffle.

The Nano’s improvements are pretty significant when compared with last year’s model, and although the storage capacity remains the same (eight gigabytes and 16 gigabytes) the new list of tricks is likely to convince at least a few people out there to spring for the new model and leave last year’s in the drawer to be forgotten.

The newest feature that’s gaining the most attention would have to be the video camera being stuffed into the pint-sized MP3 player. The lens is located on the back of the player and shoots at a 640x480 resolution. Users are then able to play back the video on the iPod itself or transfer it to their computer for editing. Unfortunately, the Nano is not set up to take still images for whatever reason, but the video feature is sure to be a welcome addition nonetheless. This also marks the first time that an iPod has come equipped with a camera.

Another key new feature is that the Nano now has a built-in FM radio, which could make the morning commute that much more passable. Not only can users switch to FM radio on the go, but they can also pause the radio at any given time.

To top it off, other features include an integrated microphone and speaker, a pedometer, and a voice recorder.

As for the iPod Touch, its list of improvements caused considerably less of a stir.

It had long been speculated that the next iteration of the touchscreen iPods would be receiving a camera upgrade, putting it closer to par with the iPhone. Instead, the only thing the Touch received was a memory boost (now 64 gigabytes on top of the previous 32 gigabytes and eight gigabytes), and a faster processor (the same one as the iPhone 3GS) that increases speeds by 50 percent. Consumers should also note that only the 32-gigabyte and 64-gigabyte models feature the new processor.

Finally, the iPod Classic and Shuffle both remained relatively the same, with changes in storage capacities being the only new features.

The Classic is now available in both 120-gigabyte and new 160-gigabyte flavours, while the Shuffle adds a cheaper, two-gigabyte model to go along with its previous four-gigabyte model.

Thus concludes another iPod lineup from Apple. Tune in again the same time next year.