These items do not appear to exist yet.

This phone is 1/4″ longer than the G’Zone Rock so cradles for that phone are unlikely to work.

Rating: 4 / 5

1. This phone is LONG and it’s hard to find a good case for.

2. Sound quality is good; MUCH better than the Boulder.

3. HOWEVER, if you put your phone on your left shoulder NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU!!

That is really really bad. The phone is completely useless, it appears, for left handed people!!

4. Battery life is MUCH better than the Boulder (remember Verizon started shipping out 2 batteries for those!).

5. The GzApps are on this phone; so compass, themometer, pedometer, etc. are all inside. Those are great!!

Overall a big improvement over the older phones, but the mic placement is very odd. When you open

the phone the mic is near the hinge (about middle of phone) and on the far right. So if you hold it to your shoulder while doing other things, everyone complains that it is “cutting in and out.” Must have Push to Talk users in mind with that.

6. Has a 3.2mp camera and it does a very good job of taking photos. Just watch where you fingers are on the back of the phone or else it will block the camera).

7. It has charging contacts on the right, but it doesn’t have a cradle like the old boulder. It uses a standard USB (b type) cord so it’s easy to find car chargers, USB to computer cables.

8. It allows easy connection from PC to phone to move music and photos. The mini SD card goes in under the battery.

9. Battery is now NOT attached to the back cover. You open the cover, and then remove the battery like most phones (as opposed to the Boulder where the cover and battery were one).

If you like the rugged phones, and don’t want a smart phone or move to a costly data plan, this is the phone

to get.
Rating: 4 / 5

This is a convenient way to do things if you need to do live on-location recording, since most digital multi-track recorders are highly portable and generally have built-in hardware controls and other useful things like phantom power, and can also quickly produce (not perfect) stereo-mixed preview CDs on site without destroying the raw tracks.

While I seldom record direct to my PC, several people I know use Music Creator, as far back as MC-3 and 4, for that as well and are generally pleased with it.
Rating: 4 / 5

I use it in video production to augment production music which often is just about right but needs the little extra oomph that a bed of strings or an appropriately placed cymbal hit can provide. I researched a lot of software and even tried out a couple of well-known programs–with great disappointment. I’m not interested in a steep learning curve for what I need recording software to do, and Music Creator is the only application I found which allowed my to accomplish my purposes almost immediately–not to mention inexpensively.

I subtract a star because I had to agonize a bit to get the program to install correctly on my computer and locate all the plug-ins. Once that struggle was over I was off to the races–and having lots of fun considering all the future possibilities. This is a great tool to add to my toolbox.

Rating: 4 / 5

I found it to be a powerful tool for a very low investment. I’m a one man band and I’m always trying to capture and flesh out some new song idea or rework an old song with a different style. And this let’s me do just that!
Rating: 5 / 5

we bought from JR, because at the time it was slightly cheaper than Amazon, even with shipping, but the price has gone up.

This keyboard came with a stand, probably a $20 value, which is a bonus. It shows it in the picture, but not in the product description. We just had to get a bench and we were set.

We’ve just started exploring the settings. The first we adjusted was the touch sensitivity, which makes it louder the harder (technically, the faster) you hit the key, like a real piano. It has 3 setting choices: off, 1, and 2, with 2 being most sensitive. On 2 there is a pretty wide range of volume with key stroke, from very quiet on up, mimicking a real piano; not just quiet and loud.

Its still new to us, but we are very pleased with what we got for the money.

Rating: 5 / 5

Bill Mann has written I Want My MP3 to encourage computer-savvy readers to take advantage of this new and exciting technology. The book covers a broad and thoughtfully interwoven range of topics related to MP3 technology, such as obtaining and using MP3 and utility programs, buying MP3 players for the home, office, and car, accessing and downloading sound files from online services, buying MP3 music online, creating your own kind of music, and sharing music (legally) with others!

This book offers a wealth of online resources for readers to obtain MP3 music files. A number of MP3 online music services, libraries, and search engines are discussed to help readers find the tunes and special effects they want. Is your computer able to handle MP3? Bill Mann provides readers with the insight they need to upgrade their own equipment to handle MP3 technology, including the installation and use of CD burners which have made the sharing of computer data a much simpler and affordable task!

MP3 may not be for everyone but I did happen to find the MP3 files included on the accompanying CD simply breath-taking. It’s amazing how these files can be stored and accessed online. Convenient distribution has made this file format big business for a lot of people. Professional musicians, music buffs, computer hobbyists, and Web developers should learn more about this booming technology and put it to use.

This book is easy to read and follow along. It is highly recommended. Consider subscribing to some of the online newsgroups, mailing lists, and newsletters featured in the book for further educational experience. Readers are cautioned to avoid Websites offering suspected unlawful distribution of music files and the availability of other illegal content!
Rating: 5 / 5

Contains info on playing, downloading, ripping MP3s and everything you need to know about the newest MP3 players and recorders. Good reference to start with if you know nothing or just want to learn more about MP3′s.

The CD that comes with the book has some great MP3 music too – including ENIS. What a great bunch of guys they are.
Rating: 5 / 5

Happy: This unit is amazing! Sounds incredible for such a small unit and this destroys any assumptions I had about Bose (so many negative energy towards Bose on the Internet). Let’s just the say the sound quality caught me by surprise. Love the battery, love the looks, there’s nothing I hate about it except…

Sad: I didn’t end up keeping it. I ended up bringing home 5 iPod speaker systems. I ended up bringing home a Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere, Griffin Amplifi, JBL OnStage Micro, iHome2go, and this system here. I ended up keeping the Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere. For more details on why keep reading…

I had several things I wanted out of the iPod Speaker System. I wanted portability, the ability to play without an AC adapter or use batteries, great sound, and aesthetics. I did not have a budget but that doesn’t mean I would blindly spend it if I didn’t feel it was worth it. I’ll break it down by speaker system:

iHome2go

Liked: The clock, the battery compartment, the included case, portability, looks decent, line-in, price.

Disliked: Sound is just downright horrible, I couldn’t stand it. I have very demanding listening tastes and this didn’t even pass as decent. Everything was tinny and it lacked mid and low end sound.

FAIL

JBL OnStage Micro

Liked: Small, battery compartment, included case, line-in, price, sounded decent at low volumes.

Disliked: Sound was very distorted at higher volumes, aesthetics.

FAIL

Griffin Amplifi

Liked: Crisp highs, very nice low end sound, decent look, price.

Disliked: Sounds like there is a hole in the music, no mid range sound, very big, not portable, no batteries.

FAIL

Logitech Pure-Fi Anywhere

Liked: Size, built-in rechargeable battery, includes case, sound is stunning for such a small unit, very clear sound, PRICE got this for only $89 at circuit city.

Disliked: Low end is decent but it’s good for something this small, doesn’t look like the Bose, doesn’t sound like the Bose.

I ended up keeping this unit because I felt the extra 300 dollars for the Bose was not worth it. Perhaps when the price falls for the Bose unit I will reconsider purchasing.

Hope this helps!
Rating: 4 / 5

Sure, you pay through the nose, but my experience is that Bose delivers quality and stands by its products. We bought the SD Portable because we’re living in a small flat in London. It’s the perfect solution. Few wires, self-contained, small, yet it delivers a big quality sound that fills our living room. We are also limited on wall outlets here and with the great battery life from the rechargeable battery, I can take it anywhere around the flat.

Some knock Bose for their prices and refusal to disclose sound specs. Hey, I just listen to my music and find that it enables me to really enjoy that music where other systems might get in the way. If it doesn’t deliver the best sound for its size, it’s nearly the best.

The one problem I experienced is that with my new iPod Classic 80GB, the playlist up and down buttons on the remote don’t work. Bose told me they can’t keep up with every iPod model and that software updates to the iPod might fix that, but no guarantees. This is not a fatal flaw, but a bit of an annoyance.

Otherwise, this is a great product and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it, especially if you’re interested in great sound in an effecient and small box.
Rating: 5 / 5

However, this product has unadvertised problems with the 3rd Generation iPods (black and white screen, dock connector, four buttons and a touch-wheel), and I’m glad I discovered this in the store before paying the full $400. When plugged into the Sounddock, the screen freezes, and neither the remote nor the buttons can advance the track. The ill effects cease the moment the iPod is removed, but nonetheless, it’s more or less unusable with this early iPod. If you’re thinking of trying it and have a 3G iPod, I’d recommend looking elsewhere, or at least going in to a Bose store to double check and make sure that you too don’t experience this problem. Bose has heard about it, but apparently it’s not a fixable issue, just a question of old technology.

So, I’d definitely recommend this product acoustically, but practically, I’d make sure you’re using a more recent model of iPod before you give it a shot.
Rating: 3 / 5

I was on the fence about this purchase for several weeks. I had researched the first generation Bose SoundDock digital music system for iPod for quite some time. I found a couple of shortcomings that prevented me from buying that unit. First, it did not have a battery for portable use, so you always had to have it plugged in. Secondly it did not have an aux input, so it would only work with Apple iPod devices. What if I wanted to plug in my daughter’s Sandisk MP3 player, or my son’s Creative MP3 player? The second generation Bose SoundDock does not have these limitations. They have included a battery system, for hours of portable music without being tethered to A/C mains. They also include an aux input, so you can plug in any device’s audio output with a stereo mini plug. They also added a slick swivel dock, which swings back into the speaker system when not in use. As far as the sound quality goes, both first and second generation systems seem to sound just as good; solid bottom end, crisp top end, and mild yet adequate midrange.

I was tempted to order this item from Amazon, as their prices, shipping, and customer service are always top notch. However, I was still a little unsure as to whether or not I would be completely satisfied with this product in my home. After all, it is $400.00! I decided to purchase it from a local electronics store, which offers a 30 day return policy, in case I decided that it was not worth the price after listening to it in my home. Well I am pleased to report that this Bose SoundDock sounds simply amazing. I don’t know how they get such BIG sound from such a little device, but Bose has definately done a wonderful thing with this SoundDock. The sound is deep but not too boomy. The stereo soundfield is a little narrow but that is to be expected from any portable sound dock, as the speakers are so close together. Still, Bose is known for their ability to use angled speaker technology to offer a wide stereo sound. I guess they just didn’t feel that this aspect was important enough for their SoundDock product. That is a shame. I must also note that the sound produced from this device seems different when listening from different angles. If I sit the device on a table and sit down right in front of it, the high end is crisp and bright but the lower end is a little on the weak side. However, if I back up a few feet the bottom end really jumps out, and yet you lose a little bit of the crispness of the highs. Overall the SoundDock sounds great and it really fills a small and medium sized room with full bodied sound. You can crank this puppy way up without any audible sounds of distortion. Very impressive indeed. I have listened to Pop, Rock, Country, Dance, House, and even classical music on the Bose SoundDock, and all sounded equally impressive. Bass notes are very tight, not boomy or sloppy like I have experienced on several other iPod music systems. My only complaint is that the midrange seemed a bit weak on a few tracks, but seemed just fine on others. This may have to do with the equalization of my iPod Touch, but I don’t notice these differences when listening through headphones.

Overall I am very pleased with my Bose SoundDock Portable Music System. It produces rich, room filling sound, offers perfect portability (thanks to the inclussion of a Lithium Ion Battery Pack), and has an auxiliary input for all of my family’s digital music devices. Sure, $400.00 is a lot of money to spend on a portable iPod music docking system, but now that I have experienced the solid build and beautiful sound quality of the Bose SoundDock, buying anything less would always leave me wanting the Bose SoundDock. Still, I cannot find it within myself to give the Bose SoundDock a perfect 5 star rating. The narrow stereo soundfield and premium cost keep my rating at 4 and 1/2 stars. I take music sound quality very seriously, and in my opinion this Bose system, while expensive, is still worth the money. I highly recommend this product for anyone that is extremely serious about excellent sound quality and isn’t afraid to spend the money to obtain it.
Rating: 4 / 5

The sound quality and remote control more than make up for the lack of a Mon-Fri alarm setting. It sounds great throughout the entire range with no distortion or ear splitting highs. It also looks very modern and compact, and I love the black and silver look. I don’t quite care for the gentle fade-in when the alarm goes off, but I get by that by adding 10 seconds of silence to the wake-up track. The radio reception is good, the USB and SD media can hold hours and hours of music, and the off button is located such that I cannot accidentally press it instead of snooze and lay back down. Also, If the feds mess with daylight savings again, I can handle it, as the time adjustment for this model is made manually.
Rating: 5 / 5

For the price, size, sound quality, and intended purpose you cannot find a better one or another at all for that matter.
Rating: 5 / 5

It is particularly focused on the Windows Media player. There is also useful information regarding ripping and burning CDs, creating a computer jukebox, portable music players such as IPods, etc. The author also discusses the different formats for storing/playing digital music and the online services that offer downloadable songs for each.

Overall, I would say it is pretty good as far as being a beginning resource for one’s digital music needs.

Rating: 4 / 5

First and best, this thing sounds GOOD. There are 5 tone presets to choose from. The ported speaker is able to produce amazing sound quality. 5 stars for this alone.

Clock displays time, and when no music is playing, the date. Automatic DST switch. Backlight has 4 levels one of which is off. Backlight color and display text is low contrast, hard for me to see.

Battery backup keeps all your settings.

It remembers quite a bit: If you hit the power button, whatever you were listening to is restored, be it MP3 or radio. If you hit the sleep button, it applies the volume setting in use the last time it turned itself off. If you hit the play button, it plays, from the beginning, whatever MP3 was playing when last turned off.

Sleep times of 120, 90, 60, 30 and 15 mins. After setting the sleep mode, if you click the sleep button again, it displays the time remaining before cutoff. When its time, the sound is gently faded out.

Random and repeat settings for MP3 play. Folder button so you can browse memory contents. ID tag info scrolls while track is played. Select SD slot or USB port for source. Line in for other stereo input. Recessed well for USB drives, with a cover. SD card sticks up a few millimeters from it’s slot.

Full featured remote. Yes, it is handy if the clock is just out of reach on the nightstand.

Wake to: radio, mp3, buzzer. There is no way to select “wake to random mp3″, but I get around that by putting a 3 second silent mp3 in the memory, select that as the wakeup track, and set for random play.

12 station memories for the radio, arranged in 3 banks, 2 for FM stations and 1 for AM.

The cons:

FM reception is so so. The stations I can get all sound good, but can’t pull in distant ones.

The buttons on the front [sleep, power, alarms, wake to, radio preset bank selecter] are impossible to distinguish by touch. Adding a dot of hot glue to a few of them helped quite a bit.

The volume control feels like nothing is there. It works fine, just feels weird.

Can’t read the time unless I put on my glasses.

___________

If I didn’t already own one, I’d buy it again!

Rating: 5 / 5

Thankfully AmazonWireless offers 30-day satisfaction guarantee on all phone products. My experience with obtaining the RMA was seamless. I am very happy with the “try it for 30-days” policy.

PROS:

* Tough construction.

* Solid feel.

* Waterproof.

* Thermal tolerant.

* Great speaker/mic.

* Camera flash doubles as awesome flashlight!

CONS:

* The internet browser sucks! It hardly renders HTML that well, let alone dynamic pages like Facebook. And you can absolutely forget about Youtube!! It will NOT render Youtube homepage, let alone stream ANY Youtube video. Trying to reach favorites takes 2 clicks, plus a third to select the favorite. Oh, and the most annoying thing about the browser, if you receive a call or email, it closes the browser (without an option to ignore inbound call or email). And every time the browser closes, it opens back up to the Home page instead of your last viewed page (I admit to being spoiled by that home page feature with Smartphones). The browser is a step backward by at least 5 years, reminding me of my old Nextel phone in 2003 which was the first phone I had with internet capabilities. The browser on the Brigade is every bit as chunky and clumsy. The only way you could be impressed with this browser is if you never had used a computer in your life and never had been on the internet. Strong words, but I calls it like I sees it :}

—-> Strike one!

* Not able to sync calendar. Verizon has their propietary “Office Kit”, but it took me 2hrs just to get my laptop to install the driver for the USB data cable. I’m IT-saavy, so I can’t imagine how long it would have taken a non-tech person. Apart from accessing my email, syncing my calendar is top priority for me. If I’m not able to know when/where I’m supposed to be, I might as well never leave the house! And if I never leave the house, the Brigade is worthless.

—-> Strike two!

* Clumsy email interface. It takes 2 clicks to reach my inbox and another click to read my email. That’s 3 clicks total, for those of you keeping score at home. My Blackberry Pearl took only 2 clicks. Another thing about Verizon email interface, is that it doesn’t give me the option to delete email only off my handheld device. Which means this is web interface email (direct to Yahoo, Gmail, etc), not client base email (not true POP3). I want the option to read/delete an email on my handheld and then allow the email to download later onto my laptop so I can take a closer look or answer it.

—-> Strike three!

* Not able to data transfer without jumping through hoops. Like I said, took me 2hrs to get my laptop to recognize my phone through data cable. Despite the Brigade having a “My Documents” feature it won’t read or render Word documents or even Text files. What the bloody good is “My Documents” feature if it’s not usable?!

* The keys are not responsive, having to press twice. It’s like the keyboard “sleeps” and then you have to press once to awaken and then another time to execute the number. This was very evident while listening and deleting vmail. Quite frustrating to say the least!

* Very limited customization of phone. You can change the menu layout (grid, list, icon) and change desktop picture, but that’s it. What you see is what you get. For phone of this price range, I would expect MUCH more personalization ability.

RATINGS:

* Construction: 10/10

* Mic/sound quality: 10/10

* Signal strength : 8/10 (dropped several calls even when sitting still in my home)

* Web interface: 1/10 – nearly non-existent.

* Email: 2/10

* Calendar use: 0/10

* Overall rating: 5/10
Rating: 2 / 5

Battery Life:

I have been using this phone for 5 months, and I have found the battery life to be terrific. I can charge it for a few hours and it will hold a charge for days! I spend a few hours on the phone each day and text around 15-30 texts a day, and my phone will typically not need charged for about 4 days. Even when there are no bars left and it’s blinking “low battery”, I have left it on overnight to finish draining the battery, and 8 hours later when I get up, the phone still hasn’t died.

Buttons:

This phone it great for texting. I have no problems at all hitting other keys when I’m dialing.

Durability:

Takes hits and keeps on going. I have answered the phone and texted in shower many times. I drop my phone all the time. It just doesn’t phase it at all.

Design/Looks:

It’s not a touch screen. It’s not going to win some fancy glossy style award. It does not look like anything made from Apple or Sony. But somehow, it seems to constantly turn heads. I constantly have both women and men (complete strangers) ask me about my phone and think it looks awesome. Everyone has a shiny, tiny, touchscreen phone. This one people always stop and say…”wow what is that?”. They always want to know what provider carries the phone.

Now for the qwerks. These things are not all necessarily bad things. Just different.

When your text messaging, they save in a stackable design. If your familiar at all with Gmail, and how email conversations stack there, this is the same. Basically, all texts from one person go in the same file. While your texting, you need to be wary of incoming texts. For some reason, you can be texting person “A” and if person “B” sends you a text and you get it while typing, the phone number of the text you are sending to person “A” gets switched to person “B”.

The key guard is set to too many clicks when you first get the phone. You need to go into the phones settings and lower it to 1 button click or else it will drive you mad. Even set to 1 button click, it still takes 2 to unlock it. The first click brings up the prompt to press the unlock key, the second click unlocks it. There is a setting for no keyguard if you chose.

Little bit of lag:

When switching to different screens, there can sometimes be a subtle lag. Not when texting, but after I unlock the phone to dial a number, there is a half second lag before I can start dialing. I love the phone too much to care about it. But it takes a few days of using the phone constantly to not notice it every time.

Keyguard doesn’t work for number 9 and # key. I have no idea why, but even with the keyguard on, you can still press the 9 or the # keys. This may have been done on purpose for some kind of feature, but it can sometimes be annoying to always have to hit clear to clear out the screen before making a call.

So there it is. I love this phone myself. It feels like a real phone in my hand instead of a tiny piece of touch-screen glass. I can lose it in a Minnesota snow drift for a week and it will still work when I find it. I can drop on the ground when I’m running in from the rain and it will still work when I go back out to get it. It has a super BRIGHT LED flashlight feature on it that I have used so many times. It has push-to-talk for those who use that feature. The camera take AMAZING pictures for a rugged cell phone! And it has a great large keyboard for texting. Even with it’s few qwerks, I still love this phone and want no other.

(Edited to add)

The sound from the call quality is awesome. I hear people perfectly. Much better than on my husbands Casio Boulder. I am a stickler for how well I can hear people and how well they can hear me. All the bells and whistles on a phone don’t matter if the basic call quality is bad. I upgraded to this from an LG Chocolate and everyone immediately asked if I got a new phone when I called them. I asked why and they said they could hear me MUCH better.

I can’t say anything about the internet browser and such. I don’t think this phone was really meant to be a BlackBerry or a Driod. It’s pretty much the opposite of that, so if that’s what your looking for, your not going to find it in this. This is a rugged cell phone, an awesome one at that. Not a PDA, Smart Phone, mini-computer. Looking for the anti-iPhone? This would be it.
Rating: 5 / 5

The sound quality is fine for audio books, though there is some clicking and whirring from the cassette player attempting to turn the wheels of this pseudo-cassette. I imagine that would get very annoying if you were listening to music.

I do find that sometimes ejecting the adapter and then re-inserting changes the volume and/or sound quality. It seems to be sensitive to the way it is seated in the casette player.
Rating: 3 / 5

One the minus side:
1. The sound quality is miserable. Bass is almost totally missing. The midrange dominates, and most of the high end is muted. This problem is so bad that adjusting bass/midrange/treble on my stereo cannot compensate. For reference, actual cassettes sound great in this same stereo.

2. This cassette adapter has gears in it that make both spindles turn when one is turning. This is probably what makes it work in my stereo, however it does make some sound. The end result is some mechanical noise that gets in the way of quiet parts of the music.
Rating: 2 / 5

First, the sound quality is pretty damn good- the bass is lacking, but is adequate and ranks equivalent, if not superior, to the active speakers i’ve owned in the past. Second, this thing can get loud. Sometimes i take this in the bathroom to listen to some music when i’m in the shower and i can easily hear it over the running water. I’ve made a habit of bringing this with me on camping trips and vacations to share music with friends. And third- its highly portable (smaller in height than a soda can and much thinner) and its cord wraps around nicely and stays in place. I’m extremely pleased with this purchase and highly recommend it.
Rating: 5 / 5

There is no question in my mind that this book needed to be written as a counterpoint to “The Book”. The events described are appropriately twisted, but the tone is completely wrong. I would have liked to see some reference to Holden’s military service in “The Book” which would have made this work seem less of a fabrication. Even Homeland Security can not manufacture nonexistent military records.

Martin Trust is a powerful man. He should sound like one. His attempt to seem “homey” comes off as stupid and vapid. What we should be seeing in him is more Oliver North and less Tammy Faye Bakker.

This is not to say you should not read this book. You should. All I am saying is “Think Again”.

Bob Cherny
Rating: 3 / 5

This speaker can achieve only medium volume levels at best, but it has generally clear and well-defined sound. Thus, it’s good for listening to Talk Radio from up close to a few feet away. However, for music, the sound is too “tinny” and is noticeably more lacking in bass than it’s battery-powered competition. The design of the speaker system pairs two small speakers side-by-side in the plastic chassis, but they are frankly too close for any definable stereo effect.

The way the speaker “folds up” is a neat idea, but it doesn’t “latch” together, so it is VERY easy to accidentally let the speaker assembly swing open…at some risk of breaking the hinge…but mostly it’s just annoying that the little compact speaker won’t stay closed (for a quick fix, use a rubber band or hair band to keep it closed). If it had a “latch” to keep it closed, it would rate quite a bit better for carrying around. Also, a storage pouch is not included but WOULD have been a nice idea, and would have minimized the danger of the speaker accidentally swinging open.

To sum up, if you want louder, better sounding music, look to Altec-Lansing’s im237 or im207 or maybe the JBL portable speaker (JBL’s portable speaker is MUCH more costly than the Altec im207, but doesn’t sound any better). However, if you are a Talk Radio junkie that doesn’t listen to music much, and want to be totally FREE of batteries — then this Sony is probably your best portable speaker buy.

Rating: 3 / 5

At least don’t read it until you’ve read The Book, by M. Clifford. Without that foundation this novella can’t be fully appreciated.

You’re back? You’ve read The Book, ? Okay, we’re ready then.

This novella relates the major events from “The Book” through the eyes of Martin Trust who you’ll remember is the Director of Historic Homeland Preservation and Security. Have you heard the joke about the scariest words in the English language being, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”? Martin Trust is here to help. You see, some of us may have been misinformed – we need help understanding what really happened. Luckily our government is there for us.

Clifford carries forward some of the same themes that ran throughout “The Book.” Issues such as censorship and the importance of the written word are still prominent. But “Propoganda …” also shines the light on other, more specific, and very contemporary issues for those in the U.S. You’ll find thinly veiled swipes at “The Patriot Act” and “The War on Terror.” The rise of the religious right or, if you prefer viewing it another way, the misappropriation of religion for political purposes, is in his sights. The goal of “Propaganda …” appears to be getting us to think and question, regardless of political persuasion. Mission accomplished Mr. Clifford. God bless America.

Rating: 4 / 5

In Propaganda from the desk of: Martin Trust you will get the government’s side of the story of what transpired in The Book and you will almost have to laugh at the inane things this man says REALLY happened.

Never mind that we already know the truth, Martin Trust will keep telling you to trust him and the government.

I loved this follow-up book to The Book because it would be(or is) exactly the way the government can turn everything around in their favor. It is the same old story…’you know you didn’t really see what you saw’ theory that Martin Trust is trying to get you to believe.

Rating: 5 / 5

(Make sure to read it second though — the story within The Book needs to be read first for everything to make sense)
Rating: 5 / 5

It was like adding a cherry on top of my sundae.

Rating: 4 / 5

The Book is a story about about complacency,trust,knowledge,discovery,hope and despair.

I look forward to reading more by M.Clifford.

Rating: 5 / 5

I bought this book because the description was so enticing. The plot was pretty unique, even with overtones of 1984. With such a great plot idea, it was surprising at how much the author failed in the execution.

It’s not what was in the story that failed, but what was missing. For one thing, television was rarely mentioned at all. There was no explanation for why television had gone by the wayside. It would have been more understandable had “The Book” been more like an I-pad, with people watching a lot of videos, newscasts, etc. Instead, it appeared that people of all ages were voraciously reading.

Another missing item was a full explanation of the basic premise of the novel. The Book is supposedly being changed by the publishers in order to sway and control the public. That part makes sense. However, what didn’t make sense was some of the random deletions and changes. Even the main character could not seem to find a point to many of the changes made. They appeared to have just been made because they could.

Readers were not given the back story of The Book until the very end. And, it is issued in such a way as to make you wonder why we weren’t informed sooner. The story would have had a lot more credibility had the information been given earlier.

Character Development: 1 Star

Holden Clifford was an unlikeable character from the start, making him a very poor `hero.’ He is divorced with a young daughter. However, he doesn’t take advantage of his visitation most of the time. This is not because he is too busy or has to work. He simply forgets to pick up his kid. I do admit to having a personal dislike for this sort of thing; however, the author could easily have made him a more sympathetic character by making him unable to see his daughter due to work or illness or anything other than “he forgot he had a kid.” He could even have grown into a more likable character by seeing the `error of his ways’. Instead, he just manages to become an even worse father than he was at the beginning.

Also, Holden is portrayed as being uneducated. However, he reads constantly. Yet, he seems to still put forth the idea that he isn’t very bright. Suddenly, though, near the end, he makes a speech a professor would be proud of, with correct grammar, proper enunciation, and information that the reader has no idea where he obtained it.

He is supposed to be the `hero’ and `leader’ throughout the novel. However, he was not the first to discover the discrepancies in the published books. Also, he meets another man who actually owns a collection of printed books. His friends bring more people into the fold than he does. He really doesn’t do much at all until the end to forward the cause.

Writing Style: 3 Stars

The writing style was so pretentious as to be laughable. The reader is treated to detailed descriptions of streets and buildings that were so unnecessary to the story as to cause snoring, especially since these areas are not much different, if at all, from the present.

The dialogue suffered greatly as the author tended to mix up who was speaking. The “uneducated” (which were most of them, even though they all loved to read) spoke with grammatical errors and lots of contractions. The educated spoke formally. But, at times, it was reversed, so the `accents’ did not always match who was speaking.

There were also some point of view issues, which is my personal pet peeve.

Rating: 2 / 5

Some of the songs are from the Dora show and some are classic kids songs.

The device is like an iPod and very easy for my 2-year-old to figure out quickly.

One warning, if you easily get annoyed by noisy toys, this may not be for you. If your child is anything like mine, they will play the songs over and over. Lately, he even plays the beginning only, over and over.

The battery lasts a long time for a child’s toy.
Rating: 5 / 5

Read this book while it is still available.

Robert H. Cherny

Author of “Flying with Fairies”, “Doogie Stone” and “A Father’s Ghost”
Rating: 5 / 5

These speaker sound good for their size. The “aux” in jack is on the back if you want to use these speakers for other types of mp3 player.
Rating: 5 / 5

The sound quality is impressive for such a small unit it. It can definitely light up the room once you have the volume adjusted correctly. The speakers are crisp and produce a well rounded sound overall but a little weighted on the low frequencies. I find most Bose products to be like this, but this is a personal opinion. I played a variety of music on this unit and the music sounded great. On several occasions I was surprised by the clarity of the sound. My wife who I bought this for was extremely impressed and happy with this unit.

Considering the price, build quality and sound quality. I would recommend this unit to the masses looking for a decent sounding MP3 speakers. I should mention that it comes with an AUX input at the back. I would not recommended this to pure audiophiles as I am sure they could find fault with this unit. As for the build quality, I may have gotten a bad unit but it is negligible. It might bug me (a design professional) but my wife could really care less.
Rating: 4 / 5

Like Martin Luther’s ’95 Theses’ nailed to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral, Kusek and Leonard drive nail after nail into the sclerotic heart of the old-fashioned music business. Their rational vision of the future of music rests on the idea of unshackling music from the hardcopy product business in a yet-to-be-realized era of open content licensing, facilitating sharing and communication among users, and growing the business to its full potential.

It provides as clear a vision of the future of the music industry as you will find, from two writers with a rare combination: a solid grounding in the traditional practices of the music business, an up-to-the-minute knowledge of the new technologies that are changing it, and the ability to think through the consequences.

I’ve dreamed about a book like this, but thought it would be impossible in today’s hyperdynamic environment where every week seems to bring a breakthrough technology, device, or service. But by digging out the underlying trends and principles Kusek and Leonard get under the news and illuminate it. Along the way they provide a brilliantly concise history of the evolution of digital media.

I can’t think of any book more important for artists to get the full re-orientation they need to survive and prosper in the digital era. It’s no less critical for members of the music and broadcasting industries who need to consolidate their thinking into a coherent roadmap for the future.

In a word: indispensible.
Rating: 5 / 5

The Dashwoods, impoverished when their father dies, are forced to live in a small house in the coutry on 500 pounds a year. With such unfortunate pospects as those, it will be difficult for the elder two, Elinor and Marianne, to find good marriage prospects. Marianne finds herself falling in love with the dashing Willoughby, who ends up being not all that he appears. Elinor, the more sensible of the two, falls for Edward Ferras, a match that seems much more suitable. But again, things are not what they seem, in this delicious tale of love. The young women must use their sense to see what is really there, and their sensibility to see what will be (unfortunately, Marianne uses neither, much to the detriment of the family). Colonel Brandon is the unassuming, unlikely hero who falls in love with Marianne and saves her from death.

Having read this book several times, I can safely say that it gets better and better with every reading. I also recommend the 1995 film starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and others.
Rating: 5 / 5

“Sense and Sensibility” was Austen’s first novel, and as such is considered her weakest by the critics, though this also means it is also the most accessible and easy-to-read novel. First novels are almost always the most amateurish, and as such it is a much simpler work, from the storyline to the sentence structure, which leads to an easier reading experience than her more complex novels (“Emma” and the aforementioned “Pride and Prejudice”). Anyone new to the world of Austen is best to start here as the easiest book with which to ease into her range of novels.

The sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are extreme opposites; oldest sibling Elinor uses her head, whilst the younger Marianne follows her heart; but for all of this, the two are very close. After the death of their father, Elinor and Marianne – along with their mother and younger sister – are forced to give up their comfortable estate to their stepbrother (the product of their father’s first marriage) and sister-in-law due to the inheritance law. But before relocating to Barton Cottage, Elinor forms an attachment with Fanny Dashwood’s brother Edward Ferrars, a shy and awkward, but good-hearted man. Hoping that her feelings are returned, but unable to make any advances, Elinor travels to Barton Cottage in the hopes that he will return to her there in the near future.

At Barton Cottage, the girls make many new acquaintances, in particular the loud and bustling matriarch Mrs Jennings who is determined to marry the girls off as quickly as can be, and the quiet and gentlemanly Colonel Brandon. As for the romantic and dreamy Marianne, she’s fallen hopelessly in love with the dashing John Willoughby after he rescues her from a rainy day and a twisted ankle whilst out walking in the countryside – much to the dismay of the smitten Colonel Brandon. Already concerned at Marianne’s overly romantic disillusions, Elinor is concerned at her rather wanton behaviour in the presence of her new beau, but is then has her attention drastically diverted on being introduced to a Miss Lucy Steele who has a secret to share about Edward Ferrars…

The story winds its way through the girls’ negotiations with the society they live in, the restrictions held upon them and the individuals which hold power over them – not with the same deftness that Austen displays in later novels, but still with much thought-provoking commentary. The family’s plight in being reduced to guests in their own home at Norland, at the mercy of their somewhat dim-witted brother is particularly revealing as to the social injustices of the time, and though the frustrations of the girls’ status is never explicitly stated, it is readily evident for anyone willing to read between the lines. At the end of the day, all they have is each other and the fervent hope that they will find both happiness and security in marriage. Their trials in love are perhaps the most heart-rending experiences of any other Austen heroines, (where romances are either touched by irony or poignancy) in the fact that a happy ending is not guaranteed for the sisters and that their future happiness depends on a good match – it particular it is hard not to feel your heart break for Marianne, whose unswerving belief in her own feelings and the raptures of her heart are so cruelly put to the test.

The characters of Elinor and Marianne are utterly irresistible. Elinor is the sort of person you would desperately wish for in your life in order to benefit from her good sense and protective nature, whilst Marianne is utterly charming in her romantic flights of fancy (in fact she’s so winsome and dreamy that it’s almost a shame when she gains some `sense’ at the novel’s end – one would have been contented to have her indulge in her dreaming forever). Though the novel is told almost solely through Elinor’s eyes, in several ways Marianne is the main protagonist, who goes through the most trials and changes. Whatever your own opinions, the two provide an excellent foil for each other, and at all times the sisterly bond between them is apparent.

There have been so many adaptations of Jane Austen novels throughout the years, though to my mind none is better than Ang Lee’s “Sense and Sensibility” starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. As I was reading the novel, I often found myself switching on the DVD in order to compare the two. It is a beautiful film, loyal to the themes, storyline and characters of the novel and in some cases improve upon it, and so comes very highly recommended as a companion piece to Austen’s first novel.
Rating: 4 / 5

Quite frankly, it seems a little unlikely to me that someone would be a novice to music and want to pick up a book like this to suddenly learn how to compose sheet music (without being able to play it), but whatever floats your boat. If that’s what you are looking for, this might be a good book for ya. But if you are looking for more of a hands-on guide to actually creating digital music (composing, as in creating or putting together the actual music) then this is sure to disappoint.
Rating: 3 / 5

The book is a comprehensive exploration of a number of key areas of the music industry and a powerful argument for change in the recording industry. When they drift into philosophy towards the end the results are a little lacklustre, but the industry-focussed content is well put together and very useful for anyone wanting to picture how music might work in a decade’s time.
Rating: 4 / 5

There are a few things they could have improved……The power cord has the transformer built into the middle of the cord, it should have been built into the unit. The power cord plugs straight into the back of the SoundDock with a small round plug and it will come out easily if the unit is moved. The docking station is a seperate piece that is attached and it moves around a little which makes it feel loose. There isn’t an on/off switch on the unit, just the remote, so you have to turn the IPOD off or use the remote to turn them both off, or just pull the IPOD out. My SoundDock was missing one of the stick on rubber feet on the bottom. I called Bose support and they mailed me one free.

Overall it’s a great quality unit where it counts but Bose cut corners where they could on the rest of it.

We do love it and use it almost everyday.
Rating: 4 / 5

This book clarifies the differences between the record and music industry, and emphasizes the effect of file sharing on digital medias (Limewire, Bearshare, programs) and the record industry. It makes some significant points, and makes the same points again later on in the book. The author states that artists should be able to sustain careers rather easily without “getting signed” and that is not the case today. Artists still need capital for marketing on the internet, and in marketing it is possible, but still costly.

This book is worth reading if you are getting into the business. I don’t regret buying it, but I think other books may have a more definite impact on the reader. What it boils down to is opinion, and mine vary slightly in some cases and greatly in others.
Rating: 3 / 5

The title refers to the two eldest Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, one of whom (Elinor) embraces practicality and restraint while the other (Marianne) gives her whole heart to every endeavor. When the Dashwoods – mother Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Marianne, and youngest sister Margaret – are sent, almost impoverished, to a small cottage in Devonshire after the death of their father and the machinations of their brother’s wife, they accept their new circumstances with as much cheer as they can muster even though their brother and his wife have taken over the family estate and fortune. Their characters, albeit wildly different in their approaches to life, are impeccably honest and intelligent – and their suitors take notice. Elinor falls in love with the shy, awkward Edward, while Marianne’s affections are lavished on the dashing hunter Willoughby. As in all Austen’s books, love and marriage don’t come easily, as affections aren’t always returned and social jockeying sometimes takes precedence to true love. In an interestingly twist, the end of this novel brings into question which sister represents which part of the title.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY only hints at the social skewering Austen would use to such great effect in her later novels, and the humor here is only occasional and slight, as this novel adopts a generally serious tone. Parody is largely limited to the gossipy Mrs. Jenkins, who jumps to wild conclusions about situations she knows nothing about. Though arranged marriage and true love figure prominently in all of Austen’s novels, this novel focuses almost exclusivity on the prospects of the two main characters, making it less complex than the novels that followed. Reserved Elinor and exuberant Marianne are expertly drawn, with Edward, Willoughby, and Colonel Brandon (whose lovesick hopes for Marianne are dashed again and again) also engaging creations. Except for the first page or two where the circumstances of the Dashwoods are set up through a series of deaths and relations, possibly causing some confusion, this novel is exceedingly easy to follow for contemporary readers.

This novel is an excellent introduction to Jane Austen’s works because of its relative simplicity (though readers should not dismiss it as simple) and the use of typical themes and social situations. Book clubs and students might want to explore the influence of money on nineteenth century British society as well as the meaning of the title as it applies to both the sisters and the other characters. It is also interesting to note both the helplessness and the extraordinary power of women in different circumstances.

Just because this is not Austen’s best novel, I could not take away a single star because it is such a delightful book. I highly recommend this novel for all readers.
Rating: 5 / 5

And in a Jane Austen novel, you can guess that there are going to be romantic problems aplenty for both of them — along with the usual entailment issues, love triangles, sexy bad boys and societal scandals. “Sense and Sensibility” is a quietly clever, romantic little novel that builds up to a dramatic peak on Marianne’s romantic troubles, while also quietly exploring Elinor’s struggles.

When Mr. Dashwood dies, his entire estate is entailed to his weak son John and snotty daughter-in-law Fanny. His widow and her three daughters are left with little money and no home.

Over the next few weeks, the eldest daughter Elinor begins to fall for Fanny’s studious, quiet brother Edward… but being the down-to-earth one, she knows she hasn’t got a chance. Her impoverished family soon relocates to Devonshire, where a tiny cottage is being rented to them by one of Mrs. Dashwood’s relatives — and Marianne soon attracts the attention of two men. One is the quiet, much older Colonel Brandon, and the other is the dashing and romantic Willoughby.

But things begin to spiral out of control when Willoughby seems about to propose to Marianne… only to abruptly break off his relationship with her. And during a trip to London, both Elinor and Marianne discover devastating facts about the men they are in love with — both of them are engaged to other women. And after disaster strikes the Dashwood family, both the sisters will discover what real love is about…

At its heart, “Sense and Sensibility” is about two girls with completely opposite personalities, and the struggle to find love when you’re either too romantic or too reserved for your own good. As well as, you know, the often-explored themes in Austen’s novels — impoverished women’s search for love and marriage, entailment, mild scandal, and the perils of falling for a sexy bad boy who cares more for money than for true love… assuming he even knows what true love is.

Austen’s formal style takes on a somewhat more melancholy flavor in this book, with lots of powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose (“The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows”); and she introduces a darker tone near the end. Still, there’s a slight humorous tinge to her writing, especially when she’s gently mocking Marianne and Mrs. Dashwood’s melodrama (“They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it”).

And Marianne and Elinor make excellent dual heroines for this book — that still love and cherish each other, even though their polar opposite personalities frequently clash. What’s more, they each have to become more like the other before they can find happiness. There’s also a small but solid supporting cast — the hunting-obsessed Sir John, the charming Willoughby (who has some nasty stuff in his past), the emotional Mrs. Dashwood, and the gentle, quiet Colonel Brandon, who shows his love for Marianne in a thousand small ways.

“Sense and Sensibility” is an emotionally powerful, beautifully written tale about two very different sisters, and the rocky road to finding a lasting love. Not as striking as “Pride and Prejudice,” but still a deserving classic.
Rating: 5 / 5

If your intention is to learn how to use digital instruments or software programs to lay down a drum track, to get a bedrock of bass accompaniment, to layer background music, to use your digital instrument to generate arpeggios, to learn which timbres work together, and finally how to compose melody and harmony, this is the wrong book for you. I can’t point you to an alternative but Backbeat and Berklee songwriting titles cover some of this turf.
Rating: 1 / 5

I read some reviews online written by “audiophiles” and supposed “sound experts” bashing Bose for selling overpriced and underpowered equipment. These people just don’t get it. I won’t go on to bore you in detail about the ridiculous things that were said but I will mention that these people are comparing the SoundDock to a home stereo setup that entails having a receiver with two separate wired speakers. Is this a fair comparison? I beg to differ.

To summarize this product it’s a compact unit you can have in virtually any room in the house minus a bathroom (for safety purposes) and its sound can be described as warm and beautiful with deep enough bass to make your sound come alive but not wake the neighbors. Clear, never distorted at any volume. You get what you pay for.

Thanks Bose!
Rating: 5 / 5

The latest iPod Touch from Apple improves on the previous generation in nearly every single way. It does all this without increasing the price one cent (except the 8GB version which increased in price by $30 and is now no longer a hardware generation behind). Bottom line, the iPod Touch continues to be an irresistible device that has no peer on the market right now. Think back even three years and people would simply be amazed at everything the latest iPod Touch can do for only $229. Games in every category, some of which have graphics superior to the PSP or Nintendo DS, news and weather apps, streaming video from your computer or from services like Netflix and Hulu, exercise and weight loss apps, the list goes on and on (and on). While we are starting to see some Android based tablets enter the market, there is nothing in the portable market that comes close to what the iPod can do.

If you really have some problems with some of the iPod Touch’s shortcomings (like the camera) and you want access to the Apple App store, you may want to consider just buckling down and getting an iPhone 4 (if you can afford it). However, once you consider the value proposition of the iPhone 4 (total cost of ownership over two year contract $75-85 x 24 + $299) vs. the iPod Touch at $299, you start to understand that some of these drawbacks are not so bad.

———————————CHANGES————————————————-

Compared to the previous (and well loved) iPod Touch this device:

- replaces the previous processor with the more powerful A4 processor. Expect smooth and fast operation with support for even the most graphically intense iPod Touch games. All other applications will run at top speed, although not dramatically faster than the previous generation.

- is now even thinner. The Ipod Touch is now shockingly thin.

- added a microphone so you don’t need a headset to talk to people or use voice control

- doubled the amount of ram so multi-tasking should be a breeze

- has longer battery life | extended audio life by 10 hours (from 30 to 40 hours) and video by 1 hour (from 6 to 7 hours).

- weighs less

- has TWO additional cameras (front facing for video and self-portraits and back for HD video) – the front camera is VGA quality (640×480) and the back camera is a 720P (1280×720) sensor (when used to take pictures that resolution is reduced to 960×720). Samples of the HD video show that this feature was not just “tacked on” and actually looks very good compared to some HD video available on other pocket devices (like the EVO 4G).

- 4 times as many pixels on the screen – Apple is calling this a “retina display” because it has the same dpi (dots per inch) as the iPhone 4. However, the iPod Touch is not using the same IPS display found in the iPhone 4 which means the viewing angles aren’t as good. I doubt most users will notice the difference here.

- adds the gyroscope for extra precision with motion based apps (mostly gaming)

- adds support for the faster Wireless “N” standard, which should help when streaming video to your phone or using Facetime to make a video call

- adds a vibrator for alerts, force feedback in gaming, and notifications for voice calling

Cons:

- speaker still sucks – I let my two year watch videos on my iPhone. Thus a crappy speaker is a deal breaker for me because she is too small to use headphones. You can blame the extreme thinness on this one. There simply isn’t enough depth to put an iPhone quality speaker in. If I didn’t have a two year old I wouldn’t consider this a big deal because I rarely use this function otherwise.

- no 5MP camera or LED flash – This is going to be a deal breaker for some who saw the iPhone 4 and started salivating at the thought of the possibility of the same high quality sensor in the iPod Touch. Read my thoughts below for more on this one.

- No GPS chip – you’re still stuck with using WiFi signals to determine location, a la the original iPhone. Maybe Garmin or Tom Tom paid them money not to include this feature.

—————————Thoughts and Conclusions————————————

Yes, I wanted the camera sensor from the iPhone 4 as well, but the unfortunate reality is that sensor wouldn’t fit in the old iPod Touch body and this one is even slimmer! In order to fit the iPhone 4 camera sensor into the iPod Touch, Apple would have had to make this device significantly thicker, which loses one of the big advantages the Touch has had over the iPhone, its size. I might have been willing to make the tradeoff, but obviously Apple wasn’t.

Keep in mind that the larger sensor (and LED Flash) adds to the cost of the device as well. Apple added a significant number of features to the iPod Touch and kept the price exactly the same. Something’s gotta give here. The 32GB iPhone 4 sells for $700! (AT&T pays Apple the difference when you buy one on contract). I’m sure if people were willing to spend $400 more than the $299 the 32GB iPod Touch sells for they would have a mind blowing sensor in there. I’m actually surprised at how much of the functionality of the iPhone the iPod Touch now replicates, given the huge gap in cost.

Appreciate the fact that you can now record HD video and do video calling over WiFi for the same price as the last model. Or don’t buy it. Consider how much you can do on this device compared to other portable gadgets, like the pocket sized Flip Video Camera, which costs more than $100+ and does nothing other than video, or even the ZUNE HD, which is a great device, but lacks compatibility with the hundreds of thousands of Apps that turn the iPod Touch into a pocket computer.

I’m waiting for something to come along to blow away the iPod Touch, but that device just doesn’t exist. All things considered, this device is a 4.5/5, which I round up to 5 because Amazon doesn’t do half stars. This device won’t be for everyone, but then again, no device is. For a great majority of users, this is product is nothing short of gadget heaven.
Rating: 5 / 5

The latest iPod Touch from Apple improves on the previous generation in nearly every single way. It does all this without increasing the price one cent (except the 8GB version which increased in price by $30 and is now no longer a hardware generation behind). Bottom line, the iPod Touch continues to be an irresistible device that has no peer on the market right now. Think back even three years and people would simply be amazed at everything the latest iPod Touch can do for only $229. Games in every category, some of which have graphics superior to the PSP or Nintendo DS, news and weather apps, streaming video from your computer or from services like Netflix and Hulu, exercise and weight loss apps, the list goes on and on (and on). While we are starting to see some Android based tablets enter the market, there is nothing in the portable market that comes close to what the iPod can do.

If you really have some problems with some of the iPod Touch’s shortcomings (like the camera) and you want access to the Apple App store, you may want to consider just buckling down and getting an iPhone 4 (if you can afford it). However, once you consider the value proposition of the iPhone 4 (total cost of ownership over two year contract $75-85 x 24 + $299) vs. the iPod Touch at $299, you start to understand that some of these drawbacks are not so bad.

———————————CHANGES————————————————-

Compared to the previous (and well loved) iPod Touch this device:

- replaces the previous processor with the more powerful A4 processor. Expect smooth and fast operation with support for even the most graphically intense iPod Touch games. All other applications will run at top speed, although not dramatically faster than the previous generation.

- is now even thinner. The Ipod Touch is now shockingly thin.

- added a microphone so you don’t need a headset to talk to people or use voice control

- doubled the amount of ram so multi-tasking should be a breeze

- has longer battery life | extended audio life by 10 hours (from 30 to 40 hours) and video by 1 hour (from 6 to 7 hours).

- weighs less

- has TWO additional cameras (front facing for video and self-portraits and back for HD video) – the front camera is VGA quality (640×480) and the back camera is a 720P (1280×720) sensor (when used to take pictures that resolution is reduced to 960×720). Samples of the HD video show that this feature was not just “tacked on” and actually looks very good compared to some HD video available on other pocket devices (like the EVO 4G).

- 4 times as many pixels on the screen – Apple is calling this a “retina display” because it has the same dpi (dots per inch) as the iPhone 4. However, the iPod Touch is not using the same IPS display found in the iPhone 4 which means the viewing angles aren’t as good. I doubt most users will notice the difference here.

- adds the gyroscope for extra precision with motion based apps (mostly gaming)

- adds support for the faster Wireless “N” standard, which should help when streaming video to your phone or using Facetime to make a video call

- adds a vibrator for alerts, force feedback in gaming, and notifications for voice calling

Cons:

- speaker still sucks – I let my two year watch videos on my iPhone. Thus a crappy speaker is a deal breaker for me because she is too small to use headphones. You can blame the extreme thinness on this one. There simply isn’t enough depth to put an iPhone quality speaker in. If I didn’t have a two year old I wouldn’t consider this a big deal because I rarely use this function otherwise.

- no 5MP camera or LED flash – This is going to be a deal breaker for some who saw the iPhone 4 and started salivating at the thought of the possibility of the same high quality sensor in the iPod Touch. Read my thoughts below for more on this one.

- No GPS chip – you’re still stuck with using WiFi signals to determine location, a la the original iPhone. Maybe Garmin or Tom Tom paid them money not to include this feature.

—————————Thoughts and Conclusions————————————

Yes, I wanted the camera sensor from the iPhone 4 as well, but the unfortunate reality is that sensor wouldn’t fit in the old iPod Touch body and this one is even slimmer! In order to fit the iPhone 4 camera sensor into the iPod Touch, Apple would have had to make this device significantly thicker, which loses one of the big advantages the Touch has had over the iPhone, its size. I might have been willing to make the tradeoff, but obviously Apple wasn’t.

Keep in mind that the larger sensor (and LED Flash) adds to the cost of the device as well. Apple added a significant number of features to the iPod Touch and kept the price exactly the same. Something’s gotta give here. The 32GB iPhone 4 sells for $700! (AT&T pays Apple the difference when you buy one on contract). I’m sure if people were willing to spend $400 more than the $299 the 32GB iPod Touch sells for they would have a mind blowing sensor in there. I’m actually surprised at how much of the functionality of the iPhone the iPod Touch now replicates, given the huge gap in cost.

Appreciate the fact that you can now record HD video and do video calling over WiFi for the same price as the last model. Or don’t buy it. Consider how much you can do on this device compared to other portable gadgets, like the pocket sized Flip Video Camera, which costs more than $100+ and does nothing other than video, or even the ZUNE HD, which is a great device, but lacks compatibility with the hundreds of thousands of Apps that turn the iPod Touch into a pocket computer.

I’m waiting for something to come along to blow away the iPod Touch, but that device just doesn’t exist. All things considered, this device is a 4.5/5, which I round up to 5 because Amazon doesn’t do half stars. This device won’t be for everyone, but then again, no device is. For a great majority of users, this is product is nothing short of gadget heaven.
Rating: 5 / 5

The title refers to the two eldest Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, one of whom (Elinor) embraces practicality and restraint while the other (Marianne) gives her whole heart to every endeavor. When the Dashwoods – mother Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Marianne, and youngest sister Margaret – are sent, almost impoverished, to a small cottage in Devonshire after the death of their father and the machinations of their brother’s wife, they accept their new circumstances with as much cheer as they can muster even though their brother and his wife have taken over the family estate and fortune. Their characters, albeit wildly different in their approaches to life, are impeccably honest and intelligent – and their suitors take notice. Elinor falls in love with the shy, awkward Edward, while Marianne’s affections are lavished on the dashing hunter Willoughby. As in all Austen’s books, love and marriage don’t come easily, as affections aren’t always returned and social jockeying sometimes takes precedence to true love. In an interestingly twist, the end of this novel brings into question which sister represents which part of the title.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY only hints at the social skewering Austen would use to such great effect in her later novels, and the humor here is only occasional and slight, as this novel adopts a generally serious tone. Parody is largely limited to the gossipy Mrs. Jenkins, who jumps to wild conclusions about situations she knows nothing about. Though arranged marriage and true love figure prominently in all of Austen’s novels, this novel focuses almost exclusivity on the prospects of the two main characters, making it less complex than the novels that followed. Reserved Elinor and exuberant Marianne are expertly drawn, with Edward, Willoughby, and Colonel Brandon (whose lovesick hopes for Marianne are dashed again and again) also engaging creations. Except for the first page or two where the circumstances of the Dashwoods are set up through a series of deaths and relations, possibly causing some confusion, this novel is exceedingly easy to follow for contemporary readers.

This novel is an excellent introduction to Jane Austen’s works because of its relative simplicity (though readers should not dismiss it as simple) and the use of typical themes and social situations. Book clubs and students might want to explore the influence of money on nineteenth century British society as well as the meaning of the title as it applies to both the sisters and the other characters. It is also interesting to note both the helplessness and the extraordinary power of women in different circumstances.

Just because this is not Austen’s best novel, I could not take away a single star because it is such a delightful book. I highly recommend this novel for all readers.
Rating: 5 / 5

Yep, based on my experience with a 3rd gen 32 gb, and on my recent local purchase of the 4th gen (this current model) in 8 gb capacity.

When using the old 32 gb, I found out that I barely used its greater storage capacity. (I don’t haul around a lot of music or videos – I just transfer what I want to listen to/watch for each road trip or listening/viewing cycle using iTunes). Apps, I discovered, don’t take up much space, even games and books don’t take up much space, unless you want to haul substantially more of your whole collection with you. Amazon’s Kindle app is esp. device friendly, since you can archive books you’ve finished back to Amazon instead of keeping them on the device. iTunes is a great way to manage what content you want to store on your home computer – which becomes a sort of large “docking device” – and what you want “to go.”

As a netbook substitute, storage isn’t even that important. I can check my bank balance, transfer funds and execute orders on a brokerage account, listen to radio on Pandora or Slacker, watch music videos (and a lot more ) on YouTube, Skype, stream Netflix, and do a whole lot of other stuff on the 8 gb just fine.

In fact in hindsight the only real reason for me getting the 32 gb version in the older edition was to get the faster processor. But in the current generation, all the hardware on the 8 gb edition matches the hardware on the larger versions, save the the “hard disk” space.

The Touch was initially marketed as a music player with a cool touch screen. It is now marketed as a game machine, but the truth is, with the new higher resolution screen, it is a mini-iPad. Yes, you have to zoom to read some web content, but reading a book is MUCH crisper on this unit than on the last generation, thanks to the better screen, and watching videos is MUCH better, esp. Netflix streaming videos. It’s a toss up as to whether watching videos on this, with no stutter and perfectly crisp, is better than watching an occasionally stuttering, less crisp, but much larger video on a netbook.

The 8gb makes a nice intersection on my personal “cheapness” and “minimalist” curves. The price doesn’t get into nose-bleed territory where I start to wonder whether a netbook would makes more sense, and it’s inexpensive enough to subject to the toils of daily wear and tear – keeping it handy in an outside day pack pocket, instead of more safely stowed deep inside the pack.

Plus, if I ever DO get a hankering to carry more than two or three lossless encoded albums and more than two to three hours of video at a time, I can turn this over to my kids for game and Netflix streaming use.
Rating: 5 / 5

Yep, based on my experience with a 3rd gen 32 gb, and on my recent local purchase of the 4th gen (this current model) in 8 gb capacity.

When using the old 32 gb, I found out that I barely used its greater storage capacity. (I don’t haul around a lot of music or videos – I just transfer what I want to listen to/watch for each road trip or listening/viewing cycle using iTunes). Apps, I discovered, don’t take up much space, even games and books don’t take up much space, unless you want to haul substantially more of your whole collection with you. Amazon’s Kindle app is esp. device friendly, since you can archive books you’ve finished back to Amazon instead of keeping them on the device. iTunes is a great way to manage what content you want to store on your home computer – which becomes a sort of large “docking device” – and what you want “to go.”

As a netbook substitute, storage isn’t even that important. I can check my bank balance, transfer funds and execute orders on a brokerage account, listen to radio on Pandora or Slacker, watch music videos (and a lot more ) on YouTube, Skype, stream Netflix, and do a whole lot of other stuff on the 8 gb just fine.

In fact in hindsight the only real reason for me getting the 32 gb version in the older edition was to get the faster processor. But in the current generation, all the hardware on the 8 gb edition matches the hardware on the larger versions, save the the “hard disk” space.

The Touch was initially marketed as a music player with a cool touch screen. It is now marketed as a game machine, but the truth is, with the new higher resolution screen, it is a mini-iPad. Yes, you have to zoom to read some web content, but reading a book is MUCH crisper on this unit than on the last generation, thanks to the better screen, and watching videos is MUCH better, esp. Netflix streaming videos. It’s a toss up as to whether watching videos on this, with no stutter and perfectly crisp, is better than watching an occasionally stuttering, less crisp, but much larger video on a netbook.

The 8gb makes a nice intersection on my personal “cheapness” and “minimalist” curves. The price doesn’t get into nose-bleed territory where I start to wonder whether a netbook would makes more sense, and it’s inexpensive enough to subject to the toils of daily wear and tear – keeping it handy in an outside day pack pocket, instead of more safely stowed deep inside the pack.

Plus, if I ever DO get a hankering to carry more than two or three lossless encoded albums and more than two to three hours of video at a time, I can turn this over to my kids for game and Netflix streaming use.
Rating: 5 / 5

Body: Aside from moving the sleep button to the right and making the back of the device slimmer and more flat, not much has changed. Yes, the chrome back is still there erg! It was so pretty for the first 30 seconds.

Ram: The Ram on the iPod Touch is only 256 MB, so do not believe the talk of 512 MB, it is simply not true.

Wireless: Fully supports A/B/G/N

Vibration: There is no vibration, so do not expect that.

Multitasking: Works real well and very smooth transition

Display: While the display on the iPod is not IPS like the iPhone do not think it suffers in anyway. This display is so beautiful and crisp to look at. I cannot even distinguish the pixels, and text on a website is like you are reading out of a book, it’s so refreshing. I played a digital copy of “UP” on here and the colors practically jump off the screen, very nice. Apple’s icons are so much more vivid and sharp, while 3rd party developer icons who have yet to make an upgrade for the new displays shows what a step up this new screen has to offer.

Speaker: I am not sure of the quality of the speaker on the 3G iPod Touch, but on my 2G iPod Touch it was very tinny and I only used it for game sound. Here on the 4G there is a new spot on the bottom left for the speaker and it has risen in clarity. Music is very listenable and clear, however nothing replaces a good set of earbuds, but when you’re in a jam, you won’t be gritting your teeth with this speaker.

Processor: The new Apple processor is a sure win for this device. Everything loads very fast and switching from one screen to another is very swift and smooth. Crash Bandicoot finally has a nice framerate to play with on this iPod and for once I did not regret buying that game.

Front Camera: This is the camera that is primarily used for Facetime. It’s resolution is at 640 X 480. After taking a few pictures with it, you will notice how it is really not for taking stills, but works fine for videochatting (which I have not tried, but did run some video tests with it). Obviously Facetime will work better in well lit areas, but then again, doesn’t any camera?

Rear Camera: Again stills are just so so. What really bugs me is when you go to take a picture, you see how crisp the preview is, then you take the picture and you can see it blur. The tap to focus works nice for adjusting exposure and well lit photos look very decent on the display. It’s when you upload them to your computer when you notice how not so decent they actually are. While this may be a negative for many people, if you are like me, you want to just upload photos with this device to FaceBook and capture funny moments with the video camera. If I want to take a really awesome picture, I’ll pull out my DSLR, but for me this iPod’s capabilities are more than adequate for my quick shooting of certain events. The video captures quite nicely, while not superb like an actual HD camcorder does enough for me for again, capturing fun moments. Don’t worry, you don’t cringe while watching the video, it’s more than adequate and produces vibrant colors and a fast framerate. Some may complain on this, and believe me those reviews will be here shortly, but then again why not buy an HD Camcorder that is made for HD content? (I’m not ignorant to HD quality either, I’m a huge fan of it. I run a 3D 65” 1080p display with Blu-ray and Dolby Tru-HD decoding surround sound system)

Microphone: Testing out Skype my friend told me I was coming in loud and clear. I also played back a video I made on the iPod on my computer and the microphone captures top notch audio. Very crisp and clear, I was quite pleased.

Battery: While I haven’t tested out Apple’s claims of 40 hr. of music, let’s be honest who really does that? I’m sure Apple’s claims are quite credible in their battery life depending on how the device is used.

One note I should also make, my iPod Touch 2G accessories, (car charger, wall charger) work with my iPod touch 4G. Apple sometimes changes stuff like the charging pin on the iPod’s to make a person have to buy new accessories. Anybody remember when the iPod Video A/V cables had the Audio and Video switched around so people couldn’t use their cables with the iPod? Well they could, they just had to switch the audio and video cables in the port around. Anyways, away from this funny piece of marketing history.

Is the new iPod worth it? For me, upgrading from the 2G Touch, yes! The display is brilliant, the speed of the processor amazing, video quality is very much enjoyable and the rear camera is excellent for taking quick fun shots. If I had one word to describe this iPod, it would be fun! You can’t handle one of these without feeling like a joyous kid, (I’m 22) and the business aspect is still there and quite useful. I would highly recommend this iPod Touch as a worthy upgrade to any generation of the iPod Touch you may own and if you don’t own one, there has never been a more perfect time to go out and get one! Don’t hesitate to leave a comment here if you have a question for an actual owner. I’ll do what I can!

Rating: 5 / 5

Body: Aside from moving the sleep button to the right and making the back of the device slimmer and more flat, not much has changed. Yes, the chrome back is still there erg! It was so pretty for the first 30 seconds.

Ram: The Ram on the iPod Touch is only 256 MB, so do not believe the talk of 512 MB, it is simply not true.

Wireless: Fully supports A/B/G/N

Vibration: There is no vibration, so do not expect that.

Multitasking: Works real well and very smooth transition

Display: While the display on the iPod is not IPS like the iPhone do not think it suffers in anyway. This display is so beautiful and crisp to look at. I cannot even distinguish the pixels, and text on a website is like you are reading out of a book, it’s so refreshing. I played a digital copy of “UP” on here and the colors practically jump off the screen, very nice. Apple’s icons are so much more vivid and sharp, while 3rd party developer icons who have yet to make an upgrade for the new displays shows what a step up this new screen has to offer.

Speaker: I am not sure of the quality of the speaker on the 3G iPod Touch, but on my 2G iPod Touch it was very tinny and I only used it for game sound. Here on the 4G there is a new spot on the bottom left for the speaker and it has risen in clarity. Music is very listenable and clear, however nothing replaces a good set of earbuds, but when you’re in a jam, you won’t be gritting your teeth with this speaker.

Processor: The new Apple processor is a sure win for this device. Everything loads very fast and switching from one screen to another is very swift and smooth. Crash Bandicoot finally has a nice framerate to play with on this iPod and for once I did not regret buying that game.

Front Camera: This is the camera that is primarily used for Facetime. It’s resolution is at 640 X 480. After taking a few pictures with it, you will notice how it is really not for taking stills, but works fine for videochatting (which I have not tried, but did run some video tests with it). Obviously Facetime will work better in well lit areas, but then again, doesn’t any camera?

Rear Camera: Again stills are just so so. What really bugs me is when you go to take a picture, you see how crisp the preview is, then you take the picture and you can see it blur. The tap to focus works nice for adjusting exposure and well lit photos look very decent on the display. It’s when you upload them to your computer when you notice how not so decent they actually are. While this may be a negative for many people, if you are like me, you want to just upload photos with this device to FaceBook and capture funny moments with the video camera. If I want to take a really awesome picture, I’ll pull out my DSLR, but for me this iPod’s capabilities are more than adequate for my quick shooting of certain events. The video captures quite nicely, while not superb like an actual HD camcorder does enough for me for again, capturing fun moments. Don’t worry, you don’t cringe while watching the video, it’s more than adequate and produces vibrant colors and a fast framerate. Some may complain on this, and believe me those reviews will be here shortly, but then again why not buy an HD Camcorder that is made for HD content? (I’m not ignorant to HD quality either, I’m a huge fan of it. I run a 3D 65” 1080p display with Blu-ray and Dolby Tru-HD decoding surround sound system)

Microphone: Testing out Skype my friend told me I was coming in loud and clear. I also played back a video I made on the iPod on my computer and the microphone captures top notch audio. Very crisp and clear, I was quite pleased.

Battery: While I haven’t tested out Apple’s claims of 40 hr. of music, let’s be honest who really does that? I’m sure Apple’s claims are quite credible in their battery life depending on how the device is used.

One note I should also make, my iPod Touch 2G accessories, (car charger, wall charger) work with my iPod touch 4G. Apple sometimes changes stuff like the charging pin on the iPod’s to make a person have to buy new accessories. Anybody remember when the iPod Video A/V cables had the Audio and Video switched around so people couldn’t use their cables with the iPod? Well they could, they just had to switch the audio and video cables in the port around. Anyways, away from this funny piece of marketing history.

Is the new iPod worth it? For me, upgrading from the 2G Touch, yes! The display is brilliant, the speed of the processor amazing, video quality is very much enjoyable and the rear camera is excellent for taking quick fun shots. If I had one word to describe this iPod, it would be fun! You can’t handle one of these without feeling like a joyous kid, (I’m 22) and the business aspect is still there and quite useful. I would highly recommend this iPod Touch as a worthy upgrade to any generation of the iPod Touch you may own and if you don’t own one, there has never been a more perfect time to go out and get one! Don’t hesitate to leave a comment here if you have a question for an actual owner. I’ll do what I can!

Rating: 5 / 5

I’ve also hidden a treasure trove of info on how you can legitimately download tons of quality apps for free. First though, let’s quickly cover what’s new.

+ Faster 1GHz A4 Processor – to keep up with the high demands of multitasking

+ Ultra high resolution “Retina display” – packs a 960 x 640 resolution at 326 pixels per inch

+ 15% larger battery – 3.44 Whr/930 mAh plays 7 hrs of video & 40 hrs of audio

+ Rear-facing camera – supports 960 x 720 sized photos (0.6 megapixels), plus 720p HD videos

+ Front-facing VGA-quality camera – VGA-quality is a resolution of 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)

+ 3-Axis Gyroscope – allows for higher precision and more motion gestures

+ Wireless N – Connect faster and go farther than ever, with this WiFi device (requires a router with 802.11n)

+ Built in microphone – but Apple reverted back to using the remote- and mic-less earphones

+ Game Center – Apple’s own social gaming platform

+ Sleep/Power Button – it’s been moved to the right, but not improved beyond that

+ Thinner, lighter than ever

* Note – Memory remains at the same 256MB despite several unconfirmed sources touting 512MB. There’s also no vibrate module.

Unlike last year’s iPod touch update, this one’s a complete overhaul to the entire line. Last year, the new models didn’t change in appearance. On the inside, faster processors and double-memory were added to the 32GB & 64GB models, but the 8GB got left out. Not this time. Buying the new 8GB iPod touch indeed gets you all the new goodies. You’ll also pay thirty bucks more than before, so consider buying the 32GB model instead. You’ll get 400% of the storage capacity for only 23% more coin!

===== Background =====

I’m a mobile app developer who’s created a few apps and games for the iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad. I was initially drawn to the iPod touch because of the popularity and capabilities of its mobile Web browsing–I was primarily a Web developer at the time and no other device could surf the Web so well. After I got one, I was hooked. I racked up over a hundred bucks in app purchases within the first month, and before long, I found myself learning how do develop native apps for the device.

Indeed, if you have never had an iPod touch before, you’re in for a real treat. Of course, if you have, then you know first hand: it’s is worth its weight in gold–no, in platinum. And now, with the latest generation, it may even be worth its weight rare gem stones! I digress.

===== Out With the Old =====

The iPod touch is frequently called an iPhone without the phone. However, until now there have been several other features also missing in the iPod touch besides the phone: a camera, GPS, magnetometer (compass), and some newer amenities from the iPhone 4: front-facing camera, high resolution “Retina display” as it has been dubbed, and the powerful 1GHz A4 processor–indeed a necessity to keep up with multitasking.

That all changes, now. The 4th gen iPod touch brings with it some new features and amenities, some of which have been anticipated by iPod touch fans and developers alike, including myself, for several generations of the device. From a developer’s perspective, the more hardware features we can get our hands on, the better and more innovative apps we can create, and the more users that can download, use and enjoy them.

===== In With the New =====

The striking new design of the latest iPod touch is definitely a looker. Apple has made it even thinner (and I thought it was already too thin before) complete with a beautiful chrome back. While the super thin design is certainly attractive, I’ve found it slightly difficult to keep it well-gripped in your hands. The usual chrome back looks great too, but it’s scratch-insistent. Yes, it’s incredibly easy to scratch it all up, even after the first few days. For these two reasons, definitely get yourself a silicone skin (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042GVG5G?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) alongside your new touch!

For ages, the feature topping everyone’s wishlist for the iPod touch has been a camera. Check! It handles HD video too–bonus! Granted, its not the 5 megapixel camera that the iPhone 4 sports, but again, the new iPod touch is thinner than ever, making it a miracle that we even got a camera in the first place, let alone two! Yes, Apple went the extra mile so we could make video calls with our iPhone toting friends, via their FaceTime app. Brilliant! So, having not had any camera on the iPod touch before, and now having TWO cameras on it, we can’t really complain can we? Nah.

I’ll have details on the quality both cameras later, but what excites me even moreso is the new much-higher resolution screen–dubbed “Retina display”. You may not think much of it if you haven’t used an iPhone or iPod touch before, nor have an older model nearby to compare it to, but for those that have and/or do, the difference is clear! (pun intended)

Where this really comes in handy is in browsing the Web and reading non-mobile-formatted PDF e-books. Now, I can see things so much clearer at the default zoom level (which shows the full width of a Web page or document). My vision isn’t spectacular by any means, I just don’t mind seeing things smaller on the screen. It allows me to see more content without having to scroll. Indeed, the Retina display was the #1 feature I never knew I wanted (until I saw it in the iPhone 4 that is).

Other newness includes: 15% larger battery, HD video recording and editing, built-in mic, wireless-n for nearly double the WiFi connection speed and distance, Game Center: Apple’s new social gaming platform (which seems to be Apple’s attempt to kill-off third party social gaming platforms like OpenFeint and Plus+), 3-axis gyroscope sensor, which complements the existing accelerometer sensor, both of which handle the rotating, swinging and other motion gestures of the device (previously, rotation were roughly calculated from accelerometer data), and new placement of the sleep/power button on the right (but still as difficult as ever to press).

Features still missing include: 512MB of memory, vibration, 5 MP quality camera + flash (iPhone apps now support using LED flash as a flashlight, like Android does), magnetometer (compass), and the GPS. I’d happily trade the thinness of the latest iPod touch to have the GPS. WiFi based location is often inaccurate, and the GPS doesn’t need a WiFi or cellular connection, it just needs to see the satellites in the sky.

===== iOS vs Android =====

So far, Apple has cornered the market of multitouch mobile devices that aren’t phones, but things are slowly changing. Currently, the two hottest mobile and smartphone operating systems out there right now are Apple’s iOS (formerly: iPhone OS) and Google’s Android. Of course, iOS is popular because it runs on not only the iPhone, but also on the iPod touch and now on the ipad as well. Plus, it has garnered support from scores of app developers who’ve gotten behind Apple’s slew of high-demand devices.

The iPod touch has really made iOS what it is today. It does a lot of what the iPhone does, without a contract, or carrier exclusivity, as is the case with the iPhone and the iPad (WiFi+3G models). So if it weren’t for the iPod touch, a lot of the market share Apple now has in the industry would have been stifled by their carrier exclusivity. I think Apple will see the light soon, but that’s another discussion.

Enter Android. Google has held a different stance on their mobile OS. It isn’t tied to a select few devices, and it’s open source, so it can be further developed by manufacturers who use it. Indeed, several mobile device manufacturers have now latched onto Android as a foundation for numerous devices. Wireless carriers that have been unable to carry the iPhone have also taken a liking to it. Now, tons of Android devices have been released, and there’s no end in sight. Manufacturers have also seen the iPad’s potential and now they want a piece of that pie, too. So, expect to see a lot more Android tablets and media-centric non-phone devices soon. The competition is heating up.

But not everything with Android, nor with iOS, is perfect. I own an EVO 4G, one of the most popular Android devices currently available. I’ve also used an iPod touch almost every day for nearly two years, so I’m pretty qualified to share my experience with each platform. Both certainly have their share of unique offerings, and neither of them are without flaws. For this reason, and because of the increasing competition between the two, I plan to dispel some of their key differences for you at various points in this review.

===== So What Can the iPod Touch Actually Do? =====

Well, what can’t it do?

The iPod touch is like a magical little box, only it’s flat. While it cannot cook your breakfast, yet (I’m sure someone is already working on that), it can indeed do some pretty extraordinary things. It’s an amazing catch-all device that can provide hours of entertainment, give you the power of the Web in your hand, and it can even replicate the functionality of countless one-off products. Developers have been creating apps that take advantage of special hardware of the iPod touch to emulate some other product for less, and sometimes even for free.

Even expensive products have seen cheap iOS based clone apps. For just 99 cents, you can snag a special alarm clock app that monitors your sleep cycle and wakes you up when you’re in an ideal state of wakefulness. I spent 350 bucks on an aXbo

(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014RDSSY?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) a few years ago, who’s functionality is easily replicated by several “sleep phase” alarm clock apps in the app store. When you do the math there, you see that it’s easily a no brainer: buy yourself an iPod touch now!

I’ve listed more apps like this in the comments!

Plus, with the support of such a strong community of app and game developers, there’s never a drought of fresh new apps and games. There’s always something to do with the iPod touch, and I guarantee you’ll never be bored with it. I honestly cannot say the same thing about Android, though I also tote my EVO 4G around with me. I do admit that the EVO’s mobile hotspot comes in incredibly handy for providing the iPod touch with a WiFi connection while I’m on the go).

Now, with the proper resources, you can legitimately download thousands of high quality apps for free. I do it all the time and it is perfectly legal. See, Apple allows developers to temporarily put their apps on sale (and even drop the price to free). Usually they do this to get you to write some rave reviews for their apps. The secret to success is having the resources to help you spot these special app sales–so you know when and where to get them during their sometimes extremely-limited-time promotions.

In hopes of making this the most helpful review on Amazon for the iPod touch, here’s how to obtain these special promotional-sale apps:

There are several resources you can use, both on the Web and on the iPod touch itself. I prefer to use the app called BargainBin that lists all apps that recently went on sale or dropped to free. It also supports watch lists with push notifications, and can alert you whenever an app you’re interested in goes on sale. It’s a phenomenal little gem, and it has gotten me a ton of apps and saved me a fortune! It also has a companion website that lists the same apps (Google: App Advice). There’s also a website called AppShopper (Google it) that lists apps with recent price drops and new apps as well, and you can filter just the free products or just the sale products. The two sites don’t always list the same apps. Sometimes one will miss something that the other will catch, so it’s good to keep track of them both. Check them daily if possible. Several apps are duds, but you’ll come across some really great ones from time to time. They’ll all add up!

===== Web Browsing =====

Alongside spending lots of money on all those wonderful apps in the App Store, Web browsing is one of the most popular uses for the iPod touch. Browsing the Web with mobile Safari was my original attraction to the device. The experience hasn’t changed too drastically in the past two years (since the days of iOS 2), and while it’s still very powerful, there are some definite flaws. And no, I’m not talking about Flash. Just minor usability issues I’d like to see overcome, but first let’s look at the positives.

Mobile Safari has a smart approach to zooming in on content. Double-tap on a paragraph of text or an image to cinch that content right up to the edges of the screen. The downside: some sites aren’t mobile-friendly, so zooming in on a really wide block of text can leave you with tiny text. You can zoom further manually, by using the “unpinch” multi-touch gesture, but because the browser doesn’t have an option to reflow the text to the screen width, you have to scroll left and right, as well as up and down, just to read the text. Android’s browser doesn’t feature smart zoom, but it does reflow the text to fit the screen when zoomed in. It’s a nice feature, and Apple should add it as a preference for Safari.

Browser history can also vanish after a few days, and browser windows get overwritten by links from other pages sometimes (usually when I’ve hit the maximum of eight windows). Also yet to be seen is support for doing common things like searching for text on a page, or bookmarking a link by tapping and holding. That would be invaluable for adding bookmarklets–bookmark based scripts that help overcome browser shortcomings.

Flash is also a great debate, one I won’t get into. I will just say that all is not as it seems with the Flash-support-touting Android platform. Flash does work, but it is buggy because Flash doesn’t play well with touch interfaces. Flash based video players don’t work right, and I even run Android 2.2, which is supposed to have the “full Flash experience”. It doesn’t, trust me. So you’re not missing much by not having Flash on the iPod touch!

Indeed, we can just hope and pray that Web developers and Flash-fiends see the light and start replacing Flash content with technologies like HTML5′s canvas element, which is poised to take on a lot of Flash’s most popular abilities.

===== Media =====

Despite all the incredible things the iPod touch can do, audio and video are still one of the iPod touch’s greatest strengths. And with the incredible resolution of the new iPod touch’s retina display, to say that videos now appear much sharper, more vivid and highly-defined is definitely an understatement. Yes, videos were great before, but now they frickin’ rock!

Just make sure your videos are at least 960 x 640. If you’ve owned an older iPod touch and used video conversion software to scale down your media to fit the old 320 x 480 screen resolution, definitely change your conversion settings, or look for a software update to support the new higher-resolution display.

For those interested in watching live TV on the go (over WiFi), Sling Media’s SlingPlayer app, paired with one of their Slingbox devices is a phenomenal and freeing experience, especially considering your alternate choices for watching live TV on the go are pretty much nil up to this point.

On top of that, Netflix’s recently released iPod touch version of their media streaming app has also been a much-welcomed addition to my ever-growing collection of apps. Netflix videos stream quickly, and even moving the play position back and forth in the timeline, the movie starts playing very quickly without much time rebuffering the video.

===== Photos =====

The latest iPod touch is also a game-changer for photography and video recording on an iPod touch. It’s not mind-blowing by any means, but we went from having no camera right to having two cameras on the device. I probably would not be so thrilled with just a new back camera. I merely would have sighed, mumbling “finally” under my my breath (unless it were 5 megapixels). But despite the less-than-one megapixel quality of the rear-facing camera, I was taken aback by the rather decent quality, especially in low-light environments. Check the comments for links to sample photos!

Between that and the ability to connect with other iPhone and iPod touch toting friends via Apple’s FaceTime app, yes… it’s a game changer. Granted, I have been wanting front facing cameras on mobile devices ever since mobile devices started having cameras period. I got the first of such devices when my EVO 4G arrived in June, but as they say: the more the merrier. Friends, welcome to the future we’ve been dreaming of. Video killed the audio call!

The quality of my test calls were pretty good. Of course, it was over WiFi, but it proves the cameras are decent. You can switch from using the front camera to using the rear camera, too, in case something was going on in front of you that you wanted to share. Just tap the “camera swap” button in the bottom right corner of the screen. FaceTime also rotates along with the iPod when flipped on its side, nice.

HD video recording is the other half of the aforementioned game-changing equation. I didn’t expect to see ANY video recording, considering the original iPhone camera was originally just a camera. But it’s here, complete with HD quality (yes, the quality is indeed desirable), plus basic video editing support, as well as support for Apple’s brilliant “iMovie” app: an advanced video editing studio right on your iPod touch. It’s just five bucks on the App Store.

===== E-Reading =====

The iPad has been making waves in the genre of media reading for several months now, but that hasn’t exactly been the same story for any generation of the iPod touch so far. Granted, it’s not exactly marketed as an eReader like its iPad counterpart, but there are some really great apps out there for media reading on it, so there’s no reason not to use it to read digital media. The obstacle to doing that, for me at least, has been the limited screen resolution, and so that may all potentially start to change, now that Apple has brought the Retina display to the iPod touch.

The 163 pixels per inch screens of past iPod touches were still pretty great, just not ideal for tiny text. For comparison, LCD monitors typically only have 96 pixels per inch, and CRT monitors only have 72 pixels per inch. TV’s are even worse than that. What this means for you is that the iPod touch display has always been sharper than your own computer monitor.

However, despite being able to display content at a higher quality, I still found that in a lot of eBooks, especially PDFs that weren’t mobile-formatted, the text was just not clear enough to be readable when zoomed out. However, zooming in meant having to constantly scroll side-to-side while reading. The app “Good Reader” helped ease that pain by doing the left-right & vertical scrolling for you with just a tap of the screen, as well as offering an additional view that re-flows the text to fit on the screen at a large enough size.

However, with the Retina display, all text and content in the aforementioned “zoomed out” state now appears extremely clear. That is a wonderful thing, so long as you don’t mind reading tiny text.

Could you still benefit from having an iPad too? Perhaps. After all, it does have unique qualities that set it apart from the iPod touch, as my in depth iPad review portrays (http://www.amazon.com/review/R16U71KO7POLA2?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8). But unless you specifically see the need for one of those unique qualities, then no, you probably don’t need both.

===== Gaming =====

If you’re like me, you probably don’t have time for games. Regardless, it may still be high-time to let the kid within you roam free from time to time, as I do. The iPod touch has made it possible. In fact, it is so easy, there’s no excuse not to enjoy yourself. My favorite games are the racing games and, when I have a bit more time, strategy games.

With the iPhone and iPod Touch having taken on a clear role as a gaming console that has been as revolutionary for mobile gaming as the Wii was for living-room gaming, it goes without saying that the iPod touch is, and will continue to be, one of the best platforms for gaming. It’s simple, convenient, and pretty much instant. Whenever you have a few moments of free time, wherever you’re, just turn it on, find your game, and bam! You’re gaming. Simple as that.

===== Productivity =====

Productivity carries numerous definitions. Usually its “getting something done” though some people tend to believe that it’s the ability to focus without being distracted, which I see as one of the iPod touch’s strengths, at least for me, primarily because the screen is small enough to force you to focus on the task at hand.

In the context of software though, Apple’s own suite of productivity apps for the office, collectively called “iWork”, has been further refined for the iPhone and iPod touch. Because of the aforementioned “focus factor” of the iPod touch, I have found myself to be surprisingly productive when working on documents with it. There are three apps in all: Pages allows you to work on word processing documents. Numbers allows you to work on spreadsheets. Keynote lets you work on presentations and slideshows (including PowerPoint files).

So far, I’ve found these apps to be highly useful when I have work to do, but don’t feel like being at the computer to do it. Another great app for that is “iTeleport” which let’s me at my computer remotely, when iWork won’t work (meaning I’m not working on office documents). Log Me In Ignition is another similar app that is slightly easier to set up, but a bit slower than iTeleport, when you’re just working over the same WiFi connection as the remote computer.

Furthermore, there’s a whole category of iPod touch apps in the App Store specifically dedicated to productivity. Some of my favorite productivity apps include: Bento (info management), Things (project management), iTeleport (remote computing), and GoodReader (best PDF reader around). Search for them in the App Store.

===== Email, IM and Social Networking =====

The iPod touch has been, and continues to be an exceptional communication-machine. Whether it’s reading or composing email, keeping in touch via instant messenger, or managing your life via social networks, you’ve got plenty of options here.

Instant messaging is easy with platforms such as AIM, Yahoo, Gtalk, MSN, Skype and apps that handle multiple platforms: IM+, Fring, Nimbuzz, BeejiveIM and Fuse Messenger. Finally, multitasking means you can truly remain connected to your IM platforms of choice, instead of relying on apps to keep you signed remotely, then push new-message notifications to your device. This is a much welcome addition to the new iPod touch.

As well, there are plenty of apps to help you browse and update your status on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc. Within the iOS development community, Twitter apps have often been a laughing stock, simply because there are so many out there on the App Store. They’re almost as rampant as “fart” apps. So to say you’ve got countless options as far as social networking apps are concerned is probably a pretty accurate statement.

For email, you need not look any further than Apple’s native “Mail” app. Even if you’re using Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, or Apple’s own MobileMe, setup is a snap. It even supports Microsoft Exchange, often useful for corporate email setups. As well, any other email accounts that support POP3 or IMAP connection types will work with the Mail app too. Plus, new to the iPod touch with iOS 4 is the option to use a unified inbox–handy for those already used to that behavior on Mac OS X.

===== Downloading Apps and Games =====

Downloading apps on your iPod touch couldn’t be easier. Once you set up your iTunes account with a credit card, all you need to do is find the app you want, tap the download button (usually it says the price rather than “download”, which then changes to “buy” after you tap it), then tap again to confirm. Voila, you just bought an app. Behind the scenes, Apple then charges your card the amount of the app plus tax, while you’re already off enjoying your new purchase. This ease of access is a blessing and a curse, because you can easily empty your wallet if you’re not carefully considering each purchase.

All apps in the App Store range in price from Free and 99 cents on up, always incrementing in whole dollar amounts (1.99, 2.99, 3.99, etc). The maximum price for an app is set to $999.99, of which there are only eight currently priced so outrageously. And don’t even think of toying with them. Apple does not allow refunds on apps you have purchased–all sales are final!

Contrast that with Android’s more complex Android Market, and you’ll find several more steps, especially for paid apps. For one, there’re no fixed pricing tiers, and secondly, they allow multiple currency pricing, which only confuses its users. The good developers do keep their pricing similar to iOS apps, with the 99 cent base plus $1 increments, but I often see apps priced at ¥0.55 or 0.79 or $1 or £2.95 …it’s quite disorienting and unstructured. They have also set their price cap at $200, so you can’t accidentally run up a $1000 charge on just one app–you’ll need at least 5 apps for that.

Meanwhile, to actually buy an app on Android, you must tap the BUY button, confirm that you want to buy the app, then get redirected to a Google Checkout link, where you must setup your Google Checkout account or choose an existing payment method if you already have an account set up. Once you confirm the purchase yet again, THEN you can finally download the app.

Google also makes selling apps a bit more complicated for developers than Apple, but I won’t get into that. I’m just stressing how absolutely simple Apple makes the app buying and selling process. Contrary to Apple however, Google does allow users to “return” purchased Android apps within 24 hours for a full refund. That’s nice.

===== Technical Specifications =====

Since Amazon’s product descriptions tend to be lacking, I like to include all the technical jargon geeks have come to expect when researching new gadgets. Feel free to breeze on through!

In the box

+ iPod touch

+ Earphones

+ Dock Connector to USB Cable (for sync and charging)

+ Quick Start guide

Size and weight

+ Height: 4.4 inches (111.0 mm)

+ Width: 2.3 inches (58.9 mm)

+ Depth: 0.28 inch (7.2 mm)

+ Weight: 3.56 ounces (101 grams)

Capacity

+ 8GB, 32GB or 64GB flash drive/SSD

Wireless

+ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)

+ Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

+ Maps-location based service

+ Nike + iPod support built in

Display

+ Multi-Touch display

+ 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen

+ 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 pixels per inch

Cameras, photos, and video

+ Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still photos (960 x 720) with back camera

+ VGA-quality photos and video up to 30 frames per second with the front camera

+ Tap to control exposure for video or stills

+ Photo and video geo tagging over Wi-Fi

TV and video

+ H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

+ MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

+ Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

+ Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)

Audio

+ Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

+ Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

+ User-configurable maximum volume limit with parental lock

+ Earbud headphones included in box

Earphones

+ Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

+ Impedance: 32 ohms

Input and output

+ 30-pin dock connector

+ 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack

+ Built-in speaker

+ Microphone

+ External buttons and controls

Sensors

+ Three-axis gyro

+ Accelerometer

+ Ambient light sensor (for proximity detection)

Battery, power and playback time

+ Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery

+ USB sync cable is also used for charging

+ Fast charge in about 2 hours (80% capacity)

+ Full charge in about 4 hours.

+ Music playback time: Up to 40 hours when fully charged

+ Video playback time: Up to 7 hours when fully charged

System requirements

+ USB 2.0

+ iTunes 10 or later

+ Mac: Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later

+ PC: Windows 7, Vista, or XP (SP3 or later)

===== Praise =====

+ Apple continues its trend of creating the best multi-touch experience around. Android doesn’t even come close.

+ The Retina Display – Phenomenal! Kudos for bringing it to the iPod touch as well as the iPhone. Now try it with IPS technology Apple!

+ Wireless-N, finally! – Faster and farther-reaching WiFi connections (if your router supports 802.11n)

+ High performance 1GHz A4 processor – provides all the power of the iPhone 4, a win for gaming and multitasking.

+ Multitasks like a dream with iOS 4 and the powerful processor, despite the same 256MB of memory as the third generation touch.

+ Rear camera – It’s not the 5 megapixel iPhone 4 camera, but I definitely can’t complain here. It shoots great photos, especially in low-light without flash, plus it can do HD video.

+ Front facing camera – What a pleasant surprise! Now it just needs to work with Skype.

===== Dissappointments =====

+ No GPS – IP based location just doesn’t cut it at times. GPS has no subscription fee or contract to use. GPS chips are costly, but tons of high cost GPS apps are in the App Store now to offset that cost for Apple.

+ 256MB memory – iFixit has confirmed this disappointing flaw, putting to rest all the rumors of 512MB still littering several reviews.

+ Still no 120GB model – Useful for higher res videos that look great on the Retina display.

+ No USB 3.0 or wireless sync – Sync’ing can be slow or inconvenient over the cable.

+ Thinner design – I was hoping for a more squared design, like the iPhone 4, as it is easier to grip, handle and press the power button.

+ Power button – Yes, it hasn’t changed much. It’s been moved to the right side on this model, but it’s still the tiny, hard-to-press button it’s has always been, and if you take lots of screenshots like I do (by pressing power+home simultaneously) half the time you end up closing your app because the power button didn’t work right.

===== The Bottom Line =====

It is absolutely clear: Apple has definitely blurred the lines between iPhone and iPod touch with its 4th generation of both devices. Since it has no contract or carrier exclusivity, this phenomenal device will continue to shine its light in the otherwise dark voids of the smartphone market where the iPhone cannot go, even without the phone. That’s just smart!

Given all my tips, I think you’ll find the iPod touch to be an extraordinarily useful, possibly even highly addictive device, with a price tag that is well worth it, especially the 32GB model. With all the things that the iPod touch can do, it will undoubtedly enhance your life and change the way you interact with the Web. It might even make a gamer out of you if it hasn’t already, it sure did for me!

I hope you’ve found my hands-on review helpful. I do actively participate in any discussions via the comments, so feel free to drop me a line, or ask me any questions as well.
Rating: 5 / 5

I’ve also hidden a treasure trove of info on how you can legitimately download tons of quality apps for free. First though, let’s quickly cover what’s new.

+ Faster 1GHz A4 Processor – to keep up with the high demands of multitasking

+ Ultra high resolution “Retina display” – packs a 960 x 640 resolution at 326 pixels per inch

+ 15% larger battery – 3.44 Whr/930 mAh plays 7 hrs of video & 40 hrs of audio

+ Rear-facing camera – supports 960 x 720 sized photos (0.6 megapixels), plus 720p HD videos

+ Front-facing VGA-quality camera – VGA-quality is a resolution of 640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)

+ 3-Axis Gyroscope – allows for higher precision and more motion gestures

+ Wireless N – Connect faster and go farther than ever, with this WiFi device (requires a router with 802.11n)

+ Built in microphone – but Apple reverted back to using the remote- and mic-less earphones

+ Game Center – Apple’s own social gaming platform

+ Sleep/Power Button – it’s been moved to the right, but not improved beyond that

+ Thinner, lighter than ever

* Note – Memory remains at the same 256MB despite several unconfirmed sources touting 512MB. There’s also no vibrate module.

Unlike last year’s iPod touch update, this one’s a complete overhaul to the entire line. Last year, the new models didn’t change in appearance. On the inside, faster processors and double-memory were added to the 32GB & 64GB models, but the 8GB got left out. Not this time. Buying the new 8GB iPod touch indeed gets you all the new goodies. You’ll also pay thirty bucks more than before, so consider buying the 32GB model instead. You’ll get 400% of the storage capacity for only 23% more coin!

===== Background =====

I’m a mobile app developer who’s created a few apps and games for the iPhone, iPod Touch and now iPad. I was initially drawn to the iPod touch because of the popularity and capabilities of its mobile Web browsing–I was primarily a Web developer at the time and no other device could surf the Web so well. After I got one, I was hooked. I racked up over a hundred bucks in app purchases within the first month, and before long, I found myself learning how do develop native apps for the device.

Indeed, if you have never had an iPod touch before, you’re in for a real treat. Of course, if you have, then you know first hand: it’s is worth its weight in gold–no, in platinum. And now, with the latest generation, it may even be worth its weight rare gem stones! I digress.

===== Out With the Old =====

The iPod touch is frequently called an iPhone without the phone. However, until now there have been several other features also missing in the iPod touch besides the phone: a camera, GPS, magnetometer (compass), and some newer amenities from the iPhone 4: front-facing camera, high resolution “Retina display” as it has been dubbed, and the powerful 1GHz A4 processor–indeed a necessity to keep up with multitasking.

That all changes, now. The 4th gen iPod touch brings with it some new features and amenities, some of which have been anticipated by iPod touch fans and developers alike, including myself, for several generations of the device. From a developer’s perspective, the more hardware features we can get our hands on, the better and more innovative apps we can create, and the more users that can download, use and enjoy them.

===== In With the New =====

The striking new design of the latest iPod touch is definitely a looker. Apple has made it even thinner (and I thought it was already too thin before) complete with a beautiful chrome back. While the super thin design is certainly attractive, I’ve found it slightly difficult to keep it well-gripped in your hands. The usual chrome back looks great too, but it’s scratch-insistent. Yes, it’s incredibly easy to scratch it all up, even after the first few days. For these two reasons, definitely get yourself a silicone skin (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042GVG5G?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) alongside your new touch!

For ages, the feature topping everyone’s wishlist for the iPod touch has been a camera. Check! It handles HD video too–bonus! Granted, its not the 5 megapixel camera that the iPhone 4 sports, but again, the new iPod touch is thinner than ever, making it a miracle that we even got a camera in the first place, let alone two! Yes, Apple went the extra mile so we could make video calls with our iPhone toting friends, via their FaceTime app. Brilliant! So, having not had any camera on the iPod touch before, and now having TWO cameras on it, we can’t really complain can we? Nah.

I’ll have details on the quality both cameras later, but what excites me even moreso is the new much-higher resolution screen–dubbed “Retina display”. You may not think much of it if you haven’t used an iPhone or iPod touch before, nor have an older model nearby to compare it to, but for those that have and/or do, the difference is clear! (pun intended)

Where this really comes in handy is in browsing the Web and reading non-mobile-formatted PDF e-books. Now, I can see things so much clearer at the default zoom level (which shows the full width of a Web page or document). My vision isn’t spectacular by any means, I just don’t mind seeing things smaller on the screen. It allows me to see more content without having to scroll. Indeed, the Retina display was the #1 feature I never knew I wanted (until I saw it in the iPhone 4 that is).

Other newness includes: 15% larger battery, HD video recording and editing, built-in mic, wireless-n for nearly double the WiFi connection speed and distance, Game Center: Apple’s new social gaming platform (which seems to be Apple’s attempt to kill-off third party social gaming platforms like OpenFeint and Plus+), 3-axis gyroscope sensor, which complements the existing accelerometer sensor, both of which handle the rotating, swinging and other motion gestures of the device (previously, rotation were roughly calculated from accelerometer data), and new placement of the sleep/power button on the right (but still as difficult as ever to press).

Features still missing include: 512MB of memory, vibration, 5 MP quality camera + flash (iPhone apps now support using LED flash as a flashlight, like Android does), magnetometer (compass), and the GPS. I’d happily trade the thinness of the latest iPod touch to have the GPS. WiFi based location is often inaccurate, and the GPS doesn’t need a WiFi or cellular connection, it just needs to see the satellites in the sky.

===== iOS vs Android =====

So far, Apple has cornered the market of multitouch mobile devices that aren’t phones, but things are slowly changing. Currently, the two hottest mobile and smartphone operating systems out there right now are Apple’s iOS (formerly: iPhone OS) and Google’s Android. Of course, iOS is popular because it runs on not only the iPhone, but also on the iPod touch and now on the ipad as well. Plus, it has garnered support from scores of app developers who’ve gotten behind Apple’s slew of high-demand devices.

The iPod touch has really made iOS what it is today. It does a lot of what the iPhone does, without a contract, or carrier exclusivity, as is the case with the iPhone and the iPad (WiFi+3G models). So if it weren’t for the iPod touch, a lot of the market share Apple now has in the industry would have been stifled by their carrier exclusivity. I think Apple will see the light soon, but that’s another discussion.

Enter Android. Google has held a different stance on their mobile OS. It isn’t tied to a select few devices, and it’s open source, so it can be further developed by manufacturers who use it. Indeed, several mobile device manufacturers have now latched onto Android as a foundation for numerous devices. Wireless carriers that have been unable to carry the iPhone have also taken a liking to it. Now, tons of Android devices have been released, and there’s no end in sight. Manufacturers have also seen the iPad’s potential and now they want a piece of that pie, too. So, expect to see a lot more Android tablets and media-centric non-phone devices soon. The competition is heating up.

But not everything with Android, nor with iOS, is perfect. I own an EVO 4G, one of the most popular Android devices currently available. I’ve also used an iPod touch almost every day for nearly two years, so I’m pretty qualified to share my experience with each platform. Both certainly have their share of unique offerings, and neither of them are without flaws. For this reason, and because of the increasing competition between the two, I plan to dispel some of their key differences for you at various points in this review.

===== So What Can the iPod Touch Actually Do? =====

Well, what can’t it do?

The iPod touch is like a magical little box, only it’s flat. While it cannot cook your breakfast, yet (I’m sure someone is already working on that), it can indeed do some pretty extraordinary things. It’s an amazing catch-all device that can provide hours of entertainment, give you the power of the Web in your hand, and it can even replicate the functionality of countless one-off products. Developers have been creating apps that take advantage of special hardware of the iPod touch to emulate some other product for less, and sometimes even for free.

Even expensive products have seen cheap iOS based clone apps. For just 99 cents, you can snag a special alarm clock app that monitors your sleep cycle and wakes you up when you’re in an ideal state of wakefulness. I spent 350 bucks on an aXbo

(http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014RDSSY?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8) a few years ago, who’s functionality is easily replicated by several “sleep phase” alarm clock apps in the app store. When you do the math there, you see that it’s easily a no brainer: buy yourself an iPod touch now!

I’ve listed more apps like this in the comments!

Plus, with the support of such a strong community of app and game developers, there’s never a drought of fresh new apps and games. There’s always something to do with the iPod touch, and I guarantee you’ll never be bored with it. I honestly cannot say the same thing about Android, though I also tote my EVO 4G around with me. I do admit that the EVO’s mobile hotspot comes in incredibly handy for providing the iPod touch with a WiFi connection while I’m on the go).

Now, with the proper resources, you can legitimately download thousands of high quality apps for free. I do it all the time and it is perfectly legal. See, Apple allows developers to temporarily put their apps on sale (and even drop the price to free). Usually they do this to get you to write some rave reviews for their apps. The secret to success is having the resources to help you spot these special app sales–so you know when and where to get them during their sometimes extremely-limited-time promotions.

In hopes of making this the most helpful review on Amazon for the iPod touch, here’s how to obtain these special promotional-sale apps:

There are several resources you can use, both on the Web and on the iPod touch itself. I prefer to use the app called BargainBin that lists all apps that recently went on sale or dropped to free. It also supports watch lists with push notifications, and can alert you whenever an app you’re interested in goes on sale. It’s a phenomenal little gem, and it has gotten me a ton of apps and saved me a fortune! It also has a companion website that lists the same apps (Google: App Advice). There’s also a website called AppShopper (Google it) that lists apps with recent price drops and new apps as well, and you can filter just the free products or just the sale products. The two sites don’t always list the same apps. Sometimes one will miss something that the other will catch, so it’s good to keep track of them both. Check them daily if possible. Several apps are duds, but you’ll come across some really great ones from time to time. They’ll all add up!

===== Web Browsing =====

Alongside spending lots of money on all those wonderful apps in the App Store, Web browsing is one of the most popular uses for the iPod touch. Browsing the Web with mobile Safari was my original attraction to the device. The experience hasn’t changed too drastically in the past two years (since the days of iOS 2), and while it’s still very powerful, there are some definite flaws. And no, I’m not talking about Flash. Just minor usability issues I’d like to see overcome, but first let’s look at the positives.

Mobile Safari has a smart approach to zooming in on content. Double-tap on a paragraph of text or an image to cinch that content right up to the edges of the screen. The downside: some sites aren’t mobile-friendly, so zooming in on a really wide block of text can leave you with tiny text. You can zoom further manually, by using the “unpinch” multi-touch gesture, but because the browser doesn’t have an option to reflow the text to the screen width, you have to scroll left and right, as well as up and down, just to read the text. Android’s browser doesn’t feature smart zoom, but it does reflow the text to fit the screen when zoomed in. It’s a nice feature, and Apple should add it as a preference for Safari.

Browser history can also vanish after a few days, and browser windows get overwritten by links from other pages sometimes (usually when I’ve hit the maximum of eight windows). Also yet to be seen is support for doing common things like searching for text on a page, or bookmarking a link by tapping and holding. That would be invaluable for adding bookmarklets–bookmark based scripts that help overcome browser shortcomings.

Flash is also a great debate, one I won’t get into. I will just say that all is not as it seems with the Flash-support-touting Android platform. Flash does work, but it is buggy because Flash doesn’t play well with touch interfaces. Flash based video players don’t work right, and I even run Android 2.2, which is supposed to have the “full Flash experience”. It doesn’t, trust me. So you’re not missing much by not having Flash on the iPod touch!

Indeed, we can just hope and pray that Web developers and Flash-fiends see the light and start replacing Flash content with technologies like HTML5′s canvas element, which is poised to take on a lot of Flash’s most popular abilities.

===== Media =====

Despite all the incredible things the iPod touch can do, audio and video are still one of the iPod touch’s greatest strengths. And with the incredible resolution of the new iPod touch’s retina display, to say that videos now appear much sharper, more vivid and highly-defined is definitely an understatement. Yes, videos were great before, but now they frickin’ rock!

Just make sure your videos are at least 960 x 640. If you’ve owned an older iPod touch and used video conversion software to scale down your media to fit the old 320 x 480 screen resolution, definitely change your conversion settings, or look for a software update to support the new higher-resolution display.

For those interested in watching live TV on the go (over WiFi), Sling Media’s SlingPlayer app, paired with one of their Slingbox devices is a phenomenal and freeing experience, especially considering your alternate choices for watching live TV on the go are pretty much nil up to this point.

On top of that, Netflix’s recently released iPod touch version of their media streaming app has also been a much-welcomed addition to my ever-growing collection of apps. Netflix videos stream quickly, and even moving the play position back and forth in the timeline, the movie starts playing very quickly without much time rebuffering the video.

===== Photos =====

The latest iPod touch is also a game-changer for photography and video recording on an iPod touch. It’s not mind-blowing by any means, but we went from having no camera right to having two cameras on the device. I probably would not be so thrilled with just a new back camera. I merely would have sighed, mumbling “finally” under my my breath (unless it were 5 megapixels). But despite the less-than-one megapixel quality of the rear-facing camera, I was taken aback by the rather decent quality, especially in low-light environments. Check the comments for links to sample photos!

Between that and the ability to connect with other iPhone and iPod touch toting friends via Apple’s FaceTime app, yes… it’s a game changer. Granted, I have been wanting front facing cameras on mobile devices ever since mobile devices started having cameras period. I got the first of such devices when my EVO 4G arrived in June, but as they say: the more the merrier. Friends, welcome to the future we’ve been dreaming of. Video killed the audio call!

The quality of my test calls were pretty good. Of course, it was over WiFi, but it proves the cameras are decent. You can switch from using the front camera to using the rear camera, too, in case something was going on in front of you that you wanted to share. Just tap the “camera swap” button in the bottom right corner of the screen. FaceTime also rotates along with the iPod when flipped on its side, nice.

HD video recording is the other half of the aforementioned game-changing equation. I didn’t expect to see ANY video recording, considering the original iPhone camera was originally just a camera. But it’s here, complete with HD quality (yes, the quality is indeed desirable), plus basic video editing support, as well as support for Apple’s brilliant “iMovie” app: an advanced video editing studio right on your iPod touch. It’s just five bucks on the App Store.

===== E-Reading =====

The iPad has been making waves in the genre of media reading for several months now, but that hasn’t exactly been the same story for any generation of the iPod touch so far. Granted, it’s not exactly marketed as an eReader like its iPad counterpart, but there are some really great apps out there for media reading on it, so there’s no reason not to use it to read digital media. The obstacle to doing that, for me at least, has been the limited screen resolution, and so that may all potentially start to change, now that Apple has brought the Retina display to the iPod touch.

The 163 pixels per inch screens of past iPod touches were still pretty great, just not ideal for tiny text. For comparison, LCD monitors typically only have 96 pixels per inch, and CRT monitors only have 72 pixels per inch. TV’s are even worse than that. What this means for you is that the iPod touch display has always been sharper than your own computer monitor.

However, despite being able to display content at a higher quality, I still found that in a lot of eBooks, especially PDFs that weren’t mobile-formatted, the text was just not clear enough to be readable when zoomed out. However, zooming in meant having to constantly scroll side-to-side while reading. The app “Good Reader” helped ease that pain by doing the left-right & vertical scrolling for you with just a tap of the screen, as well as offering an additional view that re-flows the text to fit on the screen at a large enough size.

However, with the Retina display, all text and content in the aforementioned “zoomed out” state now appears extremely clear. That is a wonderful thing, so long as you don’t mind reading tiny text.

Could you still benefit from having an iPad too? Perhaps. After all, it does have unique qualities that set it apart from the iPod touch, as my in depth iPad review portrays (http://www.amazon.com/review/R16U71KO7POLA2?tag=1pod-20&ie=UTF8). But unless you specifically see the need for one of those unique qualities, then no, you probably don’t need both.

===== Gaming =====

If you’re like me, you probably don’t have time for games. Regardless, it may still be high-time to let the kid within you roam free from time to time, as I do. The iPod touch has made it possible. In fact, it is so easy, there’s no excuse not to enjoy yourself. My favorite games are the racing games and, when I have a bit more time, strategy games.

With the iPhone and iPod Touch having taken on a clear role as a gaming console that has been as revolutionary for mobile gaming as the Wii was for living-room gaming, it goes without saying that the iPod touch is, and will continue to be, one of the best platforms for gaming. It’s simple, convenient, and pretty much instant. Whenever you have a few moments of free time, wherever you’re, just turn it on, find your game, and bam! You’re gaming. Simple as that.

===== Productivity =====

Productivity carries numerous definitions. Usually its “getting something done” though some people tend to believe that it’s the ability to focus without being distracted, which I see as one of the iPod touch’s strengths, at least for me, primarily because the screen is small enough to force you to focus on the task at hand.

In the context of software though, Apple’s own suite of productivity apps for the office, collectively called “iWork”, has been further refined for the iPhone and iPod touch. Because of the aforementioned “focus factor” of the iPod touch, I have found myself to be surprisingly productive when working on documents with it. There are three apps in all: Pages allows you to work on word processing documents. Numbers allows you to work on spreadsheets. Keynote lets you work on presentations and slideshows (including PowerPoint files).

So far, I’ve found these apps to be highly useful when I have work to do, but don’t feel like being at the computer to do it. Another great app for that is “iTeleport” which let’s me at my computer remotely, when iWork won’t work (meaning I’m not working on office documents). Log Me In Ignition is another similar app that is slightly easier to set up, but a bit slower than iTeleport, when you’re just working over the same WiFi connection as the remote computer.

Furthermore, there’s a whole category of iPod touch apps in the App Store specifically dedicated to productivity. Some of my favorite productivity apps include: Bento (info management), Things (project management), iTeleport (remote computing), and GoodReader (best PDF reader around). Search for them in the App Store.

===== Email, IM and Social Networking =====

The iPod touch has been, and continues to be an exceptional communication-machine. Whether it’s reading or composing email, keeping in touch via instant messenger, or managing your life via social networks, you’ve got plenty of options here.

Instant messaging is easy with platforms such as AIM, Yahoo, Gtalk, MSN, Skype and apps that handle multiple platforms: IM+, Fring, Nimbuzz, BeejiveIM and Fuse Messenger. Finally, multitasking means you can truly remain connected to your IM platforms of choice, instead of relying on apps to keep you signed remotely, then push new-message notifications to your device. This is a much welcome addition to the new iPod touch.

As well, there are plenty of apps to help you browse and update your status on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc. Within the iOS development community, Twitter apps have often been a laughing stock, simply because there are so many out there on the App Store. They’re almost as rampant as “fart” apps. So to say you’ve got countless options as far as social networking apps are concerned is probably a pretty accurate statement.

For email, you need not look any further than Apple’s native “Mail” app. Even if you’re using Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, or Apple’s own MobileMe, setup is a snap. It even supports Microsoft Exchange, often useful for corporate email setups. As well, any other email accounts that support POP3 or IMAP connection types will work with the Mail app too. Plus, new to the iPod touch with iOS 4 is the option to use a unified inbox–handy for those already used to that behavior on Mac OS X.

===== Downloading Apps and Games =====

Downloading apps on your iPod touch couldn’t be easier. Once you set up your iTunes account with a credit card, all you need to do is find the app you want, tap the download button (usually it says the price rather than “download”, which then changes to “buy” after you tap it), then tap again to confirm. Voila, you just bought an app. Behind the scenes, Apple then charges your card the amount of the app plus tax, while you’re already off enjoying your new purchase. This ease of access is a blessing and a curse, because you can easily empty your wallet if you’re not carefully considering each purchase.

All apps in the App Store range in price from Free and 99 cents on up, always incrementing in whole dollar amounts (1.99, 2.99, 3.99, etc). The maximum price for an app is set to $999.99, of which there are only eight currently priced so outrageously. And don’t even think of toying with them. Apple does not allow refunds on apps you have purchased–all sales are final!

Contrast that with Android’s more complex Android Market, and you’ll find several more steps, especially for paid apps. For one, there’re no fixed pricing tiers, and secondly, they allow multiple currency pricing, which only confuses its users. The good developers do keep their pricing similar to iOS apps, with the 99 cent base plus $1 increments, but I often see apps priced at ¥0.55 or 0.79 or $1 or £2.95 …it’s quite disorienting and unstructured. They have also set their price cap at $200, so you can’t accidentally run up a $1000 charge on just one app–you’ll need at least 5 apps for that.

Meanwhile, to actually buy an app on Android, you must tap the BUY button, confirm that you want to buy the app, then get redirected to a Google Checkout link, where you must setup your Google Checkout account or choose an existing payment method if you already have an account set up. Once you confirm the purchase yet again, THEN you can finally download the app.

Google also makes selling apps a bit more complicated for developers than Apple, but I won’t get into that. I’m just stressing how absolutely simple Apple makes the app buying and selling process. Contrary to Apple however, Google does allow users to “return” purchased Android apps within 24 hours for a full refund. That’s nice.

===== Technical Specifications =====

Since Amazon’s product descriptions tend to be lacking, I like to include all the technical jargon geeks have come to expect when researching new gadgets. Feel free to breeze on through!

In the box

+ iPod touch

+ Earphones

+ Dock Connector to USB Cable (for sync and charging)

+ Quick Start guide

Size and weight

+ Height: 4.4 inches (111.0 mm)

+ Width: 2.3 inches (58.9 mm)

+ Depth: 0.28 inch (7.2 mm)

+ Weight: 3.56 ounces (101 grams)

Capacity

+ 8GB, 32GB or 64GB flash drive/SSD

Wireless

+ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)

+ Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

+ Maps-location based service

+ Nike + iPod support built in

Display

+ Multi-Touch display

+ 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen

+ 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 pixels per inch

Cameras, photos, and video

+ Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still photos (960 x 720) with back camera

+ VGA-quality photos and video up to 30 frames per second with the front camera

+ Tap to control exposure for video or stills

+ Photo and video geo tagging over Wi-Fi

TV and video

+ H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

+ MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

+ Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

+ Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)

Audio

+ Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

+ Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

+ User-configurable maximum volume limit with parental lock

+ Earbud headphones included in box

Earphones

+ Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

+ Impedance: 32 ohms

Input and output

+ 30-pin dock connector

+ 3.5-mm stereo headphone minijack

+ Built-in speaker

+ Microphone

+ External buttons and controls

Sensors

+ Three-axis gyro

+ Accelerometer

+ Ambient light sensor (for proximity detection)

Battery, power and playback time

+ Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery

+ USB sync cable is also used for charging

+ Fast charge in about 2 hours (80% capacity)

+ Full charge in about 4 hours.

+ Music playback time: Up to 40 hours when fully charged

+ Video playback time: Up to 7 hours when fully charged

System requirements

+ USB 2.0

+ iTunes 10 or later

+ Mac: Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later

+ PC: Windows 7, Vista, or XP (SP3 or later)

===== Praise =====

+ Apple continues its trend of creating the best multi-touch experience around. Android doesn’t even come close.

+ The Retina Display – Phenomenal! Kudos for bringing it to the iPod touch as well as the iPhone. Now try it with IPS technology Apple!

+ Wireless-N, finally! – Faster and farther-reaching WiFi connections (if your router supports 802.11n)

+ High performance 1GHz A4 processor – provides all the power of the iPhone 4, a win for gaming and multitasking.

+ Multitasks like a dream with iOS 4 and the powerful processor, despite the same 256MB of memory as the third generation touch.

+ Rear camera – It’s not the 5 megapixel iPhone 4 camera, but I definitely can’t complain here. It shoots great photos, especially in low-light without flash, plus it can do HD video.

+ Front facing camera – What a pleasant surprise! Now it just needs to work with Skype.

===== Dissappointments =====

+ No GPS – IP based location just doesn’t cut it at times. GPS has no subscription fee or contract to use. GPS chips are costly, but tons of high cost GPS apps are in the App Store now to offset that cost for Apple.

+ 256MB memory – iFixit has confirmed this disappointing flaw, putting to rest all the rumors of 512MB still littering several reviews.

+ Still no 120GB model – Useful for higher res videos that look great on the Retina display.

+ No USB 3.0 or wireless sync – Sync’ing can be slow or inconvenient over the cable.

+ Thinner design – I was hoping for a more squared design, like the iPhone 4, as it is easier to grip, handle and press the power button.

+ Power button – Yes, it hasn’t changed much. It’s been moved to the right side on this model, but it’s still the tiny, hard-to-press button it’s has always been, and if you take lots of screenshots like I do (by pressing power+home simultaneously) half the time you end up closing your app because the power button didn’t work right.

===== The Bottom Line =====

It is absolutely clear: Apple has definitely blurred the lines between iPhone and iPod touch with its 4th generation of both devices. Since it has no contract or carrier exclusivity, this phenomenal device will continue to shine its light in the otherwise dark voids of the smartphone market where the iPhone cannot go, even without the phone. That’s just smart!

Given all my tips, I think you’ll find the iPod touch to be an extraordinarily useful, possibly even highly addictive device, with a price tag that is well worth it, especially the 32GB model. With all the things that the iPod touch can do, it will undoubtedly enhance your life and change the way you interact with the Web. It might even make a gamer out of you if it hasn’t already, it sure did for me!

I hope you’ve found my hands-on review helpful. I do actively participate in a