UK Digital Cameras Blog

Global consumer electronics group Apple announced today that iTunes users in the UK can now download movies to watch on their iPod.

For those who do not know, iTunes is the software through which iPod owners can keep their library of songs, videos and photos. It has an online music store where tracks and shows can be purchased and immediately downloaded.

Until now, the UK iTunes Store did not offer films but, as of today, there will be more than 700 to choose from. Customers can either buy or rent the titles.

“We think customers in the UK are going to love being able to enjoy their favourite movies on their iPod, iPhone or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV,” said Apple iTunes vice president Eddy Cue.

Buying a film means users can store it on their computer or iPod/iPhone but renting means they can view it within 30 days of payment. Once the viewing starts, the customer has 48 hours to finish it or watch again.

Of course, there are now many different types of iPod available in the UK, including the iPod touch, iPod Nano and the Shuffle - although this has no screen and cannot be used to watch movies.

A review of the new 160gb iPod Classic has lauded the latest addition to the Apple iPod range for its “excellent” battery life, improved interface and large capacity, which is capable of holding around 40 hours of music.

In its appraisal of the gadget, Macworld magazine also praised the 160gb iPod Classic’s larger screen compared to the fifth-generation iPod, adding that the “bright, clear” display is particularly good for watching video files without straining the eyes.

In addition, the 160gb iPod Classic comes with a larger click-wheel, which the review says makes it easier to operate, especially when trying to adjust settings or change songs with one hand when on the move.

But the headline feature of the model is its “expansive capacity”, which it adds is “not to be sneezed at”.

With enough room for around 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video, the 160gb iPod Classic effectively allows a user to carry around their entire media collection.

Furthermore, the 160gb iPod Classic is priced at around the same level as the previous
80gb iPod, which means it effectively offers users double the capacity without a greater outlay.

The 160gb iPod Classic is available from around £206.99.

The future of iPod could include Wi-Fi and multi-touch controls, a technology expert suggests.

Piper Jaffray investment bank analyst Gene Munster said he thinks Apple’s game plan is along the lines of mobile computing and portable devices that are connected to the internet.

This would ensure Apple retained its huge share of the portable multimedia player market, Mr Jaffray wrote.

He explained the bank thought Apple would introduce cheaper and more innovative iPods with these technologies in order to fit a growth of about 15 per cent.

He used the example of someone on their way to Starbucks who could “wirelessly order your drink from your iPod, pay for it using your iTunes account … and pick it up without ever standing in line or waiting at a cash register”.

Recently Apple made an attempt to capitalise on its more romantic customers’ tastes by releasing a pink version of its iPod Nano.

Apple has announced the launch of a pink iPod Nano to its range in time for Valentine’s Day.

The eight-gigabyte digital media player is available immediately and could be ideal for a gift come February 14th.

Encased in anodised aluminium and stainless steel, the iPod Nano offers users up to 24 hours of audio playback between charges and boasts a two-inch display that can be used to watch up to five hours of video on a single charge.

Buyers can purchase music videos, TV shows and iTunes Movie Rentals from the iTunes store.

Greg Joswiak, vice-president of worldwide iPod product marketing at Apple, predicted that consumers would love the new coloured iPod.

“The pink iPod nano is perfect for people who want a great new colour this spring, or who are searching for a special Valentine’s Day gift.”

Earlier this month, Apple announced the launch of the MacBook Air, the thinnest notebook in the world being 0.16 inches at its thinnest point with a maximum height of 0.76 inches.

The Apple iPod touch has been noted for the range of features it has, which includes the ability to display digital photos, among other things.

In a review from Lets Go Digital, the 16GB Apple iPod touch’s abilities as a tool for displaying images, as well as all its other features, was cited.

If the gadget is turned on its side, the image being viewed will also turn, while another feature means that photos can be displayed at a smaller size so that the music playing features can also be displayed.

“An additional amazing function on the iPod touch is zooming in on pictures,” the review states, as users simply have to place their fingers on the screen and move them apart in order to focus on a particular section of an image.

The review notes that this model from Apple is capable of much more than just playing music and that it’s internet functions, among other things, make the product suitable for a range of needs.

RealPlayer has launched new software designed to allow some iPod users to transfer videos to their portable media device without using iTunes.

The firm revealed today that people with an iPod Nano or iPod Classic will be able to view their favourite videos while on the go by using its new RealPlayer Plus package to move them from their computer onto the player.

Harold Zeitz, senior vice president of media software and services at Real, said: “Now consumers can use the one-click download functionality to view web video offline on their PC or transfer video to popular portable media devices like the iPod.”

After the completion of recent tests, the software is available for Windows, while Mac users can snap up an Apple compatible version which is still in the beta stage.

It is set to further enhance the usefulness of the iPods, with owners of the iPod Nano already watching their videos on a two inch wide colour display and iPod Classic fans enjoying playback on a 2.5-inch screen.

Owners of the iPod Touch have not been left out either, with RealNetworks announcing that is also planned to adapt the software to allow users to watch their videos on the device’s impressive 3.5-inch display.

The sleek iPod Touch follows a long line of Apple media players offering entertainment on the move but now a new review has highlighted that it can be useful to business travellers.

Lee Lup Yuen, a columnist for ZD Net Asia, said that the device offers travellers a number of convenient features which allow them to be productive while in transit, commenting: “The iPod Touch is a fantastic device for browsing the internet via Wi-Fi.

“It’s slimmer, lighter and has a wider screen (3.5 inch) compared to the typical personal digital assistants,” he added.

One of the iPod Touch’s most hotly anticipated features is its touch sensitive screen, which allows users to flick through their photographs and enlarge web pages by moving their fingers across it.

It also has an ambient light sensor which detects the conditions in which the device is operating and then adjusts the screen settings accordingly.

Mr Yuen said: “The screen is bright and gorgeous. You can browse most websites without having to squint at the tiny text.”

Apple fans can choose between an eight or 16 gigabyte model, providing plenty of storage for music, video and still photographs.

As frenzy over the latest Apple devices continues to build, two new reviews have pointed out that the iPod Nano continues to be an impressive performer.

Available with either four or eight gigabytes worth of storage, the 6.55 millimetre thick device comes in five eye-catching colours, including silver, black, red, green and blue.

However, its not just the iPod Nano’s good looks that have won the plaudits, with ABC News reviewer Aanarav Sareen arguing that the battery life offered by the latest incarnation of the Nano is “vastly superior” to that of its predecessors.

He also singled out the high quality video playback as a particularly great feature, concluding: “The Nano strikes the perfect balance between size, functionality and capacity.”

The team at Digital Trends also praised video playback, saying that the iPod Nano “is a fantastic way to enjoy videos, TV shows, home movies and funny YouTube clips”.

Cover Flow, which allows users to browse album artwork, was also highlighted by the website, who commented that its inclusion on the device “just adds a thick layer of icing to an already delicious cake”.

Technology firms are producing brightly coloured devices in order to give female consumers a way to express their tastes with their gadgets, it has been reported.

While silver and black are among the most popular colours for digital cameras, iPods and satellite navigation systems, a number of firms are producing brightly coloured versions of their products.

Greg Morrison, digital product marketing manager for Kodak Canada, explained to PCWorld.ca that the increase in the number of these stylish cameras was driven by women themselves.

“The female consumer, being as fashionable as she is, wanted a camera that not only captures great pictures, but that she is proud walking around with,” he said.

Camera manufacturers have taken steps to make their devices appeal to this audience, with Nikon releasing the sleek Coolpix S200 in red and Sony introducing blue and pink devices as part of its Cybershot range.

Apple has not been left behind either, with the iPod nano and iPod shuffle both coming in a range of funky colours, including green and blue.

Mr Morrison added that even accessories are becoming more fashionable, commenting: “When the female consumer pulls it out, it’s a fashion statement; at the same time it’s functional.”

Technology developer CPC has released new software that allows iPod users to embed subtitles and captions in their videos at the flick of a button.

While the ubiquitous music players have long been able to handle multiple video formats, there has until now been no software capable of instantly embedding closed captions into the devices’ favoured QuickTime movie format.

With CPC’s new software package, however, small reference files linked to the MacCaption-coded video files are stored in your iPod’s memory, enabling it to call up subtitles and captions whenever prompted.

Previous captioning solutions have required time-consuming re-compression, but with MacCaption - which also works on the iPhone - the process is almost instantaneous. It even has the ability to retrieve and convert captions encoded by traditional Line 21 captioning method.

CPC is the world’s first simultaneous closed captioning/teleprompting software provider.