Is Apple planning to add video playback capabilities to their iPod nano soon?
“Speculation surrounds yesterday’s announcement of Apple’s partnership with Nike, as the pair plan to offer fitness-themed video content through the iTunes music store,” T3 writes. “Video content sounds swell, but not if the nano stays in its current form, unable to play it back.” Full article here.
Indeed, one of the features that Apple.com’s Nike+iPod section promises includes, “Video and Audio Podcasts. Shows featuring the most dynamic personalities in the sporting world.” Coming with iTunes 6.0.5 (not yet available).
Nike+iPod info here: http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/sync.html
Advertisements:
• Amazon.com: Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition by David Pogue
• Introducing the super-fast, blogging, podcasting, do-everything-out-of-the-box MacBook. Starting at just $1099
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
Related articles:
Apple patent application filed for automatically matching iPod music tempo to exercise level – May 25, 2006
Dvorak thinks iPod+Nike Sport Kit is ‘nutty’ – May 24, 2006
The making of Apple iPod+Nike Sport Kit and there’s more to come – May 24, 2006
Nike+iPod Sport Kit sensor’s battery will outlast the shoes – May 24, 2006
Analyst: Nike+Apple = iPod as a platform – May 23, 2006
Apple and Nike shares rise folowing Nike+iPod announcement – May 23, 2006
Nike and Apple team up to launch Nike+iPod, footwear that talks to your iPod – May 23, 2006
I never wanted a nano, so I bought a 30 gig with video. I like it, but it’s big and heavy and I feel like i’ll break it. Nanos are sweet, and they’ll be even sweeter if they get video capability.
Sweet… and even smaller screen to watch video on. Not!
“Video content sounds swell, but not if the nano stays in its current form, unable to play it back.”
…or in its current form, with a miniscule screen. My head is throbbing already at the thought of watching video on a screen that small.
MDN could be reading too much into this. Apple might only intend the video podcasts to be viewed in iTunes/Front Row or the full-size iPod.
wow. First nano Post! ever woo-hoo!
Watching a video on your nano isn’t that bad really. I have linux on my nano and it can play back uncompressed AVI files. If i remember hearing right, I think the processors in the nano aren’t powerful enough to play back compressed video files. They would probably have to revamp the nano and add a faster chip and a video decoder chip. It is something that could happen, but I doubt the people with the older nanos would be able to watch compressed videos from Itunes. Just to let you know a 23.5 Mb MPEG4 nano video ready, uncompressed AVI, is 132.6 Mbs. I filled my nano up with almost nothing.
damnit. not even close. my refresh doesn’t work…
When I go for a run, watching a video – especially on a small screen – would be dangerous for me and for those in my path. And I don’t often stop for more than a few minutes until the end of my run – shower time – or the end of the race – time to scarf yogurt/lite beer.
Video ON the iPod – rather than just stored there for playback on a tv or computer – is NOT an activity for many. Maybe for … OK, planes have tv, motels have tv, even mini-vans have tv train rides?
Sorry, I can’t see it – please pardon the pun.
Well, Apple wants to steal the christmas, so does everyone else, including Sony with PS3 and many other things, so does Sandisk.
Everyone is buying Apple stock assuming they will repeat what they did last christmas, as far as i can see, whenever future is predicted one way, things turn out some other way.
Well, Apple wants to steal the christmas, so does everyone else, including Sony with PS3 and many other things, so does Sandisk.
Everyone is buying Apple stock assuming they will repeat what they did last christmas, as far as i can see, whenever future is predicted one way, things turn out some other way.
Batman, hahaha, you waaaaaaay to slow. Waaaay too slow, Batman.
Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Your friend,
The Joker
I have a 30GB 5G iPod. Granted, the Nano is light, but there’s no way you can call the 30GBer heavy. My old 2G 20GB is though. Unless they change the form factor of the Nano (like make the front one big touch screen), I think it’d suck to watch such a small screen.
There will be bluetooth-enabled nanos that can coordinate video playback between two nanos. Nike will sell sports googles were you insert one nano in the googles for each eye, and they do a head-up, binoptical 3-D in front of you while you are running.
Joke.
great – another video capable ipod with no videos in uk itunes store ;p bring it on apple, how longs it been now?
Even more so, i like the idea of video out on the Nano so it can be plugged into other “Bigger” screens – if you will
Otherwise i’m going to need a pair of iFocals
My van has input for a video device. With TiVo able to compress video into iPod format, this would be great. I don’t want a larger iPod since I want to run and mow the lawn with it, but would love for non-drivers to be able to watch some shows during long trips.
First the shoes, and then the…..”Nano Glasses” perhaps? Something you could plug your nano into to get the feeling of watching the video on a big screeen.
A system refresh of the nano COULD include a larger screen. I use the ipod with video (30 gig), to store a lot of video…Photoshop TV which I use for some training purposes for some people I train…and the Daily Show which I play back on a 60 inch set. What many people don’t quite grasp is that VIEWING DISTANCE makes a huge difference. Certainly the output is not high res…but it’s very watchable and of course the sound is just fine too.
As a portable video storage device even the Nano would be fine…but watch for a touchscreen nano (with a screenlock feature)…that stores more and plays back on a larger screen.
In the context of the Nike deal, the real video iPod makes super sense. But not just because of the video per se, but the virtual input interface — the virtual click wheel. The click wheel is a great interface for music, but not for all uses. But by being able to define the touch interface configuration in software, the new iPods will be able to be configured for other applications in a more ideal manner.
We may be — I hope so — witnessing the leap of the iPod from being a slick device to being a flexible platform.
Is a Systems Development Kit (SDK) in the cards? If Apple were to support some key interface technologies, such as wireless, bluetooth and the virtual touch screen, and create the software framework to support them, including the SDK, they could attract a flood of developers to build applications that would make the new video iPod a required component of an outside company’s product. The task for Apple is to define and create the hardware and software interfaces and SDK tool-set to enable these outside products and sell huge numbers of iPods. Apple is in the catbird seat with an incredible opportunity. I hope they see it.
I have seen nothing of this wet dream of mine in print and I have no sources of inside information. But the possibilities are obvious.
Wouldn’t video content fill up the smaller nano pretty quick?
maybe add a screen that is longer and switch the viewing orientation so that you hold the nano sideways. you get a wider, slightly larger screen to fit on a nano with basically the same dimensions. Heck, cell-phone companies are touting video as some big deal, why not do it on a nano if there’s actually a market for it.
Obviously it will fill quickly. Expect the nano to grow. In the current form factor their is still room to grow.
With the new flash technology being used in the Nano their is the possibility of connecting (i’m not entirely sure on the details or how it works exactly) to put together about 32 gigs of flash. Someone help me out on this. This was news a couple of months ago. It’s Samsungs Tech i believe and it is being incorporated in a laptop right now.
As all iPods have (remember the 5 gig that got it started?) look for the Nano/replacement/update to grow (capacity) too.
A mini-wide screen Nano with touch-screen capabilities would be super cool, even at that small size. I still think Apple wants the upcoming video iPod to do the job to stop the complaining about video screen size, but why not incorporate it into the Nano if you can. No, it won’t be awesome viewing, but it will be awesome for a device that size to do such a thing. For me, video would be low priority over music and pictures, but having it available in the subway or waiting in line, etc. would be quite useful. My most enjoyment is blowing Windows users minds with Apple stuff, and a video Nano with touchscreen click wheel would surely do that. I get the most enjoyment in showing pictures of my kid in a slideshow in my pocket.
This is probably obvious but if you do utilize the whole front of the iPod, the orientation should change for whatever you are using it for. Video: 90˚ to the left (keeping the scroll wheel on the right (and I guess you could customize for the lefties) Music: same upright configuration.
I don’t care too much about having video capabilites on a Nano but an 8GB or 10GB Nano would be great. I could finally get all my music (well most) into a smaller iPod…..
MDW – former – As in former Windows User.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />