Apple on Wednesday finally sent invites for its annual iPod event, scheduled for next Wednesday, September 1, at the Yerba Buena Arts Center in San Francisco. Just hours earlier, the media (PCMag included) was convinced that Apple's event would land on September 7. Wrong! Regardless, PCMag will be there for the iPod—and perhaps Apple TV or iTV and iPad—announcements. What six things would earn Apple an A+ in our book?
1. Apple TV (or iTV) Gets a New Life
It's been years since we've had a new Apple TV; a lifetime in the tech world. If the rumored plans Apple has for Apple TV (a.k.a. iTV) are true, we can expect a device with iPod touch capabilities—minus the touchscreen—that plugs directly into your television. It will use iOS and only cost $99—not bad, even if there's no storage. It could be even better, too: see number 5 on this list.
2. iPod Touch Gets a Video Camera
I will be shocked and disappointed if this doesn't go down. Apple is so invested in FaceTime—and promoting it with sentimental TV spots—I can't see how the iPod touch won't finally get a camera. Please make it the same camera in the iPhone 4, Apple. A portable media player that can record HD video and has apps for editing it into a movie—all onboard? The end could be nigh for The Flip.
3. 99-Cent TV Shows
This is a great idea. Downloading a TV show on iTunes is a bit pricier than most people want to pay—and the pricing varies according to where the show is from and whether it's standard definition or HD. But ever since Hulu went to a paid plan for full access to its content, people wanting TV entertainment on the cheap have been scrambling to find a solution. Being able to rent a show—or download it—for a buck seems fair, and the rumors say this is going to happen. Finally, I can fill in the episodes I missed from the last seasons of "The Office" and "30 Rock."
4. Cloud-based iTunes
Back in Spring, Apple bought the Web-based music streaming service Lala and removed it from planet Earth (and its clouds). Lala used to be the backbone of Pitchfork.com's audio streaming pages, alas, those days are over. But did Apple buy the young company to squash the competition or to use the technology for the future of iTunes? Here's hoping it's the latter. Imagine every song you purchase, every TV show—all available on demand, but with no need to actually download them. Perhaps a streaming price would be less than the price of actually owning or downloading a song. If cloud-based storage is where iTunes is headed, the possibilities seem endless.
5. Everything Works Together
If there is an iTV, wouldn't it be great if it could play the games you downloaded on your iPhone or iPad—without having to physically connect them to each other? As long as they're on the same Wi-Fi network, movies, apps, TV shows, and games could potentially be shared between devices—all you have to do is log in. Imagine using the accelerometer on your iPhone as a joystick while you play a game on your TV? The very thought probably makes Nintendo shudder.
6. More Storage Please
Yes, even though I want to see cloud-based storage for iTunes, it would still be nice to see the Flash capacity of the iPod touch (and nano) increase. 64 G-bytes is nice, but 128GB pushes the device into new territory—it's a veritable external hard drive, and great for when you're not near any "clouds."
Will there be an iPad mini announced, as well? Who knows—but watch PCMag through the week and on September 1 for full coverage and reviews.