Well, it�s been a bit over a month since Apple announced its updated fifth generation iPod, which means we�re well overdue for the computer giant to roll out a new iPod to make their last one obsolete (as they tend to do immediately after I finally get the guts to buy the last model).

The rumors are pretty extensive as to what the new iPod will hold. Most iPod experts are fairly certain that the new model will have a touch sensitive screen, though a recent patent has indicated that the sides of the screen will be touch sensitive (thereby avoiding wear on the new, wide iPod screen).

This iPod will be built for video, and will probably have a four or five inch wide screen that covers the entire face of the iPod, all the better for watching your new $9.99 iTunes movies on. The battery life is going to be hard to deal with, though; the current, smaller screen can only get about three or four hours of video, leading some to speculate that the new iPod will have a hybrid hard drive. This would mean that a flash memory buffer would hold a good amount of information, hopefully increasing the battery life by spinning up the hard drive less. Flash memory tends to be pretty expensive, though, so if Apple�s not careful, this could be a very bourgeois product. Also, it�s still going to need a hard drive, because videos, well, they�re big files, and hard drives are still the most economical means of storing large files.

Ever drive around listening to your iPod and almost get into an accident changing songs? Word is that Apple may be developing a voice recognition system to help you out with that. It�s supposed to be extremely accurate, provided that you can actually pronounce Bjork. It may also read files back to you, possibly even in celebrity voices. Cross your fingers and pray for Samuel L. Jackson to make an appearance, although if you didn�t have a hearing problem from your iPod before, the Jackson man can fix that in a hurry.

Wireless technology is expected to be implemented in some form. This could include wireless transfer between a computer and an iPod, from iPod to iPod (as the Microsoft Zune has) or even a portable version of the iTunes music store. No matter what the case, it�ll be a big draw if done correctly (and Apple�s development team tends to make some pretty awesome and unpredictable innovations).

Other possible improvements are mainly aesthetic; however, X-bit labs purports that Apple intends to include an Nvidia 3D graphics chipset in their new iPod, which would almost certainly mean that Apple intends to include gaming potential�a bold move, but not a stupid one. Apple�s got a much greater established base than most companies that try to get into portable video gaming, and they could bill gaming as a secondary function rather than a primary function, which could really speak to some users.

You�re probably going to have to wait for a while for this to come out; Apple�s made no major announcements (all of the above is just rumor, though it comes from established sources) and some of the parts assumed to be needed for mass production are expensive and hard to produce on a massive scale. Stop your salivating for now and go back to your boring old iPod; expect Apple to start shipping right after your current unit breaks and you buy a new one.

That�s technology for you. Great, isn�t it?

Product Review: IPod Touch

The Newest IPod Product

Before I dive into this article, let me start out by saying that I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the iPod touch. It couldn't arrive at a much better time. I own the previous iPod, but I still have had a problem of too many gadgets to carry around with me. Air travel became a hassle because I had to bring an MP3 player to listen to music, a DVD player to watch a movie, and my laptop in order to surf the internet. All this, plus my other luggage, made traveling extra stressful. The touch solves all this and more.
I decided to buy the iPod touch 16GB and I have to tell you, this thing is awesome! The amazing and innovative features that the new Apple touch has allows you to play your music, watch a video or movie and surf the internet with the press of a finger. Everything you need when you are on the go, whether traveling by plane, train, automobile, or on foot. The stress associated with carrying around multiple devices is a thing of the past.
Tunes on the iPod touch not only sound excellent, but it looks very appealing as well. You can browse through your music with the new feature called Coverflow. This feature makes navigating and managing a simple task, so that you don't have to waste a lot of time trying to find your favorite songs, movies, or TV shows.
The 3.5 inch viewing display makes it perfect for watching movies and videos. You can watch movies in the landscape mode, or watch in theatrical wide screen. The touch screen controls make watching videos on the iPod touch a true pleasure. No more squinting of the eyes to watch a video!
I think probably the best feature of the new Apple touch is the fact that you can surf the internet. With built in wi-fi and the safari web browser, you can view your favorite web pages, just like on your computer. Again, utilizing the touch screen, you can navigate the different web pages using bookmarks or the on-screen touch pad. You can also zoom in on a particular part of the page with just a touch of the finger. Plus, you can hook up with iTunes directly from the iPod touch, so that you can download music directly. This is a great time saver versus going over to your computer, downloading music, hooking up your iPod, and then uploading music.
Managing and viewing your photos couldn't be easier on the new iPod touch. Photos jump out on the bigger display. With a press of the finger, you can bring up images in full screen clicking and dragging your finger to move to the next picture or to zoom in. You can also set up a slide show with ease, adding music and transitions to make it really cool.
One would think that a device with all these features would be extremely difficult to use. But that is not the case with this iPod. Everything is straight forward and nicely laid out. So simple to use, you'll wonder how you got along with out it.

How-To: Convert Your DVDs

for IPod Video

The Best Quality

Disclaimer:
This is not a guide on how to get free movies or practice copy infringement. This is a guide on backing up the DVDs you have bought and converting them to work on your iPod Video.

I assume you are a lot like I was when trying to get my favorite DVDs to fit on my iPod Video. Tried and tried, failed and failed; I can help you with that problem. Just follow my few easy steps in this guide and you will be watching your favorite DVDs on your iPod in no time, guaranteed.

First off I will list some materials(programs) you will need:
-AnyDVD 6.1.3.6
-Handbrake 2.21
Just click the links to download the appropriate programs.

Now that we have the needed programs lets begin:

Using AnyDVD:
1. To begin Install the program.
2. Once that is taken care of launch the program¹.
3. Once the program is launched it will appear as a little red fox in your taskbar. Right click the fox head and chose 'Rip to harddisk'
4. A dialog box will pop asking you where to save to. Pick somewhere, anywhere, and let AnyDVD rip the DVD to your harddisk².
5. Once it is done ripping close AnyDVD and open Handbrake.

Using Handbrake:
1. To begin Install the program.
2. When the dialog box pops asking you to pick your DVD or ISO, make sure you have DVD chosen.
3. Navigate to where you previously ripped your DVD to and select the Video_TS folder and click 'Ok'.
4. Once this is done there is some configuring you have to do.
5. Select the title with the longest length in time, this is usually the main movie.
6. Choose your encoder, I prefer H.264.
7. Set the width to be 320 and the height to be 240.
8. Select where you want the .mp4³ to be converted to.

9. After that there isnt much else to configure so click 'Encode'.

The Aftermath:
Once your done you can enjoy your newly converted iPod version of your DVD. Please dont share your newly converted DVD though. Piracy is a crime. Next is to put it on your iPod Video and I'm sure you already know how to do that. I hope you enjoyed my lil' guide to converting your DVDs to iPod Video format. Cheers

¹Dont worry if it is just a trial. The trial will last for 20 days then you can re-

install and use it for 20 more days.
²You have to do this because the next program wont rip from protected DVDs.³An .mp4 is the type of file that the iPod Video reads

New IPod Video Rumors and Gossip

A Look at What Apple's Probably Planning for Their Sixth Generation IPod

Product Review: IPod Touch

The Newest IPod Product

How-To: Convert Your DVDs

for IPod Video

The Best Quality