Woah Apple actually unveiled three new iPods on 5 Sept: the all new iPod Touch modelled after the iPhone, with touch screen and wi-fi capabilities(!); the revamped iPod nano with video capabilities; and the iPod shuffle in new colours. The iPod Touch looks extremely promising - imagine serving the net on the go and watching youtube videos on a dedicated player - except for the meagre flash storage (8/16GB for now), and price ($498/698).
To put things in perspective, the iPod classic (the 5th Gen HDD iPod) only costs $428 and $598 for 80GB and 160GB respectively. Which is why Apple is really smart to retain the iPod classic in its line-up, instead of replacing it with the Touch.
The release, coincidentally or not, surely stole the thunder from Creative, which also released its new flagship portable media player earlier this month. Mr. Sim should be panicking as his product immediately pales in comparison. Not wise to hold on to Creative shares, as Apple, not a company to rest on its laurels, is evidently looking to consolidate and extend its leadership in the DAP (digital audio player) market with its range of well-designed and sexy iPods.
They already have a repeat customer in yours truly.
September 9, 2007
New iPods!
September 2, 2007
New iPod(s)
It's Comex weekend but those intending to get iPods should definitely wait. Apple is gonna announce the release of new iPod(s) (6th Gen HDD, 3rd Gen Nano, or something new?) on 5 September. Might be time for me to upgrade. Let's see what Apple has up their sleeves first.
Anyway next week is gonna be really hectic, with COC parade rehearsals from Mon to Wed, the actual parade on Wed, and combat shoot on Fri, which means a Sat book-out. Excellent planning, as usual. Probably won't be able to clear off at all, since Thursday will be reserved for combat shoot briefing and preparation. By right I should be excused from the parade lah, since I can't even polish my boots. Bleh.
But after combat shoot there shouldn't be any other major event (except for a rumoured third combat shoot, and major s**t in October), so there's only lots of PT and SOC left to look forward to. Then it's ORD loh!!!
September 12, 2006
New iPods and 2 Movies
And not to forget Microsoft's Zune!
Caught 2 movies this week - The Host and Monster House. The first is a much-hyped (with record takings in both Korea and Singapore) and well-reviewed Korean thriller about a mutant monster which terrorises Seoul and a desperate family trying to rescue a girl kidnapped by the creature. The trailer and reviews looked very promising, but it turned out to be a mediocre flick with an (unnecessary) anti-American slant, possibly aimed at riding on rising anti-American sentiments in Korea. The CGI cannot be faulted, and the unconventional and realistic characters ought to be lauded, but it could have been a little more pacy and less heavy on slapstick humour (think Jack Neo's type of humour). I am more of a fan of dry wit and parody, though the Hollywood style of slapstick comedy somehow appeals to me.
Monster House, on the other hand, was surprisingly scary, and good for an animated feature. The characters, unlike those of Pixar's creation, are not likeable based on first impressions - a loud and clumsy fattie, a full-of-herself little miss clever, and a pubescent, pampered kid. However, they strike you as what you might have been like when you were younger - "Monster's pre-teens are sarcastic, think they're smarter than their parents and are going crazy over the opposite sex", to quote a review . Another critic nicely sums up the merits of this movie: "The film is comprehensively creepy, often funny, a little bit touching, and exciting", besides being a visual spectacle. It is also suspenseful, keeping the audience at the edge of their seats, wondering what would happen next.
Seems like a monster overdose, along with "The Devil Wears Prada". Evil sells, huh?
