The ZodTTD Cydget

Remember last year when Scot Wilson debut his take on the iPod Nano wristwatch?

Remember when Wilson couldn't secure a manufacturer for the design, leaving the concept in limbo?

Remember how he then decided to post his creation on Kickstarter.com to raise funding, and in a month raised nearly $1,000,000 from 13,500 backers?

Yea, neither do I, but Wilson's beautiful creations will be sold in Apple Retail Stores across the country this week.

Wilson with no where to turn, proved every manufacturer wrong.

When posting on Kickstarter companies or individuals usually create tiered incentives based on how much is donated. Wilson's incentives worked. They lured prospective donators by making a $25 pledge earn them a TikTok watch kit (MSRP $39.95) and $50 scored you a metallic LunaTik (MSRP $79.95).

The discounted prices proved successful. In fact it proved successful for Apple as well. In a survey sent out to his backers 76% of them bought a Nano just because of the watchband. Wilson sold 21,120 units through Kickstarter and another 20,000 through LunaTik.com.

That's when Apple caught on. The LunaTik silver and red will be available in Apple Stores for $79.95 and the TikTok black and white will be available for $39.95.



I never thought I'd buy an iPod nano. Till now.

Source: Factsodesign.com, LunaTick

When it rains it pours. A mere 36 hours after the alleged next gen iPod Nano photos surface, Patently Apple dug up a bevy of Apple patents for the Nano and future iDevices.

The last Nano introduced a limited touch interface to the device, a series of patents uncovered by Patently Apple shows a multitouch interface, "chameleon-like" screen savers, and games could be implemented.

The most attention in the patents seems to be given to the idea of eliminating today's rather boring and static screen savers. Psychedelic, seizure inducing mosaics, and 3-D text apparently don't cut it any more in Apple's eyes. They would rather utilize an array of senors to monitor everything from temperature and barometric pressure to vibrations, magnetic fields, and even the devices orientation on the planet and apply it to your screen savers.

The patent contains a dizzying number of possible uses for the sensors. A rain animation is often used as an example. The falling rain can be manipulated by any number of sensors, including altering the direction and speed of the droplets based on the devices movement, and orientation sensors. Imagine having the rain always fall toward the ground no matter how the device is titled.

The screen saver and its elements are managed by a series of tags and layers. In a menu the user can select the tag function then manage these layers and tags. Each layer can be associated with a sensor and the desired measurement from that sensor. For example the motion sensor can be applied to layer 1 and have the movement direction be detected. Then the camera tag can be applied to that same layer with the color palette being the detected measurement.




More interesting though is the inclusion of a games section. Games on the nano seem counterintuitive. However, the inclusion of games would mean Apple is opening up the closed operating system of the current nano.

It will be interesting to see which of these features make it into future Apple products. It is important to note these patents are illustrated using the Nano, but can be applied to any of Apple's iDevices. I can't imagine all of the necessary sensors mentioned in the patent would fit inside a nano.

Source: Patently Apple

Supposedly leaked images of Apple's 7th generation iPod nano turned up on a well-known Taiwanese Apple blog that has previously spilled the beans on subsequent Apple product refreshes via photographic evidence. On Monday, tw.apple.pro published the above image, sparking speculation about what changes will be noteworthy on the next-gen iPod nano.

According to the report, the new nano will sport a low-resolution 1.3 megapixel camera. Sources speaking with the blog contend that Apple has removed the obligatory clip, as it would obstruct the camera lens and detract from the new functionality of the refreshed device. Of course, if you're having a difficult time imagining a clip-less iPod nano, you're
not alone.

Several weeks ago, similar images and reports surfaced from the Far East, but today's "leak" provides what some consider the most compelling clues yet as to what the 7th generation nano will look like.

It's hard to believe that the first generation iPod nano was introduced way back in 2005 as a replacement for the iPod Mini. Since then, our trusty nano has seen a total of six models since its introduction. The current sixth generation iPod nano supports FM radio, a pedometer, and a multitouch interface.

Source: tw.apple.pro

Patently Apple is reporting the Canadian Intellectual Property Office published Apple's official notice of abandonment of the "POD" trademark.

This comes after seven long years of litigation attempting to secure "POD" as an Apple trademark. In the wake of the iPod's popularity Apple fought to keep third party manufacturers from cannibalizing the "POD" trademark. Also, it prevented competitors from branding their products with the Pod monicker. Hence, there are no "gamePods" or "mPods."

Apple issued a number of cease and desist orders between 2004 and 2006 as well as negotiating with companies to change the name of their products. Some notables include the "Profit Pod" arcade gambling machine and the company Gear4 that was known as PodGear until 2006.

While Apple hasn't been active in muscling companies who use the Pod name as of late, they continue to play the bully with the "App Store" namesake. Apple has filed suit against the Amazon Appstore.

With "POD" now abandoned by Apple feel free to copyright your own creative Pod product. I already patented the PeePod. It is a revolutionary bedpan that sterilizes and purifies urine into bottled drinking water for hospitals to sell in their cafeterias.

Sources: PC World, Patently Apple

Patently Apple is reporting the Canadian Intellectual Property Office published Apple's official notice of abandonment of the "POD" trademark.

This comes after seven long years of litigation attempting to secure "POD" as an Apple trademark. In the wake of the iPod's popularity Apple fought to keep third party manufacturers from cannibalizing the "POD" trademark. Also, it prevented competitors from branding their products with the Pod monicker. Hence, there are no "gamePods" or "mPods."

Apple issued a number of cease and desist orders between 2004 and 2006 as well as negotiating with companies to change the name of their products. Some notables include the "Profit Pod" arcade gambling machine and the company Gear4 that was known as PodGear until 2006.

While Apple hasn't been active in muscling companies who use the Pod name as of late, they continue to play the bully with the "App Store" namesake. Apple has filed suit against the Amazon Appstore.

With "POD" now abandoned by Apple feel free to copyright your own creative Pod product. I already patented the PeePod. It is a revolutionary bedpan that sterilizes and purifies urine into bottled drinking water for hospitals to sell in their cafeterias.

Sources: PC World, Patently Apple

In my brief time here on the planet I've noticed a few things about iPod nano users. They tend to be young chic females sporting leggings and oversized sweatshirts while sloshing around campus in Ugg boots. Or they're like my roommate: A twenty something workout fanatic from Wisconsin who needs a pair of "buds" in his ears during any moment of physical exertion. Woot!.com currently has a deal that would make him spit out his cheese curds.

Woot! has the current gen 8gb iPod Nano (I always feel like i'm going to mistake it for a piece of candy) and an accessory kit for $129.99 plus $5 shipping. That's $20 off of the retail price plus the included accessory kit comes with an armband, FM transmitter, car charger, wall charger, four screen protectors, a case, aux cable and a utility belt (not really).

While the iPod nano fits it's niche extremely well I've never been tempted to own one. Any ModMyi users have a nano? I mean this is an iOS website so I'm pretty sure no one owns a Zune... or one of those other now irrelevant mp3 players.

This is a perfect time for a little nostalgia. The smartphone market is drowning out the personal stand alone music player, but lets take a trip back in time. What was your first mp3/cd/mini-disc/tape/record player player (God forbid anyone is that old)?

As for me I remember ripping cd's and mixes onto my Aiwa mini-disc player way back in fifth grade. God, that brings me back. Time to find my Pogs and yo-yo's.

Source: Woot.com