VIA’s 64-bit “Isaiah” processor, which we’ve reported here and here, has now been made official, taking on the “Nano” moniker. The chip uses a 65-nanometer process, measures 21mm x 21mm, and uses the same socket as existing VIA C7 processors, which should make things easier on OEMs. It’s being pitched for more mainstream desktop and laptop platforms, squaring off against Intel and AMD. “In particular, the VIA Nano processor places significant emphasis on high-performance floating-point execution, using a completely new algorithm for floating-point adds that results in the lowest floating-point add latency of any x86 processor. Similarly, the floating-point multiplier has the lowest latency of any x86 processor. In practical terms, this means the VIA Nano processor provides exceptionally smooth play back of Blu-ray Disc™ and other HD video formats, which can have encrypted media streams of up to 40Mbps, in addition to its robust two-clock FPU multiply and 128 bit data path offering an excellent gaming experience, providing silky smooth rendering of 3D images.” Clock speeds range from 1.0GHz to 1.8GHz, so it won’t eat into premium offerings from Intel and AMD, but it might be able to take a chunk out of the lower-end stuff. More info here. → Read More
These waterproof speakers seem to hit a pretty good combination of price, looks, and functionality — assuming they sound good. The set can hang by a strap for the shower, or you can use the built-in stand to put it in the soap dish if you’re the bath type. It’s only for iPod Nanos, but there are plenty of you with those out there. The touch wheel area has a little membrane you can control the thing through. At £50, or a bit less than $100, they’re slightly expensive, but not extravagant. And since the screen is fully visible, the shower might be a good place to practice your Rick Astley moves, although you won’t be able to wear that beige trench coat. → Read More
Got a first generation iPod Nano? Wanna look like the coolest kid this side of the Rio Grande? Then plunk down $10.59 for the ultimate head-mounted music system that is the Macally mTune-N. Just snap your Nano into the left ear cup and rock this town. In fact, rock it inside out. The town, not the headphones. Buy.com has the Macally getup for $10.59 with free shipping. Not bad, not bad at all. Macally mTune-N [Buy.com] via dealnews → Read More
Just caught news on the Today Show (in between some Eliot Spitzer segment and another, less interesting but more sensational Eliot Spitzer segment) of the iPod Nano batteries causing sparks to shoot out of units marked with model number MA099J/A (pictured right). Apparently the problem was found back in January but wasn’t reported by Apple to the Japanese trade and economy ministry until recently. According to the Associated Press, Japan is investigating a possible defect in Apple Inc.’s iPod after one of the popular digital music players reportedly shot out sparks while recharging, a government official said Wednesday… The problem surfaced in January in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo, and Apple reported the problem to the ministry in March. No one was injured, the official said. Other details weren’t available. The model of Nano in question shipped starting in September of 2005 and was discontinued in September of 2006. Japan investigates possible iPod defect [AP/Yahoo! News] → Read More
[photopress:purplenano.jpg,full,center] Taking a close look at this Circuit City ad, we can see what looks to be a purple iPod nano. When you mouse over the electronic version of the ad, a separate model number pops up as well, further fueling speculation that a purple nano could be on the way. The last time an additional color was added to the nano lineup was five weeks ago when Apple added the pink version of its portable media player. How smart it is to rely on one Circuit City as proof positive that a new color is on the way I’m not sure, but you know how it is—any sort of inklings and Apple fans lose their minds. New items are introduced to the Apple Store on Tuesdays, right? I guess we’ll see come tomorrow. Purple iPod Nano Inbound? [MacRumors] → Read More
[photopress:tatanano.jpg,full,center] Meet the world’s least expensive car, the Nano. The car costs only $2,500, gets 50 miles per gallon and is supposed to bring the gift of rapid transportation to the world’s poor. It also looks a lot like Biggs’ car, which we often tease him about. Made in India, the manual transmission Nano, created and designed by Tata, has a 33 horsepower, two-cyinder engine and enough room to hold four people. It’s the product of five years of R&D, with designers from all over the world (but primarily from India) chipping in. In total, more than 500 people worked on it. Tata plans to introduce to other lower income areas like South America and Africa within the next four years. Tata Nano, world’s cheapest new car, is unveiled in India [The Times via Drudge] → Read More
Readers of CrunchGear know full well that 95% of the time we have no idea what we’re talking about. Well, we want you to get in on some of that action by reviewing something you’ve never seen, touched, or even know exists on BFF. Two posters with the most comments, votes, and number of votes, wins either an 80GB iPod Classic or a 80GB Zune 2. Here’s what to do. → Read More
Entries are rolling in and you guys are GREAT at making up stuff about stuff. Take this one, for example: The teenage years are by far the best and easiest part of parenting. At the age of 16, teenagers are finally able to get a job like they have always wanted. By that age, they are very responsible with money and will offer to use it to help their parents pay down the mortgage rather than waste it by buying video games and a car. Also, the education they are getting in high school will turn them into geniuses, enabling them to get full academic scholarships to the best Ivy League schools, insuring that they get very high paying jobs as soon as they graduate. By then, the parent’s financial problems will be over, because their child can support them forever. Vote early and often, friends! To recap, readers of CrunchGear know full well that 95% of the time we have no idea what we’re talking about. Well, we want you to get in on some of that action by reviewing something you’ve never seen, touched, or even know exists. Two posters with the most comments, votes, and number of votes, wins either an 80GB iPod Classic or a 80GB Zune 2. Here’s what to do. → Read More
I still have the box for my 5G iPod sitting on some shelf somewhere, because it was just too nice to throw away. Of course, I’m a pack rat and keep worthless stuff all the time. But now I have a decent reason to keep the thing, at least if I buy a new Nano. Japanese gadget outfitter Bird Electron has a sweet little kit to convert your Nano’s box into a little portable speaker set – and as you might expect, it’s kawaii (cute) but like other battery-powered tiny speakers probably sounds like booty. Still, at 2100 yens that’s just about $20 for an iPod accessory no one else has, and you know that’s gold. Turn your iPod Nano box into a speaker [blog.scifi.com, via Trends In Japan, via ITmedia] → Read More
This sounds kind of dubious but apparently an Atlanta man named Danny Williams was walking in an airport and his iPod Nano started to flame up. A “glossy piece of paper” protected him from life-threatening burns. Apple is being good sports about it and is offering him a new iPod after Willams went to the local news station with the story. The reporter got no quote from Apple, probably because it never happened. My question is this: I know laptop batteries hold a lot of juice, but this is an iPod Nano. What specifically can discharge that fast and that powerfully that it could cause the case to overheat and burn, even in that small space. Is this even possible, electrical engineers? Man’s Pants Catch Fire At Airport [WSBTV] → Read More
Wow. Don’t expect top-notch video quality from the iPod classic or iPod nano while using Apple’s recently released Component AV Cable. Compared to the the iPhone and iPod touch, the classic and nano eat it. Whereas the iPhone and touch look fairly similar to iTunes-puchased video as played back on a computer monitor, the classic and nano distort the picture like nobody’s business. Take a look at head of the mom from The Incredibles. In iTunes and iPhone/touch playback, her head looks in proportion to the rest of the scene. In the classic version it looks like a parade float. (Color differences can be chalked up to the way screen shots work.) The other screenies inside. → Read More
Uh oh. Coverflow? Beat? Some sort of potentiall little Fat Nano? More news as it develops, but September 5th is definitely D-Day for Lil Fat. → Read More
Gizmodo got a letter from Apple asking them to take down the images of the little fat Nanos we’ve been seeing all day, which in legal talk means blood will soak the halls of Cupertino tonight as the leakers are tortured long into the morning. [Update: Apple's lawyers came at us and demanded we remove the photo because it "violates Apple's copyrights". So we've replaced it with this hastily rendered mock-up of a spy shot that's sure to enter our inbox soon. -Matt] iPod Nano Spy Shots Confirmed as Real by Apple Legal [Gizmodo] → Read More
According to the mystical Fat Nano Fairy, the following are facts about the upcoming Fat Nano: 1. The new, fat iPod Nano will likely come in 8GB and 16GB versions. 2. It will have video playback. 3. It will not be called “Nano” anymore. There will be a new product name. The Fat Nano Fairy isn’t sure what it’ll be called, though “Flower” is something to consider. What do you think it should be called? That’s what the comments are for, friends. We’re hoping they actually call it the Fat Nano, because that would rule so hard. That is all. → Read More
9to5Mac has some hot pictures of the new widescreen Nano that Apple may or may not be launching ever. Real? Fake? Who knows. We trade in rumor, here, and exchange rate is our sanity. Nano Spy Pics [9to5mac] → Read More
Well, it’s been 11 months since we’ve seen a new nano and there’s a bit of news, albeit from the rumor mill, about the new nano that is set to drop some time before the end of the year, possibly at the Apple Expo in Paris. The above chop photoshop job from 9 to 5 Mac is obviously not the real thing, but the new redesign will entail a screen that takes up half of its facade. It could look like the above mock up except it won’t be available in white and there are five new colors. Hit the jump to see what they are. → Read More
JP Morgan has retracted Kevin Chang’s, statement about an iPhone Nano coming like in five days and it will have like so many cool things like maybe a phone that makes free phone calls to like your friends and that it will run on T-Mobile and have a cool file browser and let you put your own ringtones on it and it will have three screens, one on the top so you can see who’s calling and that it will be sold all over the world for $15 and that the service will be so fast that you’ll be able to download porn in seconds and you’ll be able to install any Windows or Mac app onto it and it will have free videos you can download and watch and it will be so cool that everyone at JP Morgan is already selling their Porsches so they can get their hands on like 5 million of them because the more you have in one room the more powerful the processor is because it uses like a cool mesh technology that makes it a supercomputer and he found out about it because he was at 31 Flavors and somebody was all like “I got an iPhone nano!” and Kevin was like “Wha!” and he called all his Chinese technology friends and they were all like, “Yeah, dude, seriously. iPhone Nano!” and Kevin was all like “OK! Gonna GET THE SCOOPS!” and he posted it on JP Morgan’s hot tech blog. It turns out all of that was false, and Kevin is sorry he even mentioned anything about it. He has summer hours today, however, so he’ll be gone at 3pm, so don’t call him. His tee-time is at four and then he’s going to the Hamptons until August. JP Morgan retracts. Now says “No” to near term “Nano” iPhone [TUAW] → Read More
OK, guys. It’s six days until Mother’s Day and you don’t have anything for your mom. How about an iPod Nano and some chocolates, courtesy of Best Buy. Here’s what’s going to happen. I have two iPods lying around here and, in order to ensure they go out in time for Mom to get one, I need entries by 12:00 PM EST Wednesday, May 9 and we’ll vote until 12:00PM EST Thursday, May 10. I’ll ship out the iPods that afternoon in hopes of them arriving by Sunday, May 13. What do you need to do to win? → Read More
Walt Disney may have been a nut, but he sure did love making children happy with his cartoons, especially good ol’ Mickey Mouse. That’s why we so thoroughly enjoy this Mickey Mouse-engraved iPod nano from Japan’s Run-at. It’s the standard issue 2GB nano, but with the famous mouse etched into the back. It also comes with a svelte leather case. Only around 500 were made, so you’d better get your order in soon. Product Page [Run-at via Akihabaranews.com] → Read More
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