Apple’s media event today brought a lot of big news, the biggest of which was probably the update to AppleTV. The new iPod Nano looks pretty cool, though, and I’m glad to see the return of physical buttons to the iPod Shuffle. If I were on a more reliable connection, I’d dig up one of those stupid VoiceOver ads, just so you could laugh at it with me.

Instead I’m leaving you with this cute little picture, courtesy of Engadget, of the new iPod family. I’ll have more thoughts and impressions on the full lineup of Apple changes tomorrow (yay home internet connection).

Do you remember your reaction when you saw the first iPod Nano commercial? Those two hands fought over something that seemed, at the time, ‘impossibly small.’ By today’s standards, that first Nano would look commonplace – some people might even mistake it for a new iPhone. All signs point to a Nano announcement at this week’s Apple event, and from all the leaked pictures and accessories, we know it’s going to be small.

This picture, which comes from Apple Insider, shows an old Nano up against a render of the new, touchscreen version. There have been some concerns raised about controls – that screen is awfully small to comfortably navigate your music library. Apple could be headed toward an inline control system, similar to that of the iPod Shuffle. Personally, I hate the idea. I want to be able to use my own headphones without worrying about a stupid control dongle.

From the looks of things, I’d say Apple also scrapped the crappy little camera it added to the most recent generation of the Nano. Thank god. That thing was the laughing stock of Flip SD owners everywhere, to say nothing of all the portable HD handcam owners of the world.

I’ve covered some iSkin products here in the past and been very pleased with them, so I’m happy to pass along the news about this upcoming Back-to School contest from iSkin. By entering your name and the school you’re headed for in the fall, you could be eligible to win up to $1000 worth of iSkin products to furnish that new dorm room.

Here’s what you win:
- Apple iPad 64GB 3G
- iSkin Vu for iPad
- iSkin silo Messenger Bag
- iSkin Eartones
- iSkin Cerulean RX

That’s a hell of a prize package if you ask me. The contest is only available to US and Canadian residents.

I haven’t really tried to hide the fact that I love Booq’s line of products. The bags are stylish, classy, and functional in a way that makes your laptop bag never want to show its face at laptop bag school ever again. Booq’s gone and made a slick little iPad bag for all the tablet lovers in the world, too.

Here’s the official feature list:

booq: Boa push features include:
• Elegant and compact way to carry your iPad, iPhone, credit cards, and other necessary items
• iPad compartment lined with non-scratch fabrics, exterior pocket sized perfectly for the iPhone
• Equipped with easy to use snap button flap closure and super-comfy seatbelt nylon shoulder strap
• Made from genuine Nappa leather and durable booq Twylon
• Equipped with Terralinq service, helps reunite you with your lost and found bag
• Available in sand or gray

The Boa push iPad bag is available for $89.95 at www.booqbags.com.

There’s no doubt that the iPhone 4 launch was one of Apple’s sloppiest hardware launches to date. The antenna issue was definitely the worst PR we’ve seen from Cupertino and yet, somehow, the iPhone continues to blow through millions of models. After all that, Apple’s finally made an inside move, a sort of quiet omission of guilt despite its protestations over the last several months.

Mark Papermaster, the exec at the helm of iPhone hardware, has left Apple. There’s no word on whether he was given the boot or left of his own accord. His departure is a bit coincidental for me to believe that, whoever initiated his departure, it wasn’t all related to the antenna issue. When consumers are making joke band-aids and “End Call” stickers to fix your missteps, you can bet someone’s head will roll.

As you might imagine, Papermaster declined to comment.

MacRumors has pictures of what could very well be the screen and bezel from the new iPod Touch. The most notable feature you can see is the little pinhole near the top that looks to be the spot for a FaceTime camera.

None of this is really exciting, considering we already knew that FaceTime would be moving to non-iPhone devices some time this year and that it would start relying on email addresses instead of phone numbers to connect users. From what we know so far, it looks like the fourth-generation Touch could be on track for a september release.

I’m on the road today, headed up to NYC to visit some friends, but I thought this was worth sharing. I got an email this morning confirming that my free Apple bumper case has shipped, despite the estimated 3-5 week ship time Apple initially doled out.

Even though I’m not among those cursed with a failing phone, it’s nice to see some quick turnaround on Apple’s part. Hopefully people can start to see a working phone some time early next week.

Among Apple’s various hardware updates today, the company launched a trackpad for desktops, officially dubbed the Magic Trackpad. I’m not real sure where the magic is.

Now granted, I tend to prefer the trackpad to the mouse for general browsing, but this is something that seems aimed at power users, not the casual internet browser. Desktops come with a mouse, so people are comfortable using the mouse. Will they really want to drop $69 for a couple gestures, most of which are mimicked by the controls on your everyday mouse today?

My guess is no, but I’m not naive enough about Apple products to think this thing won’t sell. It would definitely be much cooler if it worked like a tablet (yes, there is some third-party software that can help a bit), but as a simple trackpad, I’m just not that impressed.

Apple has officially started to reimburse iPhone 4 owners who purchased a bumper case on their own, and it looks like the rest of us can send away for a free bumper now, too.

Apple is managing the promotion through an app, available now in the App Store. Instructions are pretty simple. You download the app, sign in using your Apple ID, and select your bumper or case. As it stands you can only get one color (black) and you’re looking at a three to five week delivery window. As for time limitations, here’s the official word:

For iPhone 4 purchases made before July 23, 2010, you must apply no later than August 22, 2010; otherwise, you must apply within 30 days of your iPhone 4 purchase. To qualify for this program, you must purchase your iPhone 4 by September 30, 2010.

Remember, you don’t have to get a bumper. You can get any of the approved cases for free as well.

Well, there you have it folks. Apple didn’t exactly do what some expected (read: massive recall) but it did do something that should at least help relieve some of the, ah, anguish around its latest iPhone model.

The details are pretty simple – you have an iPhone, you get a bumper. If Apple is out of bumpers, you can pick another case from a predetermined selection. If you already bought a bumper you will be reimbursed and lastly, you can only take advantage of all of this until September 30th, at which time Apple will determine whether it should extend the offer or come up with another solution.

It’s better than the first explanation, right?

Apple announced that it will be holding a press conference regarding the iPhone 4 tomorrow afternoon. Though no one knows exactly what the event is about, it’s a safe bet there will be a mix of good news and bad – sales numbers and hopefully the truth about the antenna situation.

As I’ve said before, I’m not experiencing the antenna trouble many are. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, though. A lot of people have had problems, some of my friends even, and there are a whole host of reasons that could occur.

TechCrunch had a guest post from Steve Cheney, a former engineer and web programmer, who offers a comprehensive solution to Apple’s technical problems and the PR nightmare that came as a result. His technical solution is to coat the steel band that surrounds the phone, a solution many have tried with rubber bands, nail polish, and Apple’s lauded bumper cases. After reaching out to iFixIt, Cheney discovered that Apple may already be using some sort of coating, which could explain the inconsistency of the antenna problems.

Whatever the problem or the solution, hopefully tomorrow will offer more than “our signal strength calculation was a bit off.”

A class action suit has been filed against Apple and AT&T for, you guessed it, the antenna issue.

More specifically, the suit claims the following on the part of the designated companies:
• General Negligence (APPLE and AT&T)
• Defect in Design, Manufacture, and Assembly (APPLE)
• Breach of Express Warranty (APPLE)
• Breach of Implied Warranty for Merchantability (APPLE and AT&T)
• Breach of Implied Warranty of Fitness for a Particular Purpose (APPLE and AT&T)
• Deceptive Trade Practices (APPLE and AT&T)
• Intentional Misrepresentation (APPLE and AT&T)
• Negligent Misrepresentation (APPLE and AT&T)
• Fraud by Concealment (APPLE and AT&T)

Quite the list of infractions, don’t you think? While I agree that there shouldn’t be such widespread incidence of this problem, I don’t think it’s out of the question to ask people to hold the phone a bit differently. Maybe that’s just me.

Also, am I the only person not having this problem?

Read the full brief over at Gizmodo.

Bloomberg is reporting that the iPhone may be breaking onto America’s favorite network in January of next year. The report cites two unnamed sources who are, as always, close to the issue.

There has been a lot of speculation about the end of the AT&T exclusivity arrangement, especially when AT&T started offering up iPhone 4 upgrades to anyone that would take one.

The device will be available to customers in January, according to the people, who declined to be named because the information isn’t public. Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, and Jeffrey Nelson, a Verizon Wireless spokesman, declined to comment.

The iPhone, which has been the sole domain of rival AT&T in the U.S. since June 2007, will give Verizon a boost in its competition for smartphone customers, UBS AG analyst John Hodulik said in an interview. Verizon customers, who numbered 92.8 million at the end of the first quarter, may buy 3 million iPhones a quarter, he estimates.

For now I’ll remain skeptical, if only because there have been rumors of a Verizon iPhone for years now. Actually, I just don’t want to believe I signed with AT&T when Verizon was just around the corner.

The best camera is the one you have with you, and since my new favorite point-and-shoot is built into my phone, I should be all set. When the 3GS came out last year, I was ready to say goodbye to point-and-shoots all together. There were still a lot of situations, though, where the 3GS was terrible (low light, of course). The iPhone changes that with the addition of a flash and another megapixel bump, putting the iPhone camera on par with all but the best in the point-and-shoot category. The fact that the camera is built into the phone is more than enough to discourage me from taking a point-and-shoot anywhere.

Obviously the camera will still shoot best in bright, natural light, like you find in North Carolina when it’s almost 100 degrees. The colors are bright and vibrant, a trait most of the professional photographers I’ve spoken with say Apple borrowed from Nikon’s processing style. It was pretty windy today, so I was surprised to see how focused the pictures of the flowers came out (still a little blurry away from the focal point). Overall, the sensor handles light well, and the camera is fast enough to catch a bit of motion.

In low light the story is still pretty grim. Even with a flash there’s a lot of noise, though that’s typically true of most point-and-shoots. This isn’t meant for high-quality photography, though, and when viewed as most camera phone shots are these days – on Facebook – the iPhone 4 will stand up with the best your friends can offer. That’s thanks to the f2.4 lens, compared with the f2.8 or above offered on most phones. It’s nice to have that extra light and extra width.

On the whole, Apple’s taken a decent camera and turned it into a true point-and-shoot replacement for taking quick shots on the fly. And it is quick. The limited controls are just a tap away, and there are so few (some say it’s good, some say it’s bad) you won’t spend the precious seconds trying to find a setting. You’ll snap the picture, again and again, which is exactly the point of carrying a quick and dirty camera with you wherever you go.

The iPhone 4 has been out for all of three days and already there are FaceTime sex chat services forming. The following is from a New York Craigslist ad, which offers a “competitive salary” and a free iPhone 4 for services rendered.

Starting an online interactive pornography firm where woman will use the iphone 4 to video chat with potential customers on a pay as you go basis.
Hours are flexible, pay will increase as the business builds. Woman will receive a free iphone 4 to use as personal time when not working. Woman will talk to potential clients and chat with them and perform various acts as desired by clients. All information will be confidential.

Payment will be based on percentage of sales volume and performance. Potential launch date of the company is 9/1/2010 or based on feedback received.

Woman will receive, as before mentioned, a free cell phone and a very competitive salary.

Please send information and pictures – we would like to launch sooner than 9/1/2010.

Woman must be at least 18 years old.

So how bout it, ladies? Interested in seeing a lot of VGA-quality penis?

The big question surrounding the iPhone 4 reception issue is how did Apple not catch it? They had the phone for months, presumably testing it in the Bay area for months. So why didn’t the Apple techs experience the problem?

Miguel Helft at the NYT Bits Blog had one theory – when the Apple techs were out the field, the iPhone 4 prototype was disguised in a case to look like the 3GS. The case meant a tech’s hands didn’t touch the antennae, so there were no interference issues, so there was nothing to catch.

Apple said Thursday that a case is one way to solve the reception issues.

A lot of new iPhone 4 owners have been sorely disappointed by the handset’s reception. There is an issue that causes reception to drop dramatically when held so that the two bands on the side of the phone that serve as antennae are connected.

Users at Apple Insider claimed to have seen reports on Apple’s official tech forums that a software fix would be coming this week, as early as Monday.

Readers report that Apple’s tech support forums originally confirmed that a iOS 4.0.1 software fix addressing the issue would ship early next week (as early as Monday), before the comments were subsequently taken down along with all the other related discussion about the matter.

The fix is expected to address a issue in iOS 4 related to radio frequency calibration of the baseband. Readers who saw the original forum discussions say that the issue is believed to occur when switching frequencies; because the lag is allegedly not calibrated correctly, it results in the device reporting “no service” rather than switching to the frequency with the best signal to noise ratio.

iOS 4 introduced some enhancements to how the baseband selects which frequencies to use, so it makes sense that the error may have crept into those changes. Additionally, this explains why iOS 4 has also caused similar problems for iPhone 3GS users.

Let’s hope this is true. I haven’t personally had the problem, but I’d be pretty pissed if I had a great handset that couldn’t actually be used as a phone.

So you rushed out to get yourself a shiny new iPhone 4 and you want to share it with your friends. Problem is, none of your friends did the same. No one you know did the same. So how will you test FaceTime?

Call Apple. Apple set up 1-888-FACETIME to allow new users to test out FaceTime with Apple employees. The service has been live since yesterday and could become the status quo for tech support calls. I’ll probably give a call tomorrow to try things out (I’m in that no-friends-with-iPhone-4s boat), but I can’t say I’m real interested in doing tech support over video chat. It still freaks me out any time I see the little green light go live on my webcam.

There you have it – an unmodified screenshot of the iPhone 4 homescreen (click on it to see the full-size image).

You can see a little bit of blur on the Google, Facebook, and Wordpress apps and you know why? The image quality of those icons is too low to keep up with the resolution. Obviously all of the Apple apps have icons that scale with this ridiculous display. I’m sure other app makers will go the same route once they update for iOS 4.