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.

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The body of the Nano 5G is pretty similar to the last model. The screen did get a bump from 2 inches to 2.2 inches, and the finish is a much shinier anodized aluminum. Oh yeah, there’s also that little camera on the back, but more on that later. The new Nano comes in two models, an 8GB and a 16GB, at $149 and $179, respectively.

Within the Nano’s slim and trim body, Apple added all sorts of goodies, the most notable of which is a video camera. It’s that itty bitty lens you see on the bottom-left of the device if you’re looking at the back. The camera is capable of shooting video at a 640×480 resolution, which are then stored as .mp4 files with h.264 video compression and AAC audio. Unfortunately, the cam doesn’t take still photos. The tech is definitely not something to write home about, and as much as Apple would like the addition of a camera to kill the Flip, I just don’t see it happening. The tech is just too far behind the Flip for the current price.

The other problem I see with the Nano is camera placement. I don’t know if Apple hired a bunch of lefty industrial designers, but someone should have changed this. Granted, it’s probably a space issue – the camera and the screen can’t coexist at the top of the device – but every right-handed person that touches one of these things will have the same complaint: my hand is always in the frame. There’s just no way around it. It’s the natural place for a righty to grab a device of that size.

The camera brings us to the next addition: the microphone. Again, awesome to be able to record video with audio on such a tiny device. Again, terrible mic placement. The ability to record voice memos is great, but gets quickly diminished by the sound of my index finger rubbing over the mic as I talk. The bottom of the device is the natural place to put your hand – hell, that’s where the controls are – so why put the mic right where my hand will always be? Stupid.

Among the smarter things Apple did in the update was add a radio. Yes, there’s an iPod with an FM tuner. Crazy, no? The tuner does require a headset to work, but it works well and has some cool features. The radio app retrieves RDS info, allows you to pause and rewind, and you can even tag songs. Plugging the Nano into your computer will take you to the iTunes location for songs you’ve tagged.

Last and certainly least, Apple added a pedometer to the Nano. I don’t know if they’re marketing this at soccer moms or the early 90’s, but it seems like a pretty weak addition. In fact, the whole thing operates like a lite version of the Nike+ campaign, which itself strikes me as incredibly lame.

To wrap it all up, I’m unimpressed. This update is a completely underwhelming attempt to take market away from Pure Digital and the Flip, and I think consumers are going to notice. The camera is bad enough that Apple doesn’t even want you to see the pictures it captures. The video isn’t a whole lot better, and the rest of the features have been on other MP3 players for years. I guess this is what happens when you’re on top and no one else is even close. You get complacent. Really, really complacent.

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The box hasn’t seen an update since release, really, and analysts think it’s a good candidate for a refresh at the music event. Gene Munster, an analyst for Piper Jaffray, points out that the delivery time for the 40GB Apple TV has gone from 24 hours to 1-2 weeks, which you’ll notice puts it past the media event. That could definitely mean the announcement of a new model. As far as I know, Apple TV doesn’t sell well enough to merit that kind of shortage, particularly during the beginning of September.

Unless Apple does something truly incredible with Apple TV, it will definitely get overshadowed by the addition of cameras to the Nano/Touch lines of iPods. In any case, we’re only waiting another 5 days to find out.

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One analyst thinks the shift came from consumers looking for less expensive devices. I’m calling bull on that one. It looks to me more like market forces aligned to give Sony the .9 percent jump over Apple in the week ending August 30th. Sony had recently released the W series Walkman, which got some good reviews, and again, Apple is almost certainly launching a new line.

I don’t mean to sound so vehemently fanboyish, but let’s be realistic. Sony has done anything big enough to really take back the market. Sure, the W series is one of the best looking devices they’ve designed, but you don’t just win back market share with a pretty device because it costs marginally less than the dominant competitor. I hope that analyst isn’t getting paid much, if at all.

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Among those would be the rumored-to-death cameras for the iPod Touch and Nano models, the release of which would set the stage for an iTunes 9 announcement. There’s also the “Cocktail” feature that’s supposedly designed to save the album (can you save what’s dead?). All of those things would be interesting announcements, though I can’t say I’d be excited about the extra bloat coming to iTunes. It’s bad enough as is.

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I’m willing to believe the first “informations,” but only half-way. A camera on the Touch makes sense. There are plenty of apps that integrate camera use, making them obsolete if used on the Touch. Also, acquiring and integrating a camera into a device already running Apple’s mobile OS should be no trouble.

But why add a camera to the Nano? The device is meant to be the ultra slim, stripped down version of the much sexier Touch. Why do you need a camera? And why introduce a camera at two price points? If it’s only on the Touch, snapping pics is just another reason to upgrade from your Nano to your Touch. I also doubt Apple would try this on an iPod not currently running the same OS as their other camera-capable devices.

On that last rumor, I could go either way. The iPhone 3G is a sleek little device, and I don’t see much reason to update it. On the other hand, Apple’s way is to make the newer, faster versions of things prettier as well. Nothing screams “buy me” like “I don’t look like your other iPhone.

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