iPod

This week's announcement of new iPods piqued my interest not only as a lover of shiny, new toys, but also as a runner. The two smallest versions, the new iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, are even more perfect for running (and other exercises). Here's why:

• The new Nano is tiny. — At just over 1 1/2 inches wide and just under 1 1/2 inches high, the new Nano is considerably smaller than the previous version — it's almost half the size! And it also weighs half as much as the previous version.
• The Shuffle's buttons are back. — The most recent version of the Shuffle was, in my opinion, a runner's nightmare. The design was sleek, but there were no buttons on the device itself, making it incredibly difficult to use with any other headphones other than the ones that came with the device. Now, the same familiar circular set of buttons have made a comeback.

There are more reasons to love 'em! Check out the rest after the break.

The iPod has come a long way since it was first introduced in 2001; it now comes in four different versions, sporting over six times the amount of storage as the original. According to Steve Jobs, 275 million iPods have been sold to date, and yesterday's announcement of three majorly updated models is sure to move even more new iPods off of the shelves.

I'm lusting over a new Nano — that tiny touchscreen is amazing — and absolutely plan to pick one up next week. So, I started thinking . . . how many iPods have I actually owned? My final count is

During today's Apple event, Steve Jobs announced all new designs for every iPod — the biggest design overhaul in iPod history.

iPod Shuffle
The latest Shuffle is a combination of all of the best features from the previous three models; while the last version of the Shuffle was missing buttons, the newest version brings back the familiar controls from the second-generation shuffle, but in a smaller, more compact design. The newest Shuffle also features all of the loved features from the most recent generation: voice over that tells you what you're listening to and when the battery needs to be charged, and playlists (including the introduction of Genius Playlists) that sort your music for easy listening on the go. The new Shuffle supports 15 hours of music and comes in five colors. It'll cost you $49 for 2GB of storage.

The new Nano and iPod Touch are even more exciting — find out details after the break.

Next week's Apple press event is shrouded in familiar secrecy, but based on the invitation it is expected to be a music event. While I'm hoping the announcement means new iPods, I'm not convinced that Apple is ready to announce a streaming or cloud-based music system. To me, it seems too soon after its Lala acquisition.

As such, the latest rumors about Apple's next event say that, in addition to new iPods (yay!), Apple will introduce web-based improvements to the iTunes store in the form of social network integration. Find out what that means after the jump.

If you've ever had your heart set on a personal underwater submersible (read: submarine), then listen up: the Seabreacher is the way to go. For just a spare $65,000, you can choose a shark-, or dolphin-styled submarine that pumps out the jams from your iPod.

Reaching speeds of up to 50mph above water, and 25mph below, the Seabreacher is known for its ability to dive, and then launch out of the water like a trained sea creature at Sea World. Pretty crazy, but let's be honest — if you had the cash, you'd consider buying. I know I would.

Natalie Portman is a geek's dream. Not only did she star in all three of the Star Wars prequels, but she's book smart, builds websites, and is totally someone you'd want to take home to meet mom. At this year's Comic-Con, Natalie and Thor costars sat down to chat about their upcoming release, but between talk of ice monsters and fun on set, Natalie also gave us a glimpse of her geekier side.

• On what kind of geek she is: I think I have geek pedigree, but I'm not really a techie person. I've only recently started being into more graphic novels since V For Vendetta.
• On if she's a Kindle or an iPad kind of girl: I have a Kindle, but I feel like the iPad is like the next [thing]. No one who's into tech stuff is like '"my Kindle!" Like I love my Kindle, but . . .
• On her MP3 player preferences: I still have like, the first iPod, that's what I still use.

Natalie has mad love for her Kindle, but she's been spotted with an iPad 3G while on the set of her latest film. Could this have just been a well-placed prop, or does she swing both ways when it comes to tablets and ereaders?

Maybe I spoke too soon when claiming that President Obama was a total geek. Although I'd still like to believe this idea, a commencement speech he gave at Hampton University in Virginia over the weekend may have proven otherwise. Although the president himself is a fan of the Wii, his BlackBerry, and new media like Twitter, he also believes that these outlets can prove a distraction to education. When speaking about the onslaught of 24/7 media, he said:

With iPods and iPads; Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation.

Although I agree with President Obama to an extent, I can't say I'm 100 percent behind his statement. Find out why when you read more.