Apple Debuts User-Generated Ad

Google's system sees 500K activations daily

(NEWSER) - In its battle with Google, Apple’s hearing echoes of the 1990s: Android activations are blowing iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch activations out of the water. Some 500,000 Android phones and tables get activated daily across the world, says Google’s boss for the platform—and that figure is climbing 4% every week. Meanwhile, the Apple devices were seeing 325,000 activations a day last quarter—a number that’s probably higher now, but not approaching Android’s count. More»

It's got dual cameras and upgrades screen, like iPhone 4

(NEWSER) - Apple announced an upgrade to its iPod Touch today, giving it some of the bells and whistles bestowed upon the iPhone 4. The new version will essentially be an “iPhone without a contract,” Steve Jobs boasted. So yes it’ll have dual front-and-back cameras, capable of shooting video in 720p, and yes, it’ll have the iPhone 4’s ultra-hi-res Retina screen. You’ll even be able to us those cameras to video chat with iPhone owners, Crunch Gear reports. More»

Touch, Classic get capacity upgrades

(NEWSER) - Sure, Steve Jobs stole all the headlines at Apple's shindig today, but there was some product news, too: The new version of the iPod Nano adds a video camera, microphone, and FM tuner, CNET reports. The new Nano also has a slightly larger screen, which is now 2.2 inches instead of 2. At $179, the new 16GB Nano will be $20 cheaper than its predecessor. The 2GB iPod Shuffle is also getting a $20 price cut—to $59. More»

New price structure points to unveiling of new model today

(NEWSER) - Apple’s online store today briefly flashed new, lower prices for the company’s current slate of iPods, a likely indication that a new model will be unveiled at today’s invite-only event, the Wall Street Journal reports. The site was then down for a period for updating. The 16-gig Touch went from $299 to $249; an 8-gig Nano dropped from $149 to $129; and the 120-gig iPod classic was advertised for $229, down from $249. More»

(NEWSER) - Apple tried to silence an angry British father and daughter with a gag order after the girl's iPod Touch exploded and "went 10 feet in the air," said the dad. The company offered a full refund of $275 for the music player, but only if the two agreed to sign a confidentiality agreement about the settlement—which threatened a lawsuit if they talked, reports the Times of London. "We didn’t ask for compensation, we just asked for our money back," the father said. More»