Apple Announcement: iPhones, Cameras and iTunes, Oh My!

Apple announcement about new products

Steve Jobs is all better! Image from wikimedia.

As usual, Apple held its September Apple announcement, or “media event” as they like to call it (though Mashable points out there are usually more employees than media at the Apple announcement). People — and WIRED Magazine — have been speculating for weeks about what the Apple announcement would be about this year.

Well, the wait is over. Here are the major new product developments unveiled at the Apple announcement today:

iTunes 9 and iTunes LP

The Apple announcement covered new versions of iTunes first. That makes sense, as the Apple announcement event was actually called the Apple Rock n Roll Keynote. The actual keynote speaker, of course, was Steve Jobs, back in good health after a liver transplant. He did not offer to give everyone in the audience payday cash so they could afford all the new Apple stuff, but he did have some good news at the Apple announcement.

Steve Jobs said at the Apple announcement that iTunes 9 will feature easier iTunes Store navigation, previews of all downloadable media from the Apple Store, including songs, TV shows, albums, and movies. New feature iTunes LP allows you to download digital albums with animations, videos, and other visual items like liner notes and lyrics.

iTunes extras

Other iTunes 9 features include iTunes Extras, which lets you download movies as though they were real DVDs, complete with commentary tracks, deleted scenes and extras. Jobs says there are even interactive features.

Genius Mixes work like radio stations that only play songs from your playlist, but “it knows what songs just go together,” says Mashable.

More things named “Genius”

Besides creating Genius Mixes on the iPhone and iPod touch, the iPhone 3.1 update will add the Genius Mode feature. In Genius Mode, the same technology that was previously used to recommend songs can now recommend applications from the Apple Store.

Many iPhone and iPod Touch users out there are hailing this development as a much needed navigation tool that will make shopping at the Apple App Store easier. To me, it sounds like a salesman built into your phone.

Video cameras, microphones and speakers

Another Apple announcement today was that the iPod Nano will now come with a video camera. Furthermore, it will have a built in microphone to made audio recordings and a built in speaker, so you can listen to iPod Nano without headphones.

Jobs also put to rest rumors of the iPod Touch video camera, which will not be around for a while yet. “Bummer that the new iPod Touch won’t be coming with a video camera as well, but them’s the breaks,” Steve Jobs said.

More stuff Apple did not announce

Another big rumor swirling about the Apple announcement was that a Mac Tablet, or larger version of the iPod Touch, would be coming out, but that’s not a reality yet either.

Norah Jones performed at the Apple Rock n Roll Keynote, which had the tagline “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it.” Steve Jobs made a point at the Apple announcement of emphasizing the company’s love for music. Starting today, iTunes 9 and the new line of iPods are available.