New iPod nano may be the motivation I need to train hard again
The big Apple iPod event was held today and as Andrew posted we saw a refresh of the entire iPod lineup. While the capacity upgrades may be nice for some, I personally find the most surprising and refreshing news to be the iPod nano update. These devices include an integrated video camera, speaker, mic, pedometer and FM radio tuner, none of which I was expecting to see in the nano lineup. I figured we would see a camera and mic in the iPod touch, but that hasn't happened yet. The iPod nano is a runner's dream and I intend to give you a real-life perspective of it in action soon. I also enjoy using my Flip minoHD camera, but IMHO Apple just trumped these type of devices (there is a Kodak model too) in more ways than just the video camera hardware.
Even though I haven't been thinking about any iPod devices and had no thoughts at all about buying anything that was going to be announced by Steve Jobs today, I decided a new iPod nano will be my new workout companion and motivator. I enjoy listening to my favorite local Christian and classic rock music stations and now I can enjoy them on the nano. I can also track my running progress with the pedometer. The new nano supports the Nike+ iPod Sports Kit and this looks to be what I need to get me out and hitting the road again. After reading about all the cool features of this combination I am going to stop at the Apple store on the way home and pickup a new nano and Nike+ iPod Sports Kit so stay tuned for a review in a few days after I get out and run a few times.
One aspect of the Flip minoHD is that you can flip up the USB connection point and plug it into a Mac or PC to manage the video content without having to install any software. With the availability of iTunes on PC and Mac computers and the hugely popular usage of iTunes I think we will see the nano video management capability may be even better than what we see with the Flip minoHD. Apple is known for good integration and experiences and I can't wait to hear how well the nano works with the latest version of iTunes.