iPod Archives - Gizmochina

The classic iPod had a Tetris game all this time, but we never knew about it

Rajesh Regmi — Sun, 26 May 2024 08:20:51 +0000

The YouTube channel Apple Demo recently found a rare prototype of the third-generation iPod with an unreleased game called Stacker. It’s a game similar to Tetris, but it never made it to the final version released to the public.

Apart from Stacker, the engineering sample of the iPod also has other unreleased titles like Block0 and Klondike, as reported by Engadget.

The back of the prototype has a “DVT” (Design Validation Testing) label etched on it suggesting the device could be in the mid-development stages, according to Apple Demo. Additionally, there are two songs and a playlist named “Battery Test” likely for the testing of battery life.

The iPod Apple Demo got their hands on was non-functional at first but they managed to revive it by translating its internal hard drive into a functional second-generation iPod.

Out of the games available, the folks at Apple Demo only showed Stacker in action. And as mentioned earlier, it’s a Tetris knock-off.

The channel even contacted Tony Fadell, the former Senior Vice President of Apple’s iPod division, to understand why Stacker didn’t make it to the final product. Fadell’s response, however, offered little insight.

He simply mentioned in 2022 that “we added games with later software release,” leaving the specific reason for Stacker’s exclusion a mystery.

Years later, Apple did release a licensed Tetris game for the “Classic” iPod models, allowing users to purchase additional titles through the iTunes Store.

Stacker uses the iPod’s click wheel for basic gameplay. Users could move the falling blocks left and right, while the center button dropped them instantly.

Mirroring Tetris, the goal was to score points by completing and clearing lines of bricks, avoiding a pile-up that would reach the top of the screen.

Although the uncovered game wasn’t entirely polished – there’s a bug where a rotated brick overlapped another and got stuck – it still operated as intended.

Apple’s iPod touch units are quickly getting sold out after discontinuation

Jed John Ikoba — Fri, 13 May 2022 17:00:19 +0000

Apple had announced recently, the end of the iconic iPod touch after more than 20 years of its presence. The announcement was made earlier in the week and Apple stated that the product will be available until the current stock is exhausted. It seems Apple’s announcement has now triggered a rush for the iPod touch with some configurations of the music device already exhausted.

Millions of users of the iPod touch will recollect with nostalgia the groundbreaking entry of the device more than two decades ago. The iPod touch remains as a collector’s item and those still interested in picking a unit need to hurry while supplies remain.

The Apple iPad touch can be purchased from Apple’s online store. In Apple US online store, the 256GB variant of the device in any color has been replaced with a sold-out notice. The red variant of the 128GB model of the iPod touch also seems to have been exhausted. However, there are still other offline Apple outlets and reseller shops where these models could still be available.

The latest iPod touch is its seventh iteration and it comes with a 4-inch LCD, an A10 chipset, and 2GB of memory. It debuted in 2016 and offered three internal storage options namely 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The three variants are priced at $199, $299, and $399 respectively. The camera setup of the iPod touch includes a 1.2MP front-facing FaceTime camera and an 8MP rear camera. The iPod touch has a battery capable of delivering up to 40 hours of audio playback and about eight hours of video content. Internet connectivity is achieved only via Wi-Fi for the iPod touch.

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Apple built a unique iPhone Prototype with an iPod Click Wheel

Sean — Tue, 10 May 2022 08:01:22 +0000

Apple had announced its first iPhone back in 2007. However, prior to the release of its game changing handset, the company was also working on a number of prototype models in secret. Now, one such prototype has emerged and it is quite unique to say the least.

The prototype was shared by Tony Fadell (via TechCrunch), who was also behind the development of the iPod back in the 2000s. Recently, Fadell has been sharing details regarding his time working at the Cupertino based giant. Apparently, before the first iPhone, the company only had the iPod as a mobile device. So when working on some of the early prototypes, the brand was exploring the idea of adding the functionalities of a phone into an iPod.

Thus, one of the prototypes had a unique design, which included the iconic Click Wheel. Notably, this could even double as a number pad as well. Fadell stated that this early model was built by a third party manufacturer in the early stages of “iPod Phone” development. This model included a built in camera and a color scheme that resembles the actual first iPhone. A swivel would help users quickly change the bottom of the iPod to convert it into a phone.

Apparently, Steve Jobs himself had strongly insisted that the team would create an iPod phone rather than build a completely new device. The reason for this was due to the popularity of the iPod’s iconic design, which included the Click Wheel. However, it was soon realized that it wasn’t good experience when using the Click Wheel for the phone. Thus, it shifted to a large full touch screen design and a Mac OS X based operating system.

Someone just used an iPod Shuffle as a hair clip, video goes viral

Sean — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 10:06:44 +0000

A new video on TikTok is going viral at the moment. Its a short video of a person finding and asking about a “vintage” gadget. The product in question is the old Apple iPod Shuffle.

Looking at this clip from @freckenbats (Via AppleInsider), around two million people have already watched the video on the popular short video sharing platform. In the clip, we can see the user trying to figure out the product that she has in her hand like its an antique from a bygone era. The caption of this post reads “Anyone know what this is?!??!.” She even turns the iPod Shuffle in her hands hands a couple of times to discern its function.

In the video, she says that “I found this old iPod, I don’t know, hair clip thing.” That statement alone could make an entire generation grimace and feel old at the same time. For those unaware, the Cupertino based giant discontinued the iPod Shuffle back in 2017, which is actually a year after TikTok was launched. Now here’s the shocker, rather than using the clip part to place it on the belt or shirt like we used to, she tried to use the shuffle as a hair clip. But, to paint the a clearer picture, it was just a joke and it was her old possession to begin with. She had just uploaded the video to confuse others as a gag.

New Apple iPod Touch to reportedly launch soon; renders leak online

Jeet — Mon, 24 May 2021 05:11:47 +0000

It’s been a few years since Apple launched an updated iPod Touch but it seems that the company could be launching a newly refreshed version of the device pretty soon. As per the reports, Apple is planning to release the next-generation model of the iPod Touch.

The report, coming from Steve Moser of Macrumors, cites Twitter user @AppleLe257 as the source and has also shared some renders of the upcoming device which are created by a user that goes by the handle @Apple_Tomorrow.

Based on the renders shared, the upcoming iPod Touch seems very similar to the newly launched iPhone 12 series, featuring square edges and Face ID for unlocking the device. This will be the first time in around eight years as the design of the iPod Touch has remained pretty unchanged after the fifth-generation model in 2012.

Apart from adding facial recognition technology, it remains to be seen what else the company has planned to modernize this device. We expect Apple to increase the screen size from 4-inch to about 5.4-inch, similar to the size of the iPhone 12 Mini.

Given that the product is dedicated to music consumption, we expect the company to retain the 3.5mm headphone jack — a feature that Apple removed from its iPhone series a few years back. However, it remains to be seen what else ends up in the device’s internals.

The iPod Touch model that is currently available is at a starting price of $199. It will be interesting to see if Apple retains a similar price tag for the new-generation model or increases the pricing. Do note that this is just a rumor at this point in time so take this information with a pinch of salt.

A first-generation Apple Watch prototype disguised as iPod nano leaks in pictures

Sudarshan Ravichandran — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 21:47:21 +0000

Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch worldwide. It has been a little over 5 years since the first model launched. But now, after all these years, a prototype of first-generation Apple Watch disguised as third-generation iPod nano leaks in pictures.

Prototype Apple Watch (Original) with matching Security Case and box. The Security Case was used to conceal the design before release durning transportation; and makes the Watch look similar to an iPod Nano. #appleinternal pic.twitter.com/2q0y8l6oso

— Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) September 1, 2020

In case you do not know, Steve Jobs once said that an Apple board member planned to wear his iPod nano as a watch. Since then, many people began to use their iPod nano as a watch with an increase in a variety of bands for Apple’s music player in the market.

Looks like the Cupertino-based tech giant used this fashion trend for their own good to conceal the prototypes of the first-generation Apple Watch while being tested in public. The images shared by @AppleDemoYT (via MacRumors) are proof of this.

These images showcase a prototype original Apple Watch with a rubber case on it mimicking an iPod nano. Hence, when it was tested by the engineers in public, no one would have thought it to be a smartwatch.

Here are some more photos of my Prototype Apple Watch that mimics an iPod Nano! #appleinternal pic.twitter.com/wi7FSrQP1C

— Apple Demo (@AppleDemoYT) September 3, 2020

Even now, companies use bulky cases to conceal their unreleased products when they are tested in the public. But still, they somehow manage to leak in certain cases.

Anyway, it was a clever idea by Apple nonetheless. That said, the iPhone maker is reported to launch new smartwatches in the coming weeks to replace last year’s Series 5 and a budget model to replace the older Series 3.

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Unopened First Gen Apple Ipod Carries Hefty $200,000 Price on eBay

Jed John Ikoba — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 17:46:25 +0000

Apple first released its first iPod in 2001 and it has turned out to be one of its most successful product which propelled the US-based company as an innovative startup. The iPhone is equally another innovative gadget from Apple and recently a sealed-in-the-box first generation Apple iPhone was spotted with a hefty $22,000 price tag on eBay and now the Apple iPod, first gen of course, has been spotted listed as collector’s edition on eBay with a monstrous $200,000 price tag.

The original Apple iPod was perhaps a glorified MP3 player, holding just 5GB of storage space and having a long lasting battery that can last for up to 10 hours. The device also carried a 2-inch monochrome display.

We are thus bewildered why the device carries such huge price tag that even get the diehard, super rich Apple iPod fans sulking under their breath. That’s way more expensive than a house, man! Besides you can get that same original iPod on some other listing for 10% that amount or thereabout. The iPod would perhaps gather a great deal of dust on the owner’s shelf except we in 2050 when it would have turned to a true and rare artifact.

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