Digital Trends

Apple iPod nano 8GB September 14th, 2006 | by Jason Tomczak

Video Review

Nike + iPod Sport Kit
A certainly valid question is whether or not the new iPod nano is compatible with the Nike + iPod Sport Kit introduced in July 2006.  The answer is yes - the Nike + iPod Sport Kit will work perfectly with the new nano.  All the same features are available.  The only difference is that the white Nike + iPod Sport Kit is not color-coordinated with the new nano line.  A minor cosmetic issue at most.

Better for the Environment?
Apple has made a small play for the environment by introducing newer, smaller packaging for the iPod nano.  The nano packaging uses 52% fewer materials than the previous "black box" packaging.  Not only does this save Apple money (which may be reflected in the "more nano for your money" price levels just announced), but it effectively reduces the fossil fuels used in transporting the same number of iPod nanos to retail stores and directly to consumers.  Some people may scoff at or dismiss this idea, but in the big picture it is significant.  Like the bulkier paper-based packaging of yore, the new plastic packaging can be recycled.


New Headphones
According to Steve Jobs, Apple has spent a lot of time studying a lot of ears.  Based on that research, the standard iPod headphones have been redesigned.  They have a more sleek look, and one can easily see that the new headphones are slightly smaller.  From my own experience, the older headphones always seemed to fit snugly - enough that my ear would feel raw after an hour or more of use.  The new headphones seem to fit better in the ear - no pressure, no pain.  They feel lighter, too.  I get the impression that the sound has improved - not only from a hardware improvement, but from a better, more body-friendly fit.

Ruh Roh - Docks and Cases
Due to the modified shape of the new nano, the placement of the dock connector and headphone jack is slightly off from that of the original nano.  If you use accessories that conform to the exact placement of both the dock connector and headphone jack, like some lanyard/headphone units and speaker sets, the new nano will likely cause you some heartache and lightening of your wallet.  You may need to buy new accessories.  However, if you only use the included USB-dock cable to connect your iPod nano to your computer, you have nothing to worry about.  Of course, the best thing to do is to bring any accessories to an Apple store near you and see if they'll work with the new nano.  If so, you're home free.  If not, it'll cost you a few bucks for new accessories.


M is for Morcheeba
One of the new features of the iPod nano is the ability to search for songs, artists, podcasts, etc. by name.  On the Music menu, scroll down to the end and click on "Search".  The next screen allows you to use the scroll wheel to enter letters one at a time, a la Wheel of Fortune, to narrow down your search to a particular artist or song.  Like many web browsers, this search feature operates on the fly, so if you select "m" for your first search letter, a list of all artists and songs that with the letter "m" will being to appear.  If you enter "o" as your second search letter, artists and songs appear that begin with "mo" or have the letters "mo" somewhere in the song title, like "Morcheeba" or "I Don't Like Mondays".  Select songs or artists by your search and begin listening.

Additionally, for those of us who have hundreds of songs on their nanos, scrolling through the full "Songs" list, or perhaps even a lengthy "Artist" list, will reveal a little helper.  Apple has added a minor search feature called "Quick Scrolling", which superimposes the letter of the alphabetized section of the list you are currently scrolling through.  If, for example, you begin scrolling from A towards Z in your song list and have reached a section of songs that begin with S, a superimposed S will appear like a watermark, letting you know that you are, in fact, scrolling though S.  I personally don't find it very ground breaking, but it is a neat little piece of eye candy; an improvement of the user interface. 

No More Awkward Silent Moments
This is more of an iTunes 7 feature, but the new iPods, including the nano, take advantage of it.  Many CDs contain music that does not natively have a 2-second gap in between tracks.  Examples are symphonies and operas, lengthy jazz albums, spoken lecture series and some rock albums where the end of one song seamlessly blends into the beginning of the next.  Jean Michel Jarre comes to mind.  Ripping these CDs in iTunes 6 or earlier forced a 2 second gap between songs, making the listening experience slightly annoying.  "Gapless" support in iTunes will search your library for songs that fit the gapless criteria and will, for lack of better words, bridge the gap, ending the awkward silent moments.  Not all songs or CDs fall under the gapless category, but those that do will be enhanced by iTunes 7 and the new iPod line.  A bit of good luck for original iPod 5G (video) owners - gapless support is available on first gen 5G iPods. 

Audio Recording
Need to dictate your next manifesto?  Want to record your interviews without packing a proprietary-format stand alone recorder?  Just your luck, the new iPod nano supports audio recording!  Unfortunately, there's no built-in mic.  You'll have to buy one like XtremeMac's MicroMemo or Belkin's  TuneTalk™ Stereo, but that's just part of the iPod lifestyle.  Both XtremeMac and Belkin claim their $60-$70 devices will record CD quality audio.  Note that these devices are intentionally built for the iPod 5G, so they do not match the new nano in color selection, nor do they look entirely fitting.  The recording devices are nearly as big as the nano itself.  I'm sure that both XtremeMac and Belkin have folks up 24/7 to deliver us nano-sized recording accessories at this very moment.