News

The iPod Era Is Officially Over After 20 Years

Apple has officially discontinued the iPod line and stopped the production of the last available model, the iPod touch, which was released in 2019.

Published

3 years ago

May 13, 2022

David Morelo

the ipod era is officially over after 20 years

The first iPod was released in 2001, offering a large storage capacity thanks to its hard-disk drive. It didn’t take a long time for the portable audio player to become a cultural phenomenon, appearing in countless movies, including Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver.

Despite its massive success, it has been clear for a long time that the iPod era is nearing its end. Modern smartphones are more than capable of playing not just music but also videos, and their ability to connect both to cellular and Wi-Fi networks meets the needs of the streaming generation.

Well, the end of the iPod era is now here because Apple has officially discontinued the iPod line and stopped the production of the last available model, the iPod touch, which was released in 2019.

But just because the last iPod will stop being available when supplies run out doesn’t mean that the music-listening experience associated with it will be gone too.

“Today, the spirit of iPod lives on,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve integrated an incredible music experience across all of our products, from the iPhone to the Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and across Mac, iPad, and Apple TV.”

Of course, avid music listeners have much more to choose from than just Apple-branded devices.

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Chinese electronics company FiiO, for example, produces a range of high-end portable media players whose superior audio quality can please even the most demanding audiophiles. The FiiO M11 Plus runs on Android and can stream music from Spotify over Wi-Fi.

There’s also Sony with its modern Walkmans, compact but capable portable media players that weigh next to nothing but last a long time on a single charge.

It’s also worth mentioning that the second-hand market with iPods is still thriving and will likely continue to do so for some time.

News

Samsung Smart Glasses Teased For January, Software Reveal Imminent

According to Korean sources, the new wearable will launch alongside the Galaxy S25, with the accompanying software platform unveiled this December.

Published

2 days ago

December 4, 2024

Nour Nasir

samsung smart glasses teased for january software reveal imminent

Samsung appears poised to introduce its highly anticipated smart glasses in January 2025, alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25. According to sources in Korea, the company will first reveal the accompanying software platform later this month.

As per a report from Yonhap News, Samsung’s unveiling strategy for the smart glasses echoes its approach with the Galaxy Ring earlier this year. The January showcase won’t constitute a full product launch but will likely feature teaser visuals at the Galaxy S25 event. A more detailed rollout could follow in subsequent months.

Just in: Samsung is set to unveil a prototype of its augmented reality (AR) glasses, currently in development, during the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event early next year, likely in the form of videos or images.

Additionally, prior to revealing the prototype, Samsung plans to introduce…

— Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) December 3, 2024

The Galaxy Ring, for example, debuted in January via a short presentation during Samsung’s Unpacked event. The full product unveiling came later at MWC in February, and the final release followed in July. Samsung seems to be adopting a similar phased approach with its smart glasses, which are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2025.

A Collaborative Software Effort

Samsung’s partnership with Google has played a key role in developing the smart glasses’ software. This collaboration was first announced in February 2023, with the device set to run on an Android-based platform. In July, the companies reiterated their plans to deliver an extended reality (XR) platform by the end of the year. The software specifics for the XR device are expected to be unveiled before the end of December.

Reports suggest that the smart glasses will resemble Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in functionality. They won’t include a display but will weigh approximately 50 grams, emphasizing a lightweight, user-friendly design.

Feature Set And Compatibility

The glasses are rumored to integrate Google’s Gemini technology, alongside features like gesture recognition and potential payment capabilities. Samsung aims to create a seamless user experience by integrating the glasses with its broader Galaxy ecosystem, starting with the Galaxy S25, slated for release on January 22.