As the last iPod in Apple’s lineup, the end of the iPod touch marks the end of an era for Apple. The iPod, which debuted in 2001, played a significant role in Apple’s comeback as a company. The iPod touch was introduced in 2007, the same year as the iPhone, as a sort of phone-less iPhone that became an entry-level iOS device for kids and others who didn’t need or want the iPhone’s mobile phone functionality. Over the years, though, the touch has been updated less frequently as its role was absorbed by hand-me-down iPhones and other products.
The iPod provided a blueprint for Apple for decades by packaging unrivaled industrial design, hardware engineering, software development and services. It also demonstrated how the company was seldom first to market with a new product but often triumphed.
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The iPhone continued to draw on the blend of software and services that made the iPod succeed. The success with iTunes, which allowed customers to back up their iPhone and put music on the device, was mirrored by the development of the App Store, which allowed people to download and pay for software and services.
Turns out, 15 years ago, making an iPhone without the phone meant you could make something remarkably thinner. The original iPhone was 11.6mm thick and weighed 135g. The original iPod Touch was just 8mm thick and weighed 120g. The difference in thickness was particularly remarkable. It was like a vision of the iPhone’s future. This year’s A15-based 3rd-generation iPhone SE is 7.3mm thick and weighs 144g — much closer in size and weight to the original iPod Touch than to the thicker original iPhone.
The firmware release is 4e71, and applies to the AirPods Max, AirPods Pro, and both the second-generation and third-generation AirPods.
In addition to new features such as GIF transparency and HDR proxies, the software now supports hardware encoding for faster exports.
The app already offers more than 100 trackable exercises, including non-conventional workouts, such as dog walking. Now, it’s also bringing support for nordic walk, longboarding, housekeeping, and gardening.
One important feature that is also now available on Gentler Streak is voice feedback on Apple Watch. With that, Siri can now announce splits during a workout – which is really useful for runners or those that can’t look at the screen when exercising.
Throughout, you’ll not only gain an appreciation for the thoughtfulness and the work put into these designs, but you may also learn something. Additionally, the author makes it clear that this is not a textbook on how to design app icons but offers tidbits of information for those who are interested in the craft.
Abandoned apps might host malware or other vulnerabilities that have never been patched, as developers lost interest before those flaws were identified.
Apple’s other challenge is that apps that have not been updated might not be completely transparent about privacy and what user data they harvest. Apple’s App Tracking Privacy policy means developers must disclose such information when they publish an app via the App Store, something older apps weren't required to do.
Apple never released the original iPhone here in Singapore; so I purchased the original iPod touch. I still have fond memories of playing Super Monkey Ball with my daughter on that little device. (Given the size of iPhones today, I think we can definitely call the original iPod touch and iPhone little.)
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And it sure looks like Apple discontinued the iPod just in time to recycle the name for its new AR glasses: EyePod.
:-)
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Thanks for reading.