It's showtime...finally 12 Sep 2006

...Apple has "overhauled its digital music and video offerings" introducing new iPods and announcing plans to make movies available through iTunes and a new product codenamed "iTV".

The new iPod range includes redesigned Nanos - more memory / different colours - and a smaller Shuffle - so small in fact, that it's "the world's smallest digital music player". (The Shuffle also boasts a more scratch-resistant case, demonstrating that Apple did listen to all those complaints!). An improved video iPod features a significantly brighter screen, a new search tool, and the ability to play games like Tetris, Texas Holdem and Pac-Man.

However, while these updates are interesting, they aren't unexpected - Apple has been under pressure to improve it's iPod range for some time as a result of the imminent threat presented by Microsoft's Zune. The updates to iTunes are therefore more likely to create a stir.

Apple plans to expand its iTunes' offering from music, TV shows and music videos to include feature films, with Disney / Pixar already tied-in. It will also introduce iTV in Spring 07 - a product that lets consumers stream their media collections (from Mac or PC) to their TV sets via wireless connection. It will be great to see if Apple can succeed where so many others have failed before them. Can they really turn the computer into the home-entertainment centre and find a mass market for it? We'll soon see.

Read more at CNET News (and take a look at photos of the new products in CNET's gallery).

Related: iTunes' redesign is a juke.