Today, at the Let’s Rock iPod event held at Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, Apple has released two major upgrades to it’s current software offerings.

True to the rumors, Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off of iTunes 8 today. iTunes 8 contains a number of new features including Accessibility (through VoiceOver), New “Grid” Browsing, and Genius. The Grid browsing is similar to the iPhoto layout where you can browse albums by cover and switch between viewing by Albums, Artists, Genres and Composers in respective tabs above. For any given artist, you can mouse over and see the different album artworks, like you would an event in iPhoto. The Genius feature in iTunes 8 Automatically makes playlists from songs in your library that go great together with just one click. Additionally, the Genius sidebar will make recommendations from the iTunes Store based on the music you already have. Genius information is sent to iTunes servers anonymously (which is optional) and will be used to generate better results for you every week. iTunes 8 is a free download and will be available today for both Mac and PC from apple.com/itunes.

Apple also introduced a new version of it’s iPhone OS, version 2.1 at it’s media event today. iPhone firmware 2.1 is said to contain much better battery life, fewer dropped calls, bug fixes, faster backups to iTunes and no more App crashes. However, it is unclear if the Push Notification made it’s way into the 2.1 version of the firmware. The iPhone OS version 2.1 software will be available as a free download to iPhone users and free to all iPod touch owners who already have the 2.0 firmware (paid for) and installed and will be available for download this Friday, September 12th.

Stay tuned for the latest information regarding Apple’s latest hardware and software announcements here at theiLife.com.

Although a writer from theiLife.com will not be present at the Let’s Rock event, theiLife will be providing a liveblog for readers to watch the events unfold live.

Information coming in from a collaboration of sources will be compiled and continuously updated on this page as the event unfolds. You can bookmark this page now, and at 10AM PST or 1PM EST, start your refreshing! For now, read up on the rumors!

1:25AM EST The liveblog page is up! Only about 12 more hours!!
9:58AM EST The rumor mill is heating up. There have been swirls of new rumors in these last remaining hours. The event is only about 3 hours away!
11:00AM EST Apple Online Store is down! It is getting closer!!
11:44AM EST Several people in Barbarian Group t-shirts have been spotted outside the event. Hmm.. that would corroborate with the Magnetosphere iTunes visualizer rumor.
12:40PM EST T-minus 20 minutes to the start of the event.
12:55PM EST Reporters are filing into the hall with rock tunes bumping!
1:01PM EST Steve Jobs just took the stage. Energetic and skinny, we hear.
1:02PM EST Over 8.5 million songs are available on iTunes. 125,000 podcasts, 30,000 TV shows, 2,600 movies, and 3,000 applications for iPhone and iPod Touch. 65 million user accounts on iTunes.
1:06PM EST“iTunes is getting some new content”. First is High Definition TV shows. HD shows will be $2.99 for computer or Apple TV.
1:07PM EST iTunes 8. The rumored grid view is true. Genius playlists can be made with just one click.
1:08PM EST NBC is back!
1:09PM EST iTunes 8 will be available for download today.
1:10PM ESTGenius information gets sent to iTunes to give them your musical tastes. It’s sent anonymously, and is completely optional.
1:13PM EST Steve just played a John Mayer song. The internet l0lz.
1:15PM EST iPod has a 73.4% marketshare. Followed by 8.6% for SanDisk, Microsoft with 2.6 and other for 15.4%.
1:17PM EST The 80GB is being upgraded to 120GB, and the 160GB is being discontinued.
1:19PM EST New skinny nanos are true. Skinny, rounded, and a lot like the 2nd gen Nano. Portrait aspect ratio plus the exact same resolution display.
1:21PM EST They have added curved glass over the screen, new user interface, and an accelerometer!
1:23PM EST Shake to shuffle is true. Shake the iPod nano, and it will shuffle.
1:25PM EST 24 hours music, 4 hours video. Jobs says that it’s the thinnest iPod ever.
1:26PM EST Purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and silver. $149 for 8GB; $199 for 16GB. Both are shipping today; 8GB’s shipping today, 16GB should be in stock by the weekend.
1:30PM EST New accessories including headphones and armbands. The headphone, actually, has an in-band control feature to have volume control, playback control (next, prev, play pause) from the button. There’s also a microphone on the back that works with the voice recording app. These will be $29 next month.
1:35PM EST Over 100 million apps downloaded from the App Store.
1:36PM EST New iPod touch has built in Nike+ support.
1:38PM EST Phil Schiller coming on stage to introduce some unannounced games.
1:39PM EST Demoing Spore. Moving to Real Soccer 2009.
1:45PM EST Now moving to Need for Speed Undercover.
1:48PM EST Both the nano and touch are arsenic-free, BFR-free, Mercury-free, PVC-free, and highly recyclable. Steve is back on the stage and calls the touch the “funnest iPod ever”.
1:50PM EST Touch battery life is 36 hours of music, 6 hours of video.
1:51PM EST The 8GB is $229, 16GB is $299 and 32GB is $399. All available starting today.
1:53PM EST iPhone OS 2.1 available for free for all iPhone and iPod touch users who are already on 2.0. Lots of performance and bug fixes within.
1:54PM EST Steve says: “Back to iTunes and iPod. We’ve got the best lineup we’ve ever had. We’ve sold over 160 million iPods. We’re ready for this coming season. And we really appreciate the chance to share that.”
2:03PM EST Looks like “Let’s Rock” is over with. Thanks for joining us!

Gallery after the jump! Read more…

Apple last week has sent out invitations to its latest special event entitled “Rock On” which is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Tuesday, September 9th.

Tomorrow, at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, Apple is expected to reveal the latest line of iPods, in time for the holiday season. This years event seems to have more hype with the iPhone 3G starting at a price smaller than the majority of the iPod line. Tomorrows announcements could potentially be apart of the product transition mentioned by CFO Peter Oppenheimer.

iPod nano

Rumors are pointing to a redesign of the iPod nano, possibly back to the slim factor, away from the fat, which was introduced last year. Some new “fourth generation cases” and supposed leaked shots have found their way to the internet, and it is believed that they are for the most part legitimate.

iPod Touch

The iPod touch is also rumored to get some small cosmetic changes. It is not clear what they are at this time, other than the above spec sheet, but there isn’t much compelling evidence as to what might change. Other rumors point to new buttons (such as a volume rocker on the side) or GPS being added.

iPhone OS 2.1

Many sources believe the upcoming iPhone OS 2.1 is going to be being dropped tomorrow. While Apple did promise it’s release in September, like the 2.0 version of the OS, it could end up being delayed. Some possible features include turn-by-turn directions along with the promised Push Notification system could make the update truly worthwhile to iPhone 3G or possible second generation iPod touch (GPS?) users.

iTunes 8

A number of sources have also mentioned the possible release of iTunes 8 tomorrow. Some rumored new features include a new visualizer, a grid view and a Genius playlist that would act like Pandora by suggesting related songs and artists.

While it is unknown what exactly will happen, like all Apple events, the rumors generally have a good idea what might happen. Stay tuned to theiLife.com for the latest coverage regarding the Rock On event!

While on a recent shopping trip to Willowbrook Mall located in Wayne, New Jersey, visable progress is being made in the latest Apple Store in the Garden State.

When visiting the Willowbrook Mall, after parking, I noticed a number or large wooden crates sitting in the parking lot. Curious, I went over to take a closer look- it turns out they were destined for the new Apple Store! From what I could gather, inside were large pieces of furniture and table tops.

The new store is going to be located in the Macys wing of the mall. Currently shrouded by a black wall, with a recently added Apple sticker on the outside. The store is scheduled to be opened sometime this fall. Keep with theiLife.com for more details!

10 years ago today, Apple shipped it’s very first in the line of its new generation computers. This new computer set Apple apart from the rest of the previously all beige Apple lineup. The new sleek all-in-one computer was the first of its kind. As Steve Jobs said when introducing the new iMac; “Today, I’m incredibly pleased to introduce iMac, our consumer product. And iMac comes from the marriage of the excitement of the internet, with the simplicity of the Macintosh.”

The introduction of the iMac computer brought Apple to new heights. It was the first computer to come in color, Bondi Blue, other than beige. The release was a breath of fresh air into the Apple lineup. Before Steve Jobs return to the company in 1997, Apple tried to rejuvenate their lineup with new inventions such as the Newton PDA and the Taligent project. While the Newton failed from a financial stand point, it was a big technical step for mobile computing and set the way for future PDA’s such as the Palm Pilot and eventually the iPhone.

The original iMac was designed by Johnathan Ive, famed designer of the iPod and iPhone. The iMac sold 800,000 units in its first five months. Predecessed by the second generation, slot loading iMac G3 in 1999 the iMac G4 again set another new standard in design. The iMac G4 came with a base made the shape of half a sphere with a LCD screen attached by a rotating metal pole. Many people considered this to be another large leap in the shape and design of computers.

The design of the iMac G4 was soon abandoned for the design of the iMac G5. A sleek, plastic, 3″ think, all-in-one computer. One of, if not the first, sleek all-in-one computers. Starting out with a 1.6 GHz G5 PowerPC processor, it truly was the best and most innovative in its class. It also included 256 MB of RAM which was upgradable to 2 GB of RAM. And while many might think this is small and insuffuficent, Panther only required a minimum of 128 MB and a G3 processor. So thus the new iMac G5 easily surpassed the requirements of it era.

The iMac G5 was later redesigned into what we know today. The first Mac to get an Intel processor at Macworld 2006, the G5’s design was later redesigned into an even sleeker 1.24″ think metal case. It now has up to 4 GB of RAM, comes with either a 20″ or 24″ screen, and has a processor with speeds of up to 3.06 GHz! With its enhanced preformance, the iMac has become one of Apple’s most popular desktop offering.

With Apple constantly redefining the technology industry, we are always looking for their next big wonder to be unveiled. staring with a simple little computer made in Steve Jobs’ garage, Apple has grown to be more than just as computer phenomenon, but a god in the technology field. And with the iMac now 10 years young, who know what we can expect next.

The MacBook & MacBook Pro haven’t seen any major revisions since their release date of 2006. With redesigns long overdue, there is word that Apple will be releasing new MacBooks and MacBook Pros this September. I think we all figured that the new MacBook design would be very similar to the MacBook Air, but is that what the buyers really want? With the release of the new iMac about a year or so ago, many people said over and over again how they disliked the new look, but we adapted to it over time. Apple is known for trying to keep unreleased products under tight control, so that makes me doubt that these new pictures are real. Also, if you’re a college student, don’t forget about Apple’s student deal! Now, one of the only pros of getting a MacBook before the highly expected MacBook 2.0, is that you can still get that iPod of your desires.

“Are these really leaked pics of a redesigned MacBook, widely expected later this year? Probably not, as Apple has always done an excellent job of keeping its new designs under wraps. But the Interwebs are abuzz with this series of shots that generally fit in with the conventional wisdom–that the MacBook line is getting an aluminum makeover, to look more like the high-end MacBook Pro.”

[Via: Crave]

Photos that could prove to be the new MacBook casing have surfaced and could Foxconn be manufacturing 800,000 iPhones a week?!

This morning, according to a TechCrunch article, citing a source “close to Apple”; Apple has ordered Foxconn to build 800,000 iPhones per week. 800,000 is the full operating capacity at which Foxconn can manufacture, which brings up concerns of quality control as there already seems to be small casing issues with the some of the new plastic backings. After launching in 20 countries more than three weeks ago, with over one million iPhones sold in just the opening weekend, Foxconn could have theoretically built over 2.4 million iPhones since the 11th.

Meanwhile, Chinese blog tw.apple.pro (which is experiencing high server load right now) has leaked four new images supposedly of the unreleased MacBook to Engadget. While the images appear very similar to the existing MacBook Air display, they could indeed be of a new MacBook since both laptops have a 13.3 inch widescreen display. Currently the legitimacy of these images are in question. Both the MacBook Pro and MacBook are rumored to see a revision around September.

Stick with theiLife for developing news on both the iPhone 3G and MacBook revisions.

TheiLife crew will be taking a small vacation. But have no fear, the site won’t be left in despair.

I am going on vacation this Saturday for two weeks. Then the day after I get back, I begin my first semester at college, so things might become a little dry around here. Don’t fear. I have arranged for content to be posted (about) everyday to keep things busy around here. Once my schedule stabilizes, I will be able to resume my regular content on a daily or bi-daily basis, depending on free time. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may create, but it isn’t easy running a website (mostly) by myself. However, you can help! If you would like to create your own content for theiLife.com- articles, podcasts, screencasts, videos, pictures; we are very open and accepting to all kinds of work. Simply contact us or leave a comment below indicating your intrest, and we can get you setup posting about whatever you like.

For the next month, if you can, avoid buying a new iPod or Apple Laptop. Here is why.

Both the MacBook and MacBook Pro have not seen any major redesigns since their introductions in 2006. This would mean, according to Apple’s existing revision schedule that they are due for a redesign– something more than just a “speed bump”. Rumor has it that the new laptops are going to sport a full case redesign, making them appear similar to the newly announced MacBook Air and fourth Generation iMacs (introduced last summer).

For the MacBook, the design change would move away from the traditionally plastic casing to a new aluminum casing alike the iMac from last year. Since the iBook’s introduction in 1999, the primary case material has always been plastic- even through the name change to MacBook in 2006, which accompanied the switch to Intel processors.

The MacBook Pro, whose existing case is aluminum, most likely will see a revision to the case molding, probably taking after the MacBook Air. This means the edges will be slightly less square, and includes the repositioning of the battery, with better access to the hard drive, like the current revision MacBook.

Recently, rumors have circulated regarding the inclusion of a larger, oversized trackpad. This new trackpad might be capable of more multi-touch gestures, adding to the few that are already present on Apple’s current laptops. A recent rumor even suggests the trackpad will have a glass surface, such as the one found on Apple’s iPhone or iPod Touch.

A new iPod Touch model number (iPod 2,1) were recently found in the latest betas of the iPhone OS firmware, which would corroborate with the usual September timeframe for iPod refreshes. There has also been rumors surrounding the form factor of the new iPod nanos.

So, while rumors and speculation always run around wild prior to announcements, based on a number of factors, it is a very bad time to buy a new iPod or Apple laptop (with the exclusion of the MacBook Air). Unless you don’t mind your new investment being replaced with a newer, better model within a number of weeks, hold back your purchase.

This evening, the official WordPress blogging iPhone application is available in the App Store!

More information coming soon, but the official WordPress application has just gone live in the App Store. We will be testing it throughout the night and have more to report on it tomorrow. This is an exciting day for theiLife and for WordPress users around the world! Click here to be directed to iTunes and download the application.

From the offical WordPress blog:

“Introducing the first Open Source app that lets you write posts, upload photos, and edit your WordPress blog directly from your iPhone or iPod Touch. With support for both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress (2.5.1 or higher), users of all experience levels can get going in just seconds.”

Read more at the WordPress iPhone site.

Screenshots of it running on theiLife:
Read more…