September 9 - 2:05pm EDT   Apple has confirmed rumors by revealing the existence of a second-generation iPod touch, bringing with it several enhancements. Central is a revised casing, which uses a contoured profile similar in shape to the iPhone 3G, but with stainless steel replacing plastic. Other similarities with the iPhone include new volume buttons, allowing blind adjustment, and a speaker, from which owners can hear both music and system sounds. [full story]

May 9 - 2:30am EDT  Apple has been ranked the worst among all major PC vendors and other large electronic firms in the fight against climate change. Climate Counts this week released its second annual Company Scorecard hoping to create a "simple, easy-to-understand ranking of companies would motivate both companies and consumers to step-up their efforts on climate change." Apple was ranked in last place among the list of 12 electronics companies, while companies such as IBM, Canon, Toshiba, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard were near the top of the electronics industry. Top honor went to Nike, which passed last year’s high scorer, Canon, to become the top scored company among the 56 companies evaluated. Apple was the only ... [full story]

April 25 - 12:20pm EDT   A Nike patent application, recently published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, appears to detail some of the company's plans for new Nike+iPod gear. Key to the technology is an expansion beyond the single sensor offered today, which slips into a person's shoe and only tracks pacing and distance. Future sensors may monitor many different factors, including EKG, heartrate, body temperature and even hydration. GPS data may also be present, enabling users to track exactly which routes they have taken. [full story]

April 11 - 9:25am EDT   The Nike+ fitness technology will indeed become available for the iPhone and the iPod touch, a Nike spokesperson has confirmed. Speculation began that it might when patent filings surfaced last month, pointing to an integrated fitness system similar to the existing Nike+iPod kit for Nanos. Although there is no sign of the extra sensors mentioned in the patent, or its extra activities such as weight-lifting, the new Nike+ system should at least replicate the running support of Nike+iPod, and its corresponding website tracking and competition. [full story]

April 7 - 5:20pm EDT   Grantwood has announced the release of tuneband for iPod nano, an armband product designed to comfortably secure the iPod nano in place during exercise, including Nike+iPod compatibility. The product consists of a comfortable and flexible armband strap that can accommodate both large and small arms, a durable silicone skin that allows access to all ports on the iPod nano, and a low-tack, cut-and-peel screen protector that helps guard against smudges, moisture, and daily wear-and-tear. The tuneband is compatible with all generations of the iPod nano, and the current 3rd generation model has skins available in eight colors: black, gray, navy blue, neon green, pink, purple, ... [full story]

March 15 - 2:25pm EDT   Nike recently unveiled the Nike+ SportBand, confirming earlier reports that the company would release a "sans iPod" version of its fitness tracking system. According to MacLife, the SportBand functions similarly to the iPod combination set, where it can measure time, speed, distance, and calories consumed. The system supposedly writes this information to a USB memory stick for upload to a computer. Nike will sell the SportBand for €60 (~$95), and will ship in April. [full story]