Apple just released the brand new iPod Nano, and we’re liking it a lot. With a bunch of exciting new features that don’t include a big price hike, the Nano has grown up and is looking pretty tempting.

Nano goes video

The biggest difference in the new Nano is the built in video camera. It’s nice to see Apple bringing some of the features of their more expensive gadgets (namely the iPhone 3GS) to a more affordable model. The camera even has some built in editing and effects features (to be honest, I doubt I’d ever use these, but they might come in handy for some folks who want to add something extra). The video and sound quality look pretty good for such a small camera (click here to see a sample video).

There’s more shininess (shiny-ness?)

On top of the new polished anodized aluminum finish that comes in 9 colours, the screen is now larger (2.2 inches). Granted, the highly reflective surface is asking for a lot more scratches, scuffs and abuse, but I’ll remain in awe of the candy-like surface for now – maybe the “anodized” aluminum is more durable than the old stuff.

“Return of the radio star”

(^^this catchy phrase is from the Apple website, I can’t take the credit)

The new Nano has a built-in FM radio tuner, which is a pretty big step forward in my opinion. Up until now, radio was possible on your iPod, but you had to buy an external attachment that was bulky and an extra expense. Not only can you now listen to your favourite radio stations, you can even pause the radio and rewind it up to 15 minutes (similar to satellite radio).

More Nike+

The Nano always had the capability to hook up to Nike+ and track your runs/walks/other activities, but there’s now a built-in pedometer which adds to the functionality. Personally I wouldn’t switch from using Runkeeper on my iPhone for my runs, but if you don’t have an iPhone then this is a good option if you want to keep track of your workouts.

The bottom line

Overall the new Nano looks pretty sweet. We may already own two iPhones and an 80GB ipod, but the sleek design, decent price ($169 CAD) and especially the FM radio of Apple’s new baby make it a tempting addition to the collection – not to mention the fact that I can get it in green, or orange, or pink…

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