"Apple Music Event"
Apple is to launch a new touchscreen iPod nano which is almost half as small as the current version.
The new device is 42 per cent lighter than the existing Nano and no longer has the familiar touchwheel for moving between tracks.
The new device was part of an overhaul of the entire iPod range unveiled by Apple boss Steve Jobs this evening.
Dressed in his traditional uniform of black top and jeans, Jobs said: 'We've gone wild. It's the biggest change in the iPod lineup ever.'
Jobs also announced changes to iTunes which included the launch of Ping, a social network for music which lets users share their favourite tracks with friends.
Apple boss Steve Jobs unveils the new touchscreen iPod Nano in a range of colours at the press event in San Francisco
The new Nano costs $149 for the 8 gigabyte version and $179 for 16 gigabytes. There was no announcement on UK pricing
And his final announcement was a massive overhaul of Apple's unsuccessful Apple TV, which lets play online content on your television.
The second generation is one quarter of the size of the old version and plays HD video, while only allowing rentals to avoid the problems of storage, Jobs announced.
The new device will allow streaming of YouTube and other sites and is integrated with the film review website Rotten Tomatoes. Each HD TV show will cost 99 cents to rent.
As part of the iPod overhaul the new iPod Touch was unveiled which is thinner, has the same high-definition retina display screen as the iPhone and which also comes with a front-facing camera.
The front-facing camera for conducting video chats with other iPod Touch and iPhone users over Wi-Fi using Apple's FaceTime program. A camera on the back can be used for taking snapshots and recording video. Prices range from $229 to $399.
It also has a rear camera with HD video recorder.
Jobs talks about Ping, a new social network for music that comes with the new version of iTunes
The new iPod Nano has volume buttons, VoiceOver, FM radio, Nike+, a pedometer and works in 29 languages, Jobs said at a press conference in San Francisco.
Jobs also introduced a new iPod Shuffle, the lowest-end music player in Apple's line. Like the past generation, it can speak the names of playlists and songs.
But unlike the most recent of the tiny music players, the new $49 device brings back the square shape and buttons of Apple's second generation Shuffle.
Jobs also announced that iPhone users will be getting a software update that offers the ability to upload high-definition video over Wi-Fi.
He said that when people take photos with their iPhone, the new software saves three slightly different copies that, when combined, make for a sharper image.
The new software is version 4.1 of the iOS system that runs Apple Inc.'s iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
The new iPod Touch comes with a better display, faster processing and FaceTime over WiFi
The new software is version 4.1 of the iOS system. It will be available next week for free, initially for Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPod Touch.
The iPad currently runs an older version, though Jobs says an upcoming update will add such features as wireless printing to Apple's tablet computer.
But just hours before Jobs took to the stage, Sony tries to steal Apple's thunder with the announcement of its new Qriocity service which will let users stream music and video using the Playstation 3.
The entire press conference from Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco was streamed live on the web for Mac users only.
Google TV, which is powered by Google's Android software and Chrome web browser, can be accessed using upcoming web-enabled televisions from Sony or set-top boxes from Logitech that route web content to existing TV sets.
Apple is also expected to cut the price of its Apple TV device.
Apple has also been talking with several media companies and is nearing a deal to offer recently aired TV shows from The Walt Disney Co.'s ABC and News Corp.'s Fox for 99 cents.
The shows could be downloaded but would expire 48 hours after purchase. They are intended for fans who want to catch up on shows even on airplanes or other places without wireless Internet service.
Last December Apple bought Lala, a music-streaming device that would scan a user's PC for music files and then let them be played fro other mobile devices on the move.
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