In addition to the online Apple Store, you can now also place pre-orders for the new 2010 iPod models at Amazon.com.

So far, there’s no discount on the new iPods at Amazon – that will likely come later. But ordering from the online retailer does save you state sales tax (at least at purchase) if you have a brick-and-mortar Apple Store in your state.

Check out the new 2010 iPods at Amazon.com.

First, iOS 4.1.  The new version fixes the proximity sensor issue and adds High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photos, the ability to upload HD video over Wi-Fi, and more.  HDR takes multiple photos with varying lights levels, then combines them for more detailed photographs.  Game Center has also been added for multi-player games with friends or strangers.  This free update will be available next week for iPod touch and iPhone models.

Next, iOS 4.2 – the iPad release.  New features of iOS 4.2 for iPad includes multitasking, wireless printing, Airplay – Wi-Fi streaming of audio, video and more.  Comes out in November.

All iPods have been updated and will begin shipping next week.

iPod shuffle: The new shuffle is a merging of the 2nd and 3rd generation models with a small aluminum case and onboard hardware control buttons.  15 hours of battery life. 

The new shuffle is available in five colors and sells for $49 with 2GB of onboard flash storage.

iPod nano: No more click wheel.  The new 6th Generation iPod nano, as had been assumed from leaked accessory photos, is a small, square touchscreen device with a multitouch interface.  It comes with a shuffle-inspired, built-in clip. 46% smaller than the 5th Gen model.  Volume buttons, FM radio, Nike+, pedometer.  24 Hour battery life.  There’s no video playback on the new nano, nor is there a camera.  Same four colors as shuffle, along with graphite and red.  $149 8GB, $179 16GB.

iPod touch: Now the most popular iPod model (according to Apple) the new iPod touch has the iPhone 4’s Retina display touchscreen, A4 processor,  3-axis Gyro, HD rear-facing camera, and front-facing camera for FaceTime video chatting.  Available in 8GB $229, 32GB $299, 64GB $399.

iTunes: iTunes 10 was announced.  The latest version is getting a new look, right down to the icon.  There are tweaks to the interface, new presentation modes, and easier discovery tools to find (and buy, of course) new media.  Ping is a new social network for music that’s built into iTunes.  Users can follow friends, artists, and others to see what’s new, what’s popular and who likes what.  Ping is opt-in.

General facts from the keynote: 230,000 activations a day of iOS devices.  250,000 apps in the store.  25,000 iPad apps.  275 million iPods sold.  11.7 billion songs downloaded from iTunes.  450 million TV episodes.

“Can you hear me now?”

This isn’t a question being asked by a Verizon Wireless iPhone beta tester – chances are, if an iPhoner asks, it’s because the proximity sensor has incorrectly reactivated the phone’s touchscreen and his or her cheek has muted the call or put it on hold, leaving the other party unresponsive. 

This problem- the iPhone 4’s proximity sensor toggling the phone’s touchscreen on while the handset is still at the user’s ear – is the second most publicized problem plaguing Apple’s latest smartphone (after the Death Grip issue).  And it’s a real problem.  Steve Jobs acknowledged that the proximity sensor was malfunctioning on some iPhone 4 units during his Antennagate press conference a few weeks ago.

At the time, a software fix for the issue was promised, and many assumed that fix would be included in the upcoming iOS 4.1 upgrade.  But now, it appears this may not to be the case.

The Sydney Morning Herald published a story quoting Apple Australia spokesperson Fiona Martin, who “acknowledged the company had yet to fix the problem.”  It is unclear whether this is simply a statement of the fact that no patch has yet been released, or if it’s an indication that a solution hasn’t been found. 

The last iPhone 4 iOS update, 4.0.2, addressed a single issue: a PDF exploit used by developers to create a web-based jailbreak.

Others report that iOS 4.1 will, indeed, fix the problem – at least to some extent.

via The Next Web

So UK iPhone accessory company Powerskin’s announcement of their MiLi Powerspring for iPhone 4 is north noting, even if only that it shows the iPhone 4 battery case selection is ramping up.

The MiLi Powerspring for iPhone 4 packs a 1600mAh Lithium Polymer battery, which adds up to 13 hours of 2G talk time to the iPhone 4’s 12 hours on internal battery; if you’re on 3G, that drops to 6 hours on top of the standard 7. 

You can learn more about the MiLi Powerspring for iPhone 4 at the Powerskin web site. The battery case retails for £54.99, or about $85US.  It’s also being sold in the U.S. by Amazon.com for $84.58.  The product is currently on backorder, so if you want one, order now.

via Engadget Mobile

Today, Netflix made good on that promise. The Netflix app is now universal, meaning it will install on the iPhone and iPod touch as well as the iPad.  You can download it now [iTunes Link].

But the iPhone installation is quite different from that of the iPad.  Rather than being a shell for accessing the web version of Netflix with video playback thrown in – as the iPad version is – Netflix for the iPhone and iPod touch is a true app, giving you access to your Instant Queue, a search field, and listings of titles by genre, all inside a new UI.  There is no way to manage your physical DVD queue, and searches only display titles available by streaming; the app is really a Netflix Instant application rather than a bridge to the full Netflix experience.

And while this may come as a disappointment for some users, those who depend on Netflix for its streaming video services will be very satisfied with the new app’s performance.  Scrubbing – using the slider at the top of the video to move quickly to different points in a video – is fast.  Really fast.  And playback is smooth and clear.  You can resume from where you left off when you select a title to watch, and then resume later on a PC, Mac, XBox, PS3, Wii, etc., when you exit the app.  Best of all, you can watch video over Wi-Fi or 3G – though you’ll need to be on the no-longer-available unlimited AT&T data plan if you plan on watching much video over the carrier’s network.

Download Netflix for iPhone & iPod touch [iTunes Link]

Netflix iPhone, iPod touch Press Release

Read the Full Incase Snap Case for iPhone 4 Review

This is an aggravation for me, because I’ve never liked using always-on cases with a phone – that goes double for slim, beautiful phones like the iPhone 4.  But the antenna problem is all too real, so in the past couple of weeks I’ve been testing cases in order to find the one I dislike least. 

In doing so, I have encountered a problem many iPhone users must have encountered over the years, but one I didn’t even know existed.

When you slap a case on an iPhone 4 (and other phones, of course), the area around the 3.5mm audio jack is, to some extent, covered by the case’s cut-out. This doesn’t present a problem for Apple’s included wired headset because the plastic housing around its plug is very slim, barely larger than the jack itself.  But with third-party headphones, earbuds, wired headsets, or stereo audio cables, this is often not the case; the plastic housing around these plugs is sometimes fatter, which can prevent the plug from seating inside the audio jack as intended because it’s partially blocked by the case.

I first encountered the problem when connecting an iPhone 4 to my home theater to listen to a podcast while I was doing something or other in my living room. 

Connected to my home theater’s input array is a standard RCA red-and-white audio connectors on one end, 3.5mm audio jack plug on the other.  I’ve used this cable for years to connect my iPhones and iPods to the system, including my iPhone 4.  But on this day, I had one of cases I’ve been testing with the phone, and the 3.5mm plug wouldn’t fit entirely into the jack.  The plug’s housing was wider than the audio jack opening in the case.  I had to partially remove the case to connect the phone to the home theater cable.

The next day I pulled several headphones and earbuds from office storage and found a number of them had the same problem: with a case on the iPhone 4, their plug housings prevented their respective plugs from completely seating in the audio jack.

Here are two solutions if you, too, are experiencing this problem:

1. Get an adapter.  Don’t want to replace your favorite earbuds or audio cable?  Don’t.  Just extend the iPhone’s audio jack.  There are several such extenders available for purchase, but perhaps the best (and cost effective) solution is this one from Seidio.

Any 3.5mm audio extender will do, as long as its plug housing is thin like the Seidio.

2. Replace your earbuds, headphones, or cable.   If my favorite Shure SE115m+ headset didn’t work with a case on my iPhone 4, I’d buy an extender. But in my living room, replacing the stereo audio cable that’s connected to my home theater system is as easy (and affordable) as buying an extender. 

Here, there are two things to look out for.  First, like the extender shown above, check the width of the housing around the audio plug on your new cable.  If it’s thin, you’re good to go – but there’s also another feature that can help.  Some cables, like the one shown right (click to enlarge), have a small spacer between the base of the audio plug and the plug’s housing.  With all but the thickest cases, this should be enough for the audio plug to seat entirely into the jack.

Have other ideas to combat this problem?  Found a specific cable or adapter that works well for you?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

M. Nichols, Products Editor

InnoPocket’s new HexaPose iPad Stand is sure to be a hit with Mac fans.  The iMac-inspired stand holds the iPad at one of three viewing angles, and allows the tablet to rotate for portrait or landscape viewing.

The frame that holds the iPad is polycarbonate plastic, but the stand itself is solid aluminum.  There’s a cut-out for cable management (audio, charging, sync, etc.), and a padded bottom for non-slip use on flat surfaces. 

The Innopocket HexaPose for iPad retails for $49.99, but you can purchase it at Amazon.com for $46.95. 

We received our review unit today and will be posting a full review of the HexaPose soon.  Feel free to email questions or post questions/comments below.

View other iPad Stands & Holders

If you’ve been itching to jailbreak your iPhone 4, stop rocking back and forth in that dark corner; the iPhone Dev Team has developed a new jailbreaking tool that works via the Safari browser, freeing your iPhone from Apple domination without even installing an app on your Mac or PC.

The web-based jailbreaking solution is available at www.jailbreakme.com.  Apparently, the tool is made possible by exploiting a bug in the way iOS handles PDF fonts (via Daring Fireball).  Aside from the iPhone 4, the new tool also works with other iOS and iPhone OS devices.

Just visit the site, slide the tab at the bottom of the screen and wait for the magic to happen.

But be warned: the magic can include some nasty side effects.  Some users are reporting bugs, including the loss of FaceTime and MMS functionality, though the developers claim this error has now been fixed – and there is also a workaround.

Our advice: if you really want to jailbreak your iPhone, wait a while longer.  We imagine comex et al. will polish their tool over the coming days, which could save you from a heap of trouble.

So…  are you feeling lucky?

So what does this finding mean for users?  Not much, actually.  Its only real-world effect will be to help prevent Apple from taking legal action against providers of jailbreaking tools or those that aid in those tools’ dissemination.  Apple can still continue to take steps to make jailbreaking difficult, including releasing software updates which nullify the jailbreak. 

Yesterday, Apple replied to the Copyright Office action, stating that jailbreaking your device, while legally protected, will void its warranty.  This is ridiculous, particularly when considering that taking your MacBook apart and adding new hardware doesn’t void its warranty.  How can one argue that changing hardware doesn’t void a warranty, but installing software does?  They can’t, really.  But no argument needs to be made – the company can do as it pleases.

In the end, this is a minor win for consumers.  But a win all the same.  Companies will continue to hobble the technology their customers pay for as long as it is tolerated.  And in this practice, Apple may be one of the most prominent offenders, but it is by no means alone.

Learn More:

EFF Wins New Legal Protections for Video Artists, Cell Phone Jailbreakers, and Unlockers

Wikipedia: iOS Jailbreaking