Apple to unveil three iPods in 2007?

Apple is planning to introduce three new iPod models during the 2007 calendar year, according to one report. The Cupertino-based company will unveil a video-oriented model to supplement or replace the existing fifth-generation iPod, according to AppleInsider, but Apple CEO Steve Jobs is as yet unwilling to commit to the marketing and other resources required to bring the device to market. The executive is waiting until he can more effectively gauge consumers' reaction to full length movies available via the iTunes Music Store, as well as the company's iTV media device due to launch in early 2007. Details on the other two iPod models are currently unclear, according to the report.

Griffin ships iClear, Disko for 2G Nano

Griffin Technology today announced that its iClear and Disko carrying cases are available for Apple's second-generation iPod nano. The iClear features a hard, clear, and lightweight polycarbonate enclosure to protect the portable player from scratches and dings while offering complete access to the clickwheel and ports. Disko senses movement, responding with colored lights that blink and flash in moving patterns around the clickwheel. The lights are powered by batteries (included) so as not to interfere with iPod playback time. Griffin's iClear is priced at $20, while the Disko is available for $30.

Labels test MP3 distribution waters

Record labels are toying with the idea of distributing their musical catalogs without Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions, which would allow them to circumvent Apple's iTunes Music Store while still enabling users to play their tracks on the Cupertino-based company's massively popular iPod. Labels such as EMI have traditionally stuck with protected formats that restrict songs to supported playback devices, causing some backlash from consumers who believe they should be able to play music they purchase on any device they own. Now major music labels are starting to make songs available as MP3s as part of an experiment to gauge demand for music that is playable on any portable playback device, according to the Associated Press. EMI is offering Norah Jones and rock band Relient K via Yahoo's online music service as MP3s, presumably to test the waters of unrestricted music.