Apple news on iPods and iPhones: prices down, features sweet

Apple unveiled new iPod designs today with a much-hyped announcement by Steve Jobs.  The new design, dubbed the iPod Touch, has wi-fi, a built-in YouTube player, and will cost between $300-$400 depending on storage.  It looks a lot like an iPhone, and works like one too--except it doesn't have voice capabilities.

Previous less-flashy iPod designs will receive a well-deserved round of redesigns.  The new $199 nano will feature video capabilities with a larger screen (brighter too!) and come with three games (inc. the ever-present Sudoku that I couldn't care less about, but apparently the rest of the world disagrees with me).  You'll also see lower prices (e.g. $249 for 80GB for a "Classic" iPod, previously known as the video iPod).  The sad thing is that my iPod is "pre-Classic" -- it has no video, no color, just 40GB and a black & white screen.  Feh.  Perhaps it's time for an upgrade.

Jobs also noted that the iPhone's price has been drastically slashed, down to $399 (from around $600).  Boy, that's going to irritate many an early-adopter.  Muah ha ha ha ha.  Many had hoped that today's announcement would include something about the Beatles' music being in iTunes, but too bad so sad.  No such luck.

Read more on CNN and PC Magazine.