Ever since I splurged and bought my iPod Touch I’ve been in love. The device has been amazing and I seem to find Wi-Fi everywhere. It’s like having a computer in pocket–the blog can even be updated through the Touch. But now I’m wondering what we’re going to see next.

Here’s a little brainstorming of ideas that I’d like to see in iPod Touch Version 3:

• Longer battery life (especially when using the new Bluetooth enabled feature)
• More powerful Wi-Fi, it seems somewhat inferior–perhaps I’m expecting more like laptop signal strength capabilities (too high an expectation?)
• Camera/Video Capable – We need to see this iPhone feature carryover to the Touch
• Faster speeds (similar to an S version of the iPod Touch)
• Better graphics (again, like the S upgrade)
• Don’t charge us for OS upgrades (just cause we can’t afford iPhone monthly bills!)
• and lastly, a Microphone (you give us a voice recorder program as part of the 3.0 OS upgrade, and we can’t use it without the awful Apple w/ Mic Earbuds).

News sources have confirmed the return of Apple’s Steve Jobs. Apple Inc. has also released a confirmation of the latest information. After a lengthy ordeal with cancer, Jobs has returned to work. But what does this mean for Apple (AAPL)?

Shortly after Jobs and Apple announced that he was stepping down as CEO for health reasons, Apple’s stock bottomed out at around $79 per share. The company was suffering mostly from the unfortunate recession scares in early January, and then the Jobs news compiled onto the slide.

Analysts and consumers were wary of the company’s success at such unprecedented times. Apple has always been characterized by their high margins on products and strict price control. The company was never considered to be a market recession company–one that would outlast tough markets.

Fortunately for investors, Apple’s stock made a steep recovery following the announcement, and even in the difficult economic times, was highly successful. Further updates of the iPhone and iPod lineup has continued to fuel high revenue growth.

All the while, Jobs was out of the picture. But now, today, Jobs is back. Apple’s stock finished down $0.47 to $141.97. Investors should begin to notice that while Jobs is a revolutionary figurehead, Apple isn’t dependent on him. The creative genius in Apple is diversified among the top executives, Jobs is just a piece of the puzzle.

We may not have heard the end of his battle with cancer and his general health, but we’re still hoping for the best. Nonetheless, whether he is or isn’t present, Apple will still be the highly successful, creative company that we love.

We’re back online! For our first post in a few months, we’re going to be reviewing the Paul Frank Headphones Julius Case for the second generation iPod Touch.

I’ve always been rough with my iPods. By the time I’m finished with them, the iPod isn’t worth reselling, and I ultimately just use it to get a 10% discount from Apple by recycling it. But for the first time, I’ve decided to shell out a few bills for an iPod case.

I didn’t want to get one of those tacky plastic cases. They seem to be a monstrosity by any measure of fashion sense. Also, most seem to collect grime in between the cracks of the plastic–leaving the iPod safe, but surrounding the iPod and the user’s hands with muck.

I walked into the nearby Apple Store and immediately was caught by the Paul Frank cases. The cases were rubberized silicone, and artistic! They would quickly add a certain flare and uniqueness to my iPod.

The case easily slips on the iPod like a sock. Volume and sleep/wake buttons are covered by the case, but are given elevated, button-like places on the case. The bottom of the iPod has two connectors spots, which are thankfully uncovered. The dock connector and headphone jacks are perfectly placed.

The Paul Frank Headphones Julius Case is perfect for anybody looking for a little iPod protection, but don’t want to sacrifice on looks.

The one downside is the price tag–$29.95. Compared to other, perhaps more protective cases, the price is staggeringly high. Otherwise, this is a fantastic product–I highly recommend it!

Sirius and XM Satellite Radio are fantastic platforms that offer wireless, satellite-based forms of radio. Unfortunately, the two companies haven’t prospered. They continue to suffer losses and subscription rate decreases. One of the major reasons has been the poor economy, but even more disruptive to these satellite companies has been the problem of user accessibility.

They have car receivers, home receivers, portable devices–You’d think they cover the whole gamut. But they haven’t really been successful at marketing their portable devices since they’ve been expensive, small storage capacity, and no universality between computer platforms (PC and Mac).

The iPhone has come along and made application development a booming tycoon of business opportunities. Fortunately for the satellite radio companies, a basic program was created to allow consumers to login to their satellite radio account (subscription required). From there, users can scroll through the entire list of satellite programming.

Download the program at: uSirius

iTunes 7.7 is only a few days from being released. A special pre-release version was seeded to developers tonight.

Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home — a free download from the App Store. — Source

So, in a free app, Apple will be giving users the ability to control Macs, Apple TVs, iTunes, etc. with the touch screen of the iPod Touch and iPhone. Look forward to this app coming with the next update of the iPhone firmware.

A few years back, Starbucks founder and CEO Howard Schultz sat in on one of Steve Jobs’ keynote speeches, presaging a vital computer/caffeine partnership. It wasn’t long before those little iTunes download cards starting showing up on the Starbucks counter, and iTunes was featuring a specially designated iTunes + Starbucks feature. iTunes cards often feature music of the month and the download cards are for a full album. It’s saved a vast amount of space and made the search for music an entirely different experience. The larger the selection of iTunes cards, the more Starbucks will seem less like a coffee shop and more like a record store of the past. But that’s not the end of the story; it becomes even further intertwined when a third party comes into the mix.

Around the time of the launch of the first generation iPhone, Apple decided upon AT&T to provide wireless service. It was highly publicized that Apple was looking for a company that would allow them to get royalties off monthly cell phone payments on the iPhone. As we all know, Apple priced the iPhone at $599, with no savings by signing on for two years. Without a doubt, Verizon Wireless missed the boat here when they declined the opportunity to work with Apple, citing that they could make a phone of their own, without having to pay third party royalties. And so it evolved that Apple and AT&T teamed up to provide service for the iPhone.

Perspective consumers were dismayed when discovering that the device would be running on AT&T’s slower “EDGE” network, known for having notoriously abysmal data service. Add into the equation that 3G technology was already working and delivering close to Wi-Fi speeds. In preparation for the major launch of the original iPhone, AT&T prepared their EDGE network lines and markedly boosted speeds. Without a doubt, these preparations were all tailored for the iPhone.

Eventually, AT&T’s CEO (and rumors around the blogosphere) acknowledged the development of Apple’s next iPhone: the iPhone 3G. AT&T delivered again, by upgrading the EDGE network to 3G. Apple was now ready to release the iPhone 3G on the network.

Right before the announcement of the new iPhone 3G on June 9th, Starbucks was in hot water with T-Mobile, which initiated a lawsuit as a result of Starbucks’ sudden jilting of T-Mobile, in preference for AT&T. Starbucks was preparing to have iPhone/iPod Touch + Starbucks content and music ready for their Wi-Fi consumers. And who does Schultz choose for cafe wireless? None other than AT&T. The new AT&T wireless internet at Starbucks allows 2 hours of free internet when connected to a Starbucks Rewards registered card account. Registration is free, and has made a trip to Starbucks even more appealing.

There have already been a number of rumors about iPhone users receiving unlimited free Wi-Fi service inside every Starbucks. Now more than ever, the probability of the two products working in tandem seems a given. Apple, AT&T, and Starbucks are collaborating so closely these days that one can envision these three companies developing an even closer partnership to serve their niche consumers.

This year Apple got an early start to their Back to School promotion that’s usually just a free iPod Nano after rebates. Fortunately, this year’s deal also applies to iPod Nanos and Touches.

The rebate can be applied to either iPod and is good for a $299 total cost for the iPod. That’s essentially the cost of the 8 GB iPod Touch.

Buy a qualifying Mac and iPod with your Apple education discount from June 3, 2008, through September 15, 2008, while supplies last, and be eligible for a rebate up to $299.

The free iPod deal each year before school is a great deal, but this one creates the most bang for your buck when buying your Apple computer. For instance, the basic MacBook costs $999 with the educational discount and the $299 Mail-in-rebate will apply to an iPod Touch purchase. Looking on eBay, one would say a brand new iPod Touch (8 GB) would sell for about $230. This essentially brings the purchase of a Mac to $770 (before all fees and taxes). Not a bad deal!

Click here for link to Back to School Promo.

The iPod Touch has continued to captivate me. I’ve been increasingly interested in purchasing one for quite some time. The ability for the iPod Touch/iPhone/OS X software to become more complex and developed, alongside 3rd party app development, is making it an enticing buy. But what’s holding me back?

For starters, there’s a hefty price tag–$299 for an 8GB model. I have a relatively large music collection, but an even larger (size) of TV Shows and Movies that I’ve downloaded from Apple’s iTunes store. By all means I don’t have to have my entire iTunes library with me at all times, but sometimes I want to rock out to some punk and sometimes I want to listen to some indie rock. I go through different music moods and I want to easily switch between my whole library.

What occurs to me is that every sign is pointing me towards the iPod classic. It’s got the size, ability to play TV Shows and Movies, and is even slighty smaller than the iPod touch. Unfortunately, I don’t want to part ways with the iPod touch’s features and larger viewing screen.

I want the touch interface and web capabilities of the iPod touch with the storage capacity of the iPod classic. Oh and one more thing, I’d like to see the device’s size shrink down to that of an iPod nano.

iPod touch interface, iPod classic storage size, and iPod nano form factor. Bring me that Apple, and I’ll hardly think twice about dropping $299.