classic

If you've read the stories on Apple's latest earnings, you may have noticed that Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer took the time to break out the sales of each model in the iPod franchise, which is seeing year-over-year declines for the first time in its history. In her piece, our own Erica Ogg wrote:

"During the third quarter, Apple sold 10.2 million iPods, compared with 11 million a year ago. It turns out that the shifting appeal of the Shuffle, Nano, and Classic model iPods are to blame. But Apple apparently saw this coming." She then goes on to quote Oppenheimer, who says those declining sales are "the reason we developed the iPod Touch. We expect our traditional MP3 players to decline over time as we cannibalize ourselves with iPod Touch and iPhone."

As rumors continue to circulate that Apple will introduce new iPod models this fall (as it traditionally has), the big question is whether the iPod Classic becomes the odd iPod out. In a recent MP3 Insider podcast, CNET editor Donald Bell points out that orders for new Samsung hard drives that would go into an updated Classic appear to be nonexistent, according to Ars Technica and Apple Insider. And shortly after the earnings were posted, TechCrunch writer MG Seigler asked whether the iPod as we know it is dying.

The prevailing bet among iPod followers is that the Classic may stick around for a little while, but it probably won't be upgraded and will be quietly put out to pasture.… Read more

Will Apple drop the iPod Classic from production when the company introduces its next generation of MP3 players in the fall? That is the chief concern of the MP3 Insiders on this week's podcast. Also, Donald and Jasmine ramble on about the best non-iPod MP3 players for Macs and the best MP3 players for podcasts, and they weigh in on a fitness-friendly MP3 player from Haier and some stupendous portable headphones from Ultrasone. Finally, SweetFM and Spotify have got Donald all hot and bothered. Find out why.

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Nokia has officially announced the new Nokia 3720 Classic, a sturdy and durable phone that's IP-54 certified to resist water, dust, and shock.

Early looks at the Nokia 3720 Classic have proved to us that this is certainly one rugged phone (it has to be, after surviving several beatings with a golf club and getting dunked in a pint of beer). It has a battery cover that's locked with a screw to protect the battery and circuitry, and a sealed leakproof design that comes in variety of colors. Unlike a lot of other rugged phones, like the Sonim XP1, … Read more

We may not beat the crinoline out of our phones with a golf club, but we can imagine accidentally dropping them in a sink--or even a pint. Nokia's decided to try out both phone-destroying events in a series of YouTube videos showing off its first ruggedized phone, the 3720 Classic.

You can also watch a fat man leave it in his pocket while he does a lap in a cold-looking pool, giving it a rugby punt on a typically gorgeous British day, and dropping it on to concrete off a very tall ladder.

It's not strictly scientific--we're … Read more

As we get revved up for the Fourth of July this coming weekend, I have slated a week long tribute to some of the most bad-assed American cars ever made. And they don't get much more classic than the iconic 1969 Chevy Camaro SS.

This video actually features a '69 Camaro SS for sale from Fleming's Ultimate Garagebra, and whoever managed to afford this American beauty got a really special car. This Camaro rocks royal blue paint with white stripes from the tip of the hood to the end of the trunk, and it sports brand new performance … Read more

PewPew is a free 2D shooter game with classic vector graphics, a bouncy trance soundtrack, zero back story, and the kind of spare, single-minded gameplay that serious shooter fans will love. The controls are gratifyingly simple: a virtual, 360-degree thumb joystick on each side of the screen, one for moving, one for shooting. PewPew currently only has two levels/modes, both played in a tight arena: "Dodge This," which only uses the movement joystick, as you zoom around picking up spinning boxes and avoiding enemies; and "Assault," which uses both joysticks, as you weave through and … Read more

If you find yourself spending way too much time trying to locate frequently-used Microsoft Office commands through its newly designed interface, this program is for you. It reintroduces the toolbars found in previous versions of Office.

During the installation process for Classic Menu for Office 2007, you have the option of selecting which of the MS Office programs you want to apply its changes to. The program doesn't dramatically change the interface. For MS Word and Excel, it simply added an extra Menu tab that contained all of the old toolbars from previous versions. If you want to remove … Read more

Ignite Lite is a free, seven-level preview of the innovative platformer game Ignite, in which you control a flaming, jumping ember by the name of "Iggy the Flameboy," using your fiery nature to thwart the plans of the Water Warlords. In this unusual take on the platformer genre, some of the platforms that you jump onto will actually burn beneath your feet--which can be a good thing, like when you're trying to incinerate one of the Water Warlords' minions. The game's simple, touch-and-drag interface lets you jump either left or right, adjusting the trajectory (indicated by … Read more

Nokia's long focus on emerging cell phone markets was further solidified today when it unveiled three low-priced phones in Finland. The three models offer varied designs and features sets, but all come in at under $135 (100 euros) without a contract.

The Nokia 2720 Fold offers a thin, flip-phone design in black or deep red. Nokia emphasizes that the front face of the phone acts as a mirror, though we're not sure how that helps a user "stay organized with easy access to e-mail, calendar, Internet connectivity, and file sharing applications." Features include Bluetooth, a personal … Read more