I'm thrilled to announce the newest member of the Thoughts Media family: Android Thoughts. As you can guess, this site will be covering Android in all it's forms - phones, slates, etc. The site is being led by none other than our very own Jon Westfall; he'll be handling all editorial duties on the site, similar to how Apple Thoughts works. Android has exploded in popularity over the past 12 months, surpassing even the mighty iPhone in terms of daily activations according to some. It made sense to cover Android as part of what we do here at Thoughts Media, but I wanted to find someone who was passionate and interested in all things Android...and that person is Jon Westfall. Please go read his welcome message on the site to find out how Android Thoughts was born - and subscribe to the RSS feed and Twitter stream. And, above all, if you're interested in Android as a platform, contribute, share, comment, and become a part of that new community.

"Dieter's at the IFA show in Berlin, Germany and he's scored us a first look at mophie's upcoming juice pack air for iPhone 4. It's got soft touch paint and they claim ZERO signal degredation because the entire PCB board is on the bottom, so there are no electronics around the antenna."

I've been waiting for this to come out! I have one that I used on my 3GS with great results, and this one looks even better. It will sell for $79.95 USD and will be available within the week. They will also have it available in black red, white and green. From the pics it appears to add quite a bit of thickness to the iPhone 4 however, so I'll have to get a look in person at the real thing once it comes out (this one was prototype apparently).

"Ars got the official word from an Apple spokesperson: there will be no new software update for old AppleTVs. That means no sexy Netflix, though you'll be able to keep on buying movies and TV shows instead of renting."

It was kind of buried in the overview article at Ars Technica where they note "We confirmed with an Apple spokesperson that the maximum HD resolution of the Apple TV is 720p, consistent with recent rumors. Additionally, there will be no software update to bring the new features to older Apple TVs. Older Apple TVs will continue to work as they have been working up to this point, and they will continue to be able to purchase movies and TV shows even though the new Apple TV is rental-only." It was also something that I wondered about since I have one of the original Apple TVs and now I know, I can't update my Apple TV so I'll have to buy one of the new ones to get the enhanced features. Disappointing but not entirely unexpected with new devices, backward compatibility has to end at some point yes?

"The lack of an official, native version of the Twitter client for the iPad has been a puzzling omission, but now the big blue bird has set things right, having pushed their native iPad app to iTunes."

I've been waiting for this for a while (along with an official Facebook app for iPad, which has yet to make an appearance). I didn't get a lot of time to play with it this morning, but so far, I like it. The interface is a little quirky, and takes some getting used to, but it really is a great twitter app. If you're as much of a twitter fan as I am, you'll probably want to give this a try. The official Twitter app for iPad is free.

"As usual, Steve Jobs began his Apple music event keynote today by giving a breakdown of iOS devices sold to date - 120,000,000. It took them from June 2007 to June 2010 to reach 100,000,000 and only 3 months to add another 20,000,000 on top of that. Jobs also said they're activating new devices at a rate of 230,000 a day."

A not too subtle jab at Google when Steve said "if we counted upgrades in our numbers they'd be way higher than 230,000." Google of course had a response to this which was "The Android activation numbers do not include upgrades and are, in fact, only a portion of the Android devices in the market since we only include devices that have Google services." I guess Google and Jobs are interpreting data differently?

"It's billed as 'One More Hobby.' It hasn't been a big hit, but those who used the Apple TV have shown affection for the device and provided Apple with valued feedback. Apple took this feedback and retooled the Apple TV into a smaller form-factor that clocks in at 1/4th the size of its first-generation sibling."

Honestly, I was happier to see a new AppleTV than I was to see new iPods. The fact that Apple was able to reach the $99 price point is amazing. While I'd wish it had the ability to add apps for increased functionality, I was happy to see that Netflix was added. There aren't many of us who own AppleTVs, but we tend to be loyal to our little boxes. The lack of any storage means you can only rent streaming content on the new device, but you can stream any iTunes content on your computer to the new AppleTV as well. The AppleTV is available for pre-order now. Is anybody else as excited about this as I am?

"Perhaps more than any other device in Apple's electronics arsenal, the iPod nano has changed dramatically over the years. Birthed as the iPod Mini, the first generation nano rounded off and slightly shrank the design, while adding a color screen."

This was one change that I really didn't get from yesterday's event. But then again, I think that has been the problem with the Nano all along, just where does it fit in the iPod mix. As you can see from all the various changes, perhaps Apple has been wondering this same thing as it has taken on many forms over the years. What are your thoughts? Do you think the Nano change is good? Bad? Too close to the Shuffle?

"As revealed yesterday, The latest version of Apple's iTunes media-managing software, iTunes 10, is now available to download through Software Update or via direct download..."

I updated to iTunes 10 last night, and I have to say: I love it. My only complaint is that the Ping feature doesn't have sub-accounts for family members. My partner and I use the same account for iTunes, but that means we only get one Ping account as well. I'm sure this is something Apple will fix in the future. Cult of Mac goes through a list of all the interface changes to iTunes 10. Have you updated to iTunes 10, and if so, what do you think?

"Too busy to read our liveblog coverage of Apple's September iPod Event? Everything you need to know about Apple's new products is below the fold, including details about the new iPod Shuffle, Nano, iPod Touch, AppleTV, iTunes and iOS update."

Pretty good summary of yesterday's Apple event, in case you weren't following along on any number of the live blogs or the live streaming by Apple. As you may have guessed, I was pretty excited about the Apple TV portion and I think they are on the right track with it. The price point is low enough, I think, that this will become more than just a "hobby" for Apple, and topping it off with the Netflix integration is icing on the cake. Definitely a big step in the right direction. The other high point for me was the update to iTunes with Ping. Seems like a logical way to keep track of your favorite artists and find out information on their next concert. The social aspect of it wasn't that big of a deal for me, but I can see how it might be for others. And of course the fixing of the proximity sensor was a big deal, especially since reports had it that it would not be fixed with this update. How about you? What were your highlights from yesterday's event?

The thriller by Laura Lippman, "I'd Know You Anywhere," which hit bookstands Aug. 17 sold 4,739 e-books versus 4,000 hardcover versions during the first five days the title was available. However, there's no mystery why e-book sales are edging out physical book purchases."

No surprise that eBook sales are in ascent, despite the somewhat misleading title of the referenced article. Harper Collins has seen their eBook sales double in the last year, (but) today comprising (only) about 8 percent of their sales. Why, you may ask? One theory: A positive review gets posted online, and readers are immediately able to buy (acquire/download) the book online, 24x7, at a variety of sources. No more waiting for the bookstore to open at 10am tomorrow. No more "out of stock." Regardless of the platform, the book is often immediately available online, whether you're using a Kindle (number one!), a Nook, a Sony Reader, something else, or an iBooks-capable device. Instant gratification. In an attempt to appease print publishers losing revenue over sales of eBooks, Apple has offered to add iAds to books sold by Apple, but this idea has been rejected by publishers - so far. I'm a pretty avid reader, and I try to find new books online before browsing the bookshelves in bricks-and-mortar stores, but I don't think that eBooks will overtake printed books until a eBook reader arrives on the scene that is affordable to everyone. What do you believe is a realistic price point for "the eReader for the rest of us?" $29? $49? $99?

"As expected, Apple refreshed its iPod lineup Wednesday, unveiling redesigned versions of its iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle music players. But the company didn't stop there, using its annual fall music event to also announce an update to its iTunes software and an overhaul of its Apple TV set-top box."

Lots of new and improved products from Apple announced today. Almost everything available today, with the exception of the new $99 smaller Apple TV, shipping in about four weeks. Some additional welcomed news: iOS 4.1 will be available shortly and will include bug fixes and GameCenter; iOS 4.2 will be available in November, and will bring the iPad feature-set equivalence with the iPhone, and will also introduce iPad printing. Details can be found here [ link ].

"According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon.com has been pitching media companies on a streaming video subscription service that would compete with Netflix. Amazon has talked to NBC, Time Warner and Viacom about a service that would work on the Web, on mobile devices, and on Xbox 360 consoles."

If this is true (and I think it probably is), then the digital distribution field is about to get a lot more interesting. I've been hoping for some competition for Netflix, which pretty much rules the roost when it comes to streaming video. I'm a firm believer that more competition is always good for the consumer. It's also possible we'll see a streaming video solution from Apple, maybe even at today's event. It looks to be an exciting few months for fans of streaming video. Anybody else excited about this possibility?

"With the rumor-mill at a fever-pitch for tomorrow's guitar-shaped event, Apple announced today that it will provide a live video stream as Steve Jobs introduces various new pieces of hardware and software and holds them next to his head. The stream will go live at Apple.com at 10 a.m. PDT tomorrow, and the excitement will build for the next hour."

I'd be really excited about this, except I won't be home. I made 2 appointments weeks ago, before Apple announced the event. Oh well, I'll keep track on my iPhone. The interesting thing is that this is the first time I can ever remember Apple live streaming any event, and I suspect there's a very good reason. I think this might be a demonstration of streaming iTunes video. If so, it'll be interesting to see what comes out of today's event. I was skeptical about a new AppleTV (or an iTV), but now I'm not so sure. One thing to remember though: The event stream will only be viewable on iOS based devices and on Macs running Snow Leopard.

"Autodesk has announced AutoCAD 2011 for Mac. This new version of AutoCAD, software for professional design and engineering that previously ran only on the Windows platform, now runs natively on Mac OS X. Autodesk also announced that the new Mac version of AutoCAD would be accompanied by the AutoCAD WS mobile application, a new app for iPad, iPhone, and the iPod touch that will let users edit and share their AutoCAD designs remotely."

AutoCAD has not been available as a native Mac app for many years, losing an entire generation of design professionals to Windows. When released somewhere over the next three months, after being beta tested by over 5,000 users, this new version will fully support OS X and its associated hardware. In addition, a free 'portable' version (AutoCad WS) will be available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch allowing mobile collaboration on AutoCAD drawings. OK, welcome back to the Mac, but the idea of viewing or editing -any- AutoCAD drawing on an iPhone or an iPad sounds like pure marketing - and not reality. These are HUGE complex documents, best seen on one or more HUGE monitors.

"If figures collated by 148Apps.biz are to be believed, Apple's App Store passed 250,000 apps on Friday, acheiving the milestone in just two years and 49 days since the marketplace was introduced."

I'm a firm believer that it's not the quantity of apps that are available, but the quality. Still, 250,000 is an impressive number. As someone who has used both a recent Android device (the Nexus One) and the iPhone 4, I have to say that in most cases, the quality of apps in the Apple App Store are higher, and it is easy to see when you compare apps that are available on both platforms. Of course, there are plenty of people who would argue that an open market is a better market. Which side do you fall on?

"But Cupertino doesn't want to stop there: a new patent filing, Apple is now exploring ways to combine the headphone jack with the microphone on their iPhone and iPod Touch."

I'm not one to read Apple's patent filings as the future of Apple products, but I'm pretty sure this will actually end up being used in future versions of the iPhone and iPod Touch. It just makes sense. Apple embraces minimalism in design, and having the noise canceling microphone built into the headphone jack makes for a cleaner design. It also gives one less point of entry for dust and moisture. I doubt we'll see this at the September event, only because it makes no sense to put a feature like this on the iPod Touch before it goes into the next iPhone.

"Looks like Roku's going aggressive on price with its lineup of streamers in response to Sony's new $130 Netbox streamer, the upcoming Google TV launch, and rumors that we'll see that rumored $99 iOS-based Apple TV arrive on Wednesday."

The standard def box went down to $59.00 USD, the regular HD is $69.00 USD and the HD-XR box is at $99.00 USD, all dropping in price from $20-$30.00 USD. This is getting to the point to have one just for the UFC they offer, but if they would throw in some NFL RedZone, I'd buy it in a heartbeat and lose Dish Network all together. But I think I will first wait to see what Apple has in store for us on Wednesday.

"Lovely new iPhone app that allows you to write text messages before hand, and choose if you always will send it to the same person or not. Either way you can send the message very fast, great tool and it's only $0.99."

Interesting app [affiliate link]. Most of my text messages are conceived on the spot so I don't really see myself using this, but I like the idea of having something like this as an option. I suppose it would work well if I was thinking far ahead enough to plan some messages about travel arrivals, asking about grocery items needed, etc. Come to think of it, I may find a use for this after all. What are your thoughts, canned text messages have a place in your arsenal?

"If you're an iPhone 4 user, you probably remember the proximity sensor problem we told you about way back when Apple's latest handset was released. Many iPhone users were reporting issues with their handset during calls, citing the proximity sensor as being a key problem. Apparently the sensor wasn't always detecting the users' faces, meaning many were accidentally interacting with their phone's screen while talking on the handset."

And even though Steve Jobs said it would be fixed in iOS 4.1, it appears this may not happen. The antenna issue was not an issue for me at all, but I have experienced this proximity problem several times, mostly by putting the phone call in mute status and talking like an idiot until I realized that the other half of the phone call couldn't hear me. No wonder they kept interrupting me and were off topic! I imagine this issue is a bit more difficult to fix than they first realized, which is a bit disappointing for those of us that have run into this annoyance. Let's hope the fix is in sooner rather than later.

"About a week ago, we reported that iPads ordered online shipped within 3 days. Today, Fortune noticed that iPad online orders are finally shipping within 24 hours, the shortest lead time since the launch of the tablet, about 5 months ago."

Excellent news! iPad supply seems to have caught up with demand, after five months. Funny (or maybe more ironic?) that now I'm seeing sites complaining about Apple 'only offering' the free shipping option (no for-fee expedited overnight delivery, for example). In my experience, Apple's shipping is already pretty fast, and since most products seem to come from China, why mess with something that already is working well? If you're in that much of a hurry, go to an Apple Store or a reseller!