Apple iPod Nano 5G Gets a Video Camera – Hassles Flip Cams

You’re probably aware that there was a little shin-dig where some new iPods were unleashed yesterday evening.

Out of the new line-up the one, for me, that deserves most attention is the Nano 5G.

Form wise it doesn’t seem that different from the Nano 4G – the screen seems slightly larger and the rainbow colour choice of the body seems glossier than before – but all in all no big change.

It even works just like the previous model with one exception – the main menu now has the option to crank up a camera so you can capture flicks.

Those ad hoc clips are recorded at 640×480 pixels in H.264 MPEG-4, and you can listen to the audio through a new built-in speaker albeit in mono.

The oddity is that there’s no option to take stills – not entirely sure why: it has a camera…….

The simplicity of recording mini films is similar to the benchmark Flip mini-camcorders – one button to start and another to finish – sorted! I can see this little player taking a slice of the casual mini fun cam market without much problem 😉

Your shots are saved in date marked folders and you can even flick through them whilst listening to the FM radio 🙂

A surprise addition (keeping in mind the still camera oversight) is the pedometer – now, given the option between being able to count how many steps it’s taken me to get to the bar or the ability to take pictures of my friends gradual inebriation I know which one I’d go for.

I reckon Apple has managed to make the Nano into another competent Swiss Army Knife of a media player.

Good looks, decent storage, pocketable size, video recording and saving, a pedometer (??!!!??) and the prices aren’t too painful: