Apple rolls out the new pods.

The figures do not lie. From January to July of this year, Apple owned a commanding 76% market share in the digital media player category in the US. This means that every three out of four players sold is an iPod. Short of proclaiming global domination, what’s there left to do for the Cupertino-based company? Get the other 24% by making newer and better iPods of course! A lot of iFans may have be disappointed by the apparent absence of a true video iPod in the 2006 lineup, but at least, both the nano and shuffle line have received interesting tweaks.

Nano-The mini and nano combined into one.

Is it a mini or is it a nano? The answer is both! The second Generation nano’s casing is now made of scratch-resistant anodized aluminum similar to the 2004 mini. Fashionistas will dig the new nano’s six colors, black being exclusive to the 8GB model. The biggest improvement though is the nano’s 24-hour battery life.

Shuffle-goodbye to USB pen drive player.

The USB drive form factor is out. The new shuffle goes for steel appeal and gets downsized in the process. Of all the new iPods, it’s the shuffle that has gone through the most dramatic transformation. It’s only a tad larger than an iPod remote and now sports the same anodized aluminum shell found on the new nano. Included with the shuffle is a built-in clip.

iPod-Flagships sail the high seas.

Avast! It wasn’t the large screen video Pod that we were expecting. Nonetheless, there were some welcome upgrades to Apple’s flagship player. The screen is now 60% brighter compared to the 2005 model. Replacing the 60 gig model is a whopping 80 gigger iPod with the 30 gig model having a reduced SRP. Both the 30GB and 80GB models feature improved battery life, new gaming capability, and a search feature.