It’s that time of the year again, the Apple iPod. What should you be expecting, why new iPods of course. Rumors have been flying that this will mark Steve Jobs’ triumphant return since he’s been away on medical leave. Questions will be answered as to what Apple will actually announce, will the iPod Touch finally get a camera? Rumors have also been dispatched that iTunes will get a much needed social makeover with twitter and facebook integration built in, possibly flickr and a few other photo sharing sites. So where should you keep an eye out for all this news? Hit up the liveblogs that will be covering it:

gdgt

Engadget

Gizmodo

Slashgear

What’s does this have:

Palm’s also introducing what they’re calling the “Artist Series”, which includes backplates not unlike those for the myTouch on T-Mobile, adding some flare to those Pixi’s out there. The back plates are also fully compatible with the touchstone wireless charging accessory and right now comes in five different variations.

It looks like Palm’s been hard at work not only with getting a new device out the door, but adding some much needed software additions and tweak,s as well. Palm has added LinkedIn and Yahoo to your synergy contacts, Yahoo to the messeging application, and rouding it out with an official Facebook application.

What it doesn’t have:

It loses the shiny metal click button at the bottom right below the gesture area, WiFi and gets a slower processor (a Qualcomm MSM7627 as opposed to the pre’s TI OMAP 3). It still does not have a microSD card slot, but keeps the 8 GB internal storage. Since this phone is coming to Sprint, expect it to be a CDMA only device, so those expecting this to be that first GSM webOS device, you’ll need to wait a wee bit longer.

Be sure to keep an eye out for this soon on Sprint, for an unknown price point. As this will surely be aimed at the Centro crowd, Sprint will most likely shoot for a price of around $99-$150, which is after a two-year agreement, of course. Read more about the Pixi here on Palm’s site and the full specs here.

In case you missed it, here is a drill down of what you can expect:

• Built in GPS with digital compass
• Exchange Active sync support
• 3.2″ 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen
• Android
• ROM: 512 MB
• RAM: 288 MB
• Qualcomm MSM7200A, 528 MHz CPU

Just also keep in mind, since HTC heavily modified this device, this won’t come stock with any of those Google Apps you’ll see in full Google Experience phones, such as the G1 (HTC Dream) or the myTouch (HTC Magic), but be sure that someone like Cyanogen or someone from XDA will be able to hack it in there somehow.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

For those who want a camera that’s as powerful as a dSLR in a compact package, take a gander at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1. The second micro four third digicam that won’t break your wallet. The GF1 features a 12.1 megapixel Live MOS sensor, 720p HD video recording, a 3-inch live view LCD, built-in flash and an HDMI out all in a small and compact size. The downsides: it’ll costs you $900 for each of the two kits, a 20mm/f1.7 lens and a 14-45mm/f3.5-5.6 zoom lens. You also won’t find a viewfinder here, but you can purchase one sold separately. Check out ther presser here and the product page here, as well as a nice first impressions from dpreview here.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2

The much rumored and quite leaky XPERIA X2 is now official, successor to the wild unpopular, but amazing XPERIA X1 the X2 will feature WinMo 6.5, 8.1 megapixel camera and that infamous panel UI that Sony Ericsson concocted. Check it out here at Xperiancers and their flickr stream here for more gadgety pr0n.

The Sony VAIO X

Not much is actually known about this, since Sony really just pre-announced this thing to be announced later this year. All that’s know is that it has a carbon fiber shell, a half-inch thin, has an 11.1″ display, weighs under a pound and a half, has battery life that “lasts all day” and may or may not come with an Atom. What I do know for sure is that this “ultraportable” with netbook specs will be guaranteed to costs more than twice the price of the most expensive netbook out. Check it out here on Engadget.

Canon EOS 7D

Priced at $1,699 (body only), this 18 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor full manual control, 1080p HD recording monster from Canon is coming this September.Presser here, spec page here, and a hands-on from Dpreview here.

RS 180

Think A2DP stereo bluetooth is awesome, well take a gander at Sennhesier’s first Kleer wireless 2.4GHz ‘phones, the RS 180 (pictured below), RS 170 and the RS 160. Expect CD quality tunes with the industrial over the head look. Sennhesir, also announced the successor to the popular, PX 100 and PX 200, the PX 100-II and PX 200-II.

Nokia X6

A capacitive touchscreen device (other than the N900) finally makes it out of Nokia with the X6. With a dual LED flash, 32 GB of storage, 5 megapixel camera, 3.2″ touchscreen, TV out, and a mere 0.55″ thin. Did I mention that this “comes with music”?

Other mentions:

For you photo buffs: Leica M9 and the Leica X1 was officially leaked. Nokia’s less notable other announcement the X3, an S40 series non-touchscreen slider phone, equiped with a 3.2 megapixel cam, 16 GB storage and decicated music keys.

Full Press Release below:

“PLASTIC LOGIC EREADER WILL WIRELESSLY CONNECT
USING AT&T 3G NETWORK

eReader Built for Mobile Business Professionals to Debut in 2010

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, JULY 22, 2009
–
Plastic Logic announced today that AT&T’s*
3G network will provide the mobile broadband connection for the Plastic Logic Reader,
the eReader created for mobile business professionals, when it launches in 2010.

The Plastic Logic Reader, which is also Wi-Fi enabled, is the ideal companion for busy,
on-the-go business professionals who want to keep up to date on key information and
who need to read and review multiple documents throughout the day. The Plastic Logic
device is about the size of an 8.5 x 11 inch pad of paper, less than a ¼ inch thick and
weighs less than many print magazines. The innovative eReader features the largest
screen in the industry and an intuitive touch screen user interface.

“We’re extremely proud to be able to offer the Plastic Logic Reader with the nation’s
fastest 3G network through AT&T. This alliance is a pillar in our strategy to provide
mobile business professionals with a device that delivers a great reading experience,
and is fully connected through 3G and Wi-Fi to deliver easy access to digital content,”
said Richard Archuleta, CEO of Plastic Logic.

The Plastic Logic Reader is unique among its competitors due to its plastic display,
which is based on the company’s revolutionary plastic electronics technology. The
eReader features the first ever commercial high-quality plastic display and an
outstanding E Ink reading experience. Its battery lasts days, instead of hours. Designed
specifically with mobile business users in mind, the Plastic Logic Reader will connect its
users with their desired business and professional newspapers, books, periodicals and
magazine content and will support the document formats business users need, including
PDF, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents.

“The Plastic Logic Reader is an impressive device and we look forward to providing the
wireless connectivity that will keep business professionals connected to the news,
information and entertainment they desire while on the go,” said Glenn Lurie, president-
Emerging Devices and Resale, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “There is
tremendous market potential for electronic reading devices and we look forward to
powering this revolutionary device with the nation’s fastest 3G network.”

Users will be able to connect to content and download it wirelessly through AT&T’s 3G
network, which offers the best wireless coverage worldwide. Built on the GSM family of
technologies, the de facto wireless world standard, AT&T’s 3G wireless network brings
enormous economies of scale to electronic manufacturers who are eager to cost-
effectively incorporate wireless technology in specialty devices. AT&T devices work in
more than 200 countries and regions. AT&T is also the nation’s largest Wi-Fi provider,
with more than 20,000 hotspots in the United States and more than 90,000 hotspots
globally in 89 countries through roaming agreements.

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Pricing and availability of the Plastic Logic Reader will be announced when the product
begins shipping in early 2010.

To stay current with information on the Plastic Logic Reader, please visit
http://www.plasticlogic.com.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc.
under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About Plastic Logic

Plastic Logic’s mission is to lead a revolution in the way people acquire, organize and consume
information. We are using our proprietary technology leadership in plastic electronics to create a
range of innovative products. Our first product, an eReader for mobile business professionals, will
enter the marketplace in 2010. Founded in 2000 by researchers out of the Cambridge University
Cavendish Laboratory, Plastic Logic has research and development in Cambridge, England; high-
volume, state-of-the-art manufacturing in Dresden, Germany; and executive management,
product engineering, sales and marketing headquartered in Mountain View, California. For more
information please go to http://www.plasticlogic.com.”

So what’s different about Sony’s netbook from the rest of the pack that’s out there? From what it appears the Sony sticker and most likely the load of crapware that will inevitably be preloaded into this thing. Oh yeah and a 1,366 by 768 screen resolution. You can expect this to start shipping in August 2009, that is if you desire to waste your money that is.

Source: eWeek

Key highlights below:

• 480×360 LCD
• 256 MB Built-in memory W/microSD card slot
• aGPS
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• 4.7 OS platform
• Qualcomm MSM7600 processor
• Fully-functional World Phone that supports global roaming on 3G networks
• Quad-Band: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks
• Single-Band: 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA networks
• Dual-Band: 800/1900 MHz CDMA/EVDO Rev A networks

RIM

Sprint

Verizon

Hardware-wise, the specs of the device are not mind blowing, but they are not unspectacular either. It has a teflon coated back, a 3.5mm jack, 3.2″ HVGA (480x320) capacitive touchscreen, a Qualcomm® MSM7200A 528 MHz CPU processor, 288 MB of RAM, 5 megapixal autofocus cam, GPS, quad band GSM phone (900/2100 MHz for HSPA), and a digital compass, but lacks a physical keyboard.

Reminiscint of Touch FLO3D for Windows Mobile devices, Sense UI is the new skin created by HTC. Both very slick and stylish, the new UI has the ability to add widgets, HTC’s own or a third party, moves relatively seamless and has highly customizable home screens. HTC also went through the trouble of creating their own virtual keyboard that seems to rival that of the iPhone’s and has haptic feedback. The biggest news is that HTC with the help of Adobe has built a Flash player into the browser and is capable of playing videos straigt from Youtube, though it isn’t 100% yet. Seemless is hard to the describe how Sense UI actually works, so check out the embedded videos below.

Read more here, here, here, here, and here.

Adobe’s Open Screen Project is seeking to fill the void. With an alliance of companies, Palm, Nokia, Google and Microsoft are working to port Flash 10 to their various mobile platforms. So what does it mean to you the user? Well it means that before, where there was no hope of bringing those web applications without significant reduced functionality to your phone, now with the concerted effort of almost all the big guns working together, we’ll most certainly be able to view native youtube, hulu and many of the other applications that run entirely in Flash, mirroring that desktop browsing experience almost 100%. As a word of caution though, bringing Flash to mobile devices almost means bringing those Flash ads you see to mobile devices as well, but I for one would gladly take that punch in the gut to be able to watch my favorite show on hulu on the go.

Read more here and here. Watch Adobe’s press conference here.