Tech that...

A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST NEWS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

WHO REMEMBERS THE IPOD?

IT doesn’t seem that long ago, to me at least, that the launch of new iPods would have created a news tsunami that would wash round the planet at least twice.

Now you’re more likely to hear people say: “Do they still make iPods?”

Up until this week, the answer to that question might have been: “Maybe.” They were on sale, but had not been updated for almost four years.

That all changed this week with the release of a brand new iPod Touch – with an A10 Fusion chip (the same chip you’ll find in the iPhone 7), powerful enough to bring Group FaceTime chat, and augmented reality capabilities to the iPod for the first time.

The cameras have not been updated, but it’s still a decent bet for anyone who just wants access to Apple Music and iOS games. Especially at a starting price of £199.

AMAZON SHOWS THE WAY

THERE’S a new Echo in town – Amazon has unveiled its latest Show device, an updated version of the popular smart speaker with screen.

And the headline feature is the price – £79.99.

The previous generation cost £219.99, and although that had a bigger screen, the new version packs in some seriously good upgrades to make it possibly the tech bargain of the year… note, too, that the tiny Echo Spot costs more at £119.

The Show 5 features a 5.5in display, rich sound, and HD camera (with a built-in shutter that you can close so it can’t see anything while still giving voice access to Alexa).

You can use it to control your smart home devices, watch video, listen to music, and it’ll even function as a video baby monitor – working seamlessly with the Arlo baby camera.

It also integrates, too, with the Ring video doorbell.

For added privacy, there’s a switch to turn off the mic and camera, and Amazon is introducing a quick and easy way to delete the recordings of your voice commands it keeps to improve services.

The device is available in two colours – charcoal and sandstone – and will start shipping next month.