Apple dived into the competitive social networking business on Wednesday, introducing Ping, a service geared to music lovers that is built into iTunes, as it revamped its lineup of iPods and other products.
The company also introduced an upgraded version of its Apple TV set-top box that is smaller and, at $99, cheaper than its predecessor. It allows users to stream television shows from Fox and ABC for 99 cents, and it can also stream movies from Netflix and iTunes podcasts.
Along with the new iPods, which include upgraded versions of the Shuffle, Nano and Touch models, Apple introduced a new version of its mobile operating system, iOS.
At an event in San Francisco, Steven P. Jobs, Apple’s chief executive, said the new iPods represented the biggest upgrade to the company’s line of popular music players since they were first introduced in 2001.
“This year, we’ve gone wild,” Mr. Jobs said.
While the upgrades to the iPod lineup and to Apple TV were widely expected, Mr. Jobs surprised many in the audience with the introduction of Ping. The new social network will be instantly available to 160 million iTunes users, as long as they download the latest version of the software, which Apple released Tuesday.
In Ping, users will be able to follow friends and see what music they have downloaded or bought, what concerts they plan to attend and what music they have reviewed. They will also be able to follow bands and get updates on their new releases, concert tours and other events.
“Ping is for social music discovery,” Mr. Jobs said. “You can follow people and you can be followed.”
Mr. Jobs said Ping would have simple privacy controls. Anyone will be able to follow bands, and users will be able to say whether they want to be followed by anyone or only by people they approve.
The new iPod Touch is thinner than the previous model and comes equipped with front- and rear-facing cameras, as well as Apple’s FaceTime video chatting software. It also has the same high-resolution “retina” display that Apple first showcased on the iPhone 4 earlier this year.
The iPod Touch comes in three models. The 8-gigabyte version costs $229, the 32-gigabyte version is $299 and the 64-gigabyte version is $399. They will be available next week.
In a music-themed media event yesterday, Apple Inc. unveiled three new  portable music players, as well as an upgraded  system. Apple also announced updates for its  software and  mobile operating system.

The annual event started at 10 a.m.  (1700 ) in the  in San Francisco, California. Apple  Steve Jobs, who led yesterday's keynote speech at the event, was dressed in his typical black long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. He began by discussing new international , an update to the company's iOS mobile operating system, and the release of a new gaming app, . Jobs then turned his attention to what he called the "entrée" of the day.

Apple will release new versions of its , , and  lines next week in what Jobs called "the biggest change in the iPod line ever." The iPod Shuffle's  capabilities have been extended to playlists, meaning that it will now be able to read off the names of songs, artists, and playlists. The new device is priced at 49.

Jobs also showed off the company's new iPod Nano. The Nano, now smaller and without a , features a new  screen that allows users to touch virtual buttons to control the device. The new design is 42 percent lighter and 46 percent smaller, but still includes functions on previous Nanos, such as an  and a . The 8  version will cost US$149, while the 16 GB version will be priced at US$179.

Jobs announced an updated iPod Touch as well, an announcement that had been widely expected for some time. The new, thinner Touch has been upgraded with features matching some already on the company's recently-released , including the   and dual video cameras. One camera, located on the back the of the iPod Touch, is for recording video, while the other camera, located on the front, is for use with Apple's   program. FaceTime allows users of the latest iPhone and iPod Touch models to conduct video chats with each other over  networks. The iPod Touch starts at US$229 for a 8 GB model, US$299 for 32 GB, and US$399 for 64 GB.

Another major product refresh unveiled yesterday was the Apple TV. The  was first released in 2007, but was never very popular. Jobs even admitted that, although Apple has "sold a lot of them, they've never been a huge hit." The US$99 second-generation Apple TV is both smaller and cheaper than its predecessor, which was priced at US$229. The new version will let consumers stream content from online sources, including , and rent both movies and television shows. Apple has made a deal with  and  to let users rent episodes of shows for 99, instead of buying programs. "We think the rest of the studios will see the light and get on board with this pretty fast," added Jobs.  movies can be rented for US$4.99, and the new Apple TV will be available for purchase in around four weeks.

Among the less-hyped updates was one to , previously named AirTunes. AirPlay lets users stream music, photos, and videos from iOS devices to other Wi-Fi-enabled systems. AirPlay would let a video on an  be played on a television via Apple TV.

Along with an iOS update came one for Apple's online music store application, iTunes. The biggest news involving iTunes 10, which is available for download now, is Apple's new music-based social network, . "It is sort of like Facebook and Twitter meet iTunes," described Jobs. "It is not Facebook. It is not Twitter. It is something else we've come up with. It's all about music." Built into iTunes, Ping allows a user to follow both friends and artists to find new music and concert tours, and anyone with an iTunes account will be able to access Ping upon updating to iTunes 10. Ping will have settings for privacy as well, giving users the option to approve followers. Jobs also introduced a new iTunes logo, which does not include an image of a CD on it because music sales on iTunes are expected to overtake CD sales soon.

Jobs concluded the event by bringing out , a member of the award-winning band . Martin, who played a few songs on the piano, including the hit song "," jokingly called his performance "the toughest closing gig I've ever had."

Although many of yesterday's announcements had been predicted ahead of time, some had speculated that Apple would go even further. Apple defied expectations of a new  music service. They also did not extend the amount of time a buyer could sample music on iTunes, as some had guessed.



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