Apple Rock & Roll Media Event...Remote AlmostLive Blogging?

• Steve is back...looking skinny and speaking softly, but back.
• New OS 3.1 for iPod touch & iPhone...free and available today
• Apple is now # music retailer in the world...
• 30k ringtones from the major labels
• 100mil iTunes accounts
• Introducing iTunes 9 today
• iTunes 9 features enhanced Genius features...including Genius DJ that creates mixes for you
• iTunes will now let you copy content (music, movies, etc) on 5 computers in your home
• iTunes store is being redesigned w/ new artist and TV pages...cleaner layout
• iTunes LP features classic album art, lyrics, artist chronology, memorabilia...like value added content for DVDs...but for music albums...record companies must love this
• iTunes 9 does look beautiful...as usual
• Looks like there's more features to let you save, manage and share Apps on your network and devices
• FYI Gizmodo having tech difficulties, gdgt doing well
• iTunes 9 supports sharing on Facebook & Twitter!!!!!!
• New feature called Extra for iTunes movies...value added content
• Apple has sold 220mil iPods to date...73.8% MP3 player marketshare
• Less than 50% of sales are new to iPod
• 20mil iPod touch devices sold
• FYI Gizmodo is back up
• Phil Schiller calls the iPod touch a "pocket computer" (that sounds like Nokia-speak)
• iPod touch is also a great portable gaming system...PSP and DS just don't stack up (wow...that's bold)...because not multi touch interface, expensive games, no App store, no iPod (he has a point)
• touch has 21k game titles available compared to 3.6k for DS & 607 for PSP
• Ubisoft is demo'ing Assassin's Creed on an iPod touch
• Tapulous founded in 2008 as an iPod/iPhone only developer is now working on new music/racing game called Riddim Ribbon...CEO Bart Decrem showing it off
• Gameloft is up next...Mark Hickey is showing off a new first person shooter called Nova
• Gameloft has 20mil downloads in App Store...making them one of the biggest
• All the blogs are saying it looks like a mobile Halo...will be multiplayer on wifi & Bluetooth
• Next up Travis Boatman (great guy) from EA to demo Madden 10...you can draw the plays with your finger
• Demos are over, Schiller reinforces that iPod touch is a great portable computer & gaming device. It's an affordable gateway to the App Store.
• Now more affordable...iPod touch 8GB dropping to $199
• 32GB model at $299 and 64GB model at $399
• Added OpenGL ES 2.0 to touch
• iPod Classic is now $250 for a 160GB device
• Schiller showing off headset with voice controls for iPod Shuffle which is now $59 for a 2GB model and special chrome 4GB model for $99
• Steve's back on stage...oh and "one more thing"...a video camera that's built into the iPod nano with integrated mic and speaker
• You can playback video on device or synch with computer and upload to YouTube, etc
• nano gets video camera, 2.2in display, polished anodized alum finish, mic & speaker, VoiceOver, FM radio, more colors
• 8GB is $149 and 16GB $179 available today
• FYI Apple stock down slightly...I think many were expecting the rumored/anticipated video camera to be added to the touch...and maybe more dramatic hardware upgrades for that device

This is all great stuff, and for any other company this event would have been a slam dunk. Unfortunately the speculative hype (and I'm guilty) around these Apple events has gotten to the point where they can't possibly exceed expectations. There had been chatter all week about a totally new touch featuring video, new AppleTV, Beatles and/or Stones deals and perhaps a reveal of the tablet. The good news for shareholders is that, according to Jim Cramer on CNBC today, the pattern has been that after post-event "disappointment" (and the associated stock price drop offsetting the pre-event run-up) the stock typically starts rising steadily after 3 days...so keep an eye on it starting Monday. Meanwhile I'm going to check out iTunes 9.