The most interesting iPod announced at the recent Apple event is the iPod nano with the square multitouch screen. While the new shuffle resembles a previous generation, we have never had a touchscreen iPod in that form factor. Steve Jobs even remarked that a colleague has plans to wear one on a wristband. Running the built-in clock app, this essentially is an "iWatch".
Incipio has even announced a case+strap combination called the Linq. More than just a wrist strap that the nano would clip on to, the Linq provides rubberized protection around the nano and looks like a winner.
However, as the resident skeptic, I always have a wish list. I would love to see an induction charger, like PowerMat offers. I have used the PowerMat for my iPhone 3G and Nintendo DS and it makes charging a breeze... just drop it in place. (I'm still waiting for an iPhone 4 version!) With an "iWatch", which would be removed daily and need to be charged often, PowerMat integration and a Linq case/strap would be a great combination.
I would also like to see the opportunity for apps on the new iPod nano. I know the small screen makes it somewhat impractical, but that is also an opportunity for a new breed of nano-sized apps. I had an original Mac in 1984 and back then Steve Jobs praised the limited 128K RAM as it encouraged developers to write good compact code! As a developer, I think I'm up to the challenge! With a little more hardware (WiFi, a speaker/microphone and/or Bluetooth), perhaps a future iPod nano will be able to make VoIP-based FaceTime calls over WiFi and display the viewer like Dick Tracy's watch! Of course, without a camera, the video would be one-way, but it would be pretty cool.
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